By Thomas D. Schram, HealthSCOUT Reporter

SATURDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthSCOUT) -- When your knees and hips are stiff and sore from osteoarthritis, the last thing you should do is go for a brisk walk, right?

Wrong.

Exercise is not only good for osteoarthritis; it is just the thing to fight the chronic disease that comes with aging. Even though you might think that the rubbing of joints that occurs in physical activity might further deteriorate those joints, that's not the case.

"Actually, the opposite occurs. It's commonplace as part of a management program to strengthen the muscles and, by doing so, take pressure off the joints," says Dr. Frederick Vivino, a clinical associate professor of rheumatology at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Vivino says osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that is the most prevalent kind of arthritis, and its prevalence grows with age. When people reach their 90s, it is nearly universal.

Vivino says the disease can run in families, can come from athletic injury or obesity, or can just pop up for no reason.

But he says there should be no fear of physical activity.

"We actually know that joggers and other athletes who you might think would get osteoarthritis really don't, assuming they don't get an injury while running. Because what they're doing is strengthening the muscles. Their movements become more efficient, and place less of a load on the joints," he says.

Vivino says there is one exception to this rule: When osteoarthritis is in its acute phase -- when there is a great deal of swelling and pain -- it's important to treat it with ice, rest and medication.

"When you're in the chronic stages where you just have some ongoing pain, we advocate exercise. When you're in the acute phase where you flare with pain, we advocate rest," he says.

Physical therapist and athletic trainer Mark Paterno says he tries to steer his patients who already have osteoarthritis away from high-impact exercises.

"From an aerobic standpoint, swimming is probably one of the best things you can do because you're in an environment that takes pressure off the joints. Things like a Nordic tracker are also very good because you don't have the impact," he says.

Paterno says he also works with the patients on their flexibility and strength.

"If these patients lack flexibility, it can increase the strain on their joints. And from a weightlifting standpoint, again you have to be careful of impact," he says.

Paterno said people with osteoarthritis should see a physical therapist before starting an exercise program on their own.

"If it's not done in a correct manner, if it doesn't have correct guidance, it can cause more harm than good. So consulting a physical therapist, even just to get started to make sure you're moving in the right direction, I think that can do a world of good," he says.

Benjamin Lewis was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in 1989. The Coloradoan's daily walks help his mobility.

"I have a couple of absolutely foolproof exercise machines -- my dogs," he says.

Lewis, 65, says that shortly after breakfast every day, his two dogs find him at his computer and insist they walk for a few miles. He owns no car, so Lewis often takes another two-mile roundtrip trek into town.

Lewis says he lives by a simple rule in dealing with his disease.

"If you learn to laugh at yourself, you'll always have something to laugh at. And for those first confronting this, the first thing is to learn as much as you can and then control those things you can control," he says.

And, Lewis says, get ready for advice from others.

"There are more people with advice for people with osteoarthritis than there are for pregnant women. A lot of it, I suppose, is because there are no cures, but sometimes it's hard to respect these people who tell you these things," he says.

"I had a lady in another town tell me to buy a Chihuahua, sleep with it and the arthritis would go to the dog,_ he says. Now I know that works with fleas; that's why people have kept lapdogs for hundreds of years. But I don't think it works for arthritis. But she was sure it works. She's 75 years old and has a Chihuahua. Maybe it works for her."

　　What To Do

Don't take up an exercise program for osteoarthritis by yourself. Consult your physician. He or she may put you on a program or refer you to a trained physical therapist.

The Arthritis Foundation gives you information on acupuncture as a way to ease your osteoarthritis pain.

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, a part of the National Institutes of Health, is the government's clearinghouse for information on arthritis.

(From HealthSCOUT)