Arthritis difficult to workout!

I have bone on bone arthritis in both knees but am too young for joint replacement-- and don't want one anyway. I worked with a physical therapist recently to get me moving and to find things that don't make me worse. I can do elliptical, cycling, swimming, pilates, and some weight training. She gave me exercises to strengthen my core and to stabilize my knees. That has helped a lot.

I also have a ruptured and herniated disc in my back so yoga is out for me--- too much twisting. But, pilates is good

Hang I there. There is a lot you can do. I want to try kayaking and paddle boarding when it gets a little warmer this summer. Those should be easy on my joints too.

Gentle, low-impact movement (and taking it slow) is definitely key. Don't get discouraged if you can't do much at first, just do what you can. For me, walking ended up being the best choice for convenience and my temperament, but water exercise sounds great. I've had osteoarthritis for a while, runs in my family. Especially bad in my feet and around any joint where there's been an injury (several). I found a great chiropractor last year who has been sorting out the most critical barrier to getting moving again (low back and hip injury with lots of scar tissue) but supplements help a lot too. My stomach can't handle ibuprofen, and Celebrex didn't help for long and had bad side effects when I resumed it after a break.

Here's what I take:

For inflammation,

* white willow bark, which contains salicin, the substance aspirin was synthesized to mimic. It's gentler than aspirin and seems to build up in your system and provide a longer-term buffer rather than short-term fast relief. I take one capsule nightly 10 days on/10 days off, and take two as needed for acute pain.

* NOW D-Flame which is a blend of herbs that inhibit COX-2 and 5-LOX enzymes and also provide some pain relief. I take D-Flame nightly as it seems to work well with my sleep aids, and seems to sooth my stomach too. Every few months I take a 10-day break from it, just a good rule of thumb for most supplements.

* Magnesium (as magnesium citrate tablets). It's hard to be sure exactly how much I'm getting in my diet because nutrition labels aren't required to include it, but I get a minimum of 400mg daily via supplements and am naturally attracted to magnesium-rich foods like nuts, leafy greens, lentils etc. It is good for a wide range of issues, including inflammation and nerve pain. Magnesium is also important for bone health and is necessary for calcium do its job properly. I take it later in the day, with dinner and at bedtime, as it is calming and can even be mildly sedative. Magnesium was a real breakthrough for me.

* I also take Devil's Claw, but for shorter periods as I am not an ideal candidate for it. I've found Devil's Claw to be very effective though, and there is a good bit of research on it. It can lower blood sugar and blood pressure so do read up on side effects and interactions and talk to your doctor, especially if you already take meds for these issues. I don't, but found I could no longer skip breakfast while taking Devil's Claw or I'd get dizzy and hungry (I shouldn't have been skipping anyway). I also have low blood pressure and can't take hypotensive supplements for extended periods, and have a history of ulcers which it's cautioned for. But it does provide relief even at half the recommended dose, and within a couple of days, faster than most of the studies seem to indicate.


For general joint health:

* MSM - as capsules and also as a topical lotion for acute areas (NOW liposome lotion with MSM, Glucosamine and Arnica)

* Hydraplenish, which is hylauronic acid plus type II collagen and chondroitin.


These things together seem to keep the chronic pain from snowballing with ongoing activity. I take them in rotations with periodic breaks.

I know a lot of people here are against taking supplements, but supplementation has helped drag me out of a very bad place with a host of health issues and allowed me to start moving more without making things worse (again, with the help of a chiro in the most crucial injury site). I still have pain, but it's manageable, and the strength and endurance from getting moderate exercise helps a lot. I feel better now than I have in more than a decade. Not a doctor or medical professional, just sharing my own experience from lots of reading and trial and error.

Good luck, and I hope you can find a way to get moving that's kind to your bones!

Being overweight and having a family disposition to knee problems can make arthritis painful at any age. I suffer so much pain. Sometimes my knees swell up to the size of grapefruits and it is excruciating. People who don't deal with joint pain can't really relate and think that someone who says their knees hurt are just complaining

I have at times just kept working out even through the pain, telling myself I am just being weak, so I sometimes just keep working out for many hours on treadmills, elliptical, arcs & hiking but I have found that it leads to giant swollen knees that just stop working. I have had several Baker's Cysts drained. I wish I could afford anti-inflammatory drugs. Celebrex is AMAZING , but at over $100+ I can't afford that. Machines like the treadmill, elliptical & arc are 25% less stress on your body though. I am with you, sometimes you JUST get FED UP with having non- functioning joints and just get mad and do it anyway. I have to ice my knees and take a lot of ibuprofen & tylenol after days like that.

BUT WEIGHT LOSS HAS HELPED ME SO MUCH.I started at 317 pounds. I still have at least 85 more pounds to go but my life has completely changed. I am lucky that swimming has always been my sport. But WATER work is your answer at this point.

Sister, you need to get into the water. SWIM, AQUA JOG, Water Aerobics, Aqua Zumba & ride the bike. My orthopedist said that water exercise and cycling is the BEST exercise for people like us who have weak joints.

Don't give up!! You can find a way to work out!! You really CAN do it.

Me too, a year ago I could not walk without my cane, used my permanent handicap sticker to make sure I got the closest parking spots and today I am cane free and walking quite a bit every day.

