Let's face it. It's hard to get a group of older, sedentary knee osteoarthritis patients to stick with a regular routine of exercise and physical activity. However, according to a report presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, by supplementing their usual exercise regimen with group-mediated cognitive-behavioral counseling, otherwise referred to as GMCB, knee osteoarthritis patients spent more time per week engaged in moderate to vigorous exercise or activity compared to people who tried to exercise without adding in GMCB.
The counseling was designed to teach knee osteoarthritis patients self-regulatory skills to keep them exercising on their own. GMCB also promoted self-monitoring of activity, goal setting for the individual and the group, social problem solving, mindfulness-based approach to pain management, and strategies for relapse prevention. Ultimately the goal was to decrease reliance on the group and increase independent physical activity.
Related Articles:
- How You Can Start to Exercise With Osteoarthritis
- What Happens When Osteoarthritis Patients Get No Exercise?
- What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
- Excessive Physical Activity May Lead to Osteoarthritis
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