Common Questions About Arthritis

Help Me Get Out of This Chair!

Question: I am taking glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM. They help with the pain but do nothing for the stiffness. Getting up from a chair is a real chore! Is there anything I can do?

Answer: I'm glad that supplements are helping with your pain. Now, if getting up from a chair is difficult, the best thing you can do is to strengthen your thigh muscles. These become the most important muscles in the body as we get older, since they enable us to stand up and move around. I always have my patients see the physical trainer involved in our program to begin strength training exercises. You don't have to become a Mr. Universe--simply by doing light weights, you will notice a decrease in pain and stiffness and a rapid increase in strength and mobility. Beyond that, I would suggest that you look into therapeutic massage and perhaps acupuncture.

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