There’s a question that has crossed the mind of every person with arthritis: “Is there a cure for arthritis?” Unfortunately, medical science hasn’t yet come up with a cure for any form of arthritis. However, there are steps you can take to reduce arthritis symptoms. Exercising is a fantastic natural arthritis treatment option, and there are three types of exercise that can help you feel like you’ve found a cure for your arthritis symptoms.
1. Stretches
The time just after waking up is often the time when people wonder if there’s a cure for arthritis. Osteoarthritis especially tends to cause stiffness and pain when you first wake up, but a short stretching routine can help decrease these symptoms.
Some general tips for your morning stretching routine are:
- Warm up — Sit on the bed and slowly swing your arms, or get up and march in place for a few minutes. This will get your blood flowing and warm up your joints.
- Choose three or four stretches that target your arthritic joint(s), and hold them for 20 to 30 seconds each.
- Repeat each stretch two or three times to get the maximum benefit from each one.
2. Walking
Walking may not be a cure for arthritis, but it sure can help this condition. The action of walking places a lower amount of stress on the joints than running. Yet it still helps get your heart pumping. Aside from increasing cardiovascular health, walking can also help reduce stress, improve lung health and strengthen joint-supporting muscles. Arthritis patients who are just starting to walk should take it slow at first. You should also make sure you’re staying hydrated and wearing comfortable and supportive shoes.
3. Yoga
Stress is a major obstacle for people with arthritis. Psychological stress encourages the body to produce inflammatory chemicals, and higher levels of these chemicals can lead to increased joint inflammation. Yoga can’t cure stress or arthritis symptoms. However, it can help reduce both of them.
This ancient form of exercise includes deep breathing, meditation and gentle movements, and the combination of these attributes can help arthritis in several ways. It can help improve the flexibility of your joints. Yoga can also effectively reduce your stress and help increase the range of motion of your joints.
Get help with your arthritis at Panther Physical Therapy
Are you looking for help treating your arthritis symptoms? Panther Physical Therapy can help you find physical therapy for many common forms of arthritis. Although we can’t cure arthritis, we do offer free screenings that can help you learn more about your condition. Our team can also use the data gathered in your screening to build you a personalized therapy plan, and your plan can include physical therapy techniques like:
Take the next step to start getting our help with your arthritis treatment. Contact our team today for more information about how we can help you or to schedule an appointment.