{"id":4927,"date":"2026-09-02T10:07:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T10:07:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teque7.in\/crestwell\/osteoarthritis-exercise-painful-stiff-joints\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T10:07:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T10:07:58","slug":"osteoarthritis-exercise-painful-stiff-joints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teque7.in\/crestwell\/osteoarthritis-exercise-painful-stiff-joints\/","title":{"rendered":"Osteoarthritis and Exercise: Moving with Painful or Stiff Joints"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Osteoarthritis can cause joint pain, stiffness and difficulty with movement. It commonly affects the knees, hips, hands and spine, although any joint can be involved.<\/p>\n<p>People sometimes avoid exercise because they worry about causing more damage. But a suitable programme can help maintain strength, mobility and confidence.<\/p>\n<h2>Why strength matters<\/h2>\n<p>Muscles help support and control a joint. If activity drops because of pain, those muscles may become weaker and everyday movements can feel harder.<\/p>\n<p>A physiotherapist may assess joint movement, strength, walking and the activities that cause difficulty. A plan may include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>strengthening around the affected joint<\/li>\n<li>mobility exercises<\/li>\n<li>walking, cycling or another form of aerobic activity<\/li>\n<li>pacing for work and household tasks<\/li>\n<li>advice about footwear or a walking aid<\/li>\n<li>preparation for or recovery after surgery where relevant<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/osteoarthritis\/treatment\/\">NHS osteoarthritis guidance<\/a> describes exercise as one of the main treatments and recommends a combination of strengthening and general fitness activity.<\/p>\n<h2>Start at the right level<\/h2>\n<p>A mild, temporary increase in discomfort can happen when beginning a new activity. A marked or lasting flare means the programme may need adjustment. Build one part at a time rather than changing everything at once.<\/p>\n<h2>When a joint needs medical review<\/h2>\n<p>Seek advice for a hot, very swollen joint, fever, a sudden inability to bear weight, pain after a major injury or symptoms that change quickly.<\/p>\n<h2>Ask about osteoarthritis rehabilitation<\/h2>\n<p>Crestwell Medical can help you build an exercise plan around your joints and daily goals. <a href=\"https:\/\/teque7.in\/crestwell\/book-appointment\/\">Book an appointment<\/a> to arrange an assessment.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article is general information and does not replace individual medical advice.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how suitable exercise and physiotherapy may help people manage osteoarthritis pain, stiffness and reduced mobility.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4839,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teque7.in\/crestwell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teque7.in\/crestwell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teque7.in\/crestwell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teque7.in\/crestwell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teque7.in\/crestwell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4927"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teque7.in\/crestwell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4927\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teque7.in\/crestwell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teque7.in\/crestwell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teque7.in\/crestwell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teque7.in\/crestwell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}