Here Are The Best Exercises For Managing Arthritis Pain

 

Marked by the inflammation of joints, arthritis is a group of joint diseases like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and gout, etc.

The debilitating pain that stems from arthritis has both mental and physical consequences; therefore, it is essential to seek the right treatment to manage it.

Poor fitness level, overweight, and indulging into high-intensity physical activities can have a severe impact on your joints, thereby worsening arthritis pain. Arthritis can affect any joint in your body so you should always work towards strengthening your joint health.

Since arthritis is a debilitating condition, and it can have a devastating impact on your career, and its treatment is also expensive.

According to Arthritis Foundation, “Almost two-thirds of adults in the U.S. with arthritis are of working age (18-64 years).” It further says that “Arthritis and other non-traumatic joint disorders are among the five most costly conditions among adults 18 and older.”

One of the most common reasons for doctor visits in the US, arthritis affects everyone, but it’s more common people above 60.

Apart from performing the exercise, physical therapy is also an affordable way to manage the pain that stems from different forms of arthritis.

According to Park Avenue Physical Therapy, “While there’s no cure for osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, physical therapy can help you manage the symptoms of these afflictions.”

Given below are different types of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, also know as “wear and tear” arthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis. It’s a joint disease that destroys cartilage – a soft and flexible connective tissue that protects bones in a joint. It prevents the end of the bones in a joint from rubbing against each other. However, once this soft tissue starts degenerating, it fails to protect the bones, which leads to pain and discomfort.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

The second most common form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease wherein the immune system attacks synovial membrane. It is a soft tissue that provides lubrication to joints, which eventually helps in increasing their range of motion.

However, when the immune system attacks this membrane, it fails to serve its purpose. And once the synovial membrane starts to swell, it leads to severe pain in the joint.

Psoriatic Arthritis

Characterized by pain, stiffness, and swelling, psoriatic arthritis is a joint condition that mostly affects people with psoriasis. Marked by red patches of skin, psoriasis is also an autoimmune disease.

You can subside arthritis pain in several ways, but sticking to exercise is one of the best ways to manage it.

Here are the exercises that you should perform to manage arthritis pain.

Leg Raise

If you are struggling with knee arthritis, you should start performing stretching exercises like leg raise at home to subside the pain and to increase the range of motion.

To perform this exercise:

• You have to lie on your back and keep your arms and legs straight on the floor
• Keep your leg and stomach muscles tight
• After that, raise your right leg and then bring it down again
• Repeat this movement ten times, and then follow the same thing with your left leg

If you stick to this exercise for a long time, you can see a significant difference in the reduction of pain and an increase in flexibility. Besides, you can also perform half squat, hamstring stretch, and one-leg dip to subside knee pain.

Shoulder Blade Rotations

If you are struggling with shoulder arthritis, you should perform shoulder blade rotations. It will improve your shoulder mobility.

To perform this exercise:

• You have to stand straight in a relaxed position
• Keep your hands at your sides, and then lift your shoulder upward
• Hold this position for a minimum of five seconds and then compress your shoulder blades together
• Again while pressing the shoulder blades together, hold that position for five to six seconds
• Then try to drop your shoulder blades downwards, and maintain that position for at least five to six seconds
• You can repeat it for 10-to-15 times

Apart from performing shoulder blade rotations, you can also try shoulder elevation stretch, pendulum exercise, and door presses, to mitigate your pain.

Side Stretches

If you are struggling with arthritis back pain, then you must perform side stretches.

To perform this exercise:

You have to stand in a relaxed position and keep your back straight
Hold a weight in one hand and keep the other one on your waist
Then stretch the hand that holds the weight downwards and bring it back
Repeat this at least 15-to-16 times
Perform the same move with your other hand

Besides, you can also try stretching exercises like walk off back pain, back flexion stretch, and kneeling lunge stretch to manage back pain.

Walking

Walking is one of the best exercises for managing arthritis pain and improving joint flexibility and mobility. If you are struggling with severe arthritis pain, then make sure that you go for short walks in the beginning. If you start long walks from the very first day, it can put undue pressure on your weight-bearing joints like hips, knees, and ankles, which can worsen your condition. Therefore, it is crucial that you increase your walking time slowly and gradually.

Apart from performing above exercises, you can also opt for cycling. It’s also an excellent exercise for arthritis patient.

You should also make the following lifestyle changes to improve the quality of your life further.

Lose Weight

Losing weight can bring a world of difference in your overall health. Overweight puts tremendous strain on your weight-bearing joints, and it worsens your arthritis pain while you perform physical activities.

Overweight also leads to health problems like sleep apnea, asthma, high blood pressure, and diabetes, etc. Therefore, it’s utterly vital for you to shed those extra pounds to live a happy and healthy life.

Consume a Balanced Diet

To fight any disease; it’s crucial for you to have an energetic body. And the best way to boost your energy level is to consume a balanced diet. Your body should receive all the crucial nutrients to stay healthy, so make sure that you up the intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, milk, cheese, yogurt, fish, eggs, nuts, and seeds, etc.

Apart from that, if you are someone who enjoys drinking, you need to change that habit because the consumption of alcohol can create more problems for you.