Keep Your Body in Motion to Fight Arthritis

If you are experiencing joint pain, you may be suffering from osteoarthritis (OA). The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis affects up to 10 per cent of the adult and 20 per cent of the elderly population​ in Singapore. OA affects the whole joint, including cartilage, a slippery tissue that cushions the ends of bones in a joint; the joint capsule (or synovium) and the muscle around it. The end stage is cartilage loss with bones rubbing together causing pain, swelling and loss of flexibility. Although not life-threatening, osteoarthritis can affect a person daily life.

As there is no medication to cure osteoarthritis symptoms or prevent cartilage loss, as there is no medication to cure osteoarthritis symptoms or prevent cartilage loss, exercise is vital to any comprehensive arthritis treatment plan because it improves joint mobility, muscle strength and overall conditioning and helps you maintain a healthy weight.

Physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins (natural pain-fighting substances) and may improve your level of pain and functioning. One study found that, among 16,499 people with knee or hip osteoarthritis (OA) who were using analgesic medications, more than half of them were able stop taking the medications or switch to one with a lower risk of side effects after taking part in an eight-week supervised exercise and education program (British Journal of Sports Medicine, Sept. 21, 2020).

The following types of exercises are extremely beneficial to manage the condition.

Range-of-Motion Exercises

In range-of-motion exercises, or stretches, you condition your joints to become more flexible by slowly and gently bending and straightening them as far as they will go, but not to the point of discomfort. Over time, and with repetition, a joint’s comfort range gradually can be broadened and, in some cases, approach normal.

These exercises can help you regain more normal joint movement and relieve stiffness. Even seated exercises—something as basic as extending your arms overhead or toward your toes—can be beneficial.

Resistance Exercises

Whether done on a mat, in a pool, with free weights or with a weight machine, resistance exercises (also called strength-training exercises) challenge your body to build stronger, larger muscles that give you better posture and help you move your joints more easily. Further, having more muscle tissue helps to burns more calories than fat tissue, and having larger muscles is a way to boost your metabolism and help to keep your weight in check. You can follow the video below to learn some simple exercises for a start.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3Ui80TIl1M

Aerobic Exercises

In aerobic exercise (also known as endurance exercise), you work the large muscles of your body for an extended time, with the goal of gradually increasing the stamina of your heart, lungs and overall cardiovascular system. This type of exercise trains your body to use oxygen better, improves overall circulation, boosts mood and helps you develop stronger muscles. It also is a proven method for weight control, especially when combined with a healthy diet.

Aerobic exercise may seem daunting if you have lower-extremity arthritis pain. However, staying mobile with an aerobic activity as simple as walking can help you preserve your physical function and joint health. If you’re like many people with knee OA, you already have the ability to walk at least 6,000 steps a day—a threshold for gaining health benefits, researchers reported in one study.

Talk to your doctor or physiotherapist to determine what starting level of endurance exercise is right for you. Even if you start out with just five minutes of sustained exercise, you should be able to gradually build up to 30 minutes a day by slowly increasing the time. Your pace should be comfortable, yet challenging, allowing you enough breath to have a normal conversation. Ideally, you want to do at least 30 minutes of endurance exercises daily, all at once or in multiple sessions.

Warm up with a low-intensity form of your exercise for at least five to 10 minutes before each workout, and then cool down with at least five minutes of range-of-motion movements afterward.

Work on these various types of exercises for an extended period of time, for example 3 months, and you shall see improvement to your condition.