There are two main types of Arthritis, Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). OA is the most common type of Arthritis within the UK which involves the wearing away of the cartilage which caps the bones at your joints. It most typically affects the hands, knees, hips and spine. RA is a disease where the immune system attacks the joints, beginning with the lining of joints. OA is the most common form of arthritis within the UK and will be the focus of this blog.
Some people call it degenerative joint disease, whilst others simply refer to it as ‘wear and tear’ arthritis. We don’t like the ‘wear and tear’ analogy though. ‘Tear’ highlights risk, pain and promotes fear. We much prefer to use the increasingly used term ‘wear and repair’. By exercising we can reduce pain, increase strength and mobility, and feel more confident in our ability. Therefore, producing the feeling of ‘repair’.
Around 8.5 million people in the UK suffer from joint pain attributed to OA. Whilst research is advancing and our understanding deepens, it is still unclear what the main cause is. What is clear however is with OA the cartilage which caps the end of our bones in join
ts begins to break down. Over time the cartilage becomes thin and holey, causing the bone endings to make contact with one another and cause pain.
There are 4 stages of OA. As individuals progress through the stages, symptoms gradually become worse, the pain caused by bone on bone contact increases and our desire to keep active despite the pain decreases. Many individuals worry that exercising whilst living with OA could harm their joints and cause more pain. Nevertheless, research highlights that people can and should exercise when they have OA. Actually, exercise is now considered to be the most effective, non-drug treatment for reducing pain and improving movement in individuals with OA.
What Exercises Work Best for Osteoarthritis?
There are 5 types of exercise which are best suited for improving the symptoms which accompany OA. These are:
Mobility and flexibility to maintain and improve flexibility at the joints
Aerobic/endurance to strengthen the heart, build stamina and support weight loss
Strengthening to build muscle around the joints to support and protect the joints
Walking to improve circulation, ward off heart disease and lower blood pressure
Aquatic to support the joints.
The key thing to remember is, at the beginning of your exercising OA journey, you may experience pain and discomfort as you begin to build muscle and gradually take pressure off the affected joint. This pain is not causing further damage however, and short-term pain over long term gain is the end goal, where we feel less pain because our muscles are bearing part of the weight originally distributed to the joint. And, because we are exercising, we increase the chance of losing weight, taking further pressure off our joints.
So, our short-term goal should be to embed physical activity into our weekly routine. Our long-term goal is to reduce pain.
For advice on how to get more active whilst living with OA please get in touch. Likewise if you would like any advice on exercises which can be performed at home to support your joints we would love to hear from you.