Fight Arthritis - Keep Moving!

If you have arthritis like me, you know that sometimes the pain can feel unmanageable. But I am here to tell you there are ways to manage it. The key is to keep moving and take part in some form of physical activity every day.

Exercising and staying active can help relieve arthritis pain, and in some cases, even delay the onset of the symptoms. That is the important message behind a new arthritis campaign I'm supporting in collaboration with the Arthritis Foundation, the United States Tennis Association and the Ad Council. It debuts today at the US Open.

Exercise has worked for me. I have had osteoarthritis -- the most common form of arthritis that breaks down the cartilage in your joints -- since I had my first knee operation in my 20s. I know the years I spent playing tennis helped to manage my pain and extend the longevity of my knees. But I was in pain and it wasn't until last year that I finally had double knee joint replacement surgery. Today, I feel fantastic.

Tennis is my weapon of choice in battling arthritis because it is what I love to do the most. There is no better feeling for me than hitting a ball or running to a ball. It is what makes me happy and keeps me healthy, even if I am not moving as quickly as I used to.

If you have arthritis, don't think you should be sedentary. It's just the opposite. Think positively and make sure you keep moving. Even my mother, at age 89, says you have to keep moving, or it's over.

Choose whatever activity you enjoy -- walk in the park, play tennis, go to the gym, take a hike, or swim. Whatever works for you -- just make sure you get off the couch and do something that involves moving your body.

Arthritis is the nation's leading cause of disability. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention it affects one in every five adults and 300,000 children each year. However, research released from the Ad Council shows that only 16 percent of people with arthritis actually feel confident that they know the best way to manage their pain. Most people think taking medication is the best treatment. Through this campaign, I hope to educate and empower people to get physically active because it can change the course of your arthritis and your life.

To learn more about how to manage your arthritis and increase your mobility, please visit www.fightarthritispain.org.

 

Comments

[tucsonterry725]

10:32 PM on 09/05/2011

I have just been diagnosed with osteoarthitis(spelling?) of my left knee. Sometimes the pain is unbearable and I miss the running I used to do. I do light exercise and physical therapy. I also lost 38 lbs. which has provided some relief>

[amantedelibros]

09:00 PM on 09/05/2011

I have it in the distal joints of my fingers. As my hand therapist said after I had surgery on one of my fingers (ganglion cyst that burst on its own and exposed my joint to possible infection if not operated on to clean it up), Motion is Lotion. So I keep that mind.

[marty marty]

10:37 AM on 09/05/2011

Get off gluten in your foods and see the difference. My husband has RA. His mother died of mouth cancer from all the drugs she took for RA. He does a gluten free and vegeterian diet. He runs 4 miles a day, rides his bike 10-12 miles some days, lifts weights. He did the Ultra Metabolism diet about 4 years ago. You eliminate everything for 3 weeks and then you gradually add things back. If you get pain or upset stomach you go backwards for a week, then add that ingredient again and if you have problems you are usually allergic to it. Wheat - bread, spaghetti, etc. flaired up his pain. He can tell is there is any gluten that gets in something - like wheat thickening. Pain will come on him during the night. Gluten makes a lot of difference for RA. Get rid of it.

[amantedelibros]

09:03 PM on 09/05/2011

I've been gluten-free for a year since being diagnosed with celiac disease. I don't have RA, but do have arthritis starting in my fingers. I take krill oil for its anti-inflammatory benefits and its more potent than regular fish oil. If he's not already trying that, you might consider that too. Sounds like he's conquering RA, rather than letting RA conquer him. Way to go!

[misskat]

09:29 PM on 09/04/2011

I find swimming to be the most beneficial. I've got a waterproof headphone set and that makes it fun. I like listening to Latin music to boost my tempo. Also, a high quality fish oil seems to be quite helpful. Sadly, I need painkillers often to help, but, I eat well and in addition to swimming I walk every day and ride my trike (yep, a high performance trike that makes the little kids on the trail drool with envy!) when I can. A pain management doc has helped me understand that pain not only hurts, but it takes a terrible toll on you physically and emotionally. I don't like pain meds, but I hate pain even more.

[camanokat]

10:46 PM on 09/04/2011

If you are in a legal state, I recommend that you try medical marijuana, or cannabis. I grow my own and use every speck of the plant to make canna-butter (I use the males, too) and make brownies and cookies out of the butter. A small piece at bedtime helps take away the pain. I threw out the ibuprofen and Tylenol and only use cannabis.

[amantedelibros]

09:05 PM on 09/05/2011

I have a friend who has RA and she uses medical marijuana to ease her flair ups. She'll use it occasionally at night and says it's helped her tremendously.

[camanokat]

10:53 PM on 09/04/2011

Oh, and you can make a balm from the roots for topical pain relief. I actually buy mine from HempEaze since I grow in dirt and I can't completely clean the roots. I rub it into my joints and the pain is gone in seconds. I carry a tiny tub (like a lipgloss pot) with me at all times.

[koelschwolf]

08:02 PM on 09/04/2011

Try to stay away from antibiotics. I learned the hard way. They kill not only the bad bacteria, like the ones that cause a throat infection, but also the good little bugs, especially the ones in yr intestines. I got serious intestinal problems from taking antibiotics, they gave me hard to control diarhea, so bad that I was reluctant to go out of the house. Now I am taking ProBiotics that will rebuild the good intestinal bacteria. The one I am taking is called Align. You can also learn about it in Google looking under Probiotics.

