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Arthritis: Exercise to Treat Arthritis
Although arthritis treatment usually includes medication, a tailored arthritis exercise program can help relieve pain and fatigue, and preserve joint structure and function.
The stiffness, pain, and swelling associated with arthritis can severely reduce the range of motion of joints (the distance joints can move in certain directions). Avoiding physical activity because of pain or discomfort also can lead to significant muscle loss and excessive weight gain. Exercise, as part of a comprehensive arthritis treatment plan, can improve joint mobility, muscle strength and overall physical conditioning, and help you maintain a healthy weight.
Once you know what type of arthritis you have and understand your symptoms, you and your doctor or physical therapist can develop a balanced program of physical activity to reduce the damaging affects of arthritis and promote optimal health.
What Are the Benefits of Exercise as an Arthritis Treatment?
A tailored program that includes a balance of three types of exercises -- range-of-motion, strengthening, and endurance -- can relieve the symptoms of arthritis and protect joints from further damage. Exercise also may:
- Help maintain normal joint movement
- Increase muscle flexibility and strength
- Help maintain weight to reduce pressure on joints
- Help keep bone and cartilage tissue strong and healthy
- Improve endurance and cardiovascular fitness
What Are Range-of-Motion Exercises?
To help relieve pain, people with arthritis often keep their affected joints bent -- especially those in the knees, hands, and fingers -- because it's more comfortable in that position. Although this may temporarily relieve discomfort, holding a joint in the same position for too long can cause permanent loss of mobility and further hinder the ability to perform daily activities.
Range-of-motion exercises (also called stretching or flexibility exercises) help maintain normal joint function by increasing and preserving joint mobility and flexibility. In this group of exercises, gently straightening and bending the joints in a controlled manner as far as they comfortably will go can help condition the affected joints. During the course of a range-of-motion exercise program, the joints are stretched progressively farther until normal or near-normal range is achieved and maintained. This helps to maintain comfort while function is preserved.
In addition to preserving joint function, range-of-motion exercises are an important form of warm-up and stretching, and should be done prior to performing strengthening or endurance exercises, or engaging in any other physical activity. A doctor or physical therapist can provide you with instructions on how to perform range-of-motion exercises.
Why Should I Also Do Strengthening Exercises?
Strong muscles help keep weak joints stable and comfortable and protect them against further damage. A program of strengthening exercises that targets specific muscle groups can be helpful as part of your arthritis treatment.
There are several types of strengthening exercises that, when performed properly, can maintain or increase muscle tissue to support your muscles without aggravating your joints.
WebMD Medical Reference provided in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic
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Important Safety Information you should know about HUMIRA® (adalimumab).
Serious infections have happened in patients receiving HUMIRA. These infections include TB (tuberculosis) and infections caused by viruses, fungi, or bacteria that have spread throughout the body. Some patients have died from these infections.
Before starting HUMIRA:
Tell your doctor if you think you have an infection, are being treated for an infection, have signs of an infection (such as a fever, cough, or flu-like symptoms), have any open sores on your body, have warm, red, or painful skin, get a lot of infections or have infections that keep coming back, have or had hepatitis B infection, take the medicine Kineret (anakinra), have TB or have been in close contact with someone who has TB, have lived in an area where TB or histoplasmosis is common, or were born in, lived in or traveled where there is more risk for getting TB. Your doctor should test you for TB before starting HUMIRA. If your doctor prescribes any medicine for the treatment of TB, you should start taking it before starting HUMIRA and take the full course of TB medicine prescribed.
Tell your doctor if you have any numbness or tingling, or have a disease that affects your nervous system such as multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barré syndrome, have heart failure or other heart conditions, are scheduled for major surgery, are pregnant, become pregnant, plan to become pregnant or are breastfeeding. Tell your doctor if you are allergic to HUMIRA or any of its ingredients or are allergic to rubber or latex. The needle cover of the prefilled syringe and the pen contain dry natural rubber.
