Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints. Symptoms include swelling, pain, redness of skin, heat at the joint, and loss of function. Arthritis can severely limit activity in people of any age, but it’s the leading chronic condition in people age 65 and over, and it’s more common in women than in men. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the two most common forms.
Osteoarthritis is painful and linked to the wearing away of the cartilage found at the ends of bones. As the cartilage deteriorates, the bones grind together, causing pain. It’s usually found in the joints of the neck, fingers, hips, knees, and lower back. It’s more likely to affect people over age 40, and by 60 most people show signs of the disease. Obesity is often a cause of osteoarthritis because the excess weight adds to the stress on the hips and knees.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammation of the membranes that line the joints. The body’s immune system attacks its own tissues, causing inflammation of the joints. The entire body is affected by this condition. Unrelenting pain and severe joint damage are common symptoms of this disease. Anti-inflammatory drugs and therapeutic exercise are useful in improving the conditions. Not every anti-inflammatory drug is good for you; check it with your physician. Not every exercise is good for you as well. Low or no impact aerobic exercise would be a smart choice.
You can exercise daily without injury to the joints with no-impact aerobic exercise with resistance that combines massage, acupressure, and reflexology in one single system. One of your choice could be the Tune-Up system that is safe for your joints plus has all five important benefits: Enjoyable – A pleasant, positive response from the program insures compliance. Safe & Simple – Reaching your goals should not interfere with other health conditions. The program is simple to follow. Effective – In a shorter period of time you should be able to reach all goals. The energy you spend during the exercise program is applied for achieving more health benefits. Universal – The exercise can be applied to different areas of the body to reach different goals by people with different conditions, age, life style, etc. Affordable. You can start TUNE-UP with just a 2-minute session that is equivalent to 15 minutes exercise on a tread mill.
Mikhail Levitin MS Physical Therapist, Former Olympic Athlete, 5th degree Black Belt