Exercise & Prevention

Just about everyone-including hundreds of thousands of American adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-can benefit significantly from a well-conceived and properly executed program of physical exercise. All such programs must, of course, be carefully tailored according to an individuals age, overall health, physical limitations, and other factors that will determine the advisable frequency, intensity, duration, and types of activities comprising the optimal workout agenda. …

Patients suffering from debilitating tennis elbow, heel pain, and other chronic tendon injuries often face an unpleasant last resort when they fail drug therapy and rehab-the knife. But now, doctors at The Cleveland Clinic have developed a shocking new way to relieve their pain. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is a non-surgical procedure that replaces the scalpel with powerful acoustic waves. The exact mechanism remains unclear, but its believed that the sound waves destroy…

Yoga is far from being just for the young and flexible. Its actually one of the best forms of exercise for people with arthritis. Yoga lengthens muscles, reducing pain and dependence on medication, and also greatly decreases stress and depression. What makes yoga unique is that it takes every joint through its full range of motion, says Suza Francina, R.Y.T., director of the Ojai Yoga Center in Ojai, Calif. Other forms of exercise dont work…

Chiropractic therapy can bring modest pain relief, but its wise to explore more traditional treatments first.

An inclined walking exercise, Ramping provides the perfect low-impact workout for arthritis sufferers.

If you want to stay strong and flexible, resistance bands are an easy and convenient alternative to weights and machines.

Millions continue to shell out billions for phony treatments-and arthritis patients are among the biggest victims.

How to make summer vacationing less taxing, more relaxing.

There are a multitude of things you can do to manage your knee arthritis and, hopefully, reduce the likelihood that youll need joint replacement down the road. Most of these steps are fairly well known-from losing weight, to regular stretching and exercise, to finding the right medications to manage your pain. But what is not […]

The key is preparing your body before you get out of bed.

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night with your big toe throbbing fiercely-as if someone had poked it with a hot iron. Chances are you have gout. Acute gout attacks are unmistakable, says Dr. Brian Mandell, education program director of rheumatology and immunologic disease at The Cleveland Clinic. They are excruciating episodes usually involving a joint in the lower extremities and are characterized by redness, swelling, extreme pain, and skin sensitivity. …