Therapists also help patients establish a fitness program because many arthritis sufferers become deconditioned, making daily activities even more difficult. They work to correct common misconceptions about exercise by showing individuals that exercise in a proper position can strengthen muscles without causing joint pain. As a result, they help patients resume activities they previously gave up because of discomfort or decreased strength. Lodes said she's learned how to exercise her joints to keep them limber. Mild aerobic exercises and walking are often helpful, Short said.
Aquatic exercises are the best, because they prevent unnecessary pressure on joints.
When conventional treatments can't reduce the pain, some arthritis patients eventually are referred to UT Southwestern's Eugene McDermott Center for Pain Management. The clinic's physicians employ such therapies as biofeedback and electrical stimulation, which divert attention away from pain and toward competing nerve impulses. How a person handles it depends a lot on what they've experienced in the past and their condition. Since her diagnosis, Lodes had experienced cycles of good health and flare-ups. Physicians had raised her medication levels and combined different types of drugs, but her symptoms always recurred.