Exercise & Prevention

People with inflammatory arthritis often complain of debilitating exhaustion. Inflammatory types of arthritis, which include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, are known for joint pain. But these autoimmune diseases can have other, more widespread effects. “Many patients with inflammatory arthritis report that fatigue is a major concern for them,” says Chad Deal, MD, […]

Switch to Anti-Inflammatory Diet Helps to Control Rheumatoid Arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which chronic inflammation results in damage to joints. It is treated primarily with medications that impact the immune system in ways that reduce inflammation. Some research suggests an anti-inflammatory diet may be beneficial as well. In a study […]

Low-Intensity Strength Training Sufficient for Knee Arthritis A cornerstone of treatment for knee osteoarthritis is exercises to strengthen muscles. A study published in JAMA (February 2021) examined whether high-intensity activity is more effective than low-intensity activity for reducing knee pain. The study compared high-intensity with low-intensity strength training in 377 people ages 50 and older […]

Starting at around age 30, the density of bones starts to decline. For women, the process speeds up at the time of menopause. Bones that become too weak can more easily break from a fall or other trauma. Keeping bones as strong as possible requires adequate calcium, vitamin D and weight-bearing exercise. Bone is dynamic […]

If you have stiff, painful arthritic joints, you may be inclined to hold them still because it hurts to move. But movement and exercise are good for joints. When it gets difficult to motivate yourself to exercise, Cleveland Clinic physical therapist assistant Theresa Sambor, PTA, suggests doing it in water. Exercising in a warm pool […]

Joint pain in the hand can make even the simplest tasks challenging. Using utensils, writing with a pen, swinging a golf club, crocheting and many other tasks become difficult. Most of these limitations can be overcome with some strategies and helpful gadgets. First, learn the underlying cause of the problem, which should be diagnosed by a […]

Many people have been less physically active than normal due to restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s time to change that. Your joints, bones, muscles, heart and brain will all be better off. But don’t go from sitting on the couch to running five miles a day. That’s a recipe for getting hurt and discouraged. […]

Q: I was diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatica. What is this and can it be cured? A: Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory disease that causes pain, typically in the shoulders and hips. Pain can spread to the upper arms and neck. Other symptoms are stiffness (particularly in the morning and after resting), weakness and fatigue. PMR […]

Do you have aches and pains in your back, neck, shoulders or other parts of your body? The ways you hold and move your body may be to blame, or at least partly so. “It’s all about alignment,” says Cleveland Clinic physical therapist Mary Morrison, PT, DScPT. “When the alignment of your body is balanced […]

You probably know that a bunion is a bump on the inside of the foot, just below the base of the big toe. The cause of this protrusion is bone shifting at the joint where the bone just behind the big toe (first metatarsal bone) connects to the smaller bones of the big toe. This […]

Joint replacements of the hip and knee are commonly performed surgeries with a high success rate. Advancements continue to improve the technical aspects of these surgeries. No matter how skillfully the surgery is performed, the patient is an important factor in determining the ultimate outcome. A new hip or knee joint does not work by […]

In the December 2020 and January 2021 issues of Arthritis Advisor we discussed exercises for people with knee osteoarthritis that is confined to one location in the joint. But for many people, arthritic changes are all over. To review: Osteoarthritis occurs when cartilage—the covering over the ends of bones in joints—breaks down. At the knee, […]