Finding balance
Life with osteoarthritis at 71 .
By Elise Hartevelt
Gwynne from Adelaide has been living with knee
71-year-old
osteoarthritis for four years .
At first , the pain in her knees gradually started to worsen , but soon she was struggling to walk or get up from her chair .
Eventually , she had to give up gardening ; a hobby she thoroughly enjoyed .
“ It was horrible getting up and down . I ’ d actually get partway down , and then I would have to just let myself fall to the ground ,” Gwynne told Aged Care Insite .
“ I live at the beach near a boardwalk , and I had to quit walking there because of all the steps .
“ And little things like going to the ladies ’ room – I had to use the handicapped stall , otherwise I couldn ’ t get myself off the toilet .”
Gwynne is one of the 2.2 million Australians who experience joint pain daily due to osteoarthritis .
It ’ s a condition where the tissue at the end of the bones wears down , causing joint pain in affected areas such as the hands , hips and knees .
Over 60 per cent of older Australians are living with osteoarthritis and it affects onethird of those aged 75 and over .
When Gwynne visited her GP , she was told to lose weight and exercise more . The
GP also prescribed Osteo-Es , an over-thecounter pain reliever that relaxes muscles .
She said her doctor also told her muscle pain was a ‘ normal part of ageing ’ and to ‘ live with it ’.
“ I wasn ’ t willing to accept that ,” Gwynne said .
“ I knew there had to be something I could do to get rid of arthritis .”
She then came across an online advertisement from university researchers looking for participants to join in a trial where they used yoga to treat osteoarthritis .
A few global studies have had success in using yoga to reduce pain and joint stiffness associated with osteoarthritis , yet GPs don ’ t commonly suggest exercise to people living with the condition .
The Melbourne University researchers planned to follow older Australians during an online , unsupervised 12-week yoga trial .
At first , Gwynne was hesitant to join as her regular exercise classes caused her ‘ horrible pain ’ in her knees .
“ I am so pleased that I chose to participate because the results have been amazing ,” Gwynne said .
“ The first few lessons were very painful , but I was allowed to progress at my own pace , which was so helpful .”
During the trial , she followed prerecorded videos on Zoom and engaged in yoga poses an hour three times a week .
“ At first , I thought , ‘ oh , it ’ s too easy ’. It was still very painful , and I didn ’ t think anything was happening ,” Gwynne said .
“ But around the fourth lesson , I started thinking , ‘ hang on , this is kind of feeling better ’.
By the end of the study , Gwynne could complete all the exercises comfortably , and , today , she ’ s still enjoying her weekly yoga classes by herself .
“ The best part is that I have gone from using assistant toilets to moving freely , gardening again and walking with no pain ,” she said .
“ But I don ’ t do the warrior pose anymore . That ’ s a bit too much .
The study , recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine , followed over 200 older Australians to find a reliable solution to manage osteoarthritis symptoms without the use of medication .
Lead researcher Professor Kim Bennell said science is still in the dark as to what the biological mechanisms are behind yoga as a treatment of osteoarthritis .
“ It might be coming from the physical effects when you ’ re strengthening muscles or improving joint range of motion ,” Bennell said .
“ The good thing about yoga is that it does have a focus on both the physical and the psychological aspects . The meditation aspect provides some relaxation .”
Bennell said that while exercise is critical in treating osteoarthritis , many people admit they ’ re not as active as they should manage their symptoms properly .
She also saw a similar trend at the end and after the trial , where participants ’ motivation started to wane .
“ A lot of people stopped after that . And as expected , if you stop , you lose the benefits ,” she said . ■
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