Tips For Walking With Osteoarthritis Pain - Cano Health (2024)

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Tips For Walking With Osteoarthritis Pain - Cano Health? ›

Warm up first.

This may help fend off pain during your walk and make injuries less likely. To get going, do range-of-motion exercises or simply stroll at a slower pace for 5 to 10 minutes. At the end of your walk, slow your pace for 5 minutes to cool down.

Warm up first.

This may help fend off pain during your walk and make injuries less likely. To get going, do range-of-motion exercises or simply stroll at a slower pace for 5 to 10 minutes. At the end of your walk, slow your pace for 5 minutes to cool down.

Apply ice or heat for pain, and talk to a doctor about taking NSAIDs. How a specialist can help: They can recommend specific exercises and/or physical therapy, and provide assistive devices like canes. They also prescribe oral and topical medications, as well as injections, starting with cortisone shots.

Disability occurs when arthritis symptoms reach the point of keeping your from walking or using your hands for tasks such as typing. Additionally, osteoarthritis in the lumbar spine (low back) can make it impossible to work at jobs that require the ability to lift, carry, sit, stand or stoop.

Patients in stage 4 have a difficult time walking and using stairs because they are battling persistent inflammation and a lack of synovial fluid and cartilage to cushion the joint. At the first signs of knee pain and discomfort, do not hesitate to consult with one of our talented, fellowship trained knee specialists.

If you feel knee pain while going up and down the stairs, you may be experiencing the first symptoms of osteoarthritis. New research, published in the medical journal Arthritis Care & Research, found that climbing stairs appears to be the first weight-bearing activity that causes osteoarthritis pain.

NSAIDs are the most effective oral medicines for OA. They include ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) naproxen (Aleve) and diclofenac (Voltaren, others). All work by blocking enzymes that cause pain and swelling. The problem is that some of those enzymes also help blood to clot and protect the lining of your stomach.

The pain may worsen during movement. It is also possible for the pain to lessen during activity and then worsen after the activity ends, as joints cool down. As symptoms progress, the pain may be felt almost constantly.

What triggers osteoarthritis flare ups? ›

The most common triggers of an OA flare are overdoing an activity or trauma to the joint. Other triggers can include bone spurs, stress, repetitive motions, cold weather, a change in barometric pressure, an infection or weight gain.

Sadly for some Osteoarthritis can lead to need to using a wheelchair. The pain while often manageable with drugs can combine with joint stiffness and loss of dexterity to require the use of a wheelchair to help alleviate the conditions.

Some individuals with OA often have difficulty with tasks that require fine motor skills, which can be a problem for jobs like secretary or nurse, while others may have difficulty with tasks that require a lot of lifting, which can be a problem for jobs like construction worker or firefighter.

The good news is that you can live — and live well — with osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis. You can get relief from its pain and its consequences.

If you're just starting out and can only tolerate a five-minute walk, then start by walking just five minutes a day two or three days per week. Intensity: Aim for moderate intensity – covering two to three miles in an hour – but don't worry if you can't do that right out of the door. Build up to walking success.

Arthritis in certain parts of the body can make it more difficult to walk. Here's how to deal with these changes in your gait and remain mobile. Having arthritis in your hips, knees, ankles, or feet can making walking harder — a side effect that can have consequences for your daily well-being and quality of life.

While you may worry that exercising with osteoarthritis (OA) could harm your joints and cause more pain, research shows that people can and should exercise when they have osteoarthritis.

Adults with arthritis should aim for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity such as brisk walking or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, like cycling at 10 mph or faster, or an equivalent combination.