Will this lead to arthritis?

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talkhealth
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by talkhealth on Mon Oct 24, 2016 12:57 pm

Will this lead to arthritis?

On behalf of our guest visitor, Linda:
I do quite a lot weight training with weights I feel heavy. I often feel pain in my elbows. The pain is like after hitting. My elbows are very dry too. May this lead to arthritis? How can I prevent arthritis please?
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by Arthritis Care on Mon Oct 24, 2016 2:13 pm

Re: Will this lead to arthritis?

Hi Linda,

Thanks for your post. The key thing with exercise is to do things that seem to suit you. If your body is achy and sore very often you might want to see a physiotherapist and see what they suggest. Your GP can refer you if they think it's a good idea.

With all exercise it's important to warm up and warm down - do gentle stretches etc.

Here's some of our information about exercise for people who have arthritis
https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/what-i ... -arthritis

I hope that gives you some ideas to explore.

kind regards

Guy
Arthritis Care Helpline
0808 800 4050 10am - 4pm weekdays

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by wendygreen on Sat Oct 29, 2016 6:13 pm

Re: Will this lead to arthritis?

Hi Linda,

Osteoarthritis (OA) is basically joint wear and tear and most people will develop it to some degree later in life. However, if a joint is overused or put under stress it is much more likely to develop OA. If you often feel pain in your elbows that suggests to me that the weights you're lifting are too heavy and/or you're weight training too often - which could lead to extra wear and tear and, eventually OA .

As Guy says, you can ask your GP to refer you to a physiotherapist, who will be able to advise you on the best types of exercise for you. It may be that you just need to weight lift less often and with lighter weights, or you may need to try other, gentler forms of exercise such as walking, swimming and yoga - even gardening and housework are forms of exercise that can benefit the body without putting too much strain on the joints.

I hope this helps.

Wendy
Wendy Green
Health Expert & Author - BSc (Hons) Health Studies
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by Arthritis Action on Mon Oct 31, 2016 7:40 am

Re: Will this lead to arthritis?

Hello Linda,

Using weights will not lead to osteoarthritis. Our joints are meant to be used and exercise does not damage them - marathon runners do not develop osteoarthritis in the knees and hips for example. Weight training and aerobic exercise are two of the most important things that you can do to strengthen the muscles around the joints and help stabilise them, and if anything prevent joint damage. Osteoarthritis and progressive pain and disability are absolutely not inevitable for all people and we now know that far from being due to "wear and tear", osteoarthritis is actually the body's response to minor injury and is in fact a regenerative process where new bone is formed. The problem is that this process sometimes, but definitely not always, causes pain. If you have already developed some damage in your elbow joints, however, then lifting heavy weights may cause them to hurt a bit more but you are not causing more damage. If you are lifting weights you have to make sure that they are not too heavy for your body type and if your joints are extra-flexible (hypermobile), then using heavy weights may also cause then to hurt more - you should get advice from a physiotherapist or fitness trainer if this is the case and they can advise on suitable lifting techniques to prevent pain.

Be assured though that using weights cannot cause osteoarthritis.

Wendy


Dr Wendy Holden
Consultant Rheumatologist and Medical Advisor to Arthritis Action
www.arthritisaction.org.uk
info@arthritisaction.org

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