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Diana Post, M.D., is an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Question:
What is the best exercise for relieving pain in the hip joint?
Answer:
Exercise is very important when you have arthritis. It can help to reduce stiffness and pain in an arthritic joint. It can also help maintain or increase flexibility and endurance. Exercise has other benefits as well. It helps maintain strong bones and a healthy heart. And it helps control your weight.
Most doctors recommend a program that balances exercise and rest. There is no one "best" exercise for arthritis. Generally, it is a good idea to start with stretching exercises. These can improve the range of motion of a joint and reduce stiffness. Stretching exercises should be done every day. Some popular stretching exercises include yoga and tai chi.
After you are able to do stretching exercises easily, you can add exercises to work on strength and endurance. This is often called "weight training." Weight training can build muscles that can protect joints from injury and help you move more easily. This type of exercise should usually be done every other day, after stretching and warming up. Light free weights, exercise machines, or elastic bands can be used for strength training.
In addition to flexibility and strengthening exercise, you should also get some aerobic exercise every day. This would include walking, bicycling or swimming. Aerobic exercise should be done about four or five times a week.
For people with hip arthritis, one way to work on strength and endurance is to ride an exercise bicycle. This can also be an aerobic exercise. If that is too painful, you might consider a water exercise program. You could contact your local or state Arthritis Foundation office to locate an appropriate program.
It is often helpful to see a physical therapist. A therapist can design a specific exercise program for you. You will also be taught about proper body mechanics. An occupational therapist can be helpful in providing you with splints or other devices that can make your exercise less painful.
It is a good idea to review your exercise needs with your physician and therapist. Specific exercises for particular arthritic joints can be given and you can be taught exercises to avoid.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) National Institutes of Health
http://www.niams.nih.gov/