How to Enjoy Travel when you have Osteoarthritis

Have you recently said no to a trip or felt hesitant to travel because you were worried that you wouldn’t be able to get around? Believe it or not, it is possible to climb stairs, walk for miles, and enjoy traveling – even when you have Osteoarthritis (OA)! The keys are to build up strength in your legs, improve your stamina, focus on balance, and prepare your joints for the activities you will be doing.

Let’s break down what works—and why. At Restorative Therapy Co., we help people with OA get out of pain and stay active.

What “bone on bone” and OA really mean

You may have been told that you have degenerative joint disease, arthritis, or even that your joint is “bone on bone.” Those words can be terrifying, especially without an explanation of what they really mean. 

Having bone on bone arthritis may seem like a life sentence with impending doom and surgery on the horizon. But did you know that it is possible to find pain relief even with little to no cartilage left? Our bodies are great at adapting! We find alternate ways to support the joints and learn to rely more on other structures to absorb stress, like your muscles. 

Movement is one of the major keys to finding this relief. “Motion is lotion” to lubricate your joints, deliver nutrients to your joints, cycle out the inflammatory cells, and improve stiffness. Oftentimes people think that by avoiding movement they will decrease their pain but we need movement to maintain strength and balance so that we can support arthritic joints.

What’s the best way to prepare for travel with OA? 

First, think about what you might need to be able to do on the trip you are planning.

• Will you be doing lots of walking? 

• Will you be walking on uneven surfaces (cobblestone, sand, hiking trails, etc.)

• Will you need to be able navigate a lot of stairs?

• Will you need to sit for long periods of time on a plane, train, car, etc? 

  
  

Even if you aren’t sure what you will be doing on your trip, it’s probably best to be prepared for it all and be able to expect the unexpected! But first, the one universal thing you’ll need is time. Likely your joint pain didn’t start overnight and relief likely won’t happen overnight either. How long you will need to prepare depends on multiple factors such as your pain levels, how long you’ve had pain for, your strength level, etc. It is ideal to start preparing at least 3 months before your trip to give you time to optimize your strength, balance, and pain management but even if you don’t have that much time, these tips are still worth a try to make as much progress as possible!

One of the first things to know at the start is that more isn’t always better. Trying to push through pain likely won’t help your progress – it can actually cause set backs and leave you feeling discouraged. You need to prioritize the right movements AND the right amount.

1. Prepare for walking long distances

Walking longer distances can be difficult when your joints are irritated, stiff, or swollen. The first thing you need to identify is what distance you can currently tolerate. You need to know what your starting point is before you can start making progress.

Is there a certain distance or time you can walk before you notice pain? (i.e “I can walk 15 minutes before I really start to notice my knee pain”) If you don’t know a time or distance yet, pay attention next time you go on a walk and see what this number is - it’s important.

Many people think that just walking longer distances and trying to push through the pain is helping when in fact it may increase pain and sensitivity instead. Continuing to irritate your joints and trying to push through the pain may keep you stuck in a cycle of inflammation and make recovery much harder.

Instead, focus on walking distances that feel good to you more consistently leading up to your trip. For example, if you can currently walk 15 minutes before you start to experience pain, start there with a daily walk. Then try adding 1-5 minutes every few days as you feel more comfortable. This is a slow and steady wins the race situation – if you add 5 minutes and find that it is too much, back down and try again in a few walks.

IMPORTANT: Do not forget that you will also need to strengthen your leg muscles. Walking alone will not sufficiently increase strength in your legs. You should also include exercises that help you move in different directions, challenge balance and increase strength in muscles that support the knees and the hips. We’ll cover that later.

Key takeaway to prepare: Start with the distance/time that you can walk pain free and they slowly build up your walking tolerance over time. Add variety to your movement with strength and balance exercises to help train your body to walk longer distances.

2. Prepare for walking on uneven surfaces

Balance plays a huge role in walking on uneven surfaces. Sandy beaches or cobblestone streets can pose a problem if you aren’t confident in your balance. This is absolutely something you can practice and improve upon. It is possible to feel more confident in your balance and reduce your fear of falling, but it does take time and consistency. In order to improve balance, you need to be doing balance specific exercises for at least 5 minutes per day over 2-3 months. Some examples include: standing on one foot, standing with 1 foot in front of the other, high marching, standing on foam, etc. Your physical therapist can help you put together a daily routine tailored to your needs.

