Best Exercises/Activities For Osteochondritis Dissecans

Osteochondritis Dissecans imply a health condition, which develops in the bone joints. The problem is common among adolescents and children. Osteochondritis Dissecans takes place whenever a small bone segment starts to separate from its nearby region because of a lack of enough blood supply. Because of this, the small bone piece and the cartilage covering it starts to lose and crack. Elbow, ankle, and knee are the common joints affected due to Osteochondritis Dissecans. However, in some cases, Osteochondritis Dissecans takes place in almost every joint. The condition mainly affects a single joint only, while a few children develop Osteochondritis Dissecans in multiple joints.

In most of the cases related to Osteochondritis Dissecans in kids, the affected bone and the surrounding cartilage heal without any treatment. This is true when the child continues to grow. On the other side, in young adults and grown children, Osteochondritis Dissecans has severe effects. Osteochondritis Dissecans lesions have a relatively higher chance to separate from the nearby bone as well as cartilage. Even lesions sometimes float and detach within the bone joints. In such situations, Osteochondritis Dissecans patients have to undergo surgery.⁽¹⁾

Physical therapists mainly design the following treatment programs consists of exercises and activities according to the nature of your underlying condition. These include the following-

Strengthening your muscles across the injured joints is an important part related to your rehab program. Whenever you suffer from a joint injury that causes swelling and pain, muscles fail to function at their regular capacity. If you suffer from Osteochondritis Dissecans, you may not recognize a decrease in your muscle performance at the initial stage but becomes worse, as the extent of damage to the bone and cartilage progresses.

For instance, when you move the muscles across the back and front of your thigh i.e. hamstrings and quadriceps crossing the knee joint, they control your forces and motion applied to the knee bones. Strengthening your core and hip muscles creates balance in the amount of force applied to the leg joints, especially while you run or walk. Your physical therapist and other doctors will access different muscle groups, compare the strength in your limbs, and mention certain exercises to target the weak areas.

Abnormal motion done by affected joints is a common symptom related to Osteochondritis Dissecans. Hence, doctors recommend assessing your motion by comparing the expected regular motion. Simultaneously, your doctor will check the motion of any of the uninvolved joints present on another side of the body.

Your doctor and/or physical therapist will recommend certain therapeutic modalities, like the application of heat and ice to manage your pain.

Physical therapists possess good knowledge and expertise in hands-on or manual therapy. Accordingly, they move and then manipulate the muscles gently to improve your strength, flexibility, and motion. These techniques target various difficult areas, which you cannot treat on your own. Manual therapy in Osteochondritis Dissecans patients helps in restoring the regular motion of various joints.

Comprehensive sleeves placed across the affected joints help in reducing both swelling and pain. However, if you need surgery, doctors recommend the use of braces to control the motion range as your rehab program advances after surgery.

Osteochondritis Dissecans progresses slowly with time. Hence, your physical therapist will use your Osteochondritis Dissecans symptoms as a guide to define activity levels, which will help your joints. Your doctor will consider the extent and the current stage of Osteochondritis Dissecans to recommend a specific exercise program for addressing your requirements. This step helps in enhancing the overall health of your affected joint. Regular consultation with your doctor about regular diagnostic imaging will assure that the bone and cartilage become prepared to withstand various loads.⁽²⁾

Therefore, with proper exercise, physical therapists, and other doctors help the patients of Osteochondritis Dissecans to manage their condition and lead a normal life.

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Also Read:

• What is Osteochondritis Dissecans of Knee Joint and How is it Treated?
• Osteochondritis or Osteochondritis Dissecans: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment