Exercise reduces osteoarthritis pain

Dear Dr. Roach: If I have the beginnings of arthritis of the knee, is an elliptical machine better to use than a treadmill?

M.D.

Answer: I’m going to assume you have osteoarthritis, which is by far the most common arthritis of the knee.

No treatment is known to stop the progression of osteoarthritis. But exercise is one of the most effective treatments to reduce pain and especially to increase function. This is counterintuitive to many people — even many doctors are loath to prescribe exercise because for years osteoarthritis was considered a “wear and tear” injury of the joint. Research shows this not to be the case. Although joint injury can lead to development of osteoarthritis, many studies have shown that a graded exercise program can lead to better function.

Elliptical machines put less impact pressure on the joint and will be better tolerated by people with more-advanced arthritis. Pools provide the most support for your joints. However, you can do whatever exercise feels best to you.

Dear Dr. Roach: In regard to your recent column on COVID-19 exposure, though it may seem logical to advise the person to avoid playing tennis that night with a contact of a COVID case, the person who was the contact was described as having “not seen his son for at least one week before the diagnosis.” In fact, the recommended look-back time for defining “contact” is 48 hours before the onset of symptoms or before a positive sample was collected in someone who is asymptomatic. Stating that the father of the son needs to quarantine would lead to many more people quarantining than is currently recommended. Current efforts are aimed at contacts of known cases whose exposure was within the period when the risk of transmission was most significant.

M.K.

Answer: The father would not be recommended to quarantine by the CDC’s guidelines. However, a person should consider their own risk of complications should they become infected when planning activities.