Bothered by knee pain due to osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis of the knee in Southern New Hampshire is not uncommon, and New Hampshire Spine and Sport helps many patients get a handle on it. We chiropractic physicians know about body mechanics!

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that exposes people to disability as they age. As a matter of fact, nearly one in two people will develop knee osteoarthritis in their lifetime. (1) Osteoarthritis is the breakdown of cartilage in nearly any joint in the body, but the spine, knees and hips seems to be the most often affected. Wonder why? They do the most motion.

In our chiropractic practice, New Hampshire Spine and Sport may see more women than men with this ailment of osteoarthritis of the knee, but men will suffer osteoarthritis of the knee as well. The knee is the biggest joint in the body and is heavily used. Some of the chiropractic treatments we may examine are knee exercises for osteoarthritis treatment and prevention. Don't do any of them until we decide on what's best for your health, but these may benefit you.

Two major muscles that control knee motion are the quadriceps (above and in front of the knee) and the hamstrings (three of them that run down the back to the side of knee). Stretch and strengthen those, keep your knees - and your back! - happy.(2,3)

Osteoarthritis Knee Exercise #1 - Quadriceps Stretch

• Grasp the back of a chair. Keep your knees together and back straight. Pull your foot to your hip with your hand. Hold for up to 30 seconds. Relax and repeat up to 5 times on each side.

Osteoarthritis Knee Exercise #2 - Knee Extension to Strengthen the Quadriceps

• Sitting with your leg straight (on a bed or sofa), put a small pillow under your knee. Slowly lift your lower leg up and down. The key is to perform this slowly. You'll notice your leg will quiver. Begin with just a few repetitions. The more you do this exercise, the less you will notice your leg shake.

Osteoarthritis Knee Exercise #3 – Hamstring Stretch

Osteoarthritis of the knee may inconvenience your daily activities, but New Hampshire Spine and Sport is confident that the fusion of our Southern New Hampshire chiropractic care and your commitment to some exercise and possibly nutrition for osteoarthritis will get you feeling better and moving less painfully around Southern New Hampshire.

Review these articles about osteoarthritis of the knee, then contact New Hampshire Spine and Sport to set up an appointment to start your chiropractic treatment plan for knee osteoarthritis pain easement today.