Arthritis and strength training

kusterer

Hi, I have been at MFP since 28 pounds ago, but just discovered there was this group for the more life-experienced people.

I thought this might be the place to ask about one of my bigger MFP dilemmas.

I have not been doing any strength/weight training (except for the small pushing against water pressure in pool aerobics) because of pretty bad back and shoulder arthritis. Does anyone here know ways to build strength back up without making the joint problems worse?

Mrsfreedom41

Go to www.livestrong.com and do a search for exercises for neck and shoulder pain and a separate search for exercises for low back pain. This site has some really good information on doing these types of exercises. Hope this helps you.

kusterer

Thank you. I really appreciate your reply. I looked at Livestrong. But I think what I am trying to achieve is different. Lengthy water aerobics exercises and supplements (especially Rheumi-Art) keep the pain more-or-less under control, if I keep the status quo. I have succeeded in improving my range of motion slightly without the recommended shoulder replacement surgery (which I really want to avoid). But I need the bigger muscles around my shoulder (deltoids and others) to be stronger to compensate for rotator cuff tendons chewed-up by arthritic bones. Attempting to do normal weight or gym machine exercises hurts a lot by the 3rd rep or so, and the bone-on-bone crunking noises have both my former personal trainer and my doctor saying to stop because it is doing more harm to the joint than good to the muscle.

So I guess a more specific version of my question is: Can muscle strength around my joint be built up with some kind of strength training that does not require the joint to move back and forth with every repetition?

Mrsfreedom41

Perhaps you should post this question on the regular forum under fitness section. There may be some people who are more qualified to answer your question. Hope you get better - nothing worse than feeling pain all the time. Good Luck.

kusterer

Thanks. I am glad you took an interest and stepped up to help. I am kind of intimidated by the regular fitness section because of all the super-built (from their pics) young men who know it all and have all the answers, like I used to when I was their age. But they don't tend to have answers that I can believe in much, for issues of people who are much less fit or much older than they are. Yet they dominate the threads. Maybe it's just an excuse, but that's how I feel, after starting threads in that place in the past.

sspahn49

I am using resistance bands instead of weights and find them much easier on the joints. I, too, have arthritis in my knees and shoulder. I take a class so the instructor helps us but I am sure you could find a dvd to instruct you. I have always done cardio, but after losing the weight I found I had lost a lot of muscle mass, so I am in the process of trying to rebuild, especially in my arms. Good luck and let me know how it goes.

lindabozwell

I have been lifting weights for 9 yrs, stopping only to do classes of various exercises, yoga, step etc. I broke my ankle in 3 places and tore ligaments and tendons in Dec. and my world as I knew it stopped. I now can walk again but slowly thus cannot get back into exercise classes for sometime. I went to pumping iron on the gym machines but because of my age 74 I find it's now keeps my back and shoulders aching. I'm so disappointed with ankle, shoulders and back. But I do believe I will go back to the gym and try the BANDS you talked about. Any more good suggestions to do as not to cause all this pain?? thank you.