Arthritis makes everyday activities difficult.
Sitting for too long or typing on a computer are just two examples that can be compared to pulling teeth for arthritis sufferers.
Forget the pain that sitting in front of the screen surfing the net brings for a moment – there is some light – the Internet, according to an Australian study, can help you out – and it’s more effective than a well-meaning doctor.
Researchers recruited 148 people over the age of 50 who suffered from chronic knee pain.
They divided them into two groups. One received an Internet-based arthritis management course. The other received simple but vague educational materials about arthritis.
The online course included educational material, Skype sessions with a physiotherapist to train, and an interactive program called Pain COACH that taught them relaxation techniques, problem solving skills, the use of pleasant imagery, and the modification of negative thoughts about pain.
Three and nine months after the program had finished, participants completed questionnaires to report pain levels while walking, their quality of life, their functional status, their sense of control over their arthritis, their ability to cope, and any negative beliefs they were experiencing about pain.
The participants that received personalized intervention showed improvement in all areas, especially pain and function.