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Importance Of Exercise In The Treatment Of Knee Osteoarthritis for Senior Citizens

Photo Credit: srxawordonhealth.com

Knee osteoarthritis, which occurs when the ends of our bones deteriorate due to excessive stress on the joint surfaces, is one of the five leading causes of disability in Singapore. While the prospect can sound quite daunting, the reality is, knee osteoarthritis is a condition that we can take an active role in managing. 

Contrary to the popular belief that the only way to deal with the pain is to avoid activity and to let the knee to rest as much as possible, in reality, it is through movement that we can actually help to alleviate pain, improve mobility and arrest the progression of the condition. There are a number of non-surgical treatment modalities today which when carefully employed as part of your customised treatment plan by your doctor can help you accomplish just that. 

A comprehensive non-surgical treatment plan may include a combination of pain management (pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies), biomechanical interventions such as knee braces and physical therapy, of which strengthening exercises and stretches play an important role. The effective treatment of knee osteoarthritis depends not only on a proper diagnosis and applying the right treatment at the right time, but also on the patient’s cooperation in adhering to the treatment plan, which often includes lifestyle adjustments and being disciplined in doing strengthening exercises and stretches at home as advised. 

Exercise, when done appropriately can help you regain function of your knees. Not only does it restore range of motion and flexibility, it also strengthens the muscles around your knees to provide more stability to the knees. This is particularly important with our modern and sedentary lifestyles, as the knee joints and muscles surrounding the knees are not as strong as they should be, thereby increasing the risk of osteoarthritis. 

The key to recovery from knee osteoarthritis is to maintain a balance between appropriate physical activity and rest. Here at Inliven, we customize exercises to each patient based on their condition and needs. It is always important to check with your doctor on the exercises you should or should not be doing based on your condition. Below are some simple stretches and strengthening exercises you can do at home to help tone the muscles around your knees and reduce pain. They only take 10-15 minutes to complete.

5   Simple Stretches and Strengthening Exercises for Knee Osteoarthritis 

1)  Hamstring Stretch Stand facing a chair and place your left hand against the wall for support. Place your left heel on the chair and straighten your left leg. Push your buttocks back until you feel a stretch under your left thigh. Hold the stretch for 5-10 seconds, then release. Repeat this twice on each leg.
2)  Hip Flexor Stretch Stand with your back facing a chair and place your left hand against the wall for support. Bend your left leg back and place your left foot on the chair behind you. Stretch your leg backwards so that the left knee is aligned slightly behind the right knee. You should feel a stretch on your left hip and front part of the thigh. Hold the stretch for 5-10 seconds, then release. Repeat this twice on each leg.
3)  Standing Calf Stretch Stand with your toes touching the wall in front of you and place both palms against the wall for support. Step your left foot back and place the heel flat on the ground without leaning forward or arching your back. Your left leg should be straight and right knee bent. Feel the stretch behind your left knee and calf. Hold the stretch for 5-10 seconds, then release. Repeat this twice on each leg.
4)  Buttock Strengthening Stand behind a chair and place your hands on the backrest for support. Keeping your back straight, lift your right leg with the knee slightly bent till it touches the back of the chair. Gently kick the same leg backwards, straightening the knee to lift your buttock muscles. Be sure not to arch your lower back. Hold for 2-3 seconds, then release. Repeat this five times on each leg.
5)  Calves Strengthening Sit on a chair with your back straight, feet flat on the ground, toes pointing outwards at a 45-degree angle. Lift your heels off the ground, moving your knees slightly outwards. Hold for 2-3 seconds, then release. Repeat this five times.

Studies have shown that people with knee osteoarthritis who continue to do appropriate physiotherapy and strengthening exercises regularly have experienced sustained improvement and reduction in knee pain.

Different exercises target different muscle groups and the pace of the treatment programme should be based on your progress. It is thus important to work closely with your doctor to ensure you are doing the prescribed exercises the right way, and at the right frequency that is appropriate to your condition.

While living with knee osteoarthritis may initially seem all doom and gloom, it need not be the case. There is effective treatment available and steps you can take to arrest the progression of the condition and eventually return to an active and fulfilling lifestyle.

