Joint Action

Health literacy is a factor that is often overlooked and could potentially impact OA outcomes. Health literacy refers to how people access, understand and use health information in ways that benefit their health. People with low health literacy are at higher risk of worse health outcomes and poorer health behaviours.   Adj A/Prof Steve Morris is the CEO of Arthritis South Australia. Steve was...

People with osteoarthritis are encouraged to exercise and stay physically active, but what does the evidence say about running? Running has been often perceived as bad for the knees. Long-term exposure to running has raised concerns about the development and progression of knee osteoarthritis. If you have knee osteoarthritis, you might be wondering if it is safe continue running.   Dr Christi...

Did you know that 500 million people around the world have osteoarthritis? In those over 55 years of age, a staggering one in three people have osteoarthritis. While many people may well suffer in silence or become isolated from the disease, it’s important to recognise that you are not alone in your experience of living with this disease. Professor Lyn March joins us on this episode to discuss the...

Walking can be an excellent form of exercise and physical activity for people who have osteoarthritis. Walking is low-impact, inexpensive and safe for everyone. Despite the apparent benefits of walking, not only for managing OA symptoms but to reduce the development or progression of other chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, many people are simply not doing enough. This may b...

Studies have shown that the rates of joint replacement surgeries has increased steadily over the past decade. In Australia alone, there are about 110,000 joint replacements performed every year. This number is expected to rise with the aging population and increasing rates of obesity. Furthermore, COVID-related cancellations and hospital restrictions will likely impact the provision of joint repla...

Staying physically active is not only important for people with osteoarthritis, but all adults. Participating in physical activity can help improve mobility, physical conditioning and reduce the risk of falls. However, despite the numerous health benefits of staying physically active, many older adults do not meet the recommended guidelines. We know it is often hard staying active so wanted to unp...

Osteoarthritis commonly affects the knee joint, which consists of three compartments – the medial tibiofemoral compartment, lateral tibiofemoral compartment and the patellofemoral compartment. Osteoarthritis can affect these compartments in isolation or in combination. Although, the majority of osteoarthritis research has focused on the tibiofemoral joints, patellofemoral OA is more prevalent and...

Obesity is a major risk factor for developing knee osteoarthritis and subsequently undergoing total knee replacement (TKR). The rates of obesity have increased dramatically over the past decades and in many developed nations, about two third of adults are above a healthy weight. Although TKR is a cost-effective treatment for end-stage osteoarthritis, the rising rates of obesity are resulting in mo...

Joint injury is a major risk factor for developing osteoarthritis. For any given knee injury, about 50% of people will go on to develop osteoarthritis, regardless of if they have had surgical intervention or not. Osteoarthritis which follows a significant joint injury is sometimes called “post-traumatic osteoarthritis” or “PTOA” – many believe that PTOA represents a disease subgroup or phenotype o...

The knee joint consists of three distinct joint compartments – the medial tibiofemoral (or inside), the lateral tibiofemoral (outside) and the patellofemoral (behind the kneecap). Braces or orthoses are devices made from lightweight materials which alter the biomechanics of the lower limb and alter the alignment of a joint. Research has shown that using an appropriate knee brace can reduce pain an...

There are a lot of descriptors used for osteoarthritis pain related to the character of pain, its distribution or location, its severity, its frequency - in particular, whether this is constant or intermittent. New research into these pain patterns has shown that the different pain patterns experienced lead to different clinical outcomes in people with knee OA. If we can identify why some people h...

Having a chronic physical health condition such as osteoarthritis can have a negative effect on mental health which commonly manifests as depression or anxiety. Epidemiological research has shown that most adults with common mental health conditions do not access psychologically-based treatments. This is due to many reasons including costs, stigma, long waiting lists and availability outside of ma...

On this week’s episode of Joint Action, Prof Rana Hinman joins us to discuss how shoes or insoles can help with knee OA. People with knee OA may experience abnormal knee joint loading – meaning that certain parts of their knees (for example, the inside or medial compartment) is loaded more, compared to the outside or lateral compartment. Biomechanical research has shown that some shoes can increas...

On this episode of Joint Action, we are joined by Dr Jackie Whittaker to discuss osteoarthritis prevention, risk factors and prevention strategies. Osteoarthritis is the most common joint condition, affecting more than 300 million people worldwide. There is currently no cure for OA and the current management strategies for OA are focussed on alleviating symptoms. Current management and include cor...

Traditionally, osteoarthritis has been thought to be a non-inflammatory disease. However, we now know that inflammation plays a critical role in the development of OA in the joint and synovium. Synovitis, the inflammation of the synovial membrane is a classic characteristic of inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis but is now being seen in many people with OA. The presence of inflamma...

Exercise and education are recommended treatments for knee osteoarthritis. To date, there have been over 100 clinical trials demonstrating the beneficial effects of exercise for knee osteoarthritis compared to no-treatment control groups. This has resulted in strong recommendations for exercise as a primary management strategy for knee OA. The comparison of exercise to a no-treatment control intro...

Exercise, physical activity and education are the cornerstone treatments for osteoarthritis. However, despite their proven efficacy, they are difficult to maintain long-term. Behaviour change techniques, which are specific techniques such as goal-setting or monitoring that can help people stick to an OA management plan long-term. On this week’s episode of Joint Action, we are joined by Dr Shannon...

That's a wrap for 2021! We will be back on January 17th with a brand new season. If you haven't already, please subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss out on new episodes! We would also be very grateful if you could leave us a review :) CONNECT WITH US Twitter: @ProfDavidHunter @jointactionorg Email: hello@jointaction.info Website: www.jointaction.info/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr...

We recently published the results from a large randomised controlled trial investigating the effects of platelet-rich plasma for knee osteoarthritis. On this episode, we are joined by Prof Kim Bennell to discuss the results of the study. Prof Kim Bennell is a research physiotherapist and her current positions include Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor and Director of the Centre for Health, Exer...

Living with a musculoskeletal condition such as arthritis is not easy. The associated symptoms such as pain and stiffness make everyday activities that once seemed easy, challenging. It is important that those living with arthritis are educated and empowered to make decisions about the management about their condition and healthcare. However, this is not always the case with studies showing that o...

The number of surgical procedures for musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoarthritis has increased exponentially over the past years, some of which are unnecessary and leave patients no better off than they were before. Knee replacement surgery can be a wonderful and cost-effective treatment for end-stage osteoarthritis but only when less invasive treatments have failed. There are many factors dr...

Although research has consistently demonstrated what is required to manage osteoarthritis appropriately, this is not the reality experienced by most. The current treatment for osteoarthritis is often reactive, using treatments which are not beneficial and often harmful and expensive to patients.   The limitations in the current health system call for new models of osteoarthritis care to suppo...

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to shift how we deliver care to those living with osteoarthritis. There has been an increasing number of online resources including websites, decision aids, remotely delivered programs and podcasts such as Joint Action which have become increasingly popular in the past year. With the numerous resources available, how do we know which programs are suitable and ev...

Biological markers or commonly referred to as biomarkers are biological measures or medical signs which can be measured accurately and reproducibly in patients. Examples of biomarkers can be anything from pulse and blood pressure to more complex blood tests and other tissues. There are different types of biomarkers including systemic and molecular biomarkers and the investigation of these provide...

Sleep disturbances are common in those with osteoarthritis. Research has postulated that poor night time sleep is associated with increased pain the following day and that sleep disturbances are associated with increased risk for developing or worsening pain in the long-term. The interactions between pain and sleep are complex.   On this episode of Joint Action, we are joined by Peter Cistull...