From advertiser-tribune.com
By Dr. Keith Roach
Dear Dr. Roach: I so appreciated your recent column on arthritis — specifically osteoarthritis. I'm a big exerciser; however, I have always heard that this arthritis is caused or exacerbated by wear and tear. I was surprised to hear otherwise!I have modified or given up a handful of exercises that seem to cause my joints more pain, specifically full-body weight-bearing on wrists. Are these exercises I can incorporate back into my routine? I have found that certain activities, i.e. card shuffling, buttoning, etc., hurt my thumbs, so I have made adaptations. Should I work through the pain, assuming that I am not causing any more damage to my joints? — L.D.
Answer: Most exercise is not damaging to joints, but high-impact or high-frequency activities can certainly worsen arthritis pain.
For arthritis of the knees and hips, I recommend walking as the best exercise, starting slow and building up based on what a person can tolerate. It's the movement, not the resistance, that's most important, so swimming (or just walking in a pool) is a great option for people who feel too much pain from walking.
For the smaller joints of the hands and wrists, I would recommend activities that don't hurt you as much. Stretching the joints and movements like squeezing are a good place to start. You might consider a "stress ball" or a hand therapy ball to provide some resistance and build up hand strength.
Adapting your activities to your limitations is a good idea, but you also want to work on improving those limitations. A physical or occupational therapist is your best partner in designing a program.
Don't forget that over-the-counter topical anti-inflammatory medicines, like diclofenac, are pretty effective in small joints and are very safe.
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