Your Complete Guide to Better Mobility With Arthritis

Mobility—the ability to actively move joints through their full range of motion with control and strength—is fundamental to good health. Mobility prevents injuries, supports healthy aging, and enables you to perform daily tasks like walking, reaching, or getting up unassisted without pain.

But if you have arthritis in certain parts of your body, it can have an impact on your mobility. "Arthritis affects mobility because it goes after the very structures that let you move—the joints," says Diana Girnita, M.D., Ph.D., a board-certified rheumatologist and internist, and founder of the Irvine, CA-based medical practice Rheumatologist OnCall. "When cartilage wears down or inflammation sets in, the joint doesn't glide the way it should. It gets stiff and swells, and it hurts to bend or bear weight."

For older adults, arthritis-related mobility problems can make walking, climbing stairs, and daily activities more difficult. But the right treatments, exercises, and mobility aids can help ease arthritis symptoms so you can maintain your independence.

How Arthritis Affects Mobility

Arthritis is an umbrella term that refers to more than 100 forms of joint pain or joint disease and is a leading cause of disability in the United States. The most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis, usually occurs in the hands, spine, hips, and knees, although it can affect almost any joint in the body. And it's not just the cartilage that gets damaged. The bones, connective tissue, and joint lining deteriorate, too, with inflammation playing a key role, per the World Health Organization (WHO).

Arthritis impacts mobility in several ways, including:

Joint Pain and Stiffness

The primary symptoms of arthritis are pain and stiffness. Pain typically worsens during or after movement, says the Mayo Clinic. Stiffness is usually worse upon waking in the morning or after periods of no activity but tends to get better within a few minutes of activity, according to Harvard Health.

Reduced Range of Motion

It's common for osteoarthritis to cause a reduced range of motion in the affected joints because when the cartilage deteriorates the space between the bones narrows, per the Mayo Clinic. In a healthy joint, the space lets the bones move smoothly with no friction, but in a joint affected by arthritis, the reduced space results in swelling and difficulty moving the joint through its full range of motion.

Muscle Weakness and Instability

When joint pain and stiffness reduce your range of motion, over time, the surrounding muscles shrink in size from lack of use (known as atrophy). This can result in a vicious cycle as muscle weakness itself accelerates disease progression, and the weaker your muscles become, the less stable your body will be for things like walking.

Balance Problems and Fall Risk

Pain, stiffness, and muscle weakness/atrophy affect the body's ability to stay balanced because it interferes with proprioception. Often called the "sixth sense," proprioception refers to the body's understanding of its own position and movement in the world. As decreased strength and range of motion alter proprioception, it becomes more difficult to remain steady on your feet, increasing the risk for falls.

Signs That Arthritis Is Affecting Your Mobility

The earliest signs that arthritis is affecting your mobility tend to be subtle, says Dr. Girnita. "People often explain them away as 'just getting older,'" she notes, adding that it can be hard to tell the difference between the aches and pains of aging, and those caused by a medical condition like arthritis. If you're noticing the following changes in your mobility, these may be signs that arthritis is to blame:

• Avoiding stairs (you may be taking the elevator when you used to take the stairs)
• Bracing yourself on furniture to move from seated to standing position
• Changing how you walk (e.g., limping, shorter steps, or feeling unsteady) due to pain in the knees, hips, or feet
• Difficulty bending or fully straightening a joint (e.g., your knee)
• Difficulty carrying out routine tasks like turning doorknobs or a key, buttoning a shirt, or opening jars
• Morning stiffness right after waking that lasts for more than 30 minutes

"If you find yourself planning your day around your joints rather than the other way around, that's your body telling you arthritis is starting to settle," Dr. Girnita says.

How to Improve Mobility With Arthritis

Despite the subtle creep of this condition, you don't have to sit back and let arthritis take over your life. There are many things you can do to improve your mobility. "My essentials are movement, strength, weight management, and staying ahead of the pain," says Dr. Girnita.

• Movement is medicine. "The joint needs to keep moving to stay healthy, even when part of you wants to rest it completely," says Dr. Girnita.
• Strength training is your secret weapon. "Building the muscle around a joint takes load off the joint itself, and it's the single most protective thing patients can do," Dr. Girnita explains.
• Weight management matters. Dr. Girnita adds, "Every extra pound is amplified several times over across the knees and hips."
• Pain management is essential. Before you can exercise or lose weight, you need to quiet the ongoing discomfort of arthritis. "When people are in too much pain to move, nothing else works, so we address that so they can stay active," Girnita says.

Strength training and full range of motion work are both key to managing arthritis, says Lori Diamos, PT, a Chicago-based physical therapist and founder of Pearls from a PT. "Ultimately, the right exercises depend on where the arthritis is located," she adds. "One of my go-to moves is sit-to-stands from a chair. There's strong research behind this simple move for building lower body strength, power, and functional independence in people with arthritis."