Also, tell your doctor if you have recently received or are scheduled for any vaccines. Except for live vaccines, patients may still receive vaccines while on HUMIRA. It is recommended that children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis be brought up to date with all immunizations prior to starting HUMIRA.
After starting HUMIRA:
Call your doctor right away if you get an infection, or any sign of an infection including a fever, feeling very tired, cough, flu-like symptoms, warm, red or painful skin or if you have any open sores on your body. HUMIRA can make you more likely to get infections or make any infection that you may have worse.
Possible side effects of HUMIRA:
Serious side effects, which sometimes lead to death, have happened in patients taking HUMIRA.
- Serious infections. These infections include TB (tuberculosis) and infections caused by viruses, fungi, or bacteria. Your doctor will examine you for TB and perform a test to see if you have TB. If your doctor feels that you are at risk for TB, you may be treated with medicine for TB before you begin treatment with HUMIRA and during treatment with HUMIRA. Even if your TB test is negative your doctor should carefully monitor you for TB infections while you are taking HUMIRA. Patients who had a negative TB skin test before receiving HUMIRA have developed active TB. Tell your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms while taking or after taking HUMIRA: cough, low-grade fever, weight loss, or loss of body fat and muscle.
- Certain types of cancer. There have been cases of certain kinds of cancer in patients taking HUMIRA or other TNF blockers. Patients with RA, especially more serious RA, may have a higher chance for getting a kind of cancer called lymphoma. Some patients receiving HUMIRA have developed types of cancer called non-melanoma skin cancer (basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer of the skin), which are generally not life threatening if treated. Tell your doctor if you have a bump or open sore that doesn't heal.
- Allergic reactions. Signs of a serious allergic reaction include skin rash, a swollen face, or trouble breathing.
- Hepatitis B virus reactivation in patients that carry the virus in their blood. Tell your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms: feel unwell, poor appetite, fatigue, fever, rash or joint pain.
- Nervous system problems. Signs and symptoms include: numbness or tingling, problems with your vision, weakness in your arms or legs, and dizziness.
- Blood problems. Symptoms include a fever that does not go away, bruising or bleeding very easily, or looking very pale.
- New heart failure or worsening heart failure you already have. Symptoms include shortness of breath or swelling of your ankles or feet, or sudden weight gain.
- Immune reactions including a lupus-like syndrome. Symptoms include chest discomfort or pain that does not go away, shortness of breath, joint pain, or rash on your cheeks or arms that gets worse in the sun.
Call your doctor or get medical care right away if you develop any of the above symptoms. Your treatment with HUMIRA may be stopped.
Common side effects of HUMIRA are: injection site reactions (redness, rash, swelling, itching or bruising), upper respiratory infections (sinus infections), headaches, rash and nausea.
These are not all the side effects with HUMIRA. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Information You Should Know About HUMIRA® (adalimumab).
HUMIRA is used to reduce the signs and symptoms of moderate to severe rheumatoidarthritis in adults, may prevent further damage to your bones and joints, and may help your ability to perform daily activities. HUMIRA can be used alone or with methotrexate or with certain other medicines. HUMIRA is used to reduce the signs and symptoms of moderate to severe polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis in children 4 years of age and older. HUMIRA can be used alone or with methotrexate or with certain other medicines. HUMIRA is used to reduce the signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis in adults, may prevent further damage to your bones and joints, and may help your ability to perform daily activities. HUMIRA can be used alone or with certain other medicines. HUMIRA is used to reduce the signs and symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis in adults. HUMIRA is used to reduce the signs and symptoms of moderate to severe Crohn's disease in adults who have not responded well to conventional treatments. HUMIRA is also for these adults with moderate to severe Crohn's disease who have lost response or are unable to tolerate infliximab. HUMIRA is used to treat moderate to severe chronic (lasting a long time) plaque psoriasis in adults who are under the ongoing care of a physician, have the condition in many areas of their body and who may benefit from taking injections or pills (systemic therapy) or phototherapy (treatment using ultraviolet light alone or with pills).
HUMIRA is taken by injection.
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