HEALTH WATCH : Advances Offer Hope for Eliminating Arthritis

Arthritis, which has afflicted humankind since antiquity, may be eliminated in the next few decades, according to a researcher for the Arthritis Foundation.

“In this decade, we will see a whole range of new arthritis treatments being developed,” says Dr. Brian Butcher, group vice president of research for the foundation.

“And each day, researchers are one small step closer to finding cures and preventions for arthritis diseases.”

During the past few months, there have been several important research advances, including the discovery of an antibody treatment that blocks the effects of inflammatory arthritis.

Walk, Don’t Run: Not sure how to walk? Here, the three stages of “Bodywalk,” a method devised by Reebok, a fitness walker and researchers at San Diego State University:

* Technique 1: Easy walking (16-minute mile or slower) with focus on posture. The head should be up, the shoulders back and down, the chest up to avoid hunched posture that is less mechanically efficient. Abdominal muscles should be tucked in to support the lower back.

* Technique 2: Faster (13- to 15-minute mile), with arms at 90-degree angles and pumping forward and back (not side to side); according to the Reebok program, this helps the walker proceed at a faster pace. Forearms should be kept toward the front of the body and palms should not swing past the hips or above the sternum. Walker should roll all the way through the foot, from the heel that is planted to the ball of the foot and toes that launch the walker forward.

* Technique 3: Fastest (12-minute mile and faster), with hips moving back and forth to accommodate quicker, shorter steps, placing one foot in front of the other.