Walking 6,000 steps a day can keep knee osteoarthritis (OA) risk at bay, according to the findings of a new study.
Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) is a health condition that affects 27 million Americans aged 27 and above. Treatment for this morbidity disorder depends on the severity of the condition. Though there are drugs, injections and medical surgeries that can help deal with this disorder, researchers of a new study have found a simple and cost-effective way to ward off OA all together.
Researchers from Sargent College at Boston University found that walking 6,000 steps a day can protect those with or at risk of OA from developing mobility issues.
"Our study examines if more walking equates with better functioning, and if so, how much daily walking is needed to minimize risk of developing problems with mobility in people with knee OA," said Daniel White, PT, ScD, from Sargent College at Boston University in Massachusetts, in a press statement.
For the study, reaches measured daily steps taken by 1788 people with or at risk for knee OA for seven days. Two years later, researchers measured the functional limitations of these participants. Researchers found that those who walked 6,000 steps a day scored greater than 28 out of 68 in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), a tool used to measure functional limitations, characterized by slow walking speed and deteriorated physical functions. It was seen that those who walked 1,000 steps a day experienced a 16 to 18 percent reduction in functional limitation.
"Walking is an inexpensive activity and despite the common popular goal of walking 10,000 steps per day, our study finds only 6,000 steps are necessary to realize benefits. We encourage those with or at risk of knee OA to walk at least 3,000 or more steps each day, and ultimately progress to 6,000 steps daily to minimize the risk of developing difficulty with mobility," White said.
OA is said to be the leading cause of functional limitations in older adults. According to statistics revealed by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, over 80 percent of OA patients have some limitation in movement and 11 percent need personal care assistance. Though walking is frequently recommended to OA patients, previous reports show that two-thirds of U.S. adults with arthritis walk less than 90 minutes each week.
Osteoarthritis, commonly known as wear-and-tear arthritis, is a condition in which the natural cushioning between joints -- cartilage -- wears away. When this happens, the bones of the joints rub more closely against one another with less of the shock-absorbing benefits of cartilage. The rubbing results in pain, swelling, stiffness, decreased ability to move and, sometimes, the formation of bone spurs.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the ACR/RRF Rheumatology Investigator Award, the Boston Rehabilitation Outcomes Center (Boston ROC), the Boston Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center and the Foundation for Physical Therapy Geriatric Research Grant. Findings were published in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) journal, Arthritis Care & Research.
