Movement can be medicine, and staying active is especially helpful for relieving arthritis-related joint pain and stiffness. But when your joints already ache, it’s understandable that exercise may feel like the last thing you want to do.
The good news is that there are ways to get the movement you need to manage arthritis while avoiding soreness and injury. Focus on low-impact aerobic activities and exercises that build your strength, balance and flexibility.
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Get Guidance from a physical therapist or trainer.
- Choose gentle activities, such as walking, swimming, or yoga.
- Start slow, with shorter workouts and low intensity.
- Be consistent to create a routine.
To help you get started, your primary care physician or rheumatologist can offer advice and resources specific to your condition and lifestyle.
Your joints are the reason you can move and function, but years of running, climbing stairs and using your hands can take a toll.
More than 32 million adults in the United States live with osteoarthritis, a joint disease that occurs gradually as the cushioning around your joints wears down. It can cause worsening pain, stiffness and swelling. There’s no cure for osteoarthritis , but there are ways to manage the symptoms and slow their progression to improve quality of life.
One way to reduce osteoarthritis pain is medication, which may include:
- Oral pain relievers, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), which reduce swelling and inflammation and are available over the counter or by prescription.
- Topical creams or gels, which provide temporary pain relief.
- Injections of either corticosteroids (to reduce inflammation) or hyaluronic acid (to provide cushioning) into the space around the joint.
However, according to the National Council on Aging, the most effective strategy for reducing pain and improving mobility is often a mixture of pharmaceutical treatments and lifestyle changes. In many cases, non-medication treatments can fill in the gaps that medication can’t reach.
How to Manage Arthritis Naturally
- Improve mental health, because the challenges of osteoarthritis may lead to stress, anxiety, or depression.
- Manage body weight, since every pound of weight loss provides four pounds of relief for your knees, according to the Arthritis Foundation.
- Reduce pain and stiffness, improving your ability to move and function.
Managing Arthritis? 6 Natural Ways to Improve Mobility and Reduce Pain
If you live with osteoarthritis, consider incorporating any or all of these practices:
- Physical Activity Moving your body is hands-down is one of the best things you can do for your joints. It can help you:
- Build strength
- Increase your range of motion
- Manage your weight
- Provide stability
Make sure to choose joint-friendly workouts that include:
- Balancing and stretching, such as yoga.
- Strength training with resistance bands or light weights
- Low-impact activities, such as walking, water workouts, cycling, or gardening.
Your goal should be to move your body every day. See if your insurance covers gym memberships or fitness classes. Your community may also offer arthritis management resources such as group or individual fitness programs.
- Dietary Changes
Changing what you eat may help you manage weight, but certain food choices can also decrease inflammation and slow the progression of osteoarthritis. The typical Western diet — high in saturated fat and refined carbs — is strongly associated with osteoarthritis symptoms.
Certain nutrients and spices, such as vitamins D and K, ginger and turmeric, may help improve osteoarthritis symptoms. But several studies found that eating a Mediterranean diet — which focuses on whole foods and excludes inflammatory foods such as red meat, sugar and most dairy — has significant benefits for people with osteoarthritis, improving:
- Inflammation
- Osteoarthritis progression
- Pain and stiffness
- Physical function and mobility
Physical and occupational therapy
Health care professionals commonly prescribe physical and occupational therapy to help patients with osteoarthritis. They can both help you to protect your joints and improve your quality of life
Occupational therapy helps you perform everyday tasks and modify your living environment to reduce movements that trigger your pain.
Physical therapy helps with movement, strength, and balance. It teaches you to lift safely, use stairs and minimize joint strain.
Your therapist may recommend assistive devices to help you with daily functions even if you have stiff joints. Braces and walking aids can help with stability and balance.
- Tai chi
Tai chi is an ancient martial arts practice that involves gentle movements, meditation and controlled breathing. Researchers continue to find positive associations between tai chi and managing arthritis.
A 2021 review of research suggested that tai chi may improve the ability to walk and maintain posture in older adults with knee osteoarthritis.
A 2020 review of research concluded that both tai chi and yoga significantly improved pain, function, stiffness and quality of life in osteoarthritis patients for weeks beyond treatment.
A 2021 study found that tai chi improves mental and physical health in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
- Acupuncture
Acupuncture uses needles to stimulate specific points in the body to alleviate pain. There’s no conclusive evidence proving that acupuncture may help relieve arthritis pain when used on its own. However, a more recent study finds that combining acupuncture with oral medication may significantly improve function with people with knee osteoarthritis. In some cases, the improved function lasted as much as six weeks after acupuncture treatment ended.
Before using acupuncture, talk with your primary care physician and check with your insurance to see if it’s covered. Also, be sure to use an experienced provider with high-level training who meets the state licensing requirements.
- Water Therapy
Submerging yourself in water relieves pressure on your joints. It’s one reason water exercises are highly recommended for people with osteoarthritis.
Hydrotherapy expands on that principle that involves sitting in warm tap water in a spa or tub. Studies show that using hydrotherapy in conjunction with physical therapy may improve pain, function, and quality of life more than physical therapy alone. When doing hydrotherapy at home, the Arthritis Foundation recommends:
- Add salt, such as Epsom salts of Dead Sea salts, to replicate mineral rich baths.
- Keep water warm, between 92 and 96 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Loosen muscles by gently stretching or kneading your muscles with soaking.
When to get help for arthritis pain relief:
Consult your primary care physician whenever you have persistent or worsening arthritis-related pain. If osteoarthritis is severe, joint replacement surgery may be an option. However, in more moderate cases, changes and tweaks to your treatment plan can help.
Your health care provider can recommend or prescribe alternative therapies, community resources or support groups. Arthritis pain is different for everyone, and it may take some trial and error to figure out the medication and lifestyle changes that work best for you.
Take the Next Step
If you or your loved one are struggling to manage the symptoms of arthritis, or have questions about this condition, or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Clinica Medica Familiar. Our healthcare team is here to help you stay healthy.
Be Well. Live Well. Age Well.