Contributor

Dr Christopher Goh MBBS (NUS), MRCS (Glasgow), MMED (Orthopaedic Surgery) is the Resident Doctor of Inliven Center for Osteoarthritis Solutions, which provides non-surgical treatments for knee osteoarthritis. He has a keen focus on fitness and age-related orthopedic and sports related injuries and rehabilitation

Top 5 Concerns That Senior Citizens In Singapore May Face

Top 5 Concerns That Senior Citizens In Singapore May Face

As we age, we will want our lives to be easier and better . Retirement is the time in our lives that we thought we finally be able to relax and enjoy.  While the golden years can be some of the best years of our life, there are always concerns.  Senior citizens in Singapore may have challenges to overcome that are universal to all ages as well as some issues that are specific to their age group.

The top 5 concerns that Senior Citizens in Singapore may face include:

1. Financial  -  The cost of living is rising every year however living income may not match the rising cost. This will pose a financial restrictions. We may not be able to afford the same comforts of life that we want or worst not able afford the cost of living.  So we need to be more prudent in the way that we spent.  We will need to look for ways to make our money grow or continue working if health permit.
2. Disease – Aging comes with health issues eventually.  Some health issues can threatened our daily functioning capabilities like Alzheimer’s, dementia, cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetes and osteoporosis.  To cope with these diseases, we need to have the knowledge to how to cope with it even if it has yet to happen.  This will help us lightened our anxiety if we are strike with the disease.
3. Healthcare affordability – As we grow older, the more healthcare we will need. Health screenings for early detection of disease and natural aging conditions as this will this may help decrease the healthcare cost.
4. Loneliness –  Our friends are aging as we ourselves aged.   Losing  friends to  diseases like Alzheimer’s, Dementia or even death is inevitable.  It will be good to spend time with remaining friends and family members. Have birthday gatherings, Christmas lunches to get in touch with friends and relatives.   For those who are staying alone have a dog or cat can be good companion.
5. Physical Aging – Aging will also mean that we are not able move as fast or as quickly as before.  Our eyes will get tired easily and some may not be able to remember things or events readily. It is important that we enriched ourselves physically as well as mentally to slow down the effect of physical aging.

Ancient Chinese Medicines Could Slow Progression of Prediabetes to Diabetes

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Ancient Chinese herbal medicines hold promise for slowing the progression from prediabetes to diabetes diagnosis, according to new analysis accepted for publication within the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

Prediabetes is diagnosed when an individual has developed elevated blood sugar levels, however the glucose levels have not risen to the level of developing type 2 diabetes. People who are prediabetic face a heightened risk of develope type 2 diabetes as well as heart disease and stroke. According to the Centers for Disease Management and Prevention, about seventy nine million American adults age twenty years or older have prediabetes.

“With diabetes evolving into a serious public health burden worldwide, it is crucial to take steps to stem the flood of cases,” said one of the study’s authors, Chun-Su Yuan, MD, PhD, of the University of Chicago. “Patients often struggle to make the necessary lifestyle changes to control blood sugar levels, and current medications have limitations and can have adverse gastrointestinal side effects. Traditional Chinese herbs may offer a new option for managing blood sugar levels, either alone or in combination with other treatments.”

Throughout the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 389 participants at eleven research sites in China were randomly assigned to take either a capsule containing a combination of ten Chinese herbal medicines or a placebo. For a year, subjects took capsules of either the Chinese herb mixture, referred to as Tianqi, or the placebo three| times on a daily basis before meals. All participants received a month of lifestyle education at the outset of the trial and met with nutritionists many times throughout the course of the study. Subjects’ glucose tolerance was measured on a quarterly basis.

At the end of the trial, thirty six participants within the Tianqi group and fifty six in the placebo group had developed diabetes. The analysis found taking Tianqi reduced the risk of diabetes by 32.1% compared with the placebo, after adjusting for age and gender. The overall reduction in risk was comparable to that found in studies of diabetes medications acarbose and metformin, and study participants reported fewer side effects from the Tianqi herbs. Tianqi includes several herbs that have been shown to lower blood glucose levels and improve management of blood glucose levels after meals.

“Few controlled clinical trials have examined traditional Chinese medicine’s impact on diabetes, and therefore the findings from our study showed this approach can be helpful in slowing the disease’s progression,” said one of the study’s lead authors, Xiaolin Tong, MD, PhD, of Guang’anmen Hospital in Beijing, China, said. “More analysis is required to evaluate the role Chinese herbal medication can play in preventing and controlling diabetes.”

