“Water aerobics cured my pain!”
Osteoarthritis left Risa Doherty, 56, limping and perpetually searching for a seat…until she discovered the gentle cure that alleviated her pain and helped her lose 47 pounds!
Let me know what’s inside,” I shouted to my family through the window of the rental car as they walked toward the food market. I wanted to go with them, but after eight hours touring a new city in the summer heat, I couldn’t walk another step. As a certified foodie, I’d spent years in search of the perfect yeast donut or the most uniquely flavored ice cream, and I was frustrated to miss this mecca of culinary delights—it probably would have been a highlight of my whole vacation.
“Before we left, I wondered if the osteoarthritis in my knees would interfere with our sightseeing, but I tried to forget about it and focus on enjoying the family time. Still, at a certain point, I could no longer pretend I was okay. I lagged behind wherever we walked. Each time I
had to scan the street for a badly needed bench, all I could think was, I just want my knees to go back to the way they were before.
Feeling powerless
“I’ve never been an athlete, but I always enjoyed step aerobic classes. One day, after 24 years of classes, my left knee suddenly started to hurt. I tried wearing a copper compression sleeve during class to ease the discomfort, and I took over-thecounter anti-inflammatories, but they didn’t help. I ultimately decided to stop taking the classes, but I didn’t think it was serious—I assumed my knee would heal on its own.
“I was able to disregard the pain for a while, but all of a sudden, I couldn’t walk more than a block without stopping to sit. Whenever
“Walking became
painless again almost immediately. I had my life back, thanks to the magic
of the water!”
I was confronted by a flight of stairs, I would count the steps and struggle with each one. When I took my daughter shopping, I avoided stores with no seats. I even stopped taking the dog on walks. I did everything I could to try to forget my knee problem, until a friend asked me why I was limping. I instinctively denied it, but that’s when I realized the problem wasn’t going away—I was just modifying my lifestyle to accommodate my pain.
“On my first visit, the orthopedist found that the cartilage on the inside of my one knee had worn away, and the second knee was close behind. He told me I would need a double knee replacement, but encouraged me to hold off as long as possible. Replacements only last about 20 years—getting the surgery so young, I’d almost definitely need a second surgery in the future.
“I went for months of physical therapy. It was painful and difficult, especially at the beginning. It also didn’t provide lasting relief: The pain would always return. I tried gel shots, and although they helped initially, their effectiveness would wear off after about six months. The situation was becoming untenable. I was too young to be so debilitated.
Relief at last
“Early in my treatment, my doctor told me that the water would be good for my knees, but I hesitated for a year and a half, trying to convince myself that constant physical therapy would keep me pain-free. In fact, I had a laundry list of excuses for not getting into the water: I worried about how I’d look in a swimsuit. I worried about losing my contacts in the water. I worried about showering at the gym.
“Then a friend took me to a water aerobics class at her gym. Being with her made me feel less apprehensive, especially after she introduced me to her ‘mermaid’ friends. They were welcoming, nonjudgmental and supportive, and all of my fears were allayed. How I looked wasn’t important. My contacts were safe with my head above water. And I quickly fell into a shower routine.
“During that first class, as we moved through the water, we laughed and sang and cheered one another on. It was challenging to adapt to the feel of the weights in the water and to balance on a noodle, yet I felt empowered to lift and kick my legs. Honestly, I felt like a kid again!
“I joined the gym, Life Time Fitness, that very day and started taking water aerobics classes three times a week. Walking became painless again almost immediately. It was right out of the movie Cocoon—I had my life back, thanks to the magic of the water! “These days, I’m in the pool five to seven times a week. Six months ago, I found a new obsession in pickleball— a cross between badminton and PingPong using a Wiffle ball. I thought I was forever destined to sit on the sidelines, but water aerobics keeps knee pain at bay. I never dreamed I’d be able to race across any court, joyfully volleying from side to side without pain!” —Risa C. Doherty