I believe swimming is good for people with arthritis (though there seems to be saying that people with rheumatoid arthritis should avoid swimming?) . I wonder if it helps prevent it? Are lifelong swimmers less likely to develop arthritis in old age?
Funny how I thought of this question. Yesterday I saw my friend's cat. She used to be a very active cat, but now at 15 she's walking like an old lady and had pains due to arthritis. It was sad to see her in this state knowing what she's like when younger. :( (My question pertains to human beings, though ;))
Oh, and I can sometimes predict earthquakes!!
That's interesting and very useful, seeing you are in CA :)
Swimming in cold water makes my elbows HURT.
That's what I was thinking about. I heard some say cold water is not good for arthritis; I wonder if it just makes it painful, or also worsens the condition.
And I wonder whether frequently swimming in cold water could cause arthritis??? :confused:
Lainey - Have you ever tried a neoprene sleeve?
Though you were talking about laptops ;)
Btw, I can't find any evidence that swimming is bad for rheumatoid arthritis, and the PA Dept of Health cites a study from the Johns Hopkins U. Division of Rheumatology that swimming "is effective in reducing joint swelling and pain" for folks with RA.
My rheumatologist is all for swimming. He just tells me to "respect the pain". Since everyday is a battle with RA, I adjust my workouts to the amount of pain and stiffness I have in any particular joint.
My rheumatologist is all for swimming. He just tells me to "respect the pain". Since everyday is a battle with RA, I adjust my workouts to the amount of pain and stiffness I have in any particular joint.
Yeah, from what I'm reading, I think we have to be mindful of the various meanings of "swimming" or "exercise".
I would think that the kind of swimming that goes into training for competition might not be advisable for many OA or RA sufferers.
For mild cases, a fairly high level of fitness swimming might be a good thing, but for severe cases you might want to limit it to hydro-fitness in warmer water.
Here's a nice overview from the Arthritis Foundation.
I have no idea if cold water can make arthritis worse or if it can cause it. I suppose over use of a joint could cause osteo arthritis, but not RA. I believe RA is an autoimmune disorder.
Some folks actually find that cold relieves some arthritis pain while others prefer heat.
Lainey
I believe swimming is good for people with arthritis (though there seems to be saying that people with rheumatoid arthritis should avoid swimming?) . I wonder if it helps prevent it? Are lifelong swimmers less likely to develop arthritis in old age?
I checked our research databases, and found lots of studies showing benefits like pain relief, but no direct research tracking the prevalence of arthritis among swimmers v. non-swimmers.
That doesn't mean it's not out there -- but if it is, we just don't happen to have it.
(I do remember recent research, tho, showing that swimmers live longer than runners.)
However, according to Chicago Sports Medicine, strengthening ligaments and connective tissue does reduce the incidence of osteoarthritis, so you might expect swimmers to be better than sedentary folks on that count, but papers on swimmer's knee show that we can actually weaken the medial collateral ligament by repeated stretching during kicking, especially in breaststroke.
Here's an interesting article linking heavy workouts with arthritis in middle-aged men and women, but it notes:
Study leader Dr Christoph Stehling, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco said: "Our data suggest that people with higher physical activity levels may be at greater risk for developing knee abnormalities and, thus, at higher risk for developing osteoarthritis.
"This study and previous studies by our group suggest that high impact, weight-bearing physical activity, such as running and jumping, may be worse for cartilage health.
"Conversely, low-impact activities, such as swimming and cycling, may protect diseased cartilage and prevent healthy cartilage from developing disease."
Btw, I can't find any evidence that swimming is bad for rheumatoid arthritis, and the PA Dept of Health cites a study from the Johns Hopkins U. Division of Rheumatology that swimming "is effective in reducing joint swelling and pain" for folks with RA.
I believe in many cases that swimming is beneficial for some joint problems. The obvious thing is that it is a non weight bearing exercise meaning it doesn't impact on the joints directly. Also, swimming can help lessen the effect of arthritis because the muscles surrounding the joint are strengthened, removing some of the strain from the joints.
I have arthritis in my knees and hands, I can't say swimming regularly prevented the onset, but I can say it nicely ameliorates the symptoms.
Nice! I've not seen 'ameliorates' before in the USMS forum. :-)
I have mild arthritis in pretty much my entire body--getting up in the morning, I feel a bit like the Tin Woodman. But swimming definitely helps keep me loose and supple. I also try to lift weights at least twice a week and do some stretching. I don't overdo anything, but I can feel it in my body if I haven't been able to exercise for a week.
Normally I commute into work via public transportation, which adds about a mile of walking to my daily routine, but this winter has brought our transit system in Boston almost to a standstill. As a result, I've been driving in with a co-worker. I can feel the difference--my joints are more creaky, and it takes me longer to loosen up. I'm looking forward to getting back into my normal commuting schedule so I can do that walking again. Also, my clothes feel tighter now, which I'm not happy about. : /
Almost everyone I know who doesn't exercise on a regular basis has some form of chronic pain; those of us who exercise seem to have a lot less of it. This is admittedly a very non-scientific survey of a small handful of people, so take that with a grain of salt.
