The national cold wave is coming!
Even many southern cities have to join the "0 °C group chat".
So, have you ever been nagged by your mother to wear autumn pants?
The reasons to wear autumn pants are nothing more than:
"Don't wear autumn pants, freeze out old cold legs"
"Now young and strong, when you are old, you will regret it!"
What I want to say is that even if you wear the thickest autumn pants, the "old cold legs" that should come will still come.
The real culprit of the old cold leg is not cold, but age!
However, if it is cold, I still advise you to put on autumn pants.
Why? And listen to me slowly.
Old cold legs, scientific name is knee osteoarthritis.
Young people have a layer of cartilage 3 to 4 mm thick on the surface of the knee joint [1].
(Image source: self-painted)
As we get older, activities such as walking, running, climbing stairs, and lifting heavy objects every day keep the knee cartilage worn out.
When climbing stairs, the knee weight will increase to 3 to 4 times the weight, that is, a 60 kg person, the knee joint to bear 180 ~ 240 kg weight, equivalent to carrying a pig.
The pressure value of the patellofemoral joint is 8 times higher when climbing stairs compared to walking flat [2].
The "old cold leg" first occurs from the patella-femoral joint, which is the joint formed by the kneecap (scientific name is "patella") and the bone surface behind it.
Knee pain in most people first appears here. At this point, your doctor will diagnose you with "patellomalacia," or more severe "patellomatitis."
By the age of 30 to 40, the self-healing ability of knee cartilage becomes worse, and after friction and impact, it may be left for life like a crater on the surface of the moon.
A layer of reddish, smooth membranous tissue wrapped around the knee joint is called the synovial membrane.
It secretes and absorbs joint fluid, providing a lubricated environment for joint activity.
The synovium also degenerates and grows clusters of coral-like augmentation.
Such synovial membranes, the ability to secrete and absorb joint fluid is unstable, resulting in more fluid in the joint cavity, one will be less.
With less joint fluid, the knee joint will stiffen; if there is more joint fluid, it will become swollen.
At this time, the doctor will diagnose you with "synovitis".
Patellar carcinomalacia and synovitis are some of the manifestations on the road to "osteoarthritis".
Blood circulation in the knee joint is relatively poor, and when cold, it is easy to stimulate the nerve-rich synovium and the bone surface exposed after the cartilage wear, and pain occurs.
It can be seen that it is not the cold that causes the old cold legs, but after becoming the old cold legs, the knees are more afraid of cold.
You may find that mom shouts "knee pain" more often than dad. Yes, osteoarthritis is more common in women than in men, especially after menopause [3].
Colds are not a cause of osteoarthritis, but can cause or worsen pain. Therefore, it is still important to keep warm in winter.
Northerners, autumn pants, warm pants still have to wear.
When to wear it?
If you feel that your legs are cold, you have to wear them, don't carry them hard.
If you are not used to wearing autumn pants, knee pads are a good choice.
The humidity in the south is high, and the temperature may not be very comfortable, so it is recommended to warm the baby on the knee on a rainy day.
Quadriceps exercises help to strengthen the stability of the knee joint and reduce pain.
The following actions can be done regularly:
1. Quadriceps sitting training method
(Image source: self-photographed)
Points: Sit on the edge of the bed, the knee joint is bent, the legs are naturally sagging, and the knee joint is flexed and extended. Repeat 20 to 30 sets each time, 3 to 4 times a day.
Note: Straighten the knee as much as possible and stay in the straight position for as long as possible for 5 to 10 seconds.
2. Quadriceps air pedaling method
Points: Lie on your back, straighten your lower limbs, bend your ankles as far as possible in the direction of your head, and make empty pedaling movements.
Each time can be repeated 30 to 40 sets, 2 to 3 times a day.
3. Quadriceps quiescent contraction exercise method
Points: In the case of knee joints not bending, tighten the quadriceps muscles and maintain this tension for 5 to 10 seconds. Relax and do it again after a 5-second break.
Cycle 10 sets for 1 time, practice 3 to 5 times a day.
Remember to share this article with family groups and circles of friends
Autumn pants are not guilty, long live understanding!
Contributing Author: Gong Long
Ph.D., Department of Orthopedics, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College
Review expert: Tan Mingsheng
Chief Physician of the Department of Orthopedics, China-Japan Friendship Hospital
bibliography
Zhang Jianlei, Lu Di, Lu Sheng, et al. Mr. Morphological measurement of normal knee cartilage in adults based on MRI[J]. Anatomy and Clinical, 2013.
[2] Costigan PA, Deluzio KJ, Wyss UP. Knee and hip kinetics during normal stair climbing. Gait Posture. 2002 Aug;16(1):31-7.
[3] Xu X, Li X, Liang Y, Ou Y, Huang J, Xiong J, Duan L, Wang D. Estrogen Modulates Cartilage and Subchondral Bone Remodeling in an Ovariectomized Rat Model of Postmenopausal Osteoarthritis. Med Sci Monit. 2019 Apr 29;25:3146-3153.
Editors: Zhang Jie, Zhang Li | Painter: Zhang Qihao
Proofreading: Wu Yihe | Typesetting: Li Yongmin
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