Exercise and Arthritis: Good or Bad?
Someone recently asked me if it was ok to exercise if they had arthritis. They were recently diagnosed with it, were used to exercising but were currently in too much pain to do so right now. They wondered if their new diagnosis would mean the end of their regular exercise program. This got me to thinking about how often folks may wonder about such things.
Chronic debilitating disease conditions don't necessarily mean exercise should be stopped. In fact, in some situations, it might be the only thing that will enable a person's ability to function. The key is not whether to or not to, but HOW to and WHEN to. The answers to these questions should come from your doctor , physical therapist, or physiatrist.
Exercise is vitally important in the preservation of range of motion and muscular function. However, exercise comes a wide variety of types and almost countless regimens that can be tailored to the individual. First of all, it is important to resolve acute conditions such as flares or acute injuries. It is important to work with your healthcare team to get to the point of maximum benefit. Then discuss ongoing exercise programs.
The key is not to overdo. There may be some limitations as to what types of exercises you can or can not perform. There may be added benefits from exercising in water perhaps. Discuss options and work on a plan.
If you do not currently exercise on a regular basis, then I encourage you to talk with your doctor before taking on any exercise programs to be sure there are no hidden limitations you should be aware of. Then find a program you can join. You may want to start out by simply walking. This is a great exercise for many folks. Adjust your regimen as you continue regular exercise. Always keep your doctor informed of your progress and if you notice any flare up of symptoms, stop immediately and seek your doctor's direction on how to proceed.
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Technorati Tags: arthritis, fitness, exercise, aging
6 Comments:
Dear Ms. Cooper Guzman,
I was wondering if you've dealt with RSD (Reflex Sympothetic Disorder)? If so, can you educate on say a patient having RSD in their upper extremity right hand for example? Such as would a daily walk approached gradually effect such an RSD patient positively? Would there be any restrictions? Also what forms of complimentary medicine would you suggest one such patient could benefit from to help the patient not have to increase their meds? Please respond. Thank you for your time. JR
Dear Ms Cooper Guzman,
I have chronic knee pain (mainly left knee, diagnosed arthritis), and I feel muscle
pain on my right thigh for almost 2 months. I usually walk 40 to 50 minutes every
day. Should I keep on walking?
i have been having these weird pains that move throughout my body, but are mostly localized in my head. They are sharp and sometimes pulsing, and usually only last a few seconds to a minute. I've been told they could be tension headaches, but the description i read on the pamphlet my doctor gave me does not match the kind of pain I am experiencing, and I'm not sure why it would move to different areas of my body. These are sharp, stabbing pains for what seems like no reason at all, moving from different areas of my head to my legs, arms, wrists, fingers, back, sides, and chest, even when I'm just sitting down. I am a fairly active person and I'm not on any medications. I suspect a pinched nerve somewhere, but otherwise I have no clue as to what this could be. Please help!
Hi everyone,
For answers to specific questions, please visit our message boards, where the members and experts will do their best to direct you to information that might help. Of course, they can't diagnose the cause of your pain over the Internet -- only your health provider can do that.
Dear Ms. Cooper Guzman
My sister and I suffer from migraines. We both take different medicines for them. My question is she is taking Relplex and Tramadol. And I take Oxycodone and Imatrex. She called me to tell me that She had to go do a drug test for her job and it came back positive for opiates. Can the combination of the two drugs that she takes for her migraines come back positive on a drug test? I know that mine can because I take the oxycodone.They now want her to take a drug class even though she has taken a letter from her doctor stating the medicine she takes for her migraines. I did not think these drugs could come back positive on a drug test. Thank-you for any kind of help you can give us. Christine
I am writing because I saw the comment from Jessie W. Just recently I started having what sounds like the same pains only mine do not move throughout my body like Jessie explained. Each time it happens it is in a different location and it only lasts for no more than a minute. My first thought was a pinched nerve or something also.
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