Why Exercise is an Important Component of Joint Pain Treatment

A chronic inflammatory disease that causes pain, stiffness, swelling, and loss of joint function, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a leading cause of disability in the United States. Besides the joints, RA can also affect certain organs of the body, including the heart and lungs. Exercise is a very important component of joint pain treatment. In a New York health care center, orthopedic specialists, physical therapists and occupational therapists work closely with other health care experts to provide each patient with a customized treatment plan that combines exercise, rest, medications, and patient education on joint protection.

Exercise Reduces Joint Pain and Improves Wellbeing

Having a regular exercise program offers many benefits for people with RA:

• Maintains healthy and strong muscles
• Preserves bone strength
• Maintains joint flexibility
• Builds endurance
• Helps weight loss
• Improves sleep
• Reduces pain
• Improves balance
• Enhances mental wellbeing and quality of life

As people age, the body tends to lose muscle and gain fat. Being overweight makes arthritis, including osteoarthritis or cartilage breakdown, worse. When people are overweight, it puts stress on the joints, especially the joints that bear the body’s weight such as the knees and the hips. This causes joint deterioration and damage. Moreover, weight loss is crucial for RA patients as they have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Increasing physical activity would help them lose weight and provide many health benefits by reducing the risk of these serious conditions.

Exercises in a Joint Pain Treatment Plan

In established pain management centers, the treatment plan for RA patients would include three types of exercises: range of motion, strengthening, and aerobic.

Range-of-motion exercises reduce stiffness and improve joint mobility. They can be performed daily and may include raising the arms over the head or moving the shoulders forward and backward.

Strengthening exercises such as weight training protect the joints and improve muscle mass and strength. Patients with swollen or painful joints will be advised to pace out the program and rest for a couple of days between sessions.

Endurance or aerobic exercise help in weight control and improve heart health, stamina, and overall fitness. Examples include walking, bicycling, swimming, using an elliptical machine, with intensity varying depending on the patient’s condition. It is important to avoid vigorous exercise during a flare-up.

A Customized Exercise Plan is Important

There are very good treatments available for rheumatoid arthritis. In a reliable health care center, each patient will be thoroughly assessed to determine the type of treatment and exercise program that will work best for them. The type and duration of exercises recommended will depend on their specific issues and disease progression. The customized treatment plans in such centers also include non-surgical joint pain treatment modalities such as chiropractic care, TENS, mysofascial release, ultrasound therapy and weight loss programs.

As a leading multi-specialty healthcare center in Brooklyn, New York City, HealthQuest offers quality care and sophisticated services. Our unique approach to patient care ensures fast return to a pain-free lifestyle.