Paula Coates - Exercise Your Way to Health: Arthritis: Exercise Plans to Improve Your Life

dedication

For Rachel, Mavis and Mr. Cuddles.

Note

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the content of this book is as technically accurate and as sound as possible, neither the author nor the publishers can accept responsibility for any injury or loss sustained as a result of the use of this material.

Published in 2010 by

Bloomsbury Sport

An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

50 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DP, UK

www.bloomsbury.com

This electronic edition was published in 2017 by Bloomsbury Sport

Copyright 2010 Paula Coates

ISBN: 978-1-4081-0702-7 (PB)
ISBN: 978-1-4729-5353-7 (eBook)
ISBN: 978-1-4729-5352-0 (ePDF)

All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Paula Coates has asserted her rights under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Acknowledgements

Cover photograph Shutterstock

Inside photographs Grant Pritchard, except

Illustrations by Jeff Edwards

Designed by James Watson

Commissioned by Charlotte Croft

Edited by Kate Turvey

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contents

acknowledgements

I would like to say a big thank you to all those who have given their time and support to me during the writing of this book family, friends, and colleagues alike. A special thank you to all my patients who have been my greatest teachers and have allowed their experiences to be included in this book. Finally, a big thank you to Charlotte Croft and Kate Turvey at A&C Black, my models and Grant Pritchard for his photography.

foreword

I have lived with severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for nearly 30 years. To say that this has been challenging and at times overwhelming is understating the impact that this painful, chronic and incurable disease can have on your life and the lives of your family, friends and colleagues.

However, I found that when I started to learn more about my disease and its complications and tried putting into practice various self-management and coping strategies, I felt more in control and more at ease with my problems, and more able to face whatever the future threw at me.

We now know from research that those who are positive in outlook and apply the principles of self-management, generally enjoy a better quality of life and achieve better long-term outcomes. With this in mind, learning more about your disease is a real investment in your health. Self-management helps you to manage your pain and flare-ups by strategies such as pacing, relaxation and goal-setting. Building suitable exercise into your normal routine is also extremely important and this book will give you lots of good information.

Todays therapies and approach to RA treatment are so much more effective than they were when I was diagnosed. I am sure you will find this book helpful. Good luck.

Ailsa Bosworth

Founder and Chief Executive

National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society

endorsement

As a busy working GP and musculoskeletal specialist I can highly recommend this book as essential reading for patients and clinicians alike. This book is well researched, concise and up-to-date, and written by a first rate, highly experienced physiotherapist. It will give much needed and added support for patients diagnosed with either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis who want to do all they can to understand and manage their condition.

Dr Gregor McEwan MB BS Dip Sports Med Lon

introduction

The management of chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis has been a part of my everyday working life as a physiotherapist for the past 14 years. I have specialised in caring for people with arthritis after working in some of the leading rheumatological units in the country, helping people manage their symptoms, return to work and improve their physical fitness. In this book I will tell you what I have learnt from my patients over the years and what I know will help you manage your joint pain, stay active and improve your health and fitness.

Osteoarthritis is extremely common, and can develop as part of the ageing process for all of us. About 1 per cent of the worlds population is affected by rheumatoid arthritis and women are three times more likely to develop it than men. Whatever your diagnosis, you may be feeling anxious about what the future holds. All this is understand able and this book aims to help you pick up what you need to know about both these conditions, to allow you to make the choices that are best for you.

This book will:

teach you the facts about osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

dispel the myths about arthritis

show you how to manage your arthritis in the flare-up and non flare-up phases

give you an exercise programme to build into your lifestyle

help you understand and avoid the stress and anxiety associated with chronic pain

allow you to get on with your everyday life.

The book is split into three main parts. covers the basics that you need to know about your condition. It includes answers to all the questions you might wish you had asked the doctor, but didnt ask because you were busy taking on board the fact that you had just received your diagnosis. Once you know exactly what you are dealing with, it is much easier to manage and formulate a plan to move yourself forward with your life.

looks at what you can do to help yourself: the changes you can make to your lifestyle that will help you become fitter, healthier and in control of your own health. It is all too easy to feel out of control when you have just been diagnosed, and this book aims to help you get that control back. There is also information on the best places to go for such advice.

covers the exercises that you can use to strengthen your body, maintain full range of movement in your joints and help prevent further problems. Prevention is always better than cure, and usually much less painful. I will show you the exercises that will help you return to fitness no matter how unfit you are now. I will also show you how to monitor your own progress with simple tests that you can perform at home. When you see the results of adding exercise to your life you will wish you had done it sooner.

As you read through the book you will see I have used a traffic light system of treatment options. This is designed to make it easy for you to see the options available to you at a glance and to tell when you will need to see a specialist.

The traffic lights work as follows:

Green