5/26/11 You can walk your way to less disability, reduced arthritis pain and increased balance and strength by taking part in a six-week walking program developed by the Arthritis Foundation, according to a recent study published online in Arthritis Care and Research.
The study evaluated the effectiveness of Walk With Ease, or WWE, a community-based walking program that works to motivate people to be physically active by focusing on strategies to help them meet goals, monitor their progress and take advantage of social support.
“I think why many people don’t walk with arthritis is they are concerned they will make their arthritis worse,” says lead author Leigh F. Callahan, PhD, a professor of medicine and social medicine at the Thurston Arthritis Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The study looked at 462 people with arthritis who were recruited from 33 sites around North Carolina including churches, senior centers and community centers. Participants were asked to choose between two forms of the program; about 40 percent chose to be part of an instructor-led walking class that met three times a week for an hour, and nearly 60 percent opted to do a self-directed version that offered the Walk with Ease (Arthritis Foundation, 2009) workbook as a guide.
Researchers assessed the physical function of participants at the start of the program and after six weeks using five tests, including getting up from a chair, standing on one leg and stepping in place for two minutes. Participants in both groups reported modest to moderate improvement in their disability as well as in pain, fatigue, stiffness and helplessness scores. There were no reports of adverse effects.
“What we did that was unique was we had independent walkers – or people that were self-directed – and we showed equivalent findings in improvement in overall symptoms and disability [compared with the walking-class group],” Callahan explains.
Pain levels, for example, dropped in both groups by about eight points on a 100- point scale. “You’re talking about a 20 percent improvement in their pain level. That’s going to make a noticeable difference,” Callahan says.
One year after the study start, participants were still maintaining some of the improvements in their pain levels, especially those in the self-directed group. There were other improvements in self-report measures at one year as well including stiffness, self-efficacy and helplessness – improvements in all those areas were also maintained over one year.
I tried walking and mild exercise many times and it always made me hurt worse, and deprived me from sleep, therefore making my pain flare worse the next day.
I have tried so many treatment plans and ended up taking an opiod to control the pain but they have many side effects. I feel like I have lost my quality of life but I still keep a positive attitude; I demand that of myself. I am now 56 and am determined to stay young, but I have had to give up so many things I enjoyed; e.g. dancing, pool, horseshoes, baseball, long winter walks, and I am sure there are more. I do what I can, when I can and take time out for lots of rest. To be honest, the emotionally hardest part of this condition is the judgement of others who think I am just seeking attention and sympathy. Just because I look ok on the outside, does not mean I feel good on the inside. People can be so cruel at times. I have come across many doctors who do the same to me, over the years as well. I once had someone tell me, I only said I have chronic pain so I wouldn't feel guilty about quitting my job. I cried over that comment for a month. It hurt me so badly.
Now I struggle to stand up and after about 5 mins of standing and walking the pain is so bad I am in tears.
The one thing that has helped is hydro therapy where I exercised in a warm pool for half an hour a week. Our local pool has closed following cuts and I am now housebound again. There is a private pool in a local Gym but I can't afford the fees and my local Health Trust wont fund it. So people like me just have to suffer in silence.
They say 8 pills a day is the maximum dosage for Ultracet. I take more. I haven't told my MD or he'd stop me cold turkey.
Any suggestions on how to taper to 8 pills a day after taking quite a bit more for a while?
Exercise---walking, swimming, water aerobics, weight-lifting, stretching, ice skating---is my way of coping with the pain because it helps me sleep better and improves my mood while increasing muscle and reducing fat. I can't take NSAID's, but I do take Tylenol.
The hardest part is getting started in an exercise program, so I suggest with a trainer who has experience with adaptive exercise programs.
The Dr.s wont help, they try to give me NSAIDS and I cannot take them, they make me ill and then i found out I am not even supposed to be taking them with one of the medications I take for something else. Stupid Dr.s have no brains half the time.
All I can say is I am tired of being in so much pain all the time. I have been to a rheumatologist and a pain specialist and they keep trying to shove NSAIDS down my throat. They are idiots and I have no faith or trust in Doctor's at all any more.
I suffer from osteoarthritis of thoracic spine I have problem sitting walking and standing
I did not use my bike for the last 3 months and I'm in the middle of no where I can't stand the pain and my head is going to explose. 29.5.2011 my molar broke into half I've other health problems can't find someone to take me to dentist I have no idea who will receive this message if arthritis care can read this message please call me on 0207 731 4693
PS I do not have access to internet al the time as I'm using a very old lap top
yours truly Aziza
Once the problem of my toothe is resolved
I would like to renew my membership
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