Question

The nurse is providing home care teaching to a client diagnosed with osteoarthritis. Which statement is appropriate for the nurse to include in the teaching session for this client?

1) Balance and agility exercises can help maintain daily living skills and have been recommended by your healthcare provider.
2) When you begin your strengthening exercises, it is appropriate to start with a large weight and work your way down.
3) Water exercises should not be tried because water buoyancy increases force on the joints.
4) Stretching all muscle groups for 30 minutes each day has been recommended by the healthcare provider.

Answer 1

For a client with osteoarthritis, the nurse should recommend balance and agility exercises, which help maintain daily living skills. Emphasis should be placed on low-impact exercises like swimming, cycling, and water aerobics to reduce joint stress. Starting with large weights or avoiding water exercises due to increased joint force are not appropriate recommendations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most appropriate statement for the nurse to include in the teaching session for a client diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) would be: "Balance and agility exercises can help maintain daily living skills and have been recommended by your healthcare provider." This is because exercise helps to maintain joint mobility and increase muscle strength, which can reduce joint stress, enhance stability, and alleviate osteoarthritis symptoms. It is particularly important to focus on low-impact exercise, which places less stress on joints, such as swimming, water aerobics, and cycling. These activities assist in keeping the muscles around joints strong and flexible. Contrary to the misconception that exercise worsens osteoarthritis, low-impact physical activity is beneficial and can even reduce the risk of developing OA.

It is not appropriate to start strengthening exercises with large weights as this could place excessive strain on the joints. Additionally, water exercises are indeed recommended because the buoyancy reduces force on the joints, contrary to the incorrect statement that suggests avoiding them. Stretching is good for maintaining flexibility, but recommending a specific duration of 30 minutes without a healthcare provider's advice might not be appropriate for everyone.

Additional advice for people with osteoarthritis includes maintaining a healthy weight to reduce pressure on the joints, avoiding high-impact exercises, engaging in regular low-impact activities to prevent being a 'weekend warrior,' and using the body's largest, strongest joints for lifting. Regular exercise, particularly weight-bearing exercises such as walking and running, plays a critical role in joint health by stimulating bone-building and maintaining bone density.