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Endocrine Society. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

Chun-Su Yuan, MD, PhD et al. Chinese Herbal Medicine Tianqi Reduces Progression from Impaired Glucose Tolerance to Diabetes: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter Trial. JCEM, February 2014

5 Useful Furnishing Tips To Make Your Home Senior Citizen Friendly

The low local birth rates and longer life expectancies of Singaporeans have resulted in a population that’s steadily aging. Together with the recent introduction of 3Gen flatswhich are designed for multi-generation families to stay under one roof, it’s becoming more important for Singaporeans to think about how they can make adjustments in their lives and homes, to accommodate relatives who are in their golden years. 

The team at FurnitureSingapore.net have expertise and experience with furniture and furnishings for the Singaporean home, and we’d like to share 5 useful furnishing tips that will make your home senior citizen friendly. 

1) Avoid Fragile Furniture 

Avoid furnishing your home with fragile, delicate, or flimsy furniture like glass top dining tables, flimsy folding plastic chairs, etc. A mature individual might push down on these items when they’re trying to stand up, and furniture which are not sturdy enough to support their weight might break and cause the senior citizen to fall. 

Ideally, you would want to purchase rigid and solidly built furniture like solid wood dining tables and chairs. You should also consider coffee tables and desks with a sturdy construction. 

2) Furniture With Support 

Senior citizens need a little more assistance when they’re trying to get up from their seats or when they’re lying down. It’s important to keep this in mind when you’re purchasing furniture like chairs, sofas and beds. 

For chairs, it would be best to get an armchair so that an older person can use the arms for support when they’re trying to stand up or sit down. We strongly advise against stools; they provide zero support and would cause an older person to fall if they doze off while in their seats. 

Bed frames generally don’t come with any support on the sides, so you might want to consider attaching bed rails. Your elderly relative can grip the rails to seat themselves up; these rails also prevent them from falling out of the bed. 

3) Avoid Furniture That’s Mobile 

It’s best to stay away from furniture that’s mobile, for example, chairs with wheels or chairs that can rotate, mobile pedestals, rotatable bar stools, etc. All these furniture do not provide firm and fixed support that an elderly individual needs when they’re interacting with the item. Most preferably, you should consider furniture that stays in a fixed position and won’t roll away when someone pushes down on it. This will greatly minimise the chances of your senior relative falling over when they’re trying to get up. 

4) Get The Proper Storage Furniture 

If you’re getting chest of drawers and cupboards for your elderly relatives, you’ll want to consider the following points. 

Are the drawers easy to pull open? 

Are the compartments in the cupboard too high or too low? 

Are the doors of the wardrobe too heavy? 

If your storage furniture comes with sliding doors, will the sliding doors get derailed easily? 

Are there too many compartments in the cupboard/wardrobe that will cause your elderly relative to forget where he/she kept her stuff? 

It’s important to get the right storage furniture for your senior relatives, especially the wardrobe and cupboard which they will be using everyday. 

5) Stay Away From Furniture That’s Overly Soft And Cushy 

If you’re getting cushioned seating furniture for senior citizens, you should avoid furniture that’s too soft and cushy, for example bean bag chairs. Seating furniture which are too soft provide inadequate back support for the elderly and might aggravate any existing back problems they have. You should choose sofas and armchairs which are firm yet comfortable. 

Another reason your furniture might provide inadequate support is if you’ve purchased second hand furniture which are worn through repeated use. The little money that you save purchasing a used cushioned seating furniture is not worth the physical discomfort they’ll cause to your elderly relatives. 

Contributed by 

Kelly Ong, editor at FurnitureSingapore.net

Senior Citizen Discount at Restaurant Chiso Zanmai

Senior Citizen Discount at Japanese Buffet Restaurant Chiso Zanmai

Spanning a total floor space of 8,000 sq ft, the restaurant holds a total capacity of 200 seats where you can enjoy lunch or dinner in a contemporary chic setting with charcoal black brick walls to set the mood. The restaurant is adorned with a bonsai plant, spanning greater than an arm’s width, sitting as a centrepiece at the buffet table. With a splendid array of over 100 seasonal Japanese selection split into four sections – Sushi and Sashimi, Cold Section, Hot Section, and Desserts, diners at Chisō Zanmai will be spoilt for choice.  Senior citizens age 60 and above are eligible for a discounts.

Address

The Central, 6 Eu Tong Sen St #01-15, Clarke Quay District, 059817

For more information please call 6221 3177

Information is correct at time of writing, please call to confirm discount.