Pain and movement go together in Osteoarthritis. One impacts the other. If you have pain and it hurts to move, you don’t move as much and so you get weaker and this creates more pain. Over time your muscles and joints are hurting, not because of the arthritis, but due to weakness. In this article we will discus some ways to improve movement, even if you are in pain with osteoarthritis.
Improve movement with Osteoarthritis
Where do we start if you can’t move a joint easily? Well a pool is a great place to start. Assuming you have enough mobility to get into a pool, this should be the first place you try to move with Osteoarthritis. This is because the water has a buoyancy effect on your body and it offloads your joints. A bit like walking around in space, gravity has less of an effect and the water supports you. So, even if you can’t walk on land, you may well be able to walk in the water. Here are some exercises to try in the water.
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- Walking in the Pool: Just walking will be invaluable to the workings of your legs. Try to stride out and let your heel touch the floor first. Make sure your foot comes down in front of your body rather than under it. This is what we call “striding out”. Touch with your heel, roll onto your mid foot and try to push off with your toes. If you are struggling balance wise, hold on to the side of the pool with one hand while you “stride” up and down the pool. In the deaper end, where you have more water, you will be more supported. In the shallow end, where there is less water, you will be less supported. As time goes on try to move into the more shallow areas of the pool and hold on less to the side of the pool.
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- Heel raises: Heel raises are where you stand in the water, holding onto the side of the pool and push through your toes so that your heels lift up off the floor. Doing these will help to build the muscle strength in your calves and therefore help with the toe element of your walking when on land. Try to complete two or three sets of 3 or 4 heel lifts and build up the amount over time. When you get really good, you could try this while balancing on one leg!
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- Balance: Balance is essential in a walking gait. To walk, we literally lift one foot up off the floor and stand on one leg, before we put the other foot back down. Poor balance is the main reason people fall over, and the reason many people reach for a walking stick to support them. In the water, as deep as you need to feel safe, try to stand on one leg only. Use the side of the pool to help you balance to begin with. Once you can balance, without holding on in deep water, move to more shallow water. Slowly build up the time you stand on one leg. Make sure you do both legs for the same amount of time, so you build balance in a uniform manner. Over a few months you will notice improvements in your balance out of the water, when you are generally walking around.
Water is a great place to start to get strength and movement if you have Osteoarthritis. However, when you get out of the water remember your muscles have worked hard (even if they don’t feel like they have). As a result you may be achy, sore or tired the next day. This is completely normal and nothing to worry about. It is unlikely to be a flare up your joints and is more likely to be pain from muscle tightness. Leave it a few days before exercising again, once your muscles are no longer sore. If you are able to do this in a warmer pool or water environment, such as a jacuzzi, it will help to relax your muscles and help them to get moving again.
Some NHS physiotherapy centre offer hydrotherapy for exactly this reason so ask your GP whether there is one near you. Some private hydrotherapy centres also exist, so check out your local option if this interests you.
Movement on Land
Not everyone is able to get to a pool or is able to get into a pool. Also for many people, once they complete the pool exercises what do they do then to continue to import their Osteoarthritis pain and mobility? All the exercises we mentioned above for the pool can be completed on land and in your house. Use the walls or your kitchen work surfaces to help support you while you build up your strength. If you haven’t completed the pool work out first, take it very slowly on land. Gravity has an effect on land making it harder to perform the exercises. A little a day, goes a long way, so even if you can only do the exercise suggested once, give it a go, after a few days you will be able to do it twice and after a few weeks probably ten times.
Once you have completed these heel raises, walking and balancing exercises, what else can you do to improve your Osteoarthritis pain and your mobility?
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- Foot strengthening: If you have Osteoarthritis in your Knee or Hip, foot strengthening is a really important thing to do. If you have flat feet or a bunion, this is a sign that your feet are not as strong as they could be. Weak feet cause your biomechanics to change, often causing your knee to drop inwards and your hip to follow. This isn’t good if you have Osteoarthritis and can cause more pain. Weak feet also cause you to shuffle as your balance becomes poorer and this creates muscular weakness. So all in all, we need strong feet!
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- Towel Exercise: Firstly, have a seat! Literally sit down. Take off your socks and place your feet on a small hand towel. Slowly bend your toes to scrunch the towel. If you can, try not to lift your whole foot to do this. Try to make your toes do the job and especially the big toe. The ball of the foot should be on the floor at all times! This can be very tricky to do, especially if you have weak feet, but persevere and eventually you will get there. This will help to strengthen the muscles on the base of your foot. These are the same muscles that support the arch of your foot and help you to balance when you walk.
These exercises are a good place to start if you have Osteoarthritis in your knees or hips. But they are only the beginning. We picked these exercises as they are great for improving mobility. Mobility is everything in Osteoarthritis, as once you stop moving, walking and going out, your world becomes very small and this can affect not just your physical health, but your mental health as well.
We are highly trained in Osteoarthritis and know how to prescribe exercises that are both achievable and will improve your pain and mobility. Take a look at how we approach Osteoarthritis here. If you need help, don’t hesitate to give us a call and we can assess you and work out the best exercises to improve your mobility.
