What is arthritis?
Arthritis is a condition affecting the joints, often resulting in pain and stiffness. This can impact on your day to day activities and research highlights the importance of exercise in the management of arthritis. Strengthening our joints and the surrounding muscles is beneficial to maintain our mobility and functional capacity.
What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is a broad term for a number of different conditions, the most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis:
Osteoarthritis (OA): OA is a condition that affects the whole joint, which may be a result of factors such as:
- Previous injury;
- Being overweight;
- Repetitive movements;
- Aging;
- genetics/family history;
Common symptoms of OA include:
- pain in affected joints;
- stiffness (especially during periods of inactivity)
- loss of flexibility;
- swelling;
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): RA causes inflammation in the joints, which often affects our smaller joints such as our fingers and feet. It is an autoimmune disease, as the immune system targets the lining of the joints, causing inflammation and swelling.
Other common forms of arthritis also include:
- Gout
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- spondyloarthritis
Exercise can help manage pain and symptoms associated with arthritis and joint pain. Our Exercise Physiologists are experts in being able to develop the most appropriate program to manage joint pain while increasing joint strength and stability.
Source: Arthritis Australia Website (https://arthritisaustralia.com.au/what-is-arthritis/understanding-arthritis/)