Relaxation Exercises For Arthritis Pain Relief

The word “exercises” probably conjures up images of someone doing press-ups, lifting weights, jogging along a path, or maybe swimming a few lengths in the local pool. However, some pain relief from arthritis can be achieved without carrying out some things that you do not find so strenuous. Physical exercises can be of benefit to the mind as well as to the body, and here I’ll concentrate on exercises that should help to relax the mind, thus relieving the body of the effects of stress, which of course tend to be negative.

You don’t need any physical exertion for relaxation exercises. They can include deep breathing, meditation, and visualization. You can spend as little as a quarter of an hour per day in those activities, and I’m sure that you’ll find that the pain doesn’t seem to be as bad. As a welcome side effect, you’ll also see that your blood pressure should decrease. Stress is reckoned to aggravate arthritis pain in over 60% of people—it’s thought that it makes the arthritis symptoms flare up. Conversely, by doing those exercises, it should help to soothe you, and so relieve the stress.

Relaxation exercises should start by focussing your attention on breathing. This takes your mind off any worries you may have, and gives you more control over your body. If you breathe deeply, it slows down the rate of your breathing by taking a few deep breaths instead of many more smaller ones. This should stop your heart racing, and loosen tight muscles, which are often associated with stress. Inhale through your nose for a few seconds, letting the chest expand fully. Try to concentrate on widening the girth of your chest, without raising your shoulders to inhale. Hold your breath for a couple of seconds, and then let it out through your mouth very slo-o-o-wly. Try to picture some of the tension leaving your body each time that you exhale. When you get used to deep breathing, you will probably find that you are doing it at other times of the day as well, usually if any stress is involved. You will be subconsciously using it as a defence mechanism to combat the stress, and to give you some relief. You can also try it before going to sleep, and first thing when you awaken.

This next part is completely different. Have you ever tried to tense any of your body muscles intentionally? I know that I’ve done it on numerous occasions, probably because I couldn’t think of anything more useful to do at the time. Thinking back, I must have been doing it in private, otherwise I would have been carted off somewhere for the good of my own, and of others’, health. However, there is some good to be gained from this kind of activity. The method is quite simple—tense the muscles first of all, then relax them. It gives a soothing feeling to each of your muscles in turn.

First of all, you should be lying in a comfortable position, with your eyes shut. Do the exercises one by one, let’s say starting with the face. You can knit your eyebrows, or stretch them upwards—both actions will result in a movement of the wrinkles (yes, I’ve got them). You can adopt a wide grin, or even a sneer, depending where your thoughts happen to be at the time. Then just relax. Your neck can then be tensed by slightly raising your head, then lying back again. Clench your fists, tense each arm, lift them, then let them fall, and open your fists. Tense the stomach and buttocks, and again, relax them. Moving further south, tighten your toes and arches as much as you can, then allow them to go limp. Now tense one of your legs, having the knee straight, and lifting the leg slightly to add to the tension. Let it then relax, and have it lying down again. Repeat the process with the other leg.

Meditation is being used nowadays by an increasing number of folk, and not only for pain relief, of course. There are countless books dealing with the subject, so I don’t need to examine it here in detail. I will just mention one of the ways that I use myself to get some relief now and again. I usually sit or lie down, and think of a pleasant and positive image and/or sound from my past, such as sitting on a beach listening to the never ending waves lapping gently on the shoreline. I have my eyes closed, completely relaxed, and breathe deeply, whilst repeating the name of the image or sound that I’ve conjured up. Ten to twenty minutes of this should definitely have you feeling more relaxed. You’re obviously best doing this in a place and at a time that you’re not likely to be disturbed or distracted.