When people start to experience pain, their first response is often to rest. Sometimes short term rest, right at the start, can help. However, when the rest period becomes too long it can cause further issues.
Especially with Osteoarthritis (OA), rest will make the joint feel even more stiff when you do end up needing to use it. Prolonged rest and avoiding activity will cause the muscles to lose their strength which can lead to increased joint stress and weakness when you go to use the joint again.
The pain still isn’t doing any better which can cause you to worry and lose sleep which can further intensify the pain, and the cycle continues!
The best thing you can do for OA and a lot of other joint/muscular issues, is to keep moving! A bit of soreness during or after activity is ok, especially if it is tolerable and continues to go down with more movement over time. Particularly with OA, pain does not equal damage!
In most cases, OA can be managed with exercise and education and does not always require surgery to overcome!
If you’re having trouble with painful activities or osteoarthritis, it’s best to be assessed by a healthcare provider to determine the appropriate course of action. Book an appointment today!
