The role of arthritis exercise for those suffering from arthritis is not one which has been known for a very long time. Hip exercises for arthritis, in particular, have not really been heard of until these relatively recent years.
In fact, the common notion in the past is that once you suffer from arthritis, you should minimize movement in the affected area as much as you possibly can.
While the health benefits of exercise and other physical activity have already been tried and tested for a long time, their impact in terms of improving the conditions of people suffering from arthritis is just presently gaining recognition.
For those suffering from arthritis, exercise serves primarily to: maintain and bring back lost or diminished movement in the affected area; strengthen and improve the endurance of the muscle; and keep the patient emotionally healthy and active. Exercise is also vital in terms of pain management of the affected joints.
Hip exercises for arthritis, specifically for those suffering from hip osteoarthritis, are not too common compared to those exercises geared toward those with knee osteoarthritis. This is probably because exercises for the hips are less likely to be developed due to the nature of the movement of the hip itself as compared to the knee or other jointed parts of the body.
If any at all, some hip exercise varieties may require the use of special equipment for that purpose. This is significant since, in the United States alone, one out of four Americans can suffer hip osteoarthritis in their lifetime.
In 2005, research conducted in the Netherlands showed that a supervised exercise program alleviated symptoms of hip osteoarthritis in some adults. 109 men and women ages 55 and up suffering from hip osteoarthritis were divided into exercising and non-exercising groups.
Those in the exercising group were given one hour a week of supervised strength exercise sessions and lower body exercises that could be done at home.
After eight weeks, the results showed that those in the exercising group experienced relief from pain caused by arthritis which lasted for 3 months. On the other hand, those in the non-exercising group suffered more pain than they previously had.
Hip function for the exercise group also improved although no long-term effects of this nature were recorded. This led to the conclusion that exercise can indeed aid in the management of conditions caused by hip arthritis but further research is still needed in this area.
14 Hip Exercises for Arthritis
1. Knee lift
Lie on your back. Pull each knee to your chest in turn, keeping the other leg straight. Take the movement up to the point you feel a stretch, hold for around 10 seconds and relax. Repeat 5–10 times.
2. Stomach exercise
Lie on your back with your knees bent. Put your hands under the small of your back and pull your belly button down towards the floor or bed. Hold for 20 seconds.
3. Quadriceps exercise
Pull your toes and ankles towards you, while keeping your leg straight and pushing your knee firmly against the floor. You should feel the tightness in the front of your leg. Hold for five seconds and relax.
4. Short arc quadriceps exercise
Roll up a towel and place it under your knee. Keep the back of your thigh on the towel and straighten your knee to raise your foot off the floor. Hold for five seconds and then lower slowly.
5. Heel slide
Lie on your back. Bend your leg and slide your knee towards your chest. Slide your heel down again and straighten your knee slowly.
6. External hip rotation (lying)
Lie with your knees bent and feet flat on the bed, hip-width apart. Let one knee drop towards the bed then bring it back up. Keep your back flat on the bed throughout.
7. External hip rotation (sitting)
Sit with your knees bent and feet together. Press your knees down towards the floor using your hands as needed. Alternatively, lie on your back and part your knees, keeping your feet together. Take the movement up to the point you feel a stretch, hold for around 10 seconds and relax. Repeat 5–10 times.
8. Bridging
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor or bed. Lift your pelvis and lower back off the floor. Hold the position for five seconds and then lower down slowly.
9. Leg raise
Lie face down, though you might want to turn your head to one side if this is more comfortable. Tighten your stomach and buttock muscles to lift one leg slightly off the floor, while keeping your hips flat on the ground. Hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds and repeat it 3 times.
10. Hip abduction (standing)
Stand with one hand resting on the back of a chair or a work surface for support. Lift your leg straight up to the side. Hold for five seconds and then slowly lower your leg. Try to keep your body straight throughout. Repeat five times on each side.
At any rate, with or without research to back it up, arthritis exercise, and more specifically hip exercises for arthritis, can do more good than just relieving the pain caused by the disease. As with any other person, exercise can help maintain the overall good health of someone suffering from arthritis.
Since hip osteoarthritis is incurable at present, activities that can help lessen the symptoms such as exercise are always encouraged. Physicians treating people with this condition would do well to take the time to explain the importance of exercise in managing arthritis.
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