Arthritis is an ever-growing and painful problem. According to a 2022 study by the Center for Disease Control, 18.9% of adults aged 18 to 65 suffer from some form of arthritis (and even that number might be too low). However, scientists from the University of Utah, New York University, and Stanford University have found an old school way to help those with knee osteoarthritis relieve pain without medication or surgery. Their answer? Walk it off.
Their study found that adjusting the angle of a person’s foot when they’re walking and retraining the gait of a person with osteoarthritic knees provided comparable pain relief to medication. On top of that, the participants who adjusted and retrained the gait show less cartilage deterioration over time compared to other participants given placebo treatments.
@themovementsystem Gait Analysis of a marathon runner. Cadence was spot on, good contact point between the foot and the gound. Primary issue to address is the narrow gait pattern. Don’t jump to clamshells and glute bridges. This can be addressed with cueing. #gaitanalysis #runninggait #marathontraining #marathonrunner #dpt #sportsphysicaltherapy #sportsphysio
In the study, 68 participants with osteoarthritic knee pain had MRIs taken, and were split into two groups—one was given a placebo treatment and the other group was trained to walk differently. Both groups then took part in six weekly lab-based training sessions in which participants in the gait training group had a device attached to their shins that guided them to keep their feet at the desired angle while walking on a treadmill. Following the training, the participants practiced their “prescribed gait” for 20 minutes each day until it turned into a natural habit and did follow-up visits to ensure that they stuck to their new gait. After a year, the participants self-reported their experience of knee pain and had a second MRI to assess their knee cartilage after the study, with both showing promising results.
“We’ve known that for people with osteoarthritis, higher loads in their knee accelerate progression, and that changing the foot angle can reduce knee load, so the idea of a biomechanical intervention is not new, but there have not been randomized, placebo-controlled studies to show that they’re effective,” said study author Dr. Scott Uhlrich to SciTechDaily.
- YouTube youtu.be
As Ulhrich said, adjusting how you walk to reduce the weight and stress on the knees isn’t a new recommendation from doctors. In fact, it has mostly been recommended to older people experiencing stiffness and pain so severe that it’s hard to move. And while gait retraining is mostly recommended by the Arthritis Foundation, one main issue is that it takes concerted effort and time from both patients and the doctors to ensure that the retrained gait becomes a permanent habit.
That said, this effort is necessary compared to other current pain management options. There is a global concern about osteoarthritic patients becoming addicted to the pain medication they’re prescribed for their ailment, creating a great need for alternative techniques and treatments to reduce pain. However, according to doctors like Ulhrich, this study reveals that this can be a way for younger people to manage their pain and develop a permanent habit that can improve and extend their quality of life until more drastic treatment measures need to be taken.
@dr.claire_physio Link in bio 🔗 to get the exact program I used to get out of chronic knee pain #arthritis #kneepain #kneepainexercise #kneepaintreatment #meniscus #acl
“Especially for people in their 30s, 40s, or 50s, osteoarthritis could mean decades of pain management before they’re recommended for a joint replacement,” Ulhrich said. “This intervention could help fill that large treatment gap.”
It’s important to note that if you think this method might help manage your arthritic pain, you should consult your doctor before attempting this or any form of treatment. They can help you find the best methods for you and refer you to the proper care professionals equipped to help you the best way possible.
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Why do some folks use social media but don't engage?
Psychologist says people who never comment on social media share these 5 positive traits
For over 20 years, social media has developed into a staple in many people’s day-to-day lives. Whether it’s to keep in communication with friends and family, following the thoughts of celebrities, or watching cat videos while sipping your morning coffee, there seem to be two types of social media users: commenters and lurkers.
The term “lurker” sounds equally mysterious and insidious, with some social media users writing them off as non-participants at best or voyeurs at worst. However, mindfulness expert Lachlan Brown believes these non-commenters have some very psychologically positive and healthy traits. Let’s take a look at how each one of these traits could be beneficial and see how fruitful lurking might be even though it can drive content creators crazy.
1. Cautious about vulnerability
Consciously or not, making a post online or commenting on one puts you and your words out there. It’s a statement that everyone can see, even if it’s as simple as clicking “like.” Doing so opens yourself up to judgment, with all the good, bad, and potential misinterpretation that comes with it. Non-commenters would rather not open themselves up to that.
