Initiative Seeks to Help People Manage Arthritis Pain

A new national education initiative known as the 20 Exercises for Arthritis Management (TEAM) seeks to help people better manage their arthritis pain through regular exercise.

Developed by the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and sponsored by drug makers Pharmacia and Pfizer, the initiative corresponds with a recent survey that showed that arthritis sufferers are not getting the exercise they need.

The initiative involves a 40-minute physical fitness routine designed for people of any fitness level that includes stretching, low-impact aerobic exercise and resistance training. All of the components are aimed at increasing flexibility, improving endurance, developing muscle strength and reducing joint pain and stiffness.

Dr. Leonard Serebro, a rheumatologist at Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans, said the initiative seeks to dispel the notion that only vigorous exercise can help arthritis patients and to demonstrate that the ability to exercise is within anyone's reach.

"Many of my arthritis patients have the desire to exercise, but too few tap into its benefits," he said.

A free copy of the exercise program is available by calling 1-866-548-TEAM (8326).

Other sources: American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine