Arthritis is a painful condition. The common causes of arthritis are wear and tear, infections, and underlying diseases. Arthritis causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and decreased range of motion in the joint. According to the Centers For Disease Control, over 54 million people in the United States have arthritis. There are pain medications and other arthritis medications to help with the symptoms. In addition, many doctors say that staying active can prevent flare-ups that can exasperate your symptoms. Read on to learn more from a physical therapist in Rosedale MD.
Physical Activity to Alleviate Arthritis
Anyone with arthritis knows that staying active can be difficult due to the pain. Fortunately, there are low-impact activities that can keep you active without the pain.
- Low-impact aerobics
- Brisk walking
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Water aerobics
- Dance class
- Pilates
These activities won’t put excess stress on your joints, which will prevent arthritis pain and inflammation.
Worst Activities For Arthritis
It is crucial that you choose the right activities if you have arthritis. You should avoid anything that puts excess pressure on your joints, such as running and high-impact aerobics. Some people believe that because yoga is so gentle that it cannot aggravate arthritis. However, this is just a myth. Yoga often has you doing poses that require you to balance on one foot and bend your joints.
How Nutrition Affects Arthritis
Overusing an arthritic joint isn’t the only way for you to feel pain. According to the Mayo Clinic, adding more fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, whole grains, and fish can help with arthritis pain and inflammation. There are also foods that should be avoided, such as trans fats, gluten, refined carbs, white sugar, processed foods, and fried foods. These foods can exasperate your arthritis pain.
Your doctor will create a treatment plan to treat your pain and other symptoms if you have arthritis, but this always isn’t enough. You can help yourself by staying active through low-impact activities and a healthy diet.
Contact a Physical Therapist in Rosedale MD
If you are having trouble managing your arthritis pain, contact Comprehensive Spine and Sports Center. A physical therapist in Rosedale MD, can help you strengthen your joints gently, helping ease the pain, stiffness, and inflammation due to arthritis.
To schedule an appointment, give us a call today. Dr. Neil Cohen has over 35 years of experience successfully treating thousands of patients with arthritis and other conditions.
