Movement can often take a back seat when dealing with chronic pain from arthritis or joint injuries. Over exercising can aggravate the joint further, adding more discouragement towards moving and increasing inflammation.
But movement is also the key to healing and feeling better. So it becomes an art of fine tuning what kind of exercise feels good for us and suits our bodies needs.
The most therapeutic movement you can do for pain and arthritis is non weight bearing movements that involve as full range of movement as possible in each joint increasing blood flow to the joint, which nourishes the fluid in-between the joints meaning healing and repair can take place.
Why does this help?
Our joints are surrounded by soft tissue called the synovial membrane, which produces a fluid that allows our bones to move past one another more smoothly. Movement helps with the circulation of this fluid. As a result the synovial membrane is exposed to a steady supply of nourishing oxygen and nutrients which it doesn’t get when we are stationary.
Boosting circulation in the body also means that your muscles get access to increased oxygen and blood flow easing the stiffness in the muscles around the joints.
Without movement you become stiffer over time, creating more pain and further resistance to movement.
So what are some safe therapeutic movements to experiment with?
Walking
This is always a great free way to get movement, as well as fresh air into your day. Depending on the severity of your symptoms you can go as slow or fast as needed and only 5 minutes will help get blood flowing around. This does include weight bearing on the lower body so if you can’t put weight on your hips, knees or ankles then consider one of the below.
Swimming
In water the weight is automatically taken off our joints. Swimming or aqua classes are a great, safe way to move knowing that we are not putting any added pressure on the joints. Some classes are even held in warm hydrotherapy pools which helps even further with easing stiffness.
Cycling
Cycling either on a stationary bike or outside is a great option that allows for non weight bearing repetitive movement and is particularly helpful for stiff knees.
Yoga Therapy
Another safe modality is yoga therapy, a practice that encourages self-care and overall well-being. Whilst yoga in general aims to cultivate the body and mind creating therapeutic effects, yoga therapy uses specific practices and their known benefits to help alleviate or improve mental and physical ailments. It teaches correct movement for human anatomy, with intentional flows that don’t cause further aggravation to the joints. Using movement to create awareness around correct alignment can in turn ease pressure off joints and muscles bringing you into balance. If you are working with a lot of symptoms, It’s best to get a tailored sequence by working 1:1 with a practitioner or attending a class near you and informing the teacher of where you’re feeling pain and restriction so they can help.
No matter how much pain you are in, there is always some movement you can do to feel better. I encourage you to get curious and try out some different types of exercises until you find what feels good. Always listen to your body it will guide you where you need to go.
If you would like more tailored help I am available for 1:1 therapeutic movement sessions in person or online. I work with your unique needs and create a tailored programme based on your symptoms. I would love to support you on your journey to feeling better in your body.
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