Chronic pain. Inflammation. Stiffness.
Tendon disease – a painful and debilitating condition – can discourage people from exercising and living an active lifestyle.
Yet, moderate exercise may be just what keeps our tendons healthy, according to new research from the University of East Anglia.
While previous studies have associated exercise with the onset of tendon disease, doing moderate exercise may help ward off and improve symptoms, a new study published in the journal Molecular Cell Research shows.
Researchers discovered that moving around lowers the amount of a group of enzymes called metalloproteinases, which can degrade tendon tissues and increase tendon protein, a news release states. When tendons are damaged at the cellular level is causes tendon disease.
“The onset of tendon disease has always been associated with exercise,” said lead researcher Dr. Eleanor Jones, from UEA’s school of biological sciences. “However, this association has not been fully understood. We have shown that moderate exercise has a positive effect on humans.”
Always seek the advice of a medical professional before beginning an exercise program.
Source: University of East Anglia news release
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