EXERCISE FOR ARTHRITIS
Many people with arthritis shirk from exercise because they think it would be painful in their condition. But in Arthritis, if moving hurts, not moving destroys it. Incorrect moving harms, but intelligent moving heals. Use it or lose it!
Exercise helps keep you fit and slim. If you have Arthritis, it helps keep your joints, muscles and bones healthy. Training also gives you more energy to keep up with daily activities. However, the pain and swelling of Arthritis may complicate your workout routine, hence the need for a trained physical therapist. A yoga teacher can teach you movements with proper joint alignment, which help bring deformed joints back to normal as appropriate muscles are lengthened and strengthened. The amount and form of exercise recommended for each individual will vary depending on which joints are involved, the amount of inflammation, how stable the joints are, and whether a joint replacement procedure has been done. A skilled physician knowledgeable about the medical and rehabilitation needs of people with Arthritis, working with a physical therapist who is also familiar with the requirements of people with Arthritis, can design an exercise plan for each patient.
Should people with Arthritis Exercise?
Yes. Studies have shown that exercise helps people with Arthritis in many ways. Exercise reduces joint pain and stiffness and increases flexibility, muscle strength, and endurance. It also helps with weight reduction and contributes to an improved sense of well-being.
How does exercise fit into a Treatment Plan for people with Arthritis?
Exercise is one part of a comprehensive arthritis treatment plan. Treatment plans may also include rest, proper diet, medication, instruction about the fair use of joints, ways to conserve energy (that is, not waste motion), and pain relief methods.
How does a person with Arthritis start an exercise programme?
People with Arthritis should discuss exercise options with their doctors. Most doctors recommend exercise for their patients. Many people with Arthritis begin with easy, range-of-motion exercises and low-impact aerobics. People with Arthritis can participate in a variety of, but not all, sports and exercise programmes. The doctor will know which, if any, sports are off-limits.
The doctor may suggest how to get started or refer the patient to a physical therapist. It is best to find a physical therapist with experience working with people with Arthritis. The therapist will design an appropriate home exercise programme and teach clients about pain-relief methods, proper body mechanics (placement of the body for a given task, such as lifting a heavy box), joint protection, and conserving energy.
What types of exercise are most suitable for someone with Arthritis?
• Isometric Exercises consist of tightening your muscles without moving your joints. Example: From an upright sitting or standing position, press the palms of both hands together with all your might as if trying to push communion wafers. This strengthens your arm muscles.
• Isotonic Exercises strengthen muscles by using a lightweight or other resistance. Several studies now show that if you improve muscle strength, you decrease pain. An example of isotonic exercises for your thighs is—Sitting in a chair high enough to swing your leg. Keep your thigh on the chair and straighten out your knee. Hold a few seconds. Then bend your knee back as far as possible. Repeat with the other knee.
• Range of Motion Exercises reduce stiffness and help keep your joints flexible by ensuring they are regularly moved to the full extent of their range. Example for your thumbs—Open your hand with your fingers straight. Reach your thumb across your palm until it touches the base of the little finger. Then stretch your thumb out and repeat.
Remember that everyday activities, such as cleaning, climbing stairs, dressing, bathing, cooking, lifting, or bending, do not move your joints through their entire range of motion. Do not forgo your exercises if your joints are excruciating and swollen. Roll them gently through their range of motion.
• Aerobic exercises improve cardiovascular fitness, help control weight, and improve overall function. Weight control can be crucial to people with Arthritis because extra weight puts extra pressure on many joints. Some studies show that aerobic exercise can reduce inflammation in some joints.
TO GET STARTED
• Discuss exercise plans with your doctor.
• Start with supervision from a physical therapist.
• Apply heat to sore joints (optional; many people with Arthritis start their exercise programme this way).
• Stretch and warm up with range-of-motion exercises.
• Start strengthening exercises slowly with small weights (a kilo weight can make a big difference).
• Progress slowly.
• Use cold packs after exercising (optional; many people with Arthritis complete their exercise routine this way).
• Add aerobic exercise.
• Consider appropriate recreational exercise (after doing a rangeof motion. strengthening, and aerobic exercise). Fewer injuries to arthritic joints occur during recreational activity if preceded by strengthening and aerobic exercise that puts your body in the best condition possible.
• Ease off if joints become painful, inflamed, or red and work with your doctor to find the cause and eliminate it.
• Choose the exercise programme you enjoy most and make it a habit.
• Avoid weight-bearing activities such as climbing stairs and prolonged walking.
PAIN RELIEF METHODS?
There are known methods to stop pain for short periods. This temporary relief can make it easier for people who have Arthritis to exercise. The following methods have worked for many people:
• Moist heat supplied by warm towels, hot packs, a bath, or a shower can be used at home for 15 to 20 minutes three times a day to relieve symptoms. A health professional can use short waves, microwaves, and ultrasound to deliver deep heat to noninflamed joint areas. Deep heat is not recommended for patients with acutely inflamed joints. Deep heat is often used around the shoulder to relax tight tendons before stretching exercises.
• Cold supplied by a bag of ice wrapped in a towel helps to stop the pain and reduce swelling.
