| The main difficulty facing arthritis sufferers is that | | | | reduce the load on your joints. This allows some |
| they are told exercise will help but exercise very | | | | exercises to be pain-free in water that would |
| often increases their pain. Our natural instinct to avoid | | | | otherwise aggravate you knees. |
| pain makes us more likely to do less activity, resulting | | | | Purpose built hydrotherapy pools are heated. Heat |
| in weaker muscles that don't support our joints. | | | | helps combat stiffness in joints (but remember it can |
| To break out of this cycle you need to exercise | | | | aggravate some inflammatory conditions). The |
| these supporting muscles to make them stronger. | | | | combination of gentle exercise and heat can help |
| The pay-off is less pain but the road is not easily | | | | lower pain levels. Remember though - just because |
| travelled. The most difficult part is getting started. | | | | you don't have access to a heated pool doesn't |
| There needs to be a bit of 'trial and error' - gently | | | | mean you can't benefit from this type of exercise. |
| testing various exercises until you stumble across one | | | | Any body of water takes weight off your joints. |
| that lets you fatigue the muscles without aggravating | | | | The pool also allows you to start very gently. A |
| your knee pain. The best way to do this is to seek | | | | common reason for people giving up on exercise is |
| the advice of a physical therapist. If the co-pay | | | | that they start too fast, too soon. This causes a |
| remains too expensive, there is no reason why you | | | | flare up and the natural response is "I'm not doing |
| can't have a go yourself. You will need to do your | | | | that again......I could not walk for days" |
| research and find as much information as you can on | | | | Start in chest high water and walk some laps. If this |
| the subject. There are also some inexpensive books | | | | doesn't bother your knees before or after, add some |
| covering this subject. | | | | shallow squats. No two knees are the same so its up |
| Why the pool? | | | | to you to learn about your knees and take control of |
| Osteoarthritis is primarily a disease of weight-bearing | | | | your arthritis. |
| joints. Being in water helps you eliminate or greatly | | | | |