These silent users are connected to a concept of self-protection by simply not engaging. By just scrolling past posts or just reading/watching them without commentary, they’re preventing themselves from any downsides of sharing an opinion such as rejection, misunderstanding, or embarrassment. They also have more control on how much of themselves they’re willing to reveal to the general public, and tend to be more open face-to-face or during one-on-one/one-on-few private chats or DMs. This can be seen as a healthy boundary and prevents unnecessary exposure.
Considering many comment sections, especially involving political topics, are meant to stir negative emotional responses to increase engagement, being extra mindful about where, when, and what you comment might not be a bad idea. They might not even take the engagement bait at all. Or if they see a friend of theirs post something vulnerable, they feel more motivated to engage with them personally one-on-one rather than use social media to publicly check in on them.
2. Analytical and reflective mindset
How many times have you gone onto Reddit, YouTube, or any other site and just skimmed past comments that are just different versions of “yes, and,” “no, but,” or “yes, but”? Or the ever insightful, formerly popular comment “First!” in a thread? These silent browsers lean against adding to such noise unless they have some valid and thoughtful contribution (if they bother to comment period).
These non-posters are likely wired on reflective thinking rather than their initial intuition. Not to say that all those who comment aren’t thoughtful, but many tend to react quickly and comment based on their initial feelings rather than absorbing the information, thinking it over, researching or testing their belief, and then posting it. For "lurkers," it could by their very nature to just do all of that and not post it at all, or share their thoughts and findings privately with a friend. All in all, it’s a preference of substance over speed.
3. High sense of self-awareness
Carried over from the first two listed traits, these silent social media users incorporate their concern over their vulnerability and their reflective mindset into digital self-awareness. They know what triggers responses out of them and what causes them to engage in impulsive behavior. It could be that they have engaged with a troll in the past and felt foolish. Or that they just felt sad after a post or got into an unnecessary argument that impacted them offline. By knowing themselves and seeing what’s being discussed, they choose to weigh their words carefully or just not participate at all. It’s a form of self-preservation through restraint.
4. Prefer to observe rather than perform
Some folks treat social media as information, entertainment, or a mix of both, and commenting can feel like they’re yelling at the TV, clapping alone in a movie theater when the credits roll, or yelling “That’s not true!” to a news anchor that will never hear them. But contrary to that, social media is a place where those yells, claps, and accusations can be seen and get a response. By its design, social media is considered by experts and the media as performative, regardless of whether it is positive or negative. Taking all of the previously mentioned traits into account, one can see why they would prefer to “observe the play” rather than get up on the stage of Facebook or X.
On top of that, these non-commenters could be using social media differently than those who choose to fully engage with it. Using this type of navigation, there may be nothing for them to comment about. Some commenters are even vying for this for their mental health. There are articles about how to better curate your social media feeds and manipulate algorithms to create a better social media experience to avoid unnecessary conflict or mentally tiring debate.
If you go on a blocking spree on all of your accounts and just follow the posters that boost you, it could turn your social media into a nice part of your routine as you mainly engage with others face-to-face or privately. In terms of commenting, if your curated Instagram is just following cute dogs and all you have to offer for a comment is “cute dog,” you might just enjoy the picture and then move on with your day rather than join in the noise. These non-commenters aren’t in the show and they’re fine with it.
5. Less motivated by social validation
The last trait that Brown showcases is that social media users who browse without posting tend to be independent from external validation, at least online. Social media is built to grow through feedback loops such as awarding likes, shares, and reposts of your content along with notifications letting you know that a new person follows you or wants to connect. This can lead many people to connect their activity on social media with their sense of self worth, especially with adolescents who are still figuring out their place in the world and have still-developing brains.
Engaging in social media via likes, shares, comments, and posts rewards our brains by having them release dopamine, which makes us feel good and can easily become addictive. For whatever reason, non-commenters don’t rely on social media as a means to gauge their social capital or self worth. This doesn’t make them better than those who do. While some non-commenters could have healthier ways to boost their self worth or release dopamine into their systems, many get that validation from equally unhealthy sources offline. That said, many non-commenters’ silence could be a display of independence and self confidence.
Whether you frequently comment online or don’t, it’s good to understand why you do or don’t. Analyzing your habits can help you determine whether your online engagement is healthy, or needs to be tweaked. With that information, you can then create a healthy social media experience that works for you.