DIET, EXERCISE and OSTEOARTHRITIS
One of the best things you can do for a painful weight bearing joint is to lose weight. It’s an undeniable fact that excess pounds put more pressure on joints. The easiest way to lose weight is by eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise. Of course, when your joints ache, exercise is probably the farthest thing from your mind. Also, there is a danger in choosing the wrong exercise, which may do more harm than good.
So, if you have osteoarthritis, please consult with a physical therapist or personal trainer to help develop a program best suited for your situation. Because arthritis creates muscle imbalance and lack of flexibility in the affected joint, it is imperative to know which muscles surrounding the joint are weak and which are strong and where range of motion in the joint is normal and where it is lacking.
The following are recommended exercise programs for osteoarthritis sufferers:
1. Land-based therapy: a home exercise program performed once or twice a day, developed by a physical therapist. It works best on a regular exercise schedule.
2. Aquatherapy exercise: programs performed in water where buoyancy takes pressure off the joints.
3. Pilates: a specially formulated exercise program that improves core strength. Many health clubs offer Pilates; please make sure the instructor is certified.
Judith Bolker, RN
Total Joint Center
Saint Francis Memorial Hospital