People with joint pain might be tempted to become couch potatoes because it hurts to move. A new study demonstrates this is the wrong approach. Regular physical activity can actually improve function and quality of life and reduce disability for people with osteoarthritis.
[American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting]
Although this research is new, the results should not be surprising. Joanne Jordan, MD, MPH, Chief of the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told us something quite similar had emerged from her research when we spoke with her two years ago.
J. V. Isaacs reported on this site: “I was crippled with osteo-arthritis in the spine and pelvis and bursiitis in the shoulders which no medication could help. In desperation, I used the Mediterranean Diet as a basis for foods and supplements which fought inflammation, and cut out the foods which caused inflammation; stopped taking any medication for pain; and, after three weeks, was free of all pain, and able to move my body parts freely. All this information I gained from reading Best Choices from the People’s Pharmacy.
“Now, at sixty-three years of age, I am able to touch my toes without bending my knees; squat; kneel; and run short distances without discomfort; all actions I have not been able to take since I was eighteen! I do use a cane, as I’m unable to stand for long without feeling the effect in my lower back as, I suffer from spondulolysthesis and scolyosis, but the comment is often passed by bystanders that the cane is hindering my walking, as I walk so quickly!”
We suspect that the walking and other exercise J.V. has undertaken has contributed along with diet at improving joint function. There are simple home remedies for stiff joints in our Guide to Alternatives for Arthritis.
