Research into movement in elite sports could help to prevent and treat osteoarthritis

The way we move our bodies during everyday life, including how we walk, sit, run and play sports, has an impact on our joints and muscles throughout our lives. That’s why Arthritis Research UK is funding innovative research to build understanding of the way athletes and professional sportspeople move and the stresses those movements place on their joints.This insight will then be used to develop new approaches to treat the pain ofosteoarthritis and to help people to exercise safely, reducing their risk of injury and of developing arthritis in the future.Leading researchers from all over the country have been brought together by the Arthritis Research UK Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis to investigate the quality of movement of people from a range of different backgrounds and to explore how the way they move affects their joints and muscles. Maria Stokes, Professor of Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation at the University of Southampton, is overseeing a series of the Centre’s studies which focus on what can be learnt from the world of professional football.She explains: "Our starting point has been to look at those sports where there's a high incidence of joint problems and osteoarthritis amongst players and former players. For example, we know there is a much higher rate of joint replacements among professional footballers than among the general population. So, we’re working closely with the elite football community to learn from their experience and ...
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news