caring for your joints

Arthritis means inflammation of the joints, which leads to pain swelling and stiffness. In all types of arthritis, rest and exercise are important components of the treatment plan. A daily routine of home exercise coupled with 10-15 min, rest periods through the day help people to cope with arthritis.

Exercise is prescribed to help the joints be flexible, to preserve the strength of the muscles on which the joints depend for stability, and to protect diseased joints against further damaging stress. Because arthritis in many cases tends to be progressive, exercise must be carried on indefinitely. The purpose of exercise is to help a patient make the best use of remaining ability and to restore the maximum degree of physical function.with regular exercises muscle weakness and loss of normal joint motion can be kept under control. as important as exercise and rest are a healthy diet and weight control, as extra weights puts unnecessary stress on weight bearing joints

The following simple exercise are recommended as maintain range of motion in all joints. You can use these position as self-tests to make sure you are maintaining the normal range of motions of your joints and to help keep track of your progress. If you find any exercise difficult or unusually painful consult your Physician.