Exercise Therapy for Arthritis

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009 No Commented
Categorized Under: Arthritis

Arthritis is a disease that affects the body’s joints, making them painful to move or to put force onto. There are over 150 different types of arthritis but the most common types are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in the joint breaks down and causes the bones to rub together. There is generally little inflammation but the joint loses shape and the bone ends thicken and develop bony growths that rub against each other. Osteoarthritis normally develops in weight-bearing joints like the hips, knees, spine, or feet.

Rheumatoid Arthritis occurs when the synovial lining of the joint becomes inflamed and causes damage to the bone and cartilage. The joints lose shape and can vary from slight inflammation to gross deformation of the joint. Fingers, knees, wrists, and shoulders are the most common sites to be affected.

Arthritis is common as a person ages and their joints naturally degenerate and break down. It is common in obese individuals as added stress is placed on their joints. It is also common in past sports people, especially those who played high impact sports such as football or basketball where repeated stress is placed on the joints.

Exercise Tips

- Exercise will not cure arthritis but it can slow the process down a lot.
- Spend large amounts of time warming up and cooling down. Spend at least ten minutes slowly warming the joints with gentle movements.
- Use isometric exercises when first starting. These are exercises that do not require any movement, such as pushing against a brick wall. After a few weeks, introduce exercises that require movement.
- Use machine weights instead of free weights when in the gym. Machine weights place less stress on the joints.
- Do not lift weights that are too heavy.
- Aerobic exercises, such as swimming and cycling, are best as they are low impact exercises that do not place much strain on the joints.
- Rest during periods of severe flaring in the joints. Working through the pain does not help and will cause further pain and discomfort.

With arthritis there is a fine line between the right amount of exercise and doing too much. If any pain is experienced while exercising reduce the intensity of the workout and do what is possible. A light exercise workout is more beneficial than a hard one that leaves you in agony for a few weeks.

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