Exercise is very commonly prescribed for arthritis, but that's about as far as it all too frequently goes. In other words, doctors give patients too little detail or instruction, with few illustrations, and no precise direction. A joint that is immobilized initiates a series of changes that result in total destruction of the joint within about four months. Adhesions begin to appear in the joint, a strange tissue grows over the surface of the cartilage, and tears occur where tendons are inserted in bone. New planes of motion contrary to normal anatomical planes appear, followed by enzymatic degradation of the tissues.
Ligaments become lax, losing their tensile strength.
The cartilage that caps the ends of bones, and which is normally four times more slippery than Teflon, loses that slipperiness and becomes perforated by ulcers. Many of the changes that occur in the joints of people with rheumatoid arthritis and osteo-arthritis are assumed to be caused by a disease process, when in fact they are often a consequence of relative immobility. These findings underscore the enormous importance of exercise in the fight against arthritis. I always counsel my patients to exercise to their point of tolerance. My advice to you, the reader, is the same.