Arthritis Archive

Arthritis and other mobility issues shouldn't stop you from getting the exercise you need.

You've heard the same exercise recommendations over and over—30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity on most days of the week, interspersed with a couple of strength training sessions. That's great advice, but what if your joints are so sore and stiff from arthritis that you have difficulty just getting around?

Key treatments for both diseases—exercise and medications—demand extra attention and planning

Many people with heart disease—nearly 60%—also deal with painful joint damage due to arthritis. Coping with both conditions together poses some special challenges, especially with regard to exercise and medications.

If you're overweight or obese, a combination of diet and exercise can help you lose more weight and reduce your knee pain better than either intervention alone. Being overweight can strain the knee joints, contributing to or worsening knee osteoarthritis. Researchers at Wake Forest University tested the effects of diet, exercise, or a combination of both on knee pain and function. They randomly assigned 454 overweight and obese adults (ages 55 and older) with knee osteoarthritis to one of three interventions—diet and exercise, diet only, or exercise only—and followed them for 18 months. People in the study who both dieted and exercised lost the most weight—11.4% of their body weight, compared with 9.5% for the diet group and 2% for the exercise group. They also had less knee pain, better function, and faster walking speed, according to the study, which was published in the Sept. 25, 2013, issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Stretching and strengthening your shoulders can help you prevent pain and avoid surgery.

If you have shoulder pain, you're likely to go easy on the joint. But stopping normal activities can make shoulder problems worse. "The muscles and ligaments can start to shorten, your shoulder won't work properly, and you can have more pain," says Alex Petruska, a senior physical therapist at the Sports Medicine Center of Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Think you shouldn't exercise because of your knee or hip osteoarthritis? You might want to think again, if the arthritis is mild to moderate. A new study finds that your best bet for pain relief may be strengthening and flexibility exercises. In an analysis of 60 randomized trails, published Sept. 20, 2013, in BMJ, researchers concluded that strengthening and flexibility exercises, done on land and in water, significantly reduced pain and also improved physical function. It's no surprise to Dr. Don Reilly, assistant clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School. "When you do repetitive activities, even with minimal force, it pumps some of the joint lubricant called synovial fluid into the cartilage, which keeps the cartilage healthy. Also, when you move a joint you build up a synovial fluid layer between the two moving parts, which helps decrease the friction in the joint," explains Dr. Reilly. He also recommends weight loss, because it decreases the amount of force placed on the joints. He cautions, however, that people with severe arthritis do only gentle exercise to increase the range of motion, as anything more strenuous will make pain worse.

What the location and severity reveals about your health.

If you're concerned about your heart, a sharp twinge in your chest may give you pause. If it's fleeting, it's probably nothing to worry about. But is that uncomfortable ache under your breastbone just heartburn—or a heart attack? It's often hard to tell. Understanding the underlying causes, symptoms, and duration of these two conditions—and others that cause similar sensations elsewhere in the body—can help you deal with the pain calmly and safely.

Research finds little, if any, benefit to these shoe inserts.

Nearly a third of us will develop osteoarthritis of the knee by our 60s. With no cure for this painful joint condition on the horizon, relief often has to come from pain pills, exercises, and physical therapy—or eventually, a joint replacement.

In overweight people with knee arthritis, combining diet and exercise eased symptoms better than either alone, researchers reported in The Journal of the American Medical Association. The 454 people involved in the study were 55 and older, with a body mass index (BMI) classifying them as either overweight or obese. Previously, they all lived relatively sedentary lifestyles. Over 18 months, study participants followed a regimen of either strict dieting, exercise three days per week, or both. Those who dieted and exercised lost 11.4% of body weight, in comparison to 9.5% in people who dieted without exercising. The exercise-only group lost minimal weight.

The diet-and-exercise group saw the most improvements in pain and inflammation, walking speed, and overall mobility. The gains were modest, but could have a positive impact in sedentary and overweight people.

Save your money if you're considering investing in a wedge insole to relieve your pain from knee osteoarthritis; a research review published in the Aug. 21, 2013, Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that the shoe inserts do little—if anything—to relieve arthritis pain. Wedge insoles, and in this case lateral wedge insoles, are placed in the shoe to prop up or tilt the outside of your foot. The idea is that it reduces the load on the inner knee joint, where knee arthritis often starts. But after evaluating the results of 12 different shoe-based clinical trials, researchers didn't find an improvement in pain. That finding comes after a recent statement from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, which said it couldn't recommend lateral wedge insoles for people with knee osteoarthritis, based on current research. Prices for the inserts range from $10 at a pharmacy to $500 for a custom-fit orthotic. So what should you spend your money on instead? Consider flat-heeled, flexible shoes that mimic the movement of walking barefoot, along with a cane to boost your stability.

Consider these health issues to keep you safe on the road.