Jump in the Pool for Arthritis Relief

Swimming for ankylosing spondylitis can give you a great workout without stressing your aching joints. Here's why you should take the plunge.

Physicians and physical therapists agree that swimming with ankylosing spondylitis is one of the best things a person can do when dealing with this arthritic spinal condition.  General fitness, strength, flexibility, and range of motion are all benefits of a pool workout.

While in the pool with ankylosing spondylitis, you no longer have to work against gravity to move around. The water causes you to float, so in waist-deep water, you are about half your normal weight.  Also, water is 12 times more resistant than air.  It all adds up to this -- when you do water exercises for ankylosing spondylitis, your muscles have to work 12 times harder than they would on land, but, at the same time, your joints are relieved of gravity's constant stress so you don't feel it.

"The buoyancy of the water helps unload the joints in your legs and spine, and the warmth of the water can relieve pain," said Eric Robertson, PT, DPT, OCS, a physical therapist in the Denver area.  "Just simply being in the water and kicking your legs or walking back and forth is really an amazing exercise.  And, you also have the water resistance, so you can have aerobic exercise that can be pretty intense."

Swimming with ankylosing spondylitis can be intimidating, particularly if you're in pain or have a limited range of motion.  However, there are a lot of exercises you can do in the pool for ankylosing spondylitis that don't involve swimming.  These include:

• Water Aerobics
• Water Walking
• Front Crawl
• Back Stroke

Always consult your doctor before swimming with ankylosing spondylitis to get the advice on the type of water exercise that would benefit you most.  Some strokes, like the breast stroke, can be beneficial by strengthening your back and shoulder muscles, but it can also put excessive stress on the neck and lower back.  As far as intensity of exercise, listen to your body and pursue as vigorous a workout as possible that does not cause additional pain.  

For more information, check out the Spondylitis Association of America

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Source:  http://www.everydayhealth.com/conditions/water-exercises-for-arthritis/?xid=tw_everydayhealth_sf