"When exercising, remind yourself that hurt does not equal harm. And that it’s safe to be sore."
~ Prof. Lorimer Moseley
I subscribe to several pain research publications to
keep track of the newest news in this rapidly evolving field. About two weeks ago, a fascinating paper on the causes of osteoarthritis landed in my inbox.
Most of us consider osteoarthritis a "wear and tear" condition.
This "wear and tear" narrative suggests
that the heavier or more active we are, the more likely we are to wear out our joints and develop osteoarthritis, especially in the load-bearing knees or hips.
No consideration was ever given to the environment in which our joints move. The mechanical "wear and tear" theory left the crucial ingredient of our internal environment out of
the equation and, by extension, out of the treatment protocols.
, the first time I travelled to California, I was blown away by the amount of classic Buicks and Chevrolets cruising on the roads, all in tip-top shape. I grew up in Russia and lived in Grande Prairie most of my adult life. I've never seen
those classic cars in person!
Once the surprise wore off, it took only a moment to put two and two together.
It's the environment! Southern California's climate is much less corrosive than Grande Prairie's, with our cold winters and salted roads. So while
California's classic cruisers still rule the streets, the ones here in GP have long been gone, rusted away in some landfill.
A new review by Dr. Samuel Lynskey suggests that for human
moving parts - a.k.a. joints - the environment matters much more than previously suspected.
What exactly does that mean?
Plain and simple, it means that the general state of our health - blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, stress level, what
we eat, how we breathe, and how much we move - all play a part in whether we will develop a painful knee or shoulder, or not.
Dr. Lynskey's paper showed that it is compromised metabolic
health, not the amount of "wear and tear," that makes problems like arthritis, tendinitis, and even stress fractures much more likely to occur.
It's not all gloom and doom, though. A growing body of evidence proves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that movement is the fastest way to improve both metabolic and musculoskeletal health. Simply
put, moving your body is not optional if you want to be healthy and stay healthy as you age.
Speaking of movement - a new set of yoga classes is starting next week.
