"We're really hoping to make subtle changes in alignment of the lower limb," Laura Thorp, Ph.D., of Rush University Medical Center, told Ivanhoe.
It starts with a set of exercises that focus on the hip muscles. 15 minutes a day over four weeks slowly changed the way Glock distributes weight when she walks. The exercises help straighten her hips. The idea is to relieve the load on the knees.
"By retraining muscles through these exercises, it's sort of an unconscious retraining of gait," Thorp explained. Doctor Thorp measures Glock 's progress in a motion lab.
In a study, patients saw the load on their knees decrease by 10-percent after one month. This used to be one of Glock's biggest fears.
"Now, when I'm walking, it's totally different," Glock said.
It is a new stride and new confidence, no surgery needed.
Doctor Thorp says the routine isn't a replacement for surgery, but she hopes it can be an intervention that can delay the need for an operation. Once her study is complete, she hopes to publish exercise guidelines for those on the road to joint replacements.
For More Information, Contact:
Laura E. Thorp, M.P.T., Ph.D.
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, IL
Laura_Thorp@rush.edu
