Not so long ago, a diagnosis for any rheumatic disease was a sentence to a lifetime of pain. Patients were forced to give up their favorite activities and rely on others to take care of their daily needs. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that patients can live differently–they can overcome the pain. By exercising regularly, they can help reverse some of the degeneration caused by a rheumatic disease. How can exercising help treat rheumatic diseases? And how can you talk to your doctor about workout options?
What is a rheumatic disease?
A rheumatic disease is a form of autoimmune disorder that develops when the immune system begins to attack its own internal structures. These structures can include joints, muscles, bones, and organs. As the immune system turns on its own body, inflammation begins to spread.
Under normal circumstances, inflammation helps the body fight against disease. However since inflammation also causes swelling and pain, if it goes on too long, the joints and internal organs are not able to function properly. Common symptoms of these diseases include joint tenderness, chronic joint pain, swelling, stiffness, redness, joint deformities, limited range of motion, joint tightness, exhaustion, and weakness. Patients suffering from rheumatic disease suffer intense pain even while performing simple activities such as walking or sitting down.
Is exercise good for rheumatic diseases?
If you have a rheumatic disease, most likely the last thing you feel like doing is exercise. You probably don’t want to be moving at all. Yet, exercise is one of the best ways to overcome the pain and debilitation of a rheumatic disease. Exercise can improve flexibility, revitalize joints, and increase muscle mass. It can also improve your emotional and psychological well being. Even a single exercise session can boost your mood, lower anxiety, and help you relax. In the long term, it can reduce depression and anxiety and make you feel more like yourself.
Looking at it from the other side, living a sedentary lifestyle can contribute to many unhealthy medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Inactivity can also exacerbate rheumatic side effects and lead to weakened muscles, decreased pain tolerance, stiff joints, and poor balance. Especially for the older population, joint and muscle pain from aging will make it even more painful and difficult for people with rheumatic disease to take care of their daily activities. While it can be hard to get started, once you gain momentum, exercising can be rewarding both on the inside and outside.
Which exercises can be beneficial?
While regular workouts can help lighten rheumatic pains, it is important to speak with your doctor before beginning an exercise regimen. Incorrect execution of exercise maneuvers can cause damage and worsen the condition. Talk to your doctor about how you can benefit from different types of exercise. Each form of exercise targets distinct parts of the body and alleviates symptoms corresponding with those joints, muscles, or organs. Here are a few different kinds that you can discuss with your physician:
- Therapeutic exercises are guided exercises in which a professional assists the patient to perform targeted activities. The exercises will focus on the body parts affected by the rheumatic disease. If a patient has been inactive or is recovering from a surgery, the doctor may refer them to a physical therapist for assisted physical training.
- Aerobic exercises strengthen the cardiovascular system, including the heart, lungs, veins, and arteries. They include activities such as walking, running, bicycling, and dancing. These types of exercises help reduce chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Ultimately, this may improve the overall life expectancy of patients with rheumatic diseases.
- Stretching improves flexibility and range of motion. Popular forms of flexibility exercise are yoga, pilates, and tai-chi. Be careful not to overstretch since this can end up hurting the joints instead of helping them.
- Resistance training helps fortify muscles and increase muscle mass. The stronger the muscles, the lower the likelihood that a joint will tear or break.
Exercise can be enjoyable too. If you are interested in taking up a sport, you might consider running, golfing, walking, and/or swimming. Of course, there are many other options as well, but the key is to pick something with minimal risk of injury. Overloading the joints with fast-paced activity or high stress can result in tears or damage to them in other ways. Exercising in a fun and relaxed manner is an excellent way to strengthen your body and have a good time as well.
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with a rheumatic disease, or you know someone that has, don’t think that life now has to be an ongoing series of pain. By getting into the habit of exercising, any patient can take control of their body and feel empowered. With the right workout regimen, patients will slowly build up their body and get back into many of the things they used to love. They may even discover new ones. Exercising with a friend or group can make working out even more enjoyable and offer emotional support. No matter what exercise you decide to take up, the important thing is to get started. It won’t happen overnight, but soon you’ll feel like a new you.
Written by Chani Bonner
