For people suffering with osteoarthritis and joint pain it is important to find a balance between exercise and rest.

Just as it is important not to rest the joints too much with osteoarthritis it is also important not to over stress them. Both are likely to cause problems for anyone with osteoarthritis. With too much rest, the joint is likely to become stiff and unusable, and with too much exercise the joint is likely to become painful due to inflammation.

People with osteoarthritis should choose gentle exercises that do not put stress on the arthritic joint. For example, a walk to the shops with regular rest periods will exercise the joints but not overstress them in the way that a long run would.

When to rest with arthritis

Only when a joint is inflamed and very painful is it best to rest. However, when the inflammation settles down it is important to get moving again.

Osteopath and physiotherapist, Tim Allardyce, has this advice: "Keep your body moving, keep it mobile and keep using it."

Tim Allardyce, D.O., M.C.S.P., S.R.P. T
Osteopath and physiotherapist at the Osteopathy and Physiotherapy Clinic in Croydon

10065 December 2011