Exercise is considered the most effective non-drug treatment for reducing pain and improving movement in osteoarthritis.
Joints and muscles need exercise to prevent stiffness and weakness. Exercise also makes you feel better and helps you maintain a healthy weight. Excess body weight places extra force and pressure on arthritic joints, causes osteoarthritis to progress more rapidly, and is a risk factor for the development and progression of osteoarthritis.
For each pound of weight you gain, your knees gain three pounds of added stress and your hips have six times the pressure on the joints. However, shedding extras pounds can reduce the pain in osteoarthritic joints, which in turn will make you feel better. When introducing exercise into your daily routine, some doctors may suggest that you take a supplement of either Glucosamine or Chondrotin. These are two nutritional supplements that have been reported to help arthritis.
Preliminary reports indicate that glucosamine may indeed relieve the pain and stiffness associated with osteoarthritis, especially when combined with exercise, weight loss, physical therapy, and other measures.
Stretching exercises help prevent stiffness and injury. Stretching correctly provides an easy method of reducing arthritis pain that takes only minutes each day. Done properly, these stretching regimens serve to enhance and speed the healing process by reducing pain and increasing mobility.
Strengthening exercises help strengthen the muscles and ligaments surrounding a joint, which helps protect and reduce stress on the joint.
By building muscle, strength training helps you stay strong and get around better. Strong muscles absorb shocks andreduce the strain on joints, which helps protect your joints from injury. In addition, strength training helps build strong bones as well as improves physical functioning.
Several studies have shown the benefits of exercise for people with osteoarthritis. Exercising can help by:
• Aerobic exercises help to condition your body, thus reducing fatigue so you have stamina throughout the day.
• Aerobic activity also helps you sleep better and improves your mood.
• Improved posture and balance in older adults, and helps to reduce the chances of falling.
• Improved hip and knee joint function and movement.
• Improved function in individuals with knee osteoarthritis, and it may delay or prevent the need for surgery.
Exercising will not wear out a damaged joint; however, not exercising will progress the affects of osteoarthritis.
Please be careful and plan well before starting any exercise program. Feel free to consult with one of our therapists to learn what exercises are best for you.
For more articles from our April Newsletter, please click on the link below!
No comments:
Post a Comment