Arthritis Exercise Decreases Pain

15 May 2006

Exercise for people with arthritis reduces pain by nearly half and improves health and performance, according to a new study* with older men and women with severe knee osteoarthritis. Similar benefits of improved performance and reduced arthritis pain were also seen in rheumatoid arthritis patients who exercised.
What is the best arthritis exercise and how do you incorporate it into your daily life?

Top Ten Tips for Exercise for People with Arthritis

1) Arthritis Exercise: The Best Programs Include Three Types of Exercise:

• Flexibility - stretching exercises – gentle, low intensity exercises to maintain range of movement.
  When: Every day
• Strengthening - Muscle conditioning exercises using weights, elastic bands or weight machines for more resistance. More vigorous than stretching exercise.
  When: Every other day


• Aerobic Exercise – improves heart, lung and muscle function. Walking, swimming, aerobic dance, aquatics, bicycling or exercising on treadmills or rowing machines. Daily activities such as mowing the lawn, raking leaves, sweeping the driveway, playing golf or walking the dog are also aerobic exercise.
  When: Build up to 30 minutes 3 to 5 days a week.

2) Arthritis Exercise: Start Gently and Build up Gradually

• Start with supervision from a qualified therapist or personal trainer.


• Stretch and warm up with flexibility range-of-movement exercises.


• Start strengthening exercises slowly with small weights.


• Progress slowly.


• Add aerobic exercise.


• Choose the exercise program you enjoy most and make it a habit.


• Start with 10 or 20 minutes of aerobic exercise. Your daily 30 minutes can be accumulated in three 10 minute bouts of activity over the course of the day for the same health benefits as one continuous 30 minute session.

3) Arthritis Exercise: When to Do It
It is best to exercise:

• At a specific time and place


• When you have the least pain and stiffness


• When you are not tired


• When your arthritis medication is having the most effect


• Try exercising at different times of day until you decide what is best for you.


• Exercise on a regular basis. If you miss several days, you may need to start again at a lower level. If you must miss a day, just pick up again where you left off.


• Don't do strenuous exercises just after you eat or just before you go to bed. Wait at least two hours after a meal. Do flexibility exercises in the evening. This helps reduce morning stiffness for people with arthritis.

4) Arthritis Exercise: How Much Is Too Much?
Moderate exercise is the key for people with arthritis. If you can speak normally, you aren’t out of breath or over-heated and can carry on the activity at a comfortable pace you are exercising moderately.

Most experts agree that if exercise causes pain that lasts for more than 1 hour, it is too strenuous. People with arthritis should work with their personal trainer or doctor to adjust their exercise program when they notice any of the following signs of strenuous exercise:

• Unusual or persistent fatigue


• Increased weakness


• Decreased range of motion


• Increased joint swelling


• Continuing pain (pain that lasts more than 1 hour after exercising

5) Arthritis Exercise: Know When to Stop
Stop exercising right away if:

• you have chest tightness or pain, or severe shortness of breath


• if you feel dizzy, faint, or sick to your stomach

If these symptoms continue, contact your doctor.

• Stop exercising if you have muscle pain or a cramp. Gently rub and stretch the muscle. When the pain is gone, continue exercising with slow, easy movements.


• Know your body's signals. During the first few weeks, you may notice that your heart beats faster, you breathe faster, and your muscles feel tense when you exercise.


• You may feel more tired at night, but awake feeling refreshed in the morning. These are normal reactions to exercise that mean your body is adapting and getting into shape.


• You'll know you have done too much if you have joint or muscle pain that continues for two hours after exercising, or if your pain or fatigue is worse the next day. Next time, decrease the number of times you do each exercise, or do them more gently. A good general rule to remember is, to stop exercising if you start having sharp pain or more pain than usual. Pain is your warning signal.

6) Arthritis Exercise: Warm Up, Cool Down and Stretch

• With aerobic exercise like walking and cycling, start slowly for 3 to 5 minutes to prepare your heart, circulation and muscles for a more energetic workout.


• After exercising, cool down for 5 to 10 minutes to help your heart slow down and your muscles relax. After strength training or aerobic exercise finish with gentle stretches.

7) Arthritis Exercise: Don’t Stop Exercising Altogether
If you are having a flare, do not skip exercises completely. To do nothing leads to stiff and weak muscles. A balance between rest and activity is necessary, even during a flare.


8) Arthritis Exercise: Pain Relief for People With Arthritis
Temporary relief can make it easier for people with arthritis to exercise.

• 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. Deep heat is not recommended for patients with acutely inflamed joints.


• Cold supplied by a bag of ice or frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel helps to stop pain and reduce swelling when used for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. It is often used for acutely inflamed joints. People who have Raynaud's phenomenon should not use this method.


• Massage and manipulation – use trained therapists


• Relaxation therapy - Learn to relax and your muscles will benefit


• Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese method of pain relief. A medically qualified acupuncturist places needles in certain sites. Researchers believe that the needles stimulate deep sensory nerves that tell the brain to release natural painkillers (endorphins). Acupressure is similar to acupuncture, but pressure is applied to the acupuncture sites instead of using needles.

9) Arthritis Exercise: Doctors recommend arthritis water exercise:
Doctors recommend aquatic exercise because:

• Water's buoyancy supports your weight. When you're submersed up to your neck, the water cancels out about 90 percent of your body weight, significantly reducing stress on your weight-bearing joints.


• Being submerged may increase cardio vascular health


• Water pressure can reduce swelling


• Join a program run by a recognized therapist and tell them about your arthritis before you begin.

10) Arthritis Exercise: Pain Relief for Arthritis Trouble Spots
For arthritis pain relief try these arthritis exercises for better movement

• Arthritis knee exercise


• Arthritis neck exercise


• Arthritis exercise for shoulder


• Arthritis exercise for hands

* Research at Tufts University which completed a strength-training program with older men and women with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis.

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