London, Dec 31 (IANS) Millions of people suffering from arthritis can beat it with regular exercise and early treatment, a research has found.
Physical activity can reduce the risk of disability and ease the pain of a range of conditions including arthritis, back pain and brittle bone disease, Daily Express reported.
A review of scientific research found that for some, the level of improvement increases with the number of exercise sessions.
A second study also hails the benefits of aggressive, early treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
The chances of disability could be significantly reduced when drugs, which can halt the disease’s destructive process, are started soon after it begins.
“We know that exercise is one of the best things you can do if you have arthritis or a musculoskeletal complaint. People should keep moving as much as they can and exercise to the best of their ability,” said Jane Tadman, a spokeswoman for Arthritis Research UK.
“The current accepted way of treating rheumatoid arthritis is aggressive, early treatment to get the disease under control before the joints become damaged and deformed.”
Drugs can prevent the immune system from attacking the joints. But the longer the disease persists, the less likely it will respond to treatment, according to the research published in the journal Mayo Clinic Health Letter.
Experts at the National Resource Centre for Rehabilitation in Rheumatology in Norway found that exercise therapy for bone and muscle conditions had clear medical benefits.
