Courtesy: Hospital for Special Surgery
A new study just presented at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in Boston found exercise programs offered at senior centers could help reduce pain, improve mobility and enhance the overall health of many participants.
“People believe that if you have arthritis you shouldn’t exercise, but appropriate exercises actually help decrease pain,” said Linda Russell, MD, a rheumatologist and chair of the Public and Patient Education Advisory Committee at Hospital for Special Surgery in a press release.
Researchers came to this conclusion after following participants of exercise programs offered by Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in senior centers in New York City and Queens.
The study focused on New York City’s older Asian population which grew by 64 percent from 2000 to 2010. In 2010, estimated showed one in four of this aging population lived in poverty.
“This population is at risk for osteoarthritis and osteoporosis,” said Laura Robbins, DSW, senior vice president of Education and Academic Affairs at HSS in a press release. “They are more than twice as likely to have no health insurance coverage compared to other major race and ethnic groups. Cultural and linguistic barriers limit access to healthcare services.”
During the study, there were six eight-week sessions of the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program (AFEP) which consisted mainly of chair-bases exercises. There were also three eight-week beginner yoga exercise classes.
All classes were conducted by bilingual instructors at four senior centers in New York.
The programs promote self-management of arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions through exercise.
“Getting seniors to be active in any way will generally improve their quality of life and help them function better in their everyday activities,” said Russell.The program included 199 participants between November 2011 and September 2013.
To track the progress, researchers had participants fill out a survey before and after the exercise classes to evaluate pain, function and other health indicators. Nearly all respondents were female and age 65 or older.
• 48% fewer participants had pain on a daily basis after completing the program
• 69% more participants could climb several flights of stairs after the program
• 83% more participants could bend, kneel, or stoop
• 50% more participants could lift/carry groceries
• 39% of participants felt the program reduced their fatigue
• 30% participants felt that the program reduced their stiffness
“The study results indicate that the hospital’s Bone Health Initiative has a positive impact on the musculoskeletal health of the Asian senior population,” said Huijuan Huang, MPA, program coordinator in a press release. “While further research is needed, HSS will continue to offer culturally-sensitive programs to this community to help seniors stay active, decrease pain and improve their overall health.”
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