Exercise is Medicine

Growing up, or even now, we commonly hear the phrase “walk it off” in regards to when pain comes on with various things. This phrase always carried the connotation of being tougher or keep moving and the pain will go away. However, this phrase has acquired an all new meaning due to recent research. 

Before we begin to dive into exercise being a medicine, we have to consider how easy it is to become dependent on non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) when joint-related pain comes on. It’s quick, easy, and often times it can be helpful to relieve symptoms. However, too much of these NSAIDs can lead to issues in the gastrointestinal system, create dependency, and doesn’t help our body adapt to the pain.

Now it’s time to address what research has stated! In a recent article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the comparison of the effects of NSAIDs and exercise therapy on knee and hip osteoarthritis was reviewed and found that exercise had the same effects as the NSAIDs did. In other words, exercise was confirmed as a medicine and was shown to be effective in reducing pain in knee and hip osteoarthritis! So not only do you reduce the risk of dependency and gastrointestinal issues from utilizing exercise rather NSAIDs, but you also acquire all the other benefits that exercise can provide. However, if you are unsure on where to start with exercise or you feel as though the pain is too much to begin exercising, come visit us at Focus On Health and The Movement Lab and we begin to guide you in the right direction!

Citation:

Weng Q, Goh SL, Wu J, Persson MSM, Wei J, Sarmanova A, Li X, Hall M, Doherty M, Jiang T, Zeng C, Lei G, Zhang W. Comparative efficacy of exercise therapy and oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and paracetamol for knee or hip osteoarthritis: a network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Sports Med. 2023 Jan 2:bjsports-2022-105898.