Everyone needs exercise, but it's especially important for people with arthritis. Exercise increases strength and makes moving easier. Exercise reduces joint pain and helps fight tiredness.
The main symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain and sometimes stiffness in the affected joints. The pain tends to be worse when you move the joint or at the end of the day. Your joints may feel stiff after rest, but this usually wears off fairly quickly once you get moving. Symptoms may vary for no obvious reason.
Lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity and exercise and reducing excess body weight can have the greatest effect on osteoarthritis. Developing relaxation and coping skills can help you maintain balance in your life, giving you a greater feeling of control over your arthritis and a more positive outlook.
Stay active, when you can
On the whole, the answer is "keep moving." Your joints were made to move. They need movement to nourish the joint and keep the muscles around the joint strong and limber. Doctors encourage their patients with arthritis to be as active as they can—as long as it isn't exacerbating joint pain.
Exercise (even strenuous exercise) on normal joints does not result in a substantially increased likelihood of arthritis.
Dos and Don'ts
Maintain healthy body weight and body mass index. Stop taking medications. Wear comfortable shoes. Ignore it if symptoms start worsening.
If you are in a "flare-up episode of osteoarthritis", that is to say when a joint is hot and swollen and more painful than usual it is recommended to rest the joint. This means for a knee or hip, for example, not putting weight on the affected side but to use crutches for walking during the painful period.
The most common triggers of an OA flare are overdoing an activity or trauma to the joint. Other triggers can include bone spurs, stress, repetitive motions, cold weather, a change in barometric pressure, an infection or weight gain. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory disease that affects the skin and joints.
As with OA, the joint stiffness that's a hallmark of the RA tends to be worse in the morning or after periods of inactivity. Therefore, sedentary habits, like sitting for hours at a desk, can exacerbate these symptoms and lead to even greater swelling and joint problems.
Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) scientists have created a promising injectable cell therapy to treat osteoarthritis that both reduces inflammation and also regenerates articular cartilage.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis
In more severe cases, the symptoms can be continuous. Other symptoms you or your healthcare professional may notice include: joint tenderness. increased pain and stiffness when you have not moved your joints for a while.
What causes OA to progress? Studies reveal individual genetic³ features can increase the risks of developing OA. These features determine how your body produces cartilage and how the bones fit into each other at the joint. These genetic factors can also influence the rate at which your OA progresses.
Osteoarthritis symptoms range from stiffness and mild pain to persistent, severe joint pain. Common signs include swelling and tenderness, stiffness after getting out of bed, and a crunching feeling or sound of bone rubbing on bone.
Osteoarthritis causes the cartilage in a joint to become stiff and lose its elasticity, making it more susceptible to damage. Over time, the cartilage may wear away in some areas, greatly decreasing its ability to act as a shock absorber. As the cartilage wears away, tendons and ligaments stretch, causing pain.
People with arthritis often experience more severe pain and stiffness first thing in the morning, Dr Christine Haseler, a GP with a special interest in arthritis says: “Joints affected by osteoarthritis often stiffen up in the mornings and can make nights uncomfortable and restless.
Osteoarthritic joints have low levels of aggrecan, proteoglycan, type-II collagen, and runt-related transcription factor 1(RUNX1).
To begin with, patients are encouraged to do about 10–15 minutes of light walking per day and eventually work their way up to 30 minutes per day. You can do one 30-minute walk or several shorter walks throughout the day.
The good news is that you can live — and live well — with osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis. You can get relief from its pain and its consequences. This Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School will show you how.
You can start with short, brisk walks, climbing up and down stairs, or riding a stationary bike. As your endurance builds up, go for 30- to 45-minute sessions. Walking, biking, swimming, tai chi, yoga, and water aerobics are all good aerobic exercises for people with osteoarthritis.
Studies have shown fatigue to be common among people with osteoarthritis and a factor in their quality of life. 1 Fatigue is typically associated with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and other inflammatory rheumatic conditions, but it can be seen in osteoarthritis as well.
While you may worry that exercising with osteoarthritis (OA) could harm your joints and cause more pain, research shows that people can and should exercise when they have osteoarthritis.
While braces don't keep knee arthritis from worsening, they can help reduce osteoarthritis knee pain. “You may find that braces are very comfortable for you,” says Dr. Thut, “or you may find that they don't help a whole lot.”