Exercise is healthy, but prolonged excessive strain can cause joint wear and tear. This wear and tear is also called osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis can occur as a result of an injury, but also due to overuse. In that case, the layer of cartilage that protects the bone ends and ensures smooth movement is damaged, worn or missing. This can lead to pain when moving and a stiff feeling. Although osteoarthritis cannot be cured, pain can often be alleviated and wear and tear can be slowed down.

Joint wear (arthrosis)

Frequent exercise puts a lot of strain on the joints. The bone ends within a joint have a layer of cartilage, which enables movement of the bone parts relative to each other. Exercise improves the quality of the cartilage. If there is excessive strain or an injury, this can be harmful to the cartilage and joint wear and tear can occur. Osteoarthritis is excessive wear and tear of the cartilage whereby more cartilage is broken down than built up. Sometimes the cartilage disappears completely, leaving the bone completely or partially exposed.

Characteristics of osteoarthritis

Joint wear is characterized by pain during movement or by a stiff feeling. It becomes stiff, especially after not moving for a while. The most common complaint of joint wear and tear is pain during movement, especially when starting a movement after getting up in the morning. A seriously affected joint gives a creaking feeling, as if there is a grain of sand in it, and movement may be restricted. Sometimes it is no longer possible to fully extend or bend the joint. Sometimes fluid builds up in the joint and it becomes thick and warm. This is an expression of an inflammatory response. The complaints increase as wear progresses. Osteoarthritis can occur in just one joint, but it can also occur in multiple joints. It usually occurs in the knees and hips.

Cause

Osteoarthritis can also develop after an injury such as a bone fracture, after surgery or instability of (ankle) ligaments after frequent sprains. An injury increases the risk of developing osteoarthritis later in life. The cartilage can also be directly damaged by an incorrect, abrupt movement. The cartilage can become damaged due to an inflammatory reaction. Joints can also be damaged by frequent excessive strain, such as top-level sports or construction work, causing them to wear out more quickly. In addition, prolonged incorrect strain on the body or wearing the wrong shoes can contribute to injuries or joint wear.

Osteoarthritis due to top sport

Top athletes who exercise almost daily put much more strain on their joints than recreational athletes. Many top athletes know that excessive exercise is harmful to their joints, but try to take good care of their joints by living a healthy lifestyle. They suffer from (minor) injuries more often. For example, top football players are more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis in the knees and ankles compared to their peers who do not play top sports. It is important to take enough time to recover from an injury.

Harmful sports

It also depends on the type of sport being done. Contact sports and sports with many twisting movements such as football or martial arts (karate, kickboxing or savate) in particular can cause wear and tear. Knee osteoarthritis is common at the top levels of running, while this hardly occurs in professional marathon runners. Knee injuries due to rotational movements also regularly occur in hockey. This can ultimately cause wear and tear of the articular cartilage in the knee.

Which sports are good?

To limit wear and tear as much as possible, you can choose a sport that puts as little strain on the joints as possible, but keeps you moving. Examples are: dancing, swimming, diving, water aerobics, Nordic walking, cycling, yoga or walking. Here too, you have to listen to your body.

Recreational athletes

A recreational athlete exercises on average two to three times a week. The chance of developing osteoarthritis is lower than for someone who exercises intensively every day. Another factor that can cause osteoarthritis is, for example, exercising when someone is overweight, in which a person mainly makes sprinting or turning movements. An injury can also increase the risk of wear and tear for a recreational athlete.

Prevention

To prevent wear and tear, you can reduce the chance of an injury. A good warm-up is very important for the muscles. You can ensure that your muscles become stronger so that the risk of injuries is significantly reduced. This way you can do preventive strength training so that the muscles become tired less quickly. Most injuries occur at the end of a match or training where fatigue plays a role. To prevent wear and tear, the joint must continue to move, but be careful not to do so excessively.

Treatment of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis cannot be cured, but its progression can be slowed. Usually something is done to relieve the pain and maintain the function of the joint. Usually a solution without surgery is first looked at. Sometimes a physiotherapist can help or painkillers or anti-inflammatories are given. Whether surgical intervention is necessary depends on the type of intervention and the extent to which the joint is damaged. This will usually involve the placement of an artificial knee or artificial hip.

Conclusion

Exercise is good for the body and ensures that the joints remain in good condition. It ensures that the risk of osteoarthritis is reduced. Too much (intensive) exercise or exercise with a risk of injury increases the risk of developing osteoarthritis. It is important to listen to your body if there are pain signals and to do something about them, such as taking sufficient time to recover so that wear and tear can be prevented.

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