Halt Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain with This Weird Exercise Hack

There’s no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, but you can slash your pain and reclaim your quality of life.

Pain relievers may offer quick relief—but they often come with dangerous side effects. Other effective solutions include increasing physical activity, hot/cold therapy, rest, and dietary changes.

However, new research has now revealed another powerful option.

This unique exercise routine dramatically improves strength—and slashes pain—in less than two months.

Muscle loss is a major problem for those battling rheumatoid arthritis. After all, when you’re in pain, you naturally move less, and that leads to shrinking muscles.

Muscle atrophy steals your independence and increases your risk of falls, fractures, and early death.

The obvious solution is strength training. But let’s face it—it hurts.

However, new research reveals a surprising solution.

In a new study, rheumatoid arthritis patients completed two one-hour weight-training sessions per week. But while they performed their arm and leg exercises, they wore a blood-flow-restricting (BFR) cuff around the limb.

You see, muscles need oxygen for energy—so when you restrict blood flow, they’re forced to work harder.

In other words, you automatically get more bang for your exercise buck.

The restriction also allows you to lift lighter weights (reducing pain, injuries, and flare-ups) with greater benefits.

In under two months, patients saw big gains in strength and movement—and, most importantly, dramatic pain relief.

Earlier studies back up these benefits, showing that exercise reduces pain, improves range of motion, eases stiffness, enhances balance, and improves overall quality of life for those with rheumatoid arthritis.

It works for two reasons…

• Stronger muscles naturally support and protect your joints
• Exercise reduces inflammation, the key driver behind the pain, swelling, and stiffness of rheumatoid arthritis

I get it—when you’re in chronic pain, it can be challenging to get off the couch, let alone exercise. But I promise that the payoff always makes the effort worthwhile.

If you’re interested in using oxygen restriction to boost the benefits of your weight-training workouts, BFR cuffs are available online. To get started, I recommend working with a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or personal trainer on their proper use.

P.S. WARNING… this popular arthritis shot accelerates joint damage!

View Sources

Bennett, H., Mezzini, A., Proudman, S., Griggs, K., & Davison, K. (2025). An evaluation of progressive blood flow restricted resistance training and exercise preferences in individuals with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Disability and Rehabilitation, 1–12. doi:10.1080/09638288.2025.2462765