Gentle exercise aids people with arthritis
Health experts say one of the best things you can take for arthritis is a walk, or a gentle exercise class.
Physical activity helps control weight, ease stiff and painful joints, improve flexibility and boost mood in people who have arthritis.
Arthritis affects more than 70 million adults in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It encompasses more than 100 diseases affecting joints, including rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type. It typically develops in the knees, hips, spine and fingers, most commonly in people 45 and older.
Osteoarthritis is the “wear and tear” kind of arthritis, says Dr. James Strickland, an orthopedic surgeon in Carmel, Ind., who has arthritis in his knees. Osteoarthritis occurs when cartilage — a smooth, rubbery coating on the ends of bones — breaks down.
Instead of gliding smoothly, an arthritic joint may be stiff and painful.
Layers of cartilage are “like brake pads on a car; they just wear out,” says Dr. Gordon Hughes, a rheumatologist who’s on the Arthritis Foundation’s state board for Indiana.
The degenerative process sometimes is accelerated in the weight-bearing joints of overweight people, says Hughes.
“The biggest risk factor may be weight.”
Hughes says it’s important to see your doctor when you have joint pain that doesn’t go away. The doctor can determine if it’s osteoarthritis or something worse: rheumatoid arthritis or one of the other potentially crippling joint conditions.
“We need to see (people) early and be aggressive” with treatment, the rheumatologist says. He adds that several drugs called biologic agents, developed in the past couple of years, have improved treatment.
If you have osteoarthritis, your doctor can tell you about medication and lifestyle changes (weight loss and physical activity) that can help reduce pain and stiffness, Hughes says.
It’s important not to let chronic pain make you sedentary, because you’ll gain weight and aggravate the arthritis.
“It’s a cycle that’s hard to break,” he says.
On the medication front, there’s been a lot of discussion about prescription painkillers called cox-2 inhibitors, such as Vioxx and Celebrex.
Some doctors question whether these costly drugs do a better job of relieving osteoarthritis pain than acetaminophen or ibuprofen. There also are questions about whether the new drugs slow the progression of arthritis and how well they protect from stomach ulcers.
Doctors and patients also are awaiting results of studies on a popular over-the-counter combination supplement, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.
“The jury is still out,” Hughes says. But, because many people think the supplement helps, and there are no negative side effects other than cost, “we don’t discourage people” from trying it.
Take the supplement for 60 days, he suggests. If it doesn’t seem to help, quit taking it.
Also, he says, tell your doctor if you plan to take any supplements or other alternative therapies.