46 million people suffer from arthritis, yet few know of the ways to control arthritis pain. Learn the myths behind the disease and your options to a pain free life.
Myth Buster #1: There is just one type of Arthritis
There are over 100 types of arthritis including Osteoarthritis, Gout and Fibromyalgia There are many forms of arthritis resulting in joint stiffness, joint inflammation and pain: making getting out of bed in the morning agonizing, rising from your chair torture, or even a once easy task of getting in and out of your car a monumental achievement. I remember a 62 year old patient who had such painful joints in her knees; the strain of getting up compelled her to sit in her chair all day. What she didn't realize was that sitting all day was actually making her arthritis condition worse and by the time she sought treatment she was in a wheelchair and no longer able to walk.
Myth Buster # 2: The Only Treatment For Arthritis Pain is Pills or Surgery.
In order to make an informed decision, you need to be armed with the latest in arthritis treatment choices. Sometimes surgery is necessary, but since surgery is a major event not to be taken lightly, other forms of treatment should be explored first. Medicines are sometimes a necessary evil. Evil because over time they can cause liver toxicity and can also increase your susceptibility to life threatening infections. However, on the other hand, they are necessary at times because they help alleviate pain. But what if there was something else that could alleviate your pain, required no co-payment, enabled you to live a full active life and once again enjoy activities like gardening, shopping, writing a letter or working around the house with renewed energy? There is a treatment that Doctors once believed would damage your joints and as an Occupational Therapy Practitioner, I have seen the miraculous results of how functional exercise treatment increases people's functional independence enabling people to once again enjoy life's simple pleasures.
Myth Buster # 3: People with Arthritis Shouldn't Exercise
For many years Doctors thought that arthritis would damage your joints. Fortunately, many Doctors are now aware of the importance of exercise as an important and significant contributing factor to reducing and eliminating arthritis pain. Therapeutic exercise has proven to be so significant that Doctors often refer their patients to a physical or occupational therapist for a special functional exercise program to increase flexibility, boost energy and improve strength.
Myth Buster # 4: Exercise Makes People with Arthritis Experience More Pain.
The goal of arthritis exercise treatment is to
A.) Reduce inflammation
B.) Minimize pain
C.) Improve your ability to function.
Exercise can accomplish all of these goals safely. While increasing blood flow and providing important nutrients to your body, functional fitness keeps your muscles that surround your joints strong and diminishes joint pain. So strong that the patient mentioned earlier was able to walk, and once again participate in functional activities including going to the bathroom independently. Yes, arthritis, if left untreated, even makes going to the bathroom painful. Functional exercise includes practicing full range of motion exercises which makes your body supply much needed lubrication to your stiff joints. Think of a door hinge that's stiff and won't move. It just needs a bit of grease and by placing WD 40 to it, the hinge will move. Your body, when placed in therapeutic functional positions produces lubricant. With continued practice of a functional exercise program, your body will reward you with an increased ability to perform meaningful activities of daily living without pain.
Myth Buster # 5. The Best Exercise for Arthritis is Water Aerobics.
Water aerobics is an excellent exercise for arthritis and I often recommend it to my patients with access to a pool and a qualified licensed therapist. However, it should not be the only type of exercise for arthritis if the goal is to eliminate arthritis pain. In order to eliminate and reduce pain you need to be able to perform exercises that take you through the full range of motion and unless you're a seagull who doesn't mind sticking your head under water to bend down, you won't get the full range of motion exercises your body needs with water aerobics. Muscle tissues have a natural tendency to shorten with aging. Muscles must be regularly stretched to minimize the effect of natural muscle shortening. Flexibility exercises combat the negative effects of stiffness, pain, stress and can significantly improve your life by increasing your functional ability, decreasing pain and turn back your body clock by making your joints younger, healthier and fit. When you are flexible, your muscles have a decreased risk of injury because they are more pliable and less likely to tear. A lot of men don't stretch, but stretching is EQUALLY important for men. No matter how strong your muscles are, if your muscles are tight, bending and reaching will become painful. Wouldn't it be great to be able to bend over to reach for any item when it's fallen on the ground without pain and stiffness?
Functional fitness exercises from a trained expert will get you one stretch closer to being pain free. Some of my patients told me they never stretched before because it hurt. If you're tight, you NEED to stretch and strengthen your muscles to support your joints and diminish arthritis pain.
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