Pain Relief Report » arthritis pain relief

Water Aerobics Provides Exercise To Help In Arthritis Pain Relief

Bill Martin — Sat, 22 May 2010 21:52:29 +0000

To grow older gracefully your body needs exercise frequently to maintain good health. However, for those who suffer the pain and stiffness of arthritis on a daily basis may find exercising more difficult and give up trying. Then why not consider how water aerobics may help provide you with arthritis pain relief to live a more fulfilling life. Now when some people hear the term water aerobics they may think of those fancy movements done by synchronized swimming professionals, but that’s not what is being suggested here. Instead of that, just use the soothing effects of water to enable your body to achieve a wider range of movement like that used in what is called aquatic therapy. Exercising in water is used for rehabilitation purposes, aiding in pain relief, as well as to help one improve overall muscle tone and fitness. How Water Aerobics Makes For Easy Exercise and Provides Pain Relief Aerobic water exercise provides a cushioning to your body enabling you to move easily in water. For example on a smaller scale, you may have noticed how much lighter your legs feel when immersed in a tub of water. And when you start moving and rotating your sore stiff ankles or knees against the water, the effects are much less pain. This is because your ability to move easier while immersed in water stimulates your cardiovascular system that increases blood flow to painful joints and areas of stiffness to help relieve pain. Now when you actually immerse more of your body in water and move faster by doing various exercises more regularly, the amount of pain relief improves. At the same time, your body is improving your cardiovascular system, building and toning muscles, and improving flexibility and range of motion. This kind of aquatic therapy known also as water aerobics has benefits for people who may not otherwise be able to withstand the effects of land-based exercise such as running, jogging or even regular walking. When you run or jog, your body weight is increased up to 5 times more each time your heel hits the ground. When your body is in water it becomes buoyant and the impact of any motion on your body is greatly reduced. The buoyant nature of water is what makes it easy for you to be able to float. When your body is immersed in water to your waistline it bears only 50% of its weight, and at chest depth that reduces to about 30% which reduces the force of gravity. As you move through the water, you won’t feel any jarring against your joints – just a smooth consistent gliding of your limbs. Water exercise improves range of motion and at the same time provides enough gentle resistance to develop muscle tone and relieve pain and stiffness. As you move your arms and legs through water it does become much like gliding. But, don’t let that motion fool you, because your body is getting exercise due to the resistance of your motions against the water. When you make your motions in water faster, it increases the resistance against your body which in turn increases the level of your exercise workout. If you are not a swimmer that does not matter, because water aerobics are basically exercises you will do in a vertical position. Your body will be immersed in water to about waist or chest high depth while doing aerobic water exercises. Some people prefer to use flotation belts or other aquatic items, either just for the fun of it, or just to feel safer. Although these are not necessary to get good aquatic exercise results, flotation belts have assisted even people in wheelchairs to be able to improve their range of motion and build their muscles. The kind of exercises performed should be tailored to your specific condition and you should consult with your physician before starting any activity that impacts your health. Many people find it more enjoyable to do these aquatic exercises to music, just like traditional aerobics are done on land. The music just makes it more fun while adding to your overall body fitness. Many senior activity centers offer water aerobic classes that meet 2 or 3 times weekly. It’s a great way to meet new people and do something really good for yourself. By keeping your body more agile and pain free you will be able to enjoy more of life’s activities and help lessen the effects of aging.

Types of Arthritis and Treatments

Bill Martin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:26:14 +0000

Arthritis is one of the most common diseases that occur globally. The term arthritis is a general term that is used for almost a group of 100 diseases. These diseases bear some similar characteristics like inflammation and pain in joints. Arthritis word is a Greek word that literally means inflammation in joints. Though some people suffering from arthritis might not complain inflammation in the joint but the common complain is discomfort in joint.

Arthritis Pain Relief – Natural Tips And Treatments That Work Fast

Bill Martin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:27:15 +0000

I got rid of my arthritis and arthritis pain forever by doing one single thing – read on. Yes I finally found complete relief from my arthritis pain naturally, and you can do it too.

Doctor, When Should Muscle Relaxants be Used For Arthritis?

Bill Martin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:42:47 +0000

One question that comes up repeatedly is, “Where do muscle relaxants fall into the treatment approach for different musculoskeletal conditions”?

Patients will sometimes ask about them and physicians who see these patients sometimes wonder if these drugs should be considered.

Skeletal muscle relaxants are the most widely prescribed drug class in the United States for non-specific low back pain.

In addition, this class of drugs is used for neck pain, muscle spasms, fibromyalgia, and myofascial pain.

Goals for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions include relief of muscle pain and improvement in function and therefore, a return to normal activities of daily living.

The two primary categories of skeletal muscle relaxants are anti-spastic agents (eg, baclofen [Kemstro and Lioresal] or dantrolene [Dantrium]) for diseases like cerebral palsy, spastic torticollis, and multiple sclerosis and anti-spasmodic agents for muscle-related conditions.

Anti-spastic agents are rarely used for musculoskeletal conditions; however, some rheumatologists report success in treating fibromyalgia using baclofen. Since this is an “off-label” use, caution should be exerted and the lowest possible doses should be prescribed… and then only by specialists who have much experience. Patients should be informed as to the potential side effects.

Antispasmodic agents are much more widely used for musculoskeletal conditions.

The most often prescribed antispasmodic agents are carisoprodol [Soma}, cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), metaxalone (Skelaxin), and methocarbamol (Robaxin). In terms of effectiveness, there appears to be no one muscle relaxant that is superior to another. Often, physicians will prescribe the muscle relaxant they are most familiar with. Another reason one is selected over another is that a physician may have samples in his closet that he can give to a patient to try before giving the patient a prescription.

The most widely studied and used agent is cyclobenzaprine. This has been shown to be effective for various musculoskeletal conditions but causes drowsiness, as does tizanidine [Zanaflex]. As a result, patients with insomnia caused by muscle spasms, may find tizanidine or cyclobenzaprine to be useful. Cyclobenzaprine is particularly helpful for many patients with fibromyalgia.

All skeletal muscle relaxants have adverse effects which include most commonly dizziness, drowsiness, and dryness of the mouth.

Methocarbamol and metaxalone may be are less sedating than tizanidine and cyclobenzaprine. However, they may also be more habituating in some cases.

Skeletal muscle relaxants are generally not considered first-line therapy for musculoskeletal conditions. Most physicians will start with acetaminophen (Tylenol) or non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) first. Many clinical trials have supported the notion that NSAIDS are superior to muscle relaxants in patients suffering from acute low back pain. However, it is also known from the data that muscle relaxants are superior to placebo.

For acute low back pain syndromes, skeletal muscle relaxants may be used as additional therapy to NSAIDS.

For acute low back pain, muscle relaxants should be used short term (2 weeks). Some patients with chronic back conditions as well as patients with fibromyalgia may require chronic long-term use of muscle relaxants.

Muscle relaxants should be avoided in frail elderly patients because of the danger related to sedation and falling.