How to Manage the Aches and Pains of Arthritis

by Coach Wil on May 7, 2012

The medical community can offer no cure for arthritis, but we arthritis sufferers can learn to manage our aches and pains with our number one friend: exercise. If you are a beginner, there are a few exercise routines that are particularly helpful for us. They can be fun, too, as we work the stress and symptoms away, along with those extra pounds that we’ve accumulated during our less active lifestyles. (Those extra pounds actually increase the risk of arthritis and makes the symptoms worse once it has started.)

Yes, I know it is a challenge to get out of the chair and get moving, but it’s exactly what your body needs. Doctors say that physical activity is the best medicine for relief of the symptoms of arthritis and that regular workouts over time may also forestall worsening of our symptoms. Gentle exercise may help reduce inflammation. So, check with your doctor to get his or her okay, and get started.

Here’s a short list of exercise suggestions—things that I have found to be helpful:

  1. Get started with something simple—just walk. Ease into a regular walking routine by taking a 20 minute walk 3 times a week, skipping a day in-between until you start feeling that you can do it more often or for a longer period of time. If you are at your place of work, try to save ten minutes of every lunch break for a daily walk. (Getting away from that office desk is essential!) It’s important to start out gently if your lifestyle is a sedentary one. I usually feel so much better and more limber after a walk with my best friend. We start out at a leisurely pace and try to pick-it-up along the way. We enjoy the scenery and get lost in our conversation, having a wonderful time and ending up with the bonus of less painful joints!
  2. Have you heard of Tai Chi? It’s a traditional Chinese martial art that is centuries old. I find it helpful because it uses slow, rhythmic movements to practice balance, strength, and flexibility. It’s also mentally relaxing and I love to do it in a quiet room with my favorite aromatherapy in my diffuser. (I consider aromatherapy to be an important part of my personal war against worry and the chronic pain of arthritis.) Like all beginning exercise programs, it might be best to do it during the time of day when you have the least stiffness and pain, when any pain medicines you take are most effective, and when you feel most energetic. Sometimes it helps to take a nice warm shower before you exercise.
  3. Yoga! For some of us, just the word “Yoga” presents a challenge. Doing Yoga is super for balance and flexibility, so don’t be deterred by your fears. (Little fears often prevent us from attaining joyful, good things in life.) Like Tai Chi, doing Yoga helps promote a good attitude and gives us energy, both of which we need to cope with arthritis. After you check with your doctor, sign up for a Yoga class at your local community center or Yoga studio where you’ll have the guidance of a certified Yoga instructor. Talk with her or him about your arthritis so she or he can suggest modifications and material props that will help you feel more comfortable as you get started. Explain your particular challenges so they understand the scope of your more limited range of motion, sense of balance, or strengths. (If you’d rather do your Yoga privately at home, please check my Books & Product Recommentations to the right. There are some great exercise DVDs to help you, like Mayo Clinic’s “The Arthritis Wellness Solution.”)
  4. Swimming can be so relaxing. The water temperature should be somewhere between about 84˚F to 90˚F to help relax your muscles. Remember, we are doing this to decrease pain and become more supple. Swimming and water aerobic classes can be helpful and fun! Just walking or jogging in warm water can help relieve sore, stiff joints. The water helps support your weight and body movements are slower and meet the resistance of the water, which helps to make your muscles stronger. Your hips and knees will thank you. It may be necessary for you to have some help getting in and out of the pool, so make sure there’s a certified instructor in water exercise for arthritis to instruct and assist you. Check with your doctor, then get thee to thy local YMCA, spa, or community center.
  5. Indoor Cycling is a great way to get your cardiovascular system working without adding stress to your weight-bearing joints. (Beware, if you have painful knees, cycling may worsen the problem. Check with your doctor first.) Check out the seat height so that your knee is as straight as possible at the pedal’s lowest point. Keep an easy pace at first—about 50 to 60 revolutions per minute. Start with low-resistance, warm-up those leg muscles, then increase the resistance a little, but be careful not to overdo it. You may not feel the results until later today or tomorrow. In the beginning, try three 5-minute sessions per day and lengthen the sessions as you get stronger. Using a stationary bike is a really great way to get exercise if you have a balance problem.

If you use the internet, websites like Arthritis Today (http://www.arthritistoday.org/) and the Arthritis Foundation (http://www.arthritis.org/) hold a wealth of information for arthritis sufferers like us. If you don’t have a computer, your local librarian will probably be very happy to help you log-on and get started making discoveries that you feel will be most helpful in relieving your particular symptoms. You could print-out your favorite suggestions and discuss them with your doctor.

Remember that exercise shouldn’t create pain. Soreness after working muscles that are not used to being worked is normal, but pain is not a good sign. Start up gently. Overdoing it will not be helpful. Please stop back to let me know how you’re doing. I love to hear from my readership friends!

Here’s to good health!

 

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Does My Child Have Asperger’s Syndrome?

by Coach Wil on April 11, 2012

It’s difficult for parents to realize and acknowledge that the child they love may be displaying symptoms that are out of the norm. It is always helpful to be aware of symptoms, including behavioral symptoms, to watch for and to respond to them appropriately and in a timely way.

We have all heard of autism, but most of us are not familiar with Asperger’s Syndrome. The main thing to watch for is trouble dealing with social situations. The symptoms may be very mild through severe and the symptoms can vary because no children display the same symptoms in the same way. Additionally, other conditions may be present along with the usual symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome, including depression (most often seen in adolescents), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Non-verbal Learning Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Anxiety Disorder.

There is no “cure” for Asperger’s Syndrome. It lasts a lifetime, but as children grow through their teen years and into adulthood, improvements are realized. Social skills can be learned, including how to read social cues. Things that are typical, like detail orientation and focus on specific interests, can be advantageous in study or career achievements.

As a parent, you are most likely to notice the symptoms of Asperger’s Syndrome when your child starts to go to pre-school or when he or she starts to try interacting with other children. Behaviors to look for include:

  • Inability to understand social cues, read body language, or participate in the talk-listen pattern of conversation
  • Inability to distinguish in others or use the tone, accent, or pitch that help create meaning in speech (contextual humor or sarcasm)
  • Talks incessantly, especially about their favorite subject without any realization that they are not conversing (giving others a chance to speak)
  • Preoccupation with one or very few interests, focus on a particular part of something or on something unusual
  • Discomfort with changes in routine, with a preference for rules. (This leads to honesty as a person and excellence in the classroom environment.)
  • Motor skills development is delayed (self-feeding, playing ball, riding a bike, learning to write)
  • Eye contact is avoided
  • Lack of empathy
  • Advanced speech patterns or vocabulary
  • Verbalization of internal thoughts

Don’t be concerned if your child displays only a couple of these behaviors. For a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome, several of these symptoms will be obvious and he or she must have trouble in social situations.

Once your child is a teenager, he or she will have started to learn social skills and communication techniques, although they may still have trouble understanding the behavior cues others give. Your teen may feel shy or intimidated by other teens, even though they will want to have friends. They may feel different and have trouble mixing with others. Their tendency to being alone may lead to naiveté and being overly trusting of others. They are often teased or bullied. These can lead to further isolation or withdrawal from society which, in turn, can lead to anxiety or depression.

Unlike those with autism, children with Asperger’s Syndrome usually have normal intellectual development and can learn to speak with typical linguistic patterns. They usually try hard to make friends and participate in social activities with other people.

:D If you have a college-aged student with Asperger’s Syndrome, he or she may find the following transcript of an online chat recently held by Amy Gravino, certified college coach for individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome. Amy is the daughter of a friend of this writer. Please share this link. Thank you! :D

 

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