2 in 5 Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Sedentary
Many RA Patients Who Avoid Exercise Unaware That Physical Activity Can Ease Symptoms
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
RA, which affects 1.3 million adults, is a painful condition that causes joints to be swollen, stiff, and damaged. Inactivity puts RA patients at risk of increased pain, weakened muscles, poor balance, and stiffened joints. But many people with RA lack the motivation to exercise -- or don’t know that exercise may help them feel better.
I will be completely honest with myself here. I find it very hard to exercise. Most people think that I have an aversion to the work of exercise. It is very hard to explain that, that is so not the case at all. It is not that I am unmotivated. I also do know that a regular workout would be good for me. ALthough I also know that my body has different limits to others. In fact we are all different. When I work out, I love it. Although I am for the most part unable to. I find it very insulting that people with RA are deemed "lazy" or "unmotivated". The truth of the matter for me, and I believe many others, is that we have to pay close attention to our joints.
Work through the pain, it will get easier
This is a phrase that works for so many people. Although I have been told it by a personal trainer. When I explained to her that no, that doesn't work for me, she told me I was wrong. Pain for a person with RA can indicate we are doing ourselves more harm than good. It is a very thin line. We don't want to work so hard that we further damage joints that are already in danger. That in the end will hurt us more than help. I drew lines with my PT at the time, and she constantly tried to push them. Like trying to get me to do pushups. I can't do pushups. My wrists are damaged and in need of replacement, but the pain from the damage has not gotten to the point that I qualify for a replacement. So do I stick to my guns and not push myself or do I push. I stuck to my guns. In my opinion it wasn't worth putting myself into surgery sooner rather than later. And, you know what, that was OKAY. It is after all my body.
Each one of us has to find our line. What I mean to say is, yes we can work through a certain amount of pain, and yes that may get better, but it may not. I think we can all learn our bodies and joints though. I think there is a distinct difference between a normal workout pain, and a this is hurting my joint pain. Once we learn that, we can work with it and to it. Never should we allow ourselves to be put into a position that we are pretty certain will hurt our joints. If you have a PT that won't listen to the limits you know you have find a new one.
Rheumatologist Cong-Qiu Chu, MD, PhD, agrees that patient education is essential because many patients are afraid to exercise. They believe that the strain may make them feel worse. In his practice, however, Chu has found that patients who are informed about the benefits of exercise become motivated to get active.
“Most patients are motivated to be functional -- they just don’t have the knowledge that it is good for them,” says Chu, who directs the Early Arthritis Clinic at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
How much exercise a person is capable of must be determined on an individual basis, but Lee advises following the latest federal guidelines, which recommend 150 minutes of moderately intense activity each week for adults.
“We’re not encouraging our patients to do anything overly vigorous,” she says. “Water aerobics or 10 minutes of walking briskly, as if late for a meeting, are good exercises.”
Just get over it
Honestly if I could I would. Truth be told, I have permanent spinal damage. With that comes issues. Issues like not being able to stand or walk for extended periods of time. The facet joints in my lower back are damaged. That means that simple things like twisting at my waist is painful, and dangerous for my back. This is something I just can't GET OVER. It is something I have to, and am learning to work with.
I think in a lot of ways we are unfairly labeled. Even in the article I have been quoting. What I would like to know is how many of the participants were in a flare. I don't know about anyone else but during the middle of a flare I can't get up and work out. Sometimes in a flare I can barely even get up to go to the toilet. Forget about things like feeding myself, let alone working out.
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/musclesjoints/203553.html
Exercise for someone with rheumatoid arthritis
As a general rule try not to work through the pain regardless. Your body is telling you, when it hurts, that you are doing too much and if the discomfort lasts for more than an hour after exercise, you have overdone it.
http://www.uptodate.com/contents/patient-information-arthritis-and-exercise
I have posted a few articles that I have found helpful.
Jackie I agree with you completely. From another misunderstood ra patient.
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