Exercise Promoted as Best Pain Reliever for Arthritis

People with arthritis who live in Alaska are being told that 30 minutes of exercise at least three times a week is the best pain reliever for their arthritis.

Alaska state health department officials are promoting exercise for arthritis sufferers through radio programs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Alaska has about 129,000 people with arthritis.

The radio programs urge arthritis sufferers between the ages of 45 and 65 to start moving and to keep moving, according to Palmira Santos, a state public health specialist. She said any kind of exercise from washing the car to dancing is beneficial.

Dr. David Templin, an Anchorage rheumatologist, said arthritis sufferers do better physically and emotionally if they become active. However, he acknowledged that the message probably goes against what arthritis sufferers have been hearing for years -- that exercise can damage arthritic joints.

Templin said the exercise that arthritis sufferers choose will depend on the condition of their joints. But before starting on an exercise program, he urges them to talk things over with their physicans.

Other sources: Anchorage Daily News