Arthritis is one of the top chronic health conditions of people 65 and over reported to the CDC yearly, and more so by women than men.

If left unchecked, arthritis can result in worsening problems with physical function and performing simple everyday activities like stooping to pick something up off the floor or tying our shoes.

The good new is that with some smart interventions, the progression of the disease can be slowed down or prevented. In this week’s video, we’re focusing on exercises to relieve arthritis foot pain and slow down the advancement of the disease.

Overview Of Arthritis Pain

There are actually more than 100 types of arthritis or related conditions, but to keep things simple let’s discuss the two main forms of arthritis.

OA, known as osteoarthritis, involves the deterioration of the cartilage at a joint, mainly affecting weight bearing joints such as the knees, hips or spine.

Osteoarthritis symptoms may present themselves as tenderness, pain or being hot to the touch at the site of the affected joint. It generally worsens as the day progresses, so exercise may be most beneficial the earlier you can do it in the day.

RA, which is rheumatoid arthritis, can affect all joints in the body and is considered an autoimmune disease mainly having to do with the synovial membrane of the joints.

Early morning stiffness is common, with a loosening up as the day progresses making exercise more beneficial mid or late morning.

How To Relieve Arthritis Pain

Cardio exercise and weight training aid in strengthening the muscles around the joints to help support and protect them from further damage. Stretching increases your flexibility and helps maintain joint mobility and range of motion to prevent the joints from fusing together.

Any kind of exercise is a good thing in that it increases fluids and synovial fluid (as I like to call it, the WD-40 for your joints) so that stiffness lessens and pain from bone-on-bone friction decreases.

This week, we’re putting that in practice by taking our feet through several exercises for arthritis pain. You’ll need a few basic items you probably already have around the house, including a towel, some marbles, and a couple rubberbands or hair ties.

I also highly recommend the Blue Emu cream I feature at the end of the video. You can view and order Blue Emu by clicking here. You can also see more of my favorite pain relief creams and gels in this post.  

Other Arthritis Remedies

Other arthritis remedies include massage therapy, acupuncture and attention to diet in order to avoid inflammatory trigger foods.

Other more aggressive measures, such as OTC medications, DMARD, biologics, injections or joint replacement are best discussed with your trusted physician.

THE MORE WE MOVE, THE BETTER WE FEEL, so keep experimenting with what type and length of exercise works best for you.

With dedication and consistency you hopefully will find yourself moving more freely through your day and progress toward more days of FEELING GOOD!

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