Questions and Answers About Arthritis and Exercise

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT ARTHRITIS AND EXERCISE

Where Can People Find More Information on Arthritis and Exercise?

• Arthritis Foundation
  1330 West Peachtree Street
  Atlanta, GA 30309
  404/872-7100 or call your local chapter (listed in the telephone directory)
  800/283-7800
  World Wide Web address: http://www.arthritis.org

This is the major voluntary organization devoted to arthritis. The Foundation publishes a free pamphlet on exercise and arthritis and a monthly magazine for members that provides up-to-date information on all forms of arthritis. Local chapters organize exercise programs for people who have arthritis, including People with Arthritis Can Exercise (PACE) and an aquatic exercise program held in swimming pools. The Foundation also can provide physician and clinic referrals.

• PACE Catalog Center
  Arthritis Foundation
  P.O. Box 9020
  Pittsfield, MA 01202-9945
  800/PACE-236 (722-3236)

This center sells PACE exercise videotapes at two levels, basic and advanced. Each videotape is approximately 30 minutes long and includes a warm-up section, a gentle or moderate exercise routine, and a rhythmic movement sequence to help improve endurance. The videotapes are available for $19.50 per tape, plus shipping charges.

• Spondylitis Association of America (SAA)
  P.O. Box 5872
  Sherman Oaks, CA 91413
  818/981-1616
  800/777-8189
  World Wide Web address: http://www.spondylitis.org

This nonprofit, voluntary organization helps people who have ankylosing spondylitis and related conditions. SAA sells books, posters, videotapes, and audiotapes about exercises for people who have arthritis of the spine.

• American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals
  60 Executive Park South, Suite 150
  Atlanta, GA 30329
  404/633-3777
  Fax: 404/633-1870
  World Wide Web address: http://www.rheumatology.org

This association provides referrals to physical therapists who have experience designing exercise programs for people with arthritis. The organization also provides exercise guidelines developed by the American College of Rheumatology.

Acknowledgments

The NIAMS gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Jeanne Hicks, M.D., and Naomi Lynn Gerber, M.D., both of the Rehabilitation Medicine Department, and Stanley R. Pillemer, M.D., Office of the Director, NIAMS, at the National Institutes of Health, in the preparation and review of this fact sheet.

The National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NAMSIC) is a public service sponsored by the NIAMS that provides health information and information sources. The NIAMS, a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), leads the Federal medical research effort in arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases. The NIAMS sponsors research and research training throughout the United States as well as on the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD, and disseminates health and research information.