[diddysmif]

02:57 PM on 09/04/2011

I have arthritis and was having a time with it until I learned about glucosamine chondroitin. It has help me a lot. Also a doctor has recommended potassium cetrate for elimination of uric acid in the body. A cause of gout and arthritis! Check with your doctor to see if it is right for you!

[JoePesci]

10:24 AM on 09/04/2011

This article overlooks diet. One of the largest components of my PA management is eliminating all sugars and carbs, Increasing water intake to lower uric acid output (and gout like symptoms). Prednisone damaged my body almost as much as the disease, and was harder to get off than the pain meds. Many doctors treat symptoms only, and at the cost of your stomach lining.

[amantedelibros]

09:08 PM on 09/05/2011

My dog's cardiologist has had arthritis since she was in her 20s, she's in her late 50s-60s. She says acupuncture helps her a lot and wishes she'd used it back in the day. So, that's another option to try. Chinese medicine has been around for 4000 or more years, so they must know something.

[frank day]

04:46 PM on 09/03/2011

Rheumatoid arthritis is more of a challenge.

Do NOT push through fatigue an inflammation.

Wait, till you feel better and then exercise.

[ladywiccan]

11:38 AM on 09/05/2011

for me it's a pain in the neck

[Jazmo]

02:56 PM on 09/02/2011

Its really important to strike a balance ... too much and it hurts for days, too little and you are locked up tighter than a house before a hurricane. Also keep in my BJK has been exercising hard her entire life so if you aren't in good physical condition, start slowly or you will hurt yourself more.

Also, don't forget yoga. Not only is the stretching and moving nice, but the breathing exercises can help with pain management.

[RhiannonRings]

09:46 PM on 09/01/2011

Eating an anti-inflammatory diet helps too!

[HegelRightSideUp]

08:40 PM on 09/01/2011

Don't dis medication. I have had arthritis for more than 30 years. I got it in my early teens.

The most important factor in combating arthritis is having an excellent rheumatologist. My latest one saw that I needed powerful, and yes, dangerous immunosuppressants to properly control my disease. Only then was I able to be sufficiently active enough for that activity to be a significant help.

[JoePesci]

11:43 AM on 09/04/2011

Spot on. Mine started before twenty. It took 14 years for them to figure out all of my conditions were symptoms of the same disease. I was told I had everything from a rotator cuff injury (I don't) nail fungus (nope) or I was a Hypochondriac. I was beginning to believe it was all in my head until I found a brilliant Rheumatologist.

[Maater]

06:49 PM on 09/01/2011

Good advice to keep moving. There is something else I found to be very helpful . A grounding pad, a pad that plugs into the ground hole of a 3 way plug. It's like sleeping on the bare ground. It really works. Just put it directly on your skin where the pain is and sleep with it, it takes the pain away without drugs or bad side effects.

[mrman]

12:40 PM on 09/01/2011

Unfortunately we all don't have access to BJ's doctors, physical therapists and over all medical care. I have been suffering with OA fo over 15 years. I inherited if from my mother and all the women in my family have severe OA (my mom was in a wheel chair by my age). You have good days and bad days. You plan around it and you learn you limits. Some days you can do more. Sometimes if you do too much, you pay for it for days.... It is not nearly as simple as Ms. King makes it out to be.

[JoePesci]

10:18 AM on 09/04/2011

Right on the money. I have PA, and it causes soft tissue damage as well. I have one unresponsive eye, and a slightly enlarged heart along with the swollen, twisted fingers and toes, Hip and shoulder degeneration. The only treatment that works (Finally!) is Mexthotrexate (a Chemo drug) and stomach injections of Humira. The injections alone are $1800.00 per month. I spend every working dollar to stay healthy enough to keep working. If there is no healthcare reform, I will become a burden instead of a taxpayer. I'm not asking for a handout, just the ability to contribute to society, pay my taxes, and live past 50. The Right doesn't care, and the Left feigns giving a cr@p. Every day I meet more people in my exact dilemma.

[Cuyahoga]

11:38 AM on 09/01/2011

Thank you Billy Jean! I have arthritis in my legs and appreciate this article. I recently had a horrific bout with what the doctor called "gouty arthritis" in my right foot big toe and 4 days of drinking 1 TBS organic cider vinegar with cold water, 2x/day, took care of it.

[nothingchanges]

10:36 AM on 09/01/2011

Just another 2 cents worth from someone else who has "been there, done that".

People have been around a whole lot longer than pain medications. I see too many (IMPO) reaching for pain killers at the slightest provocation. All medicines have detrimental side effects, pain medications have some of the worst.

"Keep moving" and learning to relax are probably the two best pieces of advice I could offer. When pain hits, get your mind occupied on something else, otherwise it tends to concentrate on how badly pain hurts.

My personal philosophy is..............

If you do too much, you pay for it.

If you do too little, you pay for it.

and some days, unfortunately, you pay for it, regardless of what you do. Bear with it, this too will pass.

Generally speaking, all pain subsides with a short rest, and the passage of time, whether you take that pill or not. The trick is learning when that is NOT the case, then taking appropriate medication before things get out of hand.

[KellyJohnson]

09:48 PM on 09/04/2011

Pain killers have been around as long or longer than man...but they're illegal or illegal without prescriptions because of big pharma.