Simple stretching exercises for ELDERLY (Part 1)

Anti-joint degeneration stretching health care for the elderly

Professional consultant／Hsu Chih-Chung, Physical Therapist Li-Kong Ortho Clinic, New Taipei City

Frequently asked question 1: Degenerative arthritis

If we imagine the body to be a car, one of the causes of degenerative arthritis, which people are most susceptible to after 60 years of age, is that the lubricating liquid within the car “part”, the knee, diminishes as the knee joint is used over time and, when it reaches a point where it is insufficient, it causes the cartilage in the knee joint to rub or collide when a person is walking or going up or down stairs because of the lack of a lubrication medium, causing inflammation that produces pain; over time it becomes degenerative arthritis.

It is worth noting that anyone whose knees have suffered impact in an accident or have twisted their knee or torn or severed their knee ligaments can, over time, even if they feel they have fully recovered, induce joint pain by having incorrect posture.When the cartilage is only lightly damaged or when lubricating fluid is lacking, taking supplements such as glucosamine can delay the worsening of symptoms so we suggest that people who have injured their knee(s) take nutrition supplements in advance.

The symptoms of degenerative arthritis are that the knee has a dull pain even when it isn’t moving, especially in cold and wet weather; symptoms include: the surface skin on the knee feels cold to the touch; when going up or down stairs there is a slight ache in the knee; the knee is red, swollen, hot or painful; in serious cases the sufferer will find it hard to walk; and there is clearly discernible swelling of the inside of the knee. As well as the elderly, women and the overweight are more susceptible to degenerative arthritis because of muscle weakness, lower bone density after menopause and excess load on the knees, respectively.

Quadriceps stretching With both feet firmly on the ground, bend the right knee and lift up backwards, grab the top of the right foot in the right hand and then pull the thigh gently backwards until you feel a slight ache at the front of the thigh. Hold the position for 30-60 seconds; once on each side is a set and do 5-10 sets. Readers who have read the article ‘Which muscle groups do we use when we play badminton? (Part 1)’ will know that the quadriceps is the main muscle group used in the most difficult attacking shot, the jump smash, so we would like to remind everyone to stretch the quadriceps ......Full Article