September is Arthritis Awareness Month

Tricia Hayton, Registered Physiotherapist
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Many have asked me, “I have arthritis.  How can I be considered an athlete?”

The fact of the matter, is that exercise can greatly help with the signs and symptoms of arthritis.   Exercise has been proven to decrease the pain, depression, and fatigue that is often associated with systemic arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and lupus.   Will it take the disorder away?  No.  But it will help give you control of the symptoms.    You must grade the intensity to respect the limitations of your body.  Try a specialized yoga class or water exercise to maintain flexibility and strength while minimizing the stress on your joints.

One in 6 Canadians have arthritis and the vast majority of that is Osteoarthritis.  The joints most typically affected are the knees, hips, and hands.   Once thought to be simple wear and tear of the joints happening earlier than expected, current research shows that there are cellular changes to the cartilage of the joints indicating that the problem is more complex than initially thought. 

The number one treatment for osteoarthritis is a program that combines education and strengthening.  The education component assists with understanding what is happening to your body and how you can prevent it through change of active level, proper nutrition with and without weight loss, and joint conservation techniques.   Exercises should focus on form and very slowly progression to strengthening with weights, if at all.   This way of strengthening is call neuromuscular training.  That is a fancy way of saying that the program focuses on correcting the movement pattern of the body to maximize the efficiency of the joint and the muscles surrounding it.    A study in 2015 showed that completing a 12-week program reduced pain, reduced pain medication use, increased activity, and reduced sick leave significantly.   
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So what makes you an athlete?   As long as you are using exercise to make yourself stronger, healthier and more active – you are an athlete in our books.  

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