Arthritis by the numbers:
- Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions are chronic and disabling, and affect an estimated 43 million Americans.
- Nearly 50% of people 65 and older have arthritis; younger people have a lower risk of having arthritis but still comprise half of all people affected.
- Arthritis limits the activity of over 7 million people and is second only to heart disease as a cause of work disability. Estimates place the direct medical cost of arthritis at $15.2 billion per year, with total costs of medical care and lost wages exceeding $64 billion.
Arthritis and exercise:
- Despite recent scientific evidence that regular physical activity has significant physical and mental health benefits, millions of Americans remain physically inactive. Findings of CDC research using the National Health Interviews Survey of about 120,000 Americans, indicate that people with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions are significantly less active than the population as a whole. The rates of physical activity among people with arthritis may be lower because of the mistaken recommendations in the past that they should not exercise because it would damage their joints.
- The research indicates that people with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions were significantly more likely to report no leisure-time physical activity at all, and had significantly lower rates of vigorous physical activity.
- The Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health found for people with osteoarthritis (a degenerative joint disease) that "regular physical activity is necessary for maintaining normal muscle strength, joint structure, and joint function … and was not associated with joint damage or development of osteoarthritis and may be beneficial for many people with arthritis." Other studies have found that people with arthritis have experienced improvement in muscle function and other important health benefits from exercise training. This was true even for older adults with arthritis. (Osteoarthritis patients should avoid high-impact exercises such as running that may put excessive strain on joints, however).
- People with arthritis should see their doctor or physical or occupational therapist prior to increasing their level of physical activity.
Clearly, if you have arthritis, you are not alone – about one in six Americans has some form of the disease.
Just as clearly, exercise can play an important role in your arthritis control plan.
It’s never to late to start an exercise program. Why not talk with your doctor and make a “resolution” to increase your exercise?
