arthritis pain relief | Derek L. Hill, D.O.

Arthritis is a painful disorder; it can not only cause unwanted sensations in one or two of your joints, but it can also compromise your ability to do certain tasks in your daily life. Of course, just like any other condition, arthritis is something that you can control. One of the most common approaches in dealing with arthritis is through medication. However, this approach can cause harm in the long run. Medications may contain chemicals that can pose harm to your body after a certain period of time. Hence, taking the no-medicine approach is almost a must but seemingly impossible. This article talks about how exercise and weight loss can help arthritis.

Dealing with Arthritis without Medication

Is it really possible to cure arthritis and manage its symptoms without taking any medicine? Well, it is possible. By losing weight and exercising, you can help yourself deal with your condition. With this approach, you can set yourself free from the clutches of this condition and claim your life back.

How it Works

Arthritis is caused by inflammation of the joints, which means extreme pressure placed on your joints would result in pain. Therefore, reducing pressure on your joints would reduce the pain caused by the disorder. So, how do you reduce pressure on your joints? The best way to go about it is through weight loss. It’s quite easy to figure out; by losing some weight, you reduce the load your joints receive, which results to less pain and more ease in doing your daily activities.

Losing Weight to Cure Your Arthritis

If you want to lose weight then you will need to get some exercise. However, exercises for those who are suffering from arthritis are different. This is because people with the joint disorder are not allowed to do extreme exercises, since this can make the pain worse. So, if you are trying to lose weight to cure your arthritis then you have to engage in non-strenuous exercise to burn some pounds without causing any harm to your body.

Exercising is not only to get you to lose weight; it can further improve your health by promoting the production of natural chemicals in your body that reduces overall body pain. Hence, regular exercise will not only cure arthritis but other pain-causing disorders as well.

Walking

Fitness experts consider walking to be the best exercise for everyone. This simple daily activity can help you burn calories that have been putting unnecessary weight on your body, which causes arthritis symptoms to go out of control. If you have been living your life on the sedentary side then it’s time to make a change. Make walking a part of your daily routine. Doing it can be a little difficult, but you start enjoying it as soon as you get used to it.

Yoga

While popular in the fitness community, not a lot of people know of its potential when it comes to curing arthritis and physical injuries. The exercise primarily involves stretching and isometric activities, which can not only burn calories but also improve your strength and increase your energy levels. If you want to get started, simply enroll in a Yoga class offered by the local gym.

If you want to get rid of your arthritis naturally and restore your health then losing weight through exercising is the answer. While you’re at it, include healthy foods in your diet. Certain foods help reduce arthritis symptoms as well as prevent health problems.

Written by: John Huynh, Staff Writer for Pro Tennis Tips

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About the Author

John Huynh is a staff writer for Pro Tennis Tips, a website dedicated to helping others learn the ins and outs of tennis.

Do you suffer from arthritis pain? Water aerobics can be one of the best ways to ease arthritis pain with benefits lasting long after you have completed your water aerobics session.

If exercising on land is difficult for you due to joint pain, then water aerobics can be the perfect way to gain muscle strength without having to worry about excess pressure on hurting joints. Listed below are five ways that water aerobics eases arthritis pain:

1. Water Provides A Cushion

Simply being in water for Water Aerobics provides a cushion for fragile bones and joints affected by arthritis. Most water aerobics are done when you are immersed in water to your waist and at that level of water your body will be bearing only 50% of its weight. The buoyancy of water allows movement with less pain than traditional out-of-the-water exercise for joints and muscles stiffened from arthritis.

2. Water Is Warm and Soothing

Nothing feels as good as something warm on stiff joints and water not only provides that soothing relief but it can also relax sore muscles and provide comfort when exercising is difficult and painful. Pools heated from the summer sun are an enjoyable way to ease arthritis pain as you can experience immediate relief in the water. Performing water exercise in a pool that is between approximately 82 and 88 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for pain relief. Heated pools can do for your whole body what other forms of heat can only do for specific areas to which it is applied. Warm water provides the ideal environment to do exercises that a person with arthritis might not normally do.

3. Water Is Less Stressful

Water Aerobics provides an environment for exercise that decreases the stress on painful joints compromised by arthritis. Some people have referred to water aerobics as “floating traction” as it stretches, loosens and flexes joints in ways that would be impossible if they were not in water. During water aerobics, painful joints are relieved and their range of motion and flexibility are increased. All these difficulties make living with arthritis painful, but with water aerobics they can be dealt with in an environment that accommodates each individual’s fitness and health.

4. Water Builds Up

Water Aerobic exercise works all the muscles at the same time and increases the cardiovascular endurance without the impact on your body of traditional aerobic exercises on land. Being immersed to your waist, upper torso or neck increases the return of blood flow to the heart from the extremities. Increased blood circulation to the joints and muscles facilitates recovery and strength-building, all of which can lead to a less painful life with arthritis.

5. Water Workouts Burns Calories

Swimming, water aerobics, and water walking all contribute to weight loss. Losing weight can help reduce the impact of daily living on painful joints due to arthritis and lead to less pain. Water aerobics reduces swelling due to increased circulation from the low-impact movements that exercising in water allows, leaving the painful areas free of stiffness and swelling, which in turn relieves the friction that causes pain in joints.

If you have arthritis, what are you waiting for? Make a dash to splash in a pool and start relieving your arthritis pain!

Written by: Suzanne Andrews, Founder/Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews, PBS TV

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