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Rest, Exercise and Physical Therapy

For most individuals rest, exercise and physical therapy are important parts of treatment for arthritis. Rest helps reduce inflammation and muscle spasm, while exercise strengthens muscles and tendons and helps them to better support the joints.

Maintaining a proper balance between rest and exercise, and exercising properly are the keys to a successful arthritis exercise program.

When Have You Done Too Much?

Listen to the signals your body gives you. A general rule of thumb is that if exercise-induced pain lasts longer than two hours, cut back. Do not stop.

Any exercise program is bound to have setbacks, but these are not permanent. If you experience exercise-induced pain for longer than two hours, decrease the number of repetitions or be less forceful. If that does not help, choose a different exercise that is more appropriate for you.

Types of Exercises

Depending on your type of arthritis and your overall health, your doctor may prescribe many different exercises for you.

Passive exercises are those in which your doctor or therapist moves your arm, hand, or leg through its normal range of motion and you exert no effort. Active exercises are those that you do with the assistance of a trained person to increase both the range of motion of a joint and the strength of muscles. If you cannot straighten your knee fully by yourself, for example, you may be able to do so with a little help. Over a period of weeks or even months, improvements may be made. Resistance exercises are those in which you work against some type of pressure or force. For example, you may be asked to push your foot against pressure applied by the hand of another person, or you may use weights. Resistance exercises are particularly good for strengthening weakened muscles.

Your physician and physical therapist will outline your individualized daily exercise plan. But to give you an idea of what your exercises might include, some examples included in a home care manual produced by the US Arthritis Foundation follow. These exercises were designed for individuals ‘who do not have severe joint damage or marked weakness. Before beginning any of these exercise, please consult your physician or physical therapist.