At first I could not walk too much but day by day, week by week my strength improved and I started to feel some relief from the pain. The more walked the more weight I lost and the more weight I lost the more relief from the pain I got.

I still have some pain and will for the rest of my life but my quality of life has really improved. The key was finding what movement I could do, and keep at it even though it hurt.

It sure isn't easy and requires a lot of mental stamina and determination but it has made a world of difference for me. I don't even wake up so stiff and sore I can hardly move every morning anymore.

I hear you and I totally understand. I have a stationary bike which allows me to keep my knees working and a regular street bike which I find is not too stressful. Walking, even just for a few minutes at a time is also helpful. I don't especially like having to get in a pool to exercise so I try to get my exercise on dry land. Someone also recommended Osteo-BiFlex to me. I started taking in about a month ago and that's really helping. I keep reminding myself, use it or lose it, so even if it hurts to stretch and move, I keep doing it.

I have psoriatic arthritis and suffer greatly at times. I have not read all of the responses, but incase it hasn't been mentioned, I have found a direct link between my sugar intake and my inflammation (which makes sense but I've just recently figured it out). I would definitely recommend upping the water, significantly limiting sugar, and non-impact exercises (swimming, stationary bike, elliptical)...good luck and stay positive!

I have PsA as well, and figured out a while ago the connection with sugar. Also, for me, cutting out processed grains, especially wheat, has the same effect. My pain and inflammation levels are about a third of where they were before.

I also started out icing my knees and back after exercise. I don't have to do it much anymore, except if I really push it hard. Also, getting in a lot of healthy fats, i.e. nuts, avocados, seems to help keep my joints more lubricated, and my skin doesn't get as dry either.

I have psoriatic arthritis and suffer greatly at times. I have not read all of the responses, but incase it hasn't been mentioned, I have found a direct link between my sugar intake and my inflammation (which makes sense but I've just recently figured it out). I would definitely recommend upping the water, significantly limiting sugar, and non-impact exercises (swimming, stationary bike, elliptical)...good luck and stay positive!

I would agree with this as well. I'm a low-carber anyway so I don't eat sugar. But sugar is a pro-inflammatory as is gluten. I am also gluten-free. Some people need to be free of cow's milk and/or the nightshade plants (potatoes, peppers, etc.) as well but they don't seem to be a problem for me.

Tomatoes are a nightshade plant that will cause a severe flair up in my arthritis. I can get away with a little sauce or ketchup, but if I eat a whole tomato, ouch, the next morning I can't move!

Cutting out sugar and gluten has been wonderful.

I was diagnosed with moderate Fibromyalgia last year at the age of 26. Decreasing my sugar intake has helped, but I don't cut it out completely. Yoga has been a lifesaver for me, I go three times a week and walking is how I get my exercise, that's all I do as well as reduced calorie intake.

I do notice inflammation when I eat something super sugary, or carb loading, but my pain with Fibro is directly linked with stress. Just do what you can! I'm losing the weight slowly (6.5 lbs in 35 days) but I know my body doesn't operate like normal (I can't do any heavy weight training, running, etc.) Yeah it's been hard watching everyone else lose weight faster because they can exercise like normal, but I can only do what I can do - same goes for you!

I agree with the water exercise and with the Leslie Sansone recommendations. Leslie's DVD workouts can be as low impact as you want. There are three basic moves: walking in place, knee lifts, and kicking.

I have rheumatoid arthritis, with flare-ups mostly in my hands, and being able to exercise to her DVDs really helped me out. I was on methotrexate for about five years and it put my RA in remission for another five years. It recently reared its ugly head and I'm back on it. I can't take OTC NSAIDs for any extended period of time - so I leave those for the severe cramps I sometimes get for my phantom period. (I had the Novasure procedure done - so no period but occasionally horrible cramps.)

I recently purchases "The Buddy System" which is a belt I can wear around my waist and I can connect my two of my dogs to this. We have three dogs but one is almost 14 and he's not into distance walking anymore. He thinks he is, but then he can't get out of the dog bed for the rest of the day. Anyhow, AMAZING product!! I've been having fun at mapmywalk.com, mapping out new routes for us to take in my small town. Walking the dogs hands-free is wonderful! I could kick myself for not getting this product years ago (or even thinking of putting their other leashes on a leather belt) - doh! I have a poop bag dispenser hooked on it as well as a small garage door opener.

Anyhow, baby steps. Don't try to do it all right away. If walking is something you can do, start out with a few minutes a day. Add five minutes the next week, etc. Or water walking... As you know, overdoing any activity is horrible if you have arthritis. Unless someone has walked in YOUR shoes, they don't "get" the pain of arthritis. My mom didn't "get" how painful it was in my hands, even when I told her I couldn't pull my underwear up (or down). Before I was diagnosed, it would flare up in weird places all over my body, both sides of the body at the same time. Thanks to methotrexate, the RA is under control.

I am in my 70s...I swim or/ play in the water one or two times a week for 1 to 3 hrs at a time...just walking in the water and doing moement will help your bones...i have had back surgery and a total hip done and the water helps me alot. its easier than walking..ur local state park let seniors swim either in or out door for $ 4.00 a day .look into it..i can;t do much heavy exercise like dancing or using machines..but water works for me...hope this helps you...

I bought a year's membership to our local pool and for two sessions a week, it works out to $3 a week (only a $1.50 a session). It's cheaper than a gym membership.