Posted on Thu, Aug 05, 2010 @ 10:13 AM
When most people (especially those that do not suffer from the disease) think of arthritis, they are not likely to think about exercise as well. There is a general perception that the onset of arthritis somehow obliges the person in question to give up exercise in general, especially if the disease has begun afflicting the legs, hips and/or back.
Yet the reality is that not only can arthritis patients perform exercise, they should do it regularly to help keep the disease in check and to overcome some of its worst symptoms. Young people in particular, many of whom take the news of their arthritis with a heavy heart, should be aware of this and should do their utmost to just keep moving and to enjoy what still can be a very enjoyable life.
Undoubtedly there needs to be a certain respect for the limits imposed by the disease, and so a young person with arthritis should be aware of the fact that they won’t necessarily be able to exert themselves quite as intensely as some of their peers may. Yet that is by no means to say that exercise is out of the question.
It is perfectly OK for them to go ahead and to play a sport, join a team, as long as there is always a conscious effort to avoid over-exertion: it’s not OK to keep pushing if sharp pain surges nor should sports be played where heavy impact to the joints will be regular.
This leaves a lot of young people with arthritis wondering just exactly what forms of exercise it is okay for them to do. Ultimately this will depend on the type of arthritis, of which there are many, and the specific symptoms that it entails. What may be productive for a person with psoriatic arthritis may be counterproductive for a person with osteoarthritis, and so on and so forth.
Young people in particular are encouraged nonetheless to do a bit of all three of the major types of exercise: stretching, muscle building (mild on this one), and cardio. Stretching will help maintain the maximum range of motion in a person’s joints; muscle building helps provide support for the joints, alleviating them; while cardio exercises help maintain overall fitness.
There is one form of exercise that is, however, entirely beneficial for all patients of arthritis, whether young or old and regardless of the type of arthritis they have: warm water exercise, or hydrotherapy as some refer to it.
There are many key advantages to doing exercise in warm water. It is possible to do stretching, mild muscle building and cardio in the water for starters. Furthermore the resistance to body movements generated by the water makes every movement that much more productive, and the warm water itself relaxes both muscles and joints and provides the lower-gravity environment that arthritis patients find so comforting. If you suffer from arthritis joint pain and have yet to try out hydrotherapy, then you should definitely reconsider as the results have proven to be overwhelmingly favorable in a vast majority of cases.
About the Author: Victoria Crowdell works for SportsEquip.co.uk, leading suppliers of ‘capital’ sports equipment and wet pour safety surfaces.
Posted on Thu, Jan 14, 2010 @ 01:41 PM
The word arthritis comes from the root word for joint “arthro” and “itis” meaning inflammation, combining to mean joint inflammation. Arthritis is a complex disorder that comprises more than 100 distinct conditions and can affect people at any age. Two of the most common forms are Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).
What is the Difference between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis?
OA and RA have different causes and effects on the body, yet they often share a common symptom – persistent joint pain. The joint pain of arthritis can appear as knee or hip pain, hand pain, as well as joint pain in other areas of the body. Symptoms including stiffness and/or swelling in a joint for more than 2 weeks may indicate you have arthritis.
OA is caused by the breakdown and loss of the cartilage that covers and cushions the joints. Primary OA is related to aging – the simple wear and tear we all experience over time. OA can affect multiple joints including the hands, feet, spine and large weight bearing joints. Primary OA also may have a hereditary or genetic component – it your mother and father both have OA; there is an increased likelihood you will develop it also.
OA that is caused by a specific injury or condition is called Secondary OA. A previous injury to a joint, severe obesity or diabetes can be contributing factors to developing arthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a distinctly different disease. RA is an autoimmune disease that causes ongoing inflammation of the joints. Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly “attacks” the body’s tissues believing there is something wrong with them. RA not only affects the joints, it can also inflame the tissues around the joints as well as other organs in the body. For this reason, RA is called a systemic disease meaning it can affect multiple body systems.
Joint damage from RA can be much more extensive than just cartilage damage. In some cases, the cartilage, bone and ligaments can be destroyed leaving severely deformed joints. RA most commonly affects the hands and feet first. As the disease progresses, the shoulders, elbows, knees, hips and even jaw and neck can become involved. Unlike OA, the symptoms of RA are more likely to affect the same joints on both sides of the body.
How Do I Know Which One I Have?
The most common symptoms of OA include steady or intermittent pain in a joint, stiffness after periods of inactivity, especially sleeping or sitting, swelling or tenderness in a joint or joints and crunching sounds or sensations when moving a joint.
Symptoms of RA differ from person to person but generally include: Joint tenderness, warmth, and swelling. Both sides of the body are usually affected at the same time. Other symptoms include pain and stiffness in the morning that lasts for more than one hour, fatigue, occasional fever and a general sense of not feeling well.
Your health care provider can help determine what form of arthritis you have an how best to treat it. Remember that there are over 100 forms of arthritis and a proper diagnosis is the key to the right treatment.
Author: Julie Belkin