Imagine building a house without support beams. The lack of reinforcement would lead to drywall sagging and eventual deterioration of the overall structure.Such is the case when muscle strength is lost due to osteoarthritis (OA), according to Cleveland Clinic physical therapist Maighdlin Bauman, DPT.Our muscles are what support and hold up our joints and bones, says Bauman. The pain caused by arthritis causes people to decrease their activity level, which then leads to the muscles becoming weaker. In addition, from a cellular standpoint, when you have chronic swelling and inflammation, it actually causes inhibition, shutting off the muscles in that area.Unless you keep trying to get your muscles moving or working, they just tend to get weaker, she says.
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