A warm pool soothes those sore joints
Over the last 21 years, Jane Tonna of Millbrae has learned to manage her rheumatoid arthritis. “As long as I’m regularly attending exercise class, I feel good,” she said. “If I don’t, I just stiffen up.”
Research shows gentle, regular exercise and movement can ease arthritis pain and stiffness. In fact, the right movement therapy actually protects joints against further damage and loss of motion, according to Gerson Bernhard, M.D., a rheumatologist and director of the Mills-Peninsula Arthritis Center.
Tonna is living proof. For nearly two years, she has been attending classes twice a week that include 45 minutes of gentle aquatic exercises in the heated therapy pool at Mills Health Center.
“I’ve found the warm water really helps my joints move easier,” Tonna said. “In the water, I can lift my knee to my chin, something I could never do outside the water.”
Mickelson Center Pool is at least 90ºF degrees, a very therapeutic temperature for people with arthritis, according to Helen Chaknova, director of Mills-Peninsula’s Health and Fitness programs.
Aquatics, Chaknova reports, benefits anyone with arthritis for four reasons:
- Warm water limbers up and eases stiff joint pain
- Water takes pressure off joints
- Weightlessness effect fosters easier movement
- Water offers resistance for strength training without putting weight or additional stress on joints
Other water exercise benefits include:
Dr. Bernhard stressed the importance of meeting with a physical therapist or a qualified trainer to design a safe, directed program that works for your specific condition.
“For most, physical therapy and exercise can be more important than any medicines,” he said.
Mills-Peninsula’s Arthritis Center offers specialized care, evaluations and screenings for people with any form of arthritis, including those who have just been feeling stiff. Evaluations help identify problems and how programs and therapies can help.
Call 696–4750 to schedule a screening or find out more about the Arthritis Center. To register for an Aquatics class, call 696-4315 for details.
