Arthritis is no joking matter. At the same time, this old, old ailment--still without a cure--is not a matter to take so glumly you resign yourself to the sidelines of life. Too many people do that. And it's not necessary or helpful.
Half the people with arthritis who were questioned in a recent survey said they had never talked to a doctor about their condition. Why? They didn't believe anything could be done to help them.
Those people are very much mistaken.
A great deal can be done to relieve the pain of arthritis, the discomfort and the restrictions on movement imposed by the disease.
True, arthritis is not yet curable, but it is manageable today more than ever before.
Medical and non-medical therapies
The available treatments for arthritis include medical and non-medical therapies. Your doctor will be in charge of the medical side.
The non-medical part is largely doing things for yourself --usually in combination with the medical therapies--to help relieve pain and improve movement. The goal is to manage your arthritis--not let it manage you.
The Searle, pharmaceutical company, in cooperation with the National Council on Aging and the Arthritis Foundation, has published a pamphlet guide to exploring options for managing arthritis.
Here are some highlights of non-medical options:
Although exercise might seem at first to increase arthritis pain, actually regular exercise can decrease pain, increase flexibility and reduce fatigue. Check with your doctor or similar health care provider before starting an exercise program.
When you get the go-ahead, aim fort three main exercises to master. (1) Range of motion (ROM) exercises. (2) Strengthening exercises. (3) Endurance exercises.
Putting your joints through the whole range of motion of which they are capable, over time, will improve your ability to carry out activities of daily living -- and decrease the pain you experience.
Stronger muscles are important because they support joints and keep them stable. There are two key types of strengthening exercises--isometric and isotonic. Isometric exercises let you strengthen your muscles without moving your joints. With isotonic exercises, you strengthen your muscles by moving your joints.
Any physical activity that uses your large muscles in continuous motion is an endurance exercise.
The purpose of endurance exercises--also called aerobic or cardiovascular exercises--is to increase the strength of your heart. They also help your lungs work better and increase your stamina.
Don't try to quality for the Olympics right of the bat. Build slowly, starting with flexibility and strengthening exercises. Gradually add endurance exercises.
Pay attention to pain. If the activity hurts more than usual, stop for awhile. If the symptoms persist, contact your physician.
Copyright 2001 by Dr. Phillip L. Polakoff and medical writer Jack Tucker / PAI. Used with permission.
Arthritis is no joking matter. At the same time, this old, old ailment–still without a cure–is not a matter to take so glumly you resign yourself to the sidelines of life. Too many people do that. And it’s not necessary or helpful.
Half the people with arthritis who were questioned in a recent survey said they had never talked to a doctor about their condition. Why? They didn’t believe anything could be done to help them.
Those people are very much mistaken.
A great deal can be done to relieve the pain of arthritis, the discomfort and the restrictions on movement imposed by the disease.
True, arthritis is not yet curable, but it is manageable today more than ever before.
Medical and non-medical therapies
The available treatments for arthritis include medical and non-medical therapies. Your doctor will be in charge of the medical side.
The non-medical part is largely doing things for yourself –usually in combination with the medical therapies–to help relieve pain and improve movement. The goal is to manage your arthritis–not let it manage you.
The Searle, pharmaceutical company, in cooperation with the National Council on Aging and the Arthritis Foundation, has published a pamphlet guide to exploring options for managing arthritis.
Here are some highlights of non-medical options:
Although exercise might seem at first to increase arthritis pain, actually regular exercise can decrease pain, increase flexibility and reduce fatigue. Check with your doctor or similar health care provider before starting an exercise program.
When you get the go-ahead, aim fort three main exercises to master. (1) Range of motion (ROM) exercises. (2) Strengthening exercises. (3) Endurance exercises.
Putting your joints through the whole range of motion of which they are capable, over time, will improve your ability to carry out activities of daily living — and decrease the pain you experience.
Stronger muscles are important because they support joints and keep them stable. There are two key types of strengthening exercises–isometric and isotonic. Isometric exercises let you strengthen your muscles without moving your joints. With isotonic exercises, you strengthen your muscles by moving your joints.
Any physical activity that uses your large muscles in continuous motion is an endurance exercise.
The purpose of endurance exercises–also called aerobic or cardiovascular exercises–is to increase the strength of your heart. They also help your lungs work better and increase your stamina.
Don’t try to quality for the Olympics right of the bat. Build slowly, starting with flexibility and strengthening exercises. Gradually add endurance exercises.
Pay attention to pain. If the activity hurts more than usual, stop for awhile. If the symptoms persist, contact your physician.
Copyright 2001 by Dr. Phillip L. Polakoff and medical writer Jack Tucker / PAI. Used with permission.