Movement That Increases Pain

The second guideline is that the movement should not increase your pain. Although arthritis is by definition painful, the pain should not worsen during an exercise. Increased pain can have several causes, including a too rapid motion, overstretching, improper technique, and the severity of your disease. If your joint disease is exceptionally severe, you may need to attempt only part of the range for the initial program, and you may want to unload the joint (decrease the compressive forces acting on the joint). Unloading the joint can be accomplished by performing the activities in the water or by using gentle distraction, such as a pulley, to assist with the motion. During flare-ups you may need to decrease the number of repetitions of range of motion exercises.