Physicians prescribe a number of exercises for the treatment of degenerative joint disease. These exercises strengthen the muscles in your back or neck and increase mobility of arthritic joints. Before beginning any exercise regimen it is important that you meet with your physician or another medical professional to ensure that each individual exercise is right for the condition being treated. Exercising improperly or excessively can actually exacerbate symptoms and further deteriorate the underlying condition.
Causes
Degenerative joint disease (DJD), also known as osteoarthritis, is commonly exhibited in the neck and back in individuals over the age of 50. An arthritic vertebral facet joint occurs when the cartilage that normally prevents the vertebrae from grinding against adjacent vertebrae wears away. Over time, bone-on-bone contact results in inflammation, and leads to the growth of bone spurs, causes joint dysfunction, and can cause nerve compression in the spinal column.
There is no cure for DJD. The articular cartilage of facet joint currently cannot be replaced. . Arthritis cannot be undone and no exercise will make arthritis go away. What treatment can do, however, is help alleviate the patient’s arthritic pain and increase (or at least maintain) the mobility of the joint, therefore mitigating the effects of this frustrating condition.
Effective exercises and other treatments
Some effective degenerative joint disease exercises typically recommended to accomplish these important goals include:
- Hydrotherapy
- Walking
- Taking yoga or Pilates classes
- Range of motion exercises
- Aerobic exercises
- Physical therapy sessions
- And more
To learn which treatments and individual exercises are best for your condition, visit your physician or a spine specialist. If you are considering spine surgery to treat your degenerative joint disease, contact Laser Spine Institute to learn about our advanced, minimally invasive treatments for osteoarthritis.
