Exercise & Joint Pain

Have you ever suffered from a joint pain condition? Did you know that exercising could help relieve the symptoms you may be experiencing?

Let's start off with... What actually is joint pain? S.Kulkarni defined joint pain as: "Discomfort, pain or inflammation arising from any part of a joint including cartilage, bone, ligaments, tendons or muscles."There are many reasons as to why individuals may experience joint pain. It may be caused by:

• Joint or bone tissue injuries - fractures or damage to surrounding muscles.

• Sprains and strains

• Heavy impact physical activity

• Lack of muscle use

According to the American College of Rheumatology, osteoarthritis is most common in adults over the age of 40. This is due to general wear and tear, progressing slowly and effecting commonly used joints. In recent years more holistic approaches, such as exercise, have been investigated to combat joint pain. Exercise is crucial for reducing joint pain as individuals strengthen key supportive muscles and restore flexibility.

Although it is difficult to identify specific evidence based individualised exercise programmes that definitely decrease joint pain, a number of studies provide evidence for the effectiveness of exercise in general for treatment of pain - Shannon L.Merkle

Exercises for Joint Pain:

There are different types of exercises that are recommended to help reduce joint pain;

• Range of motion exercises:

These types of exercises relieve stiffness and enhance ability to move joints through full range of motion (ROM). They may include movements in different planes, such as raising arms above your head or rolling shoulders backwards and forwards and can normally be performed daily.

• Strength exercises:

These types of exercises help build strong muscles that support the joints. Weight and resistance training can help maintain or enhance muscle strength. A combination of both fixed machines and free weights should be used to incorporate coordination and balance. It's recommended to rest a day between workouts or have an active rest day where you could go on a walk, especially if joints are painful or swollen.

• Aerobic exercises:

This type of exercise helps with overall fitness, enabling you to manage your weight and provide you with more energy. Low impact exercises are easier on the joints and include walking, swimming and cycling. It is important to gradually increase the duration and time can be split into 10/15-minute blocks on each machine if easier on the joints. It is suggested that moderate aerobic exercise is the most effective method of reducing joint pain. This can be determined by being able to carry on a conversation whilst exercising although breathing rate will be increased. In summary, there are a range of exercises that can still be performed to help reduce pain in the joints.

Joint Pain Programme:

Have you ever heard of Nuffield Health? Well, if not, then this is your opportunity to do a quick google search!

Nuffield Health is a gym specialising in health care and wellbeing. They provide flagship programmes helping individuals with specific conditions such as joint pain.

This year I had the pleasure of helping 11 amazing individuals on their journey of understanding their chronic conditions and assisting them with pain management.

The programme covered:

- Emotional wellbeing

- Group exercise

- Additional classes; aqua and chair yoga.

- Health checks every 12 weeks.

It was an amazing experience and one that will stay with me throughout my career.