Tag Archives: manage joint pain

warm water therapy for joint pain

Use Your Tub to Fight Joint Pain and Stiffness

Soaking in warm water, with or without minerals, is one of the oldest forms of medicine. And there’s good reason why this practice has stood the test of time. Research has shown it works wonders for all kinds of musculoskeletal complaints, including fibromyalgia, arthritis and low back pain.

“Water is wonderful,” says Carol Huegel, a physical therapist with ReQuest Physical Therapy, Gainesville, Fla. Huegel says submersion aids sore joints three ways: It reduces the force of gravity that’s compressing the joint; offers 360-degree support for sore limbs (almost like an Ace bandage); and can increase circulation and decrease inflammation. And Huegel says its moist heat is more penetrating than the dry heat you’d get from a heating pad.

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pool to relieve joint pain

Hit the Pool to Relieve Joint Pain

Remember what it was like to walk without aches? Get that sensation again by taking your workout to the water. Doctors have been praising using the pool to relieve joint pain.

“Exercising in a pool provides nearly instant relief from pain and stiffness,” says Mary Sanders, PhD, a clinical exercise physiologist at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Reno. “Even if you don’t feel comfortable walking on land, the buoyancy of water gives you freedom of movement while providing support.”

Slip on your swimsuit and try these aquatic workout tips from Sanders.

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