Natural Arthritis Pain Relief - By Doing Simple Arthritis Exercises
By Victor Volder
Treating arthritis is not easy.
Apart from the regular medication, proper diet, rest and relaxation,
doctors also recommend arthritis exercises. These are specially designed exercises
for people with different types of arthritis. Exercising is a must do for all
people suffering of arthritis because it will help them increase the flexibility
of the joints, increase bone vigor, muscle strength and energy levels, so they
will have a better control of their weight and a strong heart. But most of all,
exercising will help keep joints completely movable and will fortify the adjacent
muscles. This way, arthritis sufferers will experience less pain when performing
the everyday activities. So it is fair to say that arthritis exercises are strongly
recommended for arthritis patients by all the doctors in the world.
But depending on the type of arthritis one person might have,
the doctor will recommend a certain type of exercises. People should not choose
the exercises program on their own; instead, always ask your doctor what exercises
are recommended for their type of arthritis. Depending on the severity of the
condition and which joints are affected, the doctor will propose a certain type
of exercising program.
There are three types of exercises: range of motion, strengthening
and endurance. Range of motion exercises, for example dancing, are the ones
that move the joints in all directions, as far as possible. These are the easiest
type of exercises recommended for all types of arthritis because they will keep
the joints mobile and will prevent stiffness. Doctors advise their patients
to perform a range of motion exercises every day, or at least every other day.
The number and intensity of exercises can be gradually increased as the patient
gets in shape.
Strengthening exercises include isometric and isotonic movements.
Isometric exercises are the ones that work the muscles without moving the joints,
while isotonic exercises work both the muscles and the joints. Both types of
movements help with building strong muscles around the joints that are causing
problems. Stronger muscles will better support the joints, meaning pain will
be reduced and the patient will move more easily. Unless the patient has swelled
joints or severe pains, the doctor suggests doing strengthening exercises every
other day.
Endurance exercises are the ones that improve the cardiovascular
condition by increasing the heart rate for at least 20-30 minutes. Not all arthritis
patients can perform endurance exercises. Depending on the patient's age and
physical condition, the doctor will recommend or not endurance exercises and
also the type of exercises. Walking, bicycling or swimming are the best choices
because their joints are not that stressed by these type of activities. For
example, making exercises in warm water will help in two ways: the warm water
will aid by decreasing the pain and relaxing the muscles, and at the same time
the water will be supporting the body, this way placing less stress on the joints.
Endurance exercises should be performed three times a week for about 20-30 minutes.
There are also other types of simple exercises that can be done
by all arthritis patients. The every day activities can be easily transformed
into arthritis exercises. In the morning when you get up and get dressed, try
to amplify your movements, this way the morning stiffness of your joints will
rapidly disappear. Also, take every chance to do some household activities like:
wash the car or do the dishes because these movements will help decrease the
pain from your joints. When you watch television, during the commercial breaks
get up of your chair and do something; even small movements burn calories and
help you reduce your weight. You can also park your car a little further away
from office or home as walking will do you good.
Before beginning an arthritis exercises program, always consult
an experienced doctor or a physical therapist. They are the ones that can advise
what exercises are recommended for specific types of arthritis. They can suggest
a particular type of exercises for inflamed and swollen joints or certain exercises
for particular joints. The exercising program should be started with easy exercises,
but the difficulty of the movements should be gradually increased. The patient
should also be careful to thoroughly warm up before starting the exercises and
cool down after finishing the program.
Although exercising is good for arthritis patients, occasionally
some people can get into some uncomfortable conditions: augmented weakness,
constant fatigue, joint swelling or pain that lasts more than one hour after
exercises are finished. This means that exercises are too strenuous and the
patient should talk to his doctor and make the necessary changes in his exercises
program. After finding the ideal arthritis exercises program, the only thing
that patients have to do is to strictly follow it and the improvements will
soon appear.
For more information regarding natural arthritis treatments,
please visit: http://www.arthritis-solution.com
