There's the rub
If you're avoiding exercise because of painful osteoarthritis of the knee, consider trying massage.
A Yale University study found that one hour of Swedish massage therapy once or twice a week for eight weeks helped improve flexibility, range of motion and pain in adults with knee osteoarthritis. Even after the completion of the study, subjects reported that the benefits of massage lingered for another eight weeks.
The authors theorize that the sensory input of massage helps block pain sensors in the spine, and that increased blood flow to the area supports bone and cartilage remodeling.
Whatever the explanation, it seems to work. And it's free of damaging side effects - something you can't say about expensive and potentially dangerous COX-2 inhibitors and NSAID drugs. I enjoy a monthly massage myself and consider it one of the best forms of preventive medicine around. And who doesn't feel good after a nice massage? Cost an issue? Look around for a massage school. You can usually find great massages for a fraction of what you'd pay an outside professional.
