“I can’t exercise anymore. You see, I have arthritis.”
I’ve had many patients enter my exam room, look me straight in the face and say that.
My mind drifts to some of the videos I’ve seen in the CrossFit Journal that show adaptive athletes and morbidly obese people exercising.
On further questioning, I find the patients are usually referring to hip or knee arthritis—the most common forms of arthritis—and I proceed to ask about their limitations. Most people say they can’t run or walk long distances anymore. I then ask questions about upper-extremity disabilities and abdominal or back issues, and I find that most people don’t have problems in these areas. I then concoct workouts and ask the patients to try them, get the heart rate up and see how they feel afterward.
Read my full article in the CrossFit Journal
Think you can’t work out if you have arthritis? Think again. (iStockphoto.com/rudisill)
Dr. Sean Rockett is an Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in Sports Medicine. His group is
Thank you for this article. I have been dealing with knee arthritis since 2008. CrossFit has been a god send for both me and the knee. Starting in 2010, I’ve gone from limping while climbing stairs to experiencing minimal pain. I scale out of running, weighted lunges, and broad jumps, but am able to squat heavy as well as do box jumps and double unders, along with everything else that is part of the programming. Arthritis is weird, but I have it under control.
I have been worried lately that my arthritis may be progressing a bit. But your article is reassurance that I’m doing the right thing. Again, thanks.