You might find that having some support helps you to be more confident and stable on unlevel surfaces. At RTC, we recommend trekking poles or a cane to give you an extra point of contact and stability. We can help you figure out what device would work best and make recommendations so you can start practicing with them before you travel.

Many times, loss of balance can be caused by your muscles fatiguing too quickly or not having the strength to react to balance challenges. Walking on uneven surfaces requires more strength and more energy than walking on flat ground. This is where strength training comes in. We’ll talk about strengthening in the next section when we talk about stairs.

Key takeaway to prepare: Balance is key on unpredictable surfaces. Work on your balance every day for at least 5 minutes consistently in order to see improvement.

3. Preparing for stairs

The dreaded stairs… It is possible to feel good on the stairs but you have to put in the work. Even if you don’t have stairs in your home you can still work on them! A single step or stool can help you practice and build up strength before you try a whole flight. An adjustable step can be particularly helpful for home exercise because it allows you to start with a small step and work your way up. However, it’s vital that you don’t try to progress too quickly.

In order to navigate stairs successfully you have to have a certain amount of single leg strength and balance. Each time you step up or down you are controlling the weight of your body on one leg. 

If you have difficulty going UP the stairs:

1. Focus on getting comfortable putting full weight through each of your legs with an exercise like marching in place.

2. Focus on maximizing knee flexibility, both bending and straightening

3. Work on strengthening your leg muscles to help you go up the stairs with exercises like sit to stands or mini-squats with emphasis on power and strength as you press up to standing

   
   

If you have difficulty going DOWN the stairs:

1. Focus on getting comfortable putting full weight through each of your legs with an exercise like marching

2. Focus on maximizing knee and ankle flexibility

3. Focus on your balance and getting comfortable standing on one leg as it’s important to prevent falls when stepping down stairs or curbs

4. Work on strengthening your leg muscles to help you go down the stairs with an exercise like sit to stand or mini-squats with the emphasis on moving slowly and with control as you lower down

   
   

Key takeaway to prepare: Focus on what is harder, going up or going down. Choose 1-2 exercises that you can do every other day to help build the strength for stairs, especially if you will be climbing lots of stairs or hills.

4. Prepare for prolonged sitting

Sitting for long periods of time with osteoarthritis can commonly bring on increased stiffness. But there are ways you can mitigate this stiffness. A good rule of thumb is to think about trying to move as frequently as possible. Try to do some kind of movement at least 1x/hour. If you can, get up and walk around for a few minutes.  If you are stuck sitting, you can do a few heel/toe raises, leg kicks, or marches in a seated position.

Simply having a couple of these movements to use as tools can really be beneficial for preventing and/or managing stiffness when travelling so you aren’t paying for it when you get to your destination. 

Key takeaway to prepare: Have 1-3 movements in your toolbox to use when you find yourself sitting for a longer period of time to reduce knee stiffness and pain.

As you can see, there are ways to begin preparing your body for travelling but it does take time. It may be helpful to focus on one area that is your highest priority. Is being able to walk your highest priority? Or is it stairs or uneven surfaces? Choose the highest priority first then progress to other areas as you are able. 

Understanding how to move in ways that don’t flare up your knee pain is critical to your success. Progressing too quickly can lead to more pain and leave you feeling discouraged. Most importantly, there is HOPE! Research continues to show that increasing activity levels, diet modifications, losing weight, and finding healthy ways to manage stress can help manage OA pain and stiffness before opting for surgery.

At Restorative Therapy Co, we are here to help you stay active and enjoying all that life brings your way. If you are struggling with bone on bone arthritis or feeling limited because of your balance, our team of physical therapists are ready to help you. Call 757-578-2958 to schedule an appointment today. Remember, no MD referral is needed for your first visit so don’t delay. We have immediate openings available. Feel Well and Be Well with RTC physical therapy in Virginia Beach.

—Need help creating a routine that works for your lifestyle? Reach out or schedule a visit — we’d love to support you.

Thank you for reading,

Your friends at RTC