Knee OA Patients OK to Walk 6, 000 Steps/Day

Don’t sit around and let osteoarthritis take over your life! New research is indicating that the majority of people with knee OA (osteoarthritis) have the level of physical functioning necessary to walk at least 6, 000 steps a day. According to the November 12, 2016 news release, this is ”the minimum amount needed to improve their arthritis and prevent disability.”

For this study, researchers at the University of Delaware’s Department of Physical Therapy analyzed publicly available data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative to measure physical activity and physical function among OA patients.

There were 1, 790 participants who wore their monitors for three or more days and moved 6, 319 ± 2, 920 steps a day, with 47% walking more than 6, 000 steps a day. The mean STS [sit to stand] test results for these participants was 10.2 ± 3.2 seconds, and their 400-meter walk speed was 305.3 ± 51.4 seconds. Their walking speed was 1.3 ± 0.2 meters per second. Physical function at or below these thresholds may be a barrier to people with OA getting the minimum level of physical activity they need, said White.

“We were interested in understanding what minimal level of functional ability was necessary to be physically active, ” said Daniel K. White, PT, Sc.D., M.Sc., assistant professor and the study’s lead author. “For instance, how far does one need to be able to walk in order to be active in the community?”

Dr. White told OTW, “We identified preliminary thresholds of physical capacity necessary to be physically active, i.e., walk 6, 000 steps/day, in knee OA. We found that taking longer than 12 seconds to stand from a chair five times was predictive of not walking 6, 000 steps/day. We want orthopedic surgeons to know that patients with knee pain who can’t meet this threshold should try rehabilitation, i.e., physical therapy.”

“We find it interesting that the vast majority of people with knee OA can meet these thresholds. Also we find it important that the sit to stand test is clinically feasible, i.e., can be done in any medical office. We plan to test these thresholds in different groups of people with knee OA to ensure they are valid.”