Are you a runner with knee pain? Or a CrossFit athlete who has knee pain with squatting or box jumps? Does your MRI show decreased thickness of the cartilage in your patella (kneecap) or femur/tibia?. These are very common conditions that we treat at MEND. There is extensive evidence in the research that shows that physical therapy and strength training, when prescribed appropriately, can actually increase cartilage density and greatly decrease pain with running, squatting, and other physical activities.
A systematic review published in 2022 showed that “structured physical activity interventions have mainly positive outcomes on cartilage structure.”1 Another 2015 study showed that “progressively implemented high-impact and intensive exercise creates enough stimuli and exerts favorable effects on patellar cartilage quality and physical function in postmenopausal women with mild knee OA.”2 These positive outcomes demonstrate that you can greatly improve your condition and sports performance, despite having knee pain with running, or cartilage degeneration on an image.
Our clinicians at MEND Boulder and Lafayette are highly trained to diagnose and treat knee issues in a natural manner without injections, medications, and other unnecessary medical interventions. We would love to help you solve your shoulder pain!
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Petrigna L, Roggio F, Trovato B, Zanghì M, Guglielmino C, Musumeci G. How Physical Activity Affects Knee Cartilage and a Standard Intervention Procedure for an Exercise Program: A Systematic Review. Healthcare (Basel). 2022 Sep 21;10(10):1821. doi: 10.3390/healthcare10101821. PMID: 36292268; PMCID: PMC9602429.
Koli J, Multanen J, Kujala UM, Häkkinen A, Nieminen MT, Kautiainen H, Lammentausta E, Jämsä T, Ahola R, Selänne H, Kiviranta I, Heinonen A. Effects of Exercise on Patellar Cartilage in Women with Mild Knee Osteoarthritis. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2015 Sep;47(9):1767-74. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000000629. PMID: 25668399.