Other good options recommended by Diamos (try to do 10 of each) include:

• Doorway rows. Stand facing an open doorway. Turn palms outward and hold sides of the door frame with your hands. Place your feet close to the base of the frame. Lean very slightly back, extending your arms as far as comfortable, then bend your arms to pull yourself back to standing tall.
• Heel raises. With your hands on a chair, counter, or wall for balance, lift your heels off the ground to stand on your toes.
• Toe raises. Sit with feet flat on the floor, knees bent 90 degrees. Lift the front of your foot and your toes upward while keeping your heels on the floor.
• Wall push-ups. Stand about a foot away from a wall, facing it. Place your hands flat against the wall at shoulder height. Bend your elbows to slightly move your upper body towards the wall before pushing gently through your hands to straighten your arms and return to your starting position.

"Don't forget, every joint works in three directions—front to back, side to side, and rotation—so whenever possible move it in all of those directions (as pain allows)," Diamos notes.

How Mobility Aids for Arthritis Can Help

The expression "motion is lotion" certainly holds true for arthritis. The more low-impact movement you do, the better your joints will feel. But sometimes, those initial steps can be really stiff, leading to concerns about falling. Other times, fatigue sets in when you're only part-way through your walk.

In those cases, mobility aids like canes, walkers, and rollators can benefit someone with arthritis by helping you:

• Conserve energy
• Extend the duration of your outing
• Improve balance
• Increase confidence and independence
• Reduce pressure on painful joints

Choosing the Right Mobility Aid

In choosing a mobility aid to help with arthritis, keep in mind two things: that the aid addresses your specific problem and that it fits your body ergonomically, says Dr. Girnita. "This isn't one-size-fits-all," she notes. "Think about height—a walker set at the wrong height will throw off your posture and create new pain—and grip, since a thin handle can be miserable to hold if you have arthritis in your hands."

There are many different types of mobility aids. Which one you choose will depend on the severity of your arthritis and the amount of support you need. "Get properly fitted, ideally with input from a physical therapist, because the right aid used correctly keeps you independent longer," advises Dr. Girnita.

Options may include:

• Canes. These are best for mild balance problems or pain primarily affecting one side.
• Walkers. These aids offer more support but with only two wheels, they require the user to lift and place the device down in front of themselves with every step (or drag the back legs forward).
• Rollators. These offer great stability and balance support. With four wheels, they require the user to be able to stop the device by squeezing handbrakes. Rollators are helpful when you also want a seat.
• Manual wheelchairs. These are useful when walking is limited by pain or fatigue. If you have arthritis in your hand and/or shoulder, the self-propulsion of a wheelchair may be difficult.
• Power mobility chairs. These are appropriate for people who cannot comfortably walk longer distances but still want the option of walking when they can. Folding versions are easy to pack and store in your car for whenever you need them.
• Mobility scooters. Scooters are good for outdoor use or large indoor spaces like malls. There are many models to choose from depending on your seating and range requirements.

Making Daily Mobility Easier With Arthritis

A few simple adjustments to your environment and daily routine can make moving around safer, easier, and less tiring when you have arthritis. Consider these strategies, adapted from recommendations by the nonprofit organization Caregiver Action Network (CAN):

• Create a mobility-friendly home. Remove loose rugs, electrical cords, and clutter from walkways. Improve lighting in hallways and near stairs. Install grab bars and sturdy railings throughout your home and keep frequently used items between waist and shoulder height so you don't have to bend, reach, or climb.
• Make standing and sitting easier. Choose firm chairs with supportive armrests and higher seats. Avoid deep couches and low chairs, and consider a raised toilet seat, lift chair, bed rail, or other assistive equipment if getting up is difficult.
• Reduce strain during household tasks. Use lightweight cookware, long-handled cleaning tools, jar openers, reachers, and carts with wheels. Break larger chores into shorter sessions and alternate physically demanding activities with lighter ones.
• Protect your joints while moving. Use both hands to carry objects when possible, slide heavier items instead of lifting them, and avoid gripping tools or handles too tightly.
• Plan activities around your energy levels. Schedule errands and appointments for times of day when stiffness and fatigue are lowest. Allow extra time so you do not have to rush and take short rest breaks before pain becomes severe.
• Keep moving throughout the day. Change positions regularly, take short walks, and perform range-of-motion exercises recommended by your doctor or physical therapist rather than remaining seated for long periods.
• Use mobility aids for safer movement. A cane, walker, rollator, scooter, or power chair can reduce pressure on painful joints, improve balance, and help conserve energy.
• Plan ahead. Check parking, entrances, restrooms, seating, and walking distances before leaving home. Accept assistance when it allows you to save energy for enjoyable activities, schedule rest periods, and bring portable mobility equipment when appropriate.

Protecting Your Mobility With Arthritis

Arthritis may change how you move, but it doesn't have to take away your independence. In fact, the more you move with arthritis, the easier it will be for you to stay one step ahead of the challenges this joint condition presents.

You don't need a fancy gym membership or personal trainer. Daily walking can provide the stimulus your joints need to tamp down inflammation and reduce morning stiffness. On days when walking feels hard, use a mobility device like a walker or rollator to help you exercise safely.

If you are struggling with pain and being active is making it worse, talk with your doctor. Together, you'll come up with a plan to treat your arthritis that keeps pain at bay and mobility at the forefront.