• For 10 to 15 minutes at a time, it is often used for acutely inflamed joints. People who have the Raynaud phenomenon should not use this method.
• Application of a muscle ointment at night before going to bed helps people with Arthritis to feel much better all day.
They aren’t stiff when they wake up in the morning.
• Massages, on account of the gentle warmth they produce, alleviate the pain considerably. In case of stiff joints, massage with a mixture of warm coconut, mustard oil, and camphor.
Work the muscles attached to the tendons, leading to your painful joints. For example, if you have Arthritis in your hands, work the forearms from the wrists to the elbows using a compression technique. Use the heel of your hand, your thumb or your elbow to press down on the muscle and hold it for several seconds, then release. For Arthritis of the foot, work the calf and the front to the leg.
• Mobilization therapies include traction (gentle, steady pulling), massage, and manipulation (using the hands to restore normal movement to stiff joints). When done by a trained professional, these methods can help control pain and increase joint motion, muscle and tendon flexibility.
• TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) and biofeedback are additional methods that may relieve pain. Still, many patients find that they cost too much money and take too much time.
• Relaxation therapy also helps reduce pain. Patients can learn to release the tension in their muscles to relieve pain. Physical therapists may be able to teach relaxation techniques.
• Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese method of pain relief. A medically qualified acupuncturist places needles in specific sites. Researchers believe the needles stimulate deep sensory nerves that tell the brain to release natural painkillers (endorphins). Acupressure is similar to acupuncture, but the pressure is applied to the acupuncture sites instead of using needles.
How often should people with Arthritis exercise?
• Range-of-motion exercises can be done daily and should be done at least every other day.
• Strengthening exercises also can be done daily and should be done at least every other day unless you have severe pain or swelling in your joints.
• Endurance exercises should be done for 20 to 30 minutes thrice a week unless you have severe joint pain or swelling.
What type of Strengthening Programme is best?
This varies depending on personal preference, the type of Arthritis involved, and how active the inflammation is. Strengthening one’s muscles can help take the burden off painful joints. Strength training can be done with small weights, exercise machines, isometrics, elastic bands, and resistive water exercises. Correct positioning is critical because strengthening exercises can cause muscle tears, pain, and joint swelling if done incorrectly.
Are there different exercises for people with varying types of Arthritis?
There are many types of Arthritis. Experienced doctors, physical therapists and occupational therapists can recommend exercises that are particularly helpful for a specific type of Arthritis. Doctors and therapists also know particular exercises for excruciating joints. Some activities may be off-limits for people with a specific kind of Arthritis or when joints are swollen and inflamed. People with Arthritis should discuss their exercise plans with a doctor. Doctors who treat people with Arthritis include rheumatologists, general practitioners, family doctors, internists, and rehabilitation specialists.
How much exercise is too much?
Most experts agree that it is too much if exercise causes pain that lasts for more than one hour. People with Arthritis should work with their physical therapist or doctor to adjust their exercise programme when they notice any of the following signs of too much exercise:
• Unusual or persistent fatigue
• Increased weakness
• Decreased range of motion
• Increased joint swelling
• Continuing pain (pain that lasts more than one hour after exercising)
EXERCISES TO KEEP YOUR MUSCLES SUPPLE
If you have trouble sitting for long periods, try the following exercises. These are useful for keeping your muscles from becoming stiff. Always begin these exercises by sitting comfortably, but alertly in your chair, feet flat on the floor and hands resting on your thighs. Each movement should be done as tolerated. However, only a few minutes at a time are necessary to make a difference.
Neck Stretch: Gently bend your head forward, then to each side. Repeat 2 to 3 times.
Arm Reaches: Sitting up straight, stretch your arms over your head. Reach first with your right arm, then with your left, as if climbing a ladder. If you can, repeat this set of stretches 9 to 10 times.
Wrist Rolls: Gently rotate your right wrist. Circle in one direction several times, then reverse the rotation. Repeat with your left wrist.
Shoulder Rolls: Sitting straight up, slowly rolling your shoulders in a circle. Roll forward 2 to 3 times, then backwards.
Side Circles: Stretch arms out to your sides. Circle forward ten times, starting with small, tight circles that gradually become broader and looser. Repeat with reverse circling.
Lower Back Stretch: Slowly bend your upper body toward your knees as low as possible, letting your arms rest on your lower legs or around your ankles. Return to the sitting position, then repeat 1 to 2 times.
Upper Body Stretch: Visualize a wire attached to the top of your head, gently stretching your body upward. Hold the stretch for a few moments, then relax. Repeat 2 to 3 times.
Tiptoe Stretches: Sit with your feet flat on the floor. Leaving the front part of the foot (ball and toes) on the floor, slowly raise the heel of your right foot into a comfortable stretch. You should feel a slight stretch in your calf as well. Then lower your heel back to the floor. Repeat 2 to 3 times with your right foot.
Heel Stretches: Sit with feet flat on the floor. Leaving the heel of your foot on the floor, slowly raise the front part of your foot a few inches until you feel gently stretched in your ankle and calf. Then lower the front part of your foot back to the floor. Repeat 2 to 3 times, then switch to the left foot.