Role of exercise in arthritis management

Once a very cheerful, active, and social lady – a mother of two children – confined herself within the small corner of her house! What could go wrong with her?

She was diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis. Forget about climbing the stairs, she even experienced pain while getting up from the chair. Doctors prescribed her few medicines and suggested some movements! Adding on to her misery, she stopped moving altogether, which further aggravated her condition.

Why did it happen? Let’s find out.

Inactivity may worsen the arthritis pain

When your knee hurts every time you walk or get up from the chair, the natural reaction is to stop walking. Or, you alter your gait so it doesn’t hurt, isn’t it? That’s the biggest mistake one can make because that’s how arthritis pain flares up.

Inactivity weakens the muscles supporting the joint and stiffens the joint itself. Not only does inactivity worsen your joint pain, but it can also lead to an increased risk of other conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, depression, and obesity.

Also Read: Homeopathy can help prevent bone loss

Regardless of how old you are (be it age 50 or 70), your body will see the benefits of a regular exercise program. Just make sure that you need to do exercise the correct and safest way. Exercises prescribed or performed incorrectly can flare your arthritis and make the disease worse. Therefore, once you are diagnosed with arthritis, ask your doctor to recommend a good physiotherapist who can teach you strengthening and stretching exercises that you can do at home. The exercise program must become part of your daily routine.

Role of exercise in arthritis pain management

The most common joints to be affected are the weight-bearing joints – hips, keens, and feet.But it can affect any joint in the body including the ones in your spine.

Exercises can’t prevent you from developing arthritis, but by keeping the muscles that support your painful joints strong and flexible thereby reducing joint pain and disability. The stronger the muscles, the more work they can do and the less wear and tear on your hips, knees, and even shoulders.

According to a study published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, people who participated in an exercise program for one hour at least twice a week for 12 weeks were 44 percent less likely to need hip replacement surgery six years later compared with a similar group of people who did not exercise.

Also Read: 6 Tips to Make your Daily Life Easier with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Osteoarthritis – the most common degenerative joint disease

There are more than 100 types of arthritis, and osteoarthritis is the most common and the most amenable to exercise intervention.

It is the second most common rheumatologic problem and it is the most frequent joint disease with a prevalence of 22% to 39% in India. Nearly, 45% of women over the age of 65 years suffer from this joint disease.

Osteoarthritis results from wear and tear on the cartilage in the joint. The cartilage breaks down, and because of the increased stress on the bone, new bone forms at the joint surface (called bones spurs).

If you are thinking that you are at risk of developing osteoarthritis only when you age, let me correct you. The condition may develop in the best of athletes and marathon runners too, irrespective of the age. There are a lot of risk factors that predispose you to develop the joint wear and tear including obesity, previous joint injury, family history of arthritis, and occupation which causes repetitive trauma or overuse of the joints.

Besides medical diagnosis of arthritis condition, even if you take an X-ray of every person’s hips and knees over the age of 40, almost 90% of them will show evidence of joint degeneration. Yet, such changes are asymptomatic (no pain). Doctors only treat arthritis that is painful. With the right diet and exercise program, you can prevent arthritis seen on your X-ray from ever becoming painful.

Also Read: Homeopathy: The Safe, Effective Treatment For Osteoarthritis

Before you Begin

Before starting any exercise, check with your doctor what types of exercises are best for you depending on the type of arthritis and which joints are involved.

Don’t forget to tell your doctor if you have any underlying disorder like heart disease or hypertension. And if you are a man over the age of 45 or a woman over the age of 50, then it is strongly recommended that you have a ‘stress test’ before starting an exercise program. This will help your doctor determine what level of exercise is safest for you.

So, don’t let inexperience, inertia, weight, or arthritis hold you back. Get moving - Live better, live longer!

At Dr Batra’s, we have treated thousands of cases related to bone health issues with safe and effective homeopathic medicines. They not only give you long-lasting results, but treat your illness without causing any side-effects. For more information, you can call us on this number 9033001642 or book an appointment with us: https://www.drbatras.com/book-an-appointment