Learn all you can about your condition and how to manage it, especially about how lifestyle changes can affect your symptoms. Exercising and losing weight if you're overweight are important ways to lessen the joint pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis.
• Exercise: Low-impact exercise can increase your endurance and strengthen the muscles around your joint, making your joint more stable. Try walking, bicycling or water aerobics. If you feel new joint pain, stop.
New pain that lasts for hours after you exercise probably means you've overdone it, not that you've caused damage or that you should stop exercising. Try again a day or two later at a lower level of intensity.
• Lose weight: Carrying extra weight increases the stress on your weight-bearing joints, such as your knees and your hips. Even minor weight loss can relieve some pressure and reduce your pain. Talk to a dietitian about healthy ways to lose weight.
Courtesy: Mayo Clinic
