Released: May 05, 2003

May is National Arthritis Month
Exercise Helps to Manage Arthritis Pain

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Nancy Gyurcsik has a message for the estimated 43 million Americans with arthritis, a disease for which science has not yet found a cure.

“If you have to live with arthritis,” says Gyurcsik, “you ought to learn how to manage it.”

And Gyurcsik has a good suggestion: get out and exercise.

“There’s a terrible myth that exercise worsens arthritis pain,” said Gyurcsik, who is a physical activity specialist with Kansas State University’s Office of Community Health.

“When people with arthritis exercise, they should expect some stiffness initially, but that’s natural for anyone who begins an exercise program. One of the key things for people is to stick with the exercise program for at least six months. That’s a key goal to have because most who make it that long are able to stick with that exercise program over their lifetime.”

May is National Arthritis Month. In Kansas, an estimated 686,000 adults (34 percent of the state’s population) report having arthritis, defined as chronic joint symptoms or doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Seventy million people now suffer from the disease – up from 43 million in 1998, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gyurcsik notes that physical activity is “one of the recognized ways to treat arthritis.” In addition to reducing pain, exercise improves physical functioning, and decreases levels of depression and social isolation.

“For some people, exercising with a partner is their social time,” she said. “Overall, people’s quality of life increases if they exercise.”

The number of suggested activities is as varied as one’s interests, Gyurcsik said. Some people like to jog, walk or swim; others prefer to lift weights or ride bikes. But even such “leisure-time activity” as doing yard work or walking around the mall contributes to a healthy lifestyle.

The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people exercise at least five times a week for 30 minutes or more of aerobic activity at a moderate intensity. Physical activity can be cumulative, meaning that exercising in “pieces” of 10 minutes or more – for a total of 30 minutes per day – can help a person achieve the same health benefit as one session of 30 minutes.

To help understand what moderate exercise is, Gyurcsik says people need to be breathing hard, but still pass ‘The Talk Test’: “If you can’t carry on a conversation while exercising, then you’re working too hard,” she said.

Gyurcsik recommends stretching muscles regularly to manage arthritis (stretching helps a person maintain flexibility and mobility). It’s also important to see a doctor, who can provide specific recommendations for exercise depending on the progression of the disease.

Many communities sponsor exercise programs for citizens through wellness or fitness centers, or the local hospital. More information on the health benefits of exercise also is available at county Extension offices, or by contacting the Kansas Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation at 1-800-362-1108 and on the Web at http://www.arthritis.org.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Pat Melgares, News Coordinator
melgares@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension