If you have a painful, stiff or achy joints , you may have Osteoarthritis. This condition is extremely common and typically not serious.
As we age the vast majority of us will have some level of arthritic change in our joints, primary hands, necks, shoulders, hips knees and lower back.
While arthritis may make you feel you are irreversibly losing movement , it is possible to restore and improve the stiffness and loss of mobility.
And guess what, if your familiar with OneBody Clinic you can guess what the remedy is …exercise and diet!
Our diet and moderate physical activity are necessary to control this equilibrium and to avoid modifications in our joints. Diets intended to achieve weight loss, physical activity, and physiotherapy are extremely important and should be encouraged as they reduce pain and improve joint function in OA but, at the same time, they are also relevant for other common and chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension.(1)
It may sound counter intuitive , but movement and exercise is the best prescription for Arthritic pain. Looking at the food we eat in conjunction with structure exercise, according to all modern research will help with mobility and pain (2). It is really important to eat less food types that increase inflammation in the body and more highfiber foods to reduce inflammation.
Exercise actually decreases pain rather than making it worse, but you need to be cautious as to what exercises you do. Doing too much or the wrong type of exercises can make things worse and lead you to a more sedentary life, and this is detrimental to overall health. Building a diet that focuses on removing inflammation in your system and introduces (3)
The real problem with not treating or ignoring arthritic conditions is this, if you stop moving to avoid pain, it will actually make the condition worse. Not moving a joint or putting it under weighted bearing movement will mean that the muscles around the joint will start to hypotrophy (waste) and blood flow in and out of the area will reduce , causing more stiffness and pain.
Choosing the wrong exercise could mean more pain and becoming demotivated to continue. Working with Nutritionists, Physical Therapists and Physiotherapist, we can help develop a plan for your particular form of arthritis with exercise and diet advice to improve your mobility and function. Reduce joint inflammation and exercise pain free (2). That’s right—exercise shouldn’t hurt if you have arthritis.
The rule of thumb for people with arthritis is to increase exercises more gradually than someone without it. At OneBody Clinic we will partner with you to develop a program tailored specifically to your level of function and your goals. Walking, cycling, and swimming are great forms of cardiovascular exercise, but strength training and stretching are equally important. The trick is to perform these exercises with the right form and posture and for the right duration (time) and intensity (repetition). Insure you are giving yourself the best chance of improvement by linking activity and diet.
If you have questions about how exercise can help address your arthritis symptoms, hit Contact us on the website, message on FB or call us on 01-2140060.
(1) http://www.apta.org/
(2)Guidelines for the non-surgical management of knee Osteoarthritis: OARSI 2011 T.E. McAlindon et al
(3) Osteoarthritis in the 2Ist Century: Risk Factors and Behaviours that Influence Disease Onset and Progression : 2015 Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2015, 16(3)