Osteoarthritis affects 27 million Americans. The only real cure is a joint replacement. Doctors are trying to change that by making a change in the way patients walk.
Dana Glock has osteoarthritis.
"I absolutely did not want that at all, not at all," she said.
Glock suffered for years with osteoarthritis. Injections failed, so did anti-inflammatory drugs, creams and knee braces.
"Very painful. It definitely limits your activity," she said.
She joined a study to help relieve her pain by changing the way she walks.
"We're really hoping to make subtle changes in alignment of the lower limb," said Dr. Laura Thorp, assistant professor of anatomy and cell biology at Rush University Medical Center.
It starts exercises that focus on the hip muscles.
Fifteen minutes a day over four weeks changed the way Dana distributes weight when she walks. The exercises help straighten her hips to relieve the load on her knees.
"By retraining muscles through these exercises, it's sort of an unconscious retraining of gait," said Thorp.
A motion lab tracks Dana's progress.
"What we're seeing down here is the force when she takes a step," said Thorp.
The load on patients' knees decreased by 10 percent after one month. This used to be one of Dana's biggest fears.
"Now, when I'm walking, it's totally different," said Dana.
A new stride and new confidence, and no surgery was needed.
Dr. Thorp says the routine isn't a substitute for surgery, but she hopes it will help delay the need for a joint replacement. Once the study is complete, Thorp hopes to publish the exercise guidelines.
