Treatment
Movement and exercise: feeling able to do more in daily life again
‘You should move more’ is easy to say. But if your knee hurts, a tendon aches after a walk or your back feels unreliable during activity, the key questions remain unanswered: what kind of movement? How much is right for me? And how will I know I am making progress?
Open individual sections or all the details on this page.
What should you clarify before starting or if new symptoms develop?
Please mention any known heart, circulatory or lung conditions, previous fractures and current restrictions on activity. Dizziness, repeated falls or symptoms that become unusually severe and remain worse after activity also need medical assessment before you increase activity. General advice to be active does not replace this assessment.
If you experience chest pressure, severe breathlessness, collapse or sudden paralysis, stop the activity and seek medical help immediately; call 112 in an emergency. Do not try to overcome these signs by switching to a different exercise. Discuss which less urgent changes require earlier contact with your doctor in relation to your condition.
Understanding
A closer look
At OrthoCoast, we want to work through these questions with you in practical terms. Movement should suit your condition, your current capacity for activity and your daily life. Perhaps you would like to spend longer out and about with your partner, get up safely from the floor or return to a familiar sport. That goal is the starting point for medical advice on movement and exercise.
What can movement help you achieve?
Strength, mobility, endurance and balance serve different purposes. A walk can improve endurance but does not automatically replace targeted strength or balance training. Which elements matter depends on what you find difficult and your medical circumstances.
Regular activity can help maintain physical abilities and manage daily life more independently. Small steps count too. If you have been inactive for a long time, you do not have to begin with an extensive exercise programme. An achievable starting point is easier to incorporate into your day and build on. We want to work out with you what is realistic, without minimising your symptoms or overloading your daily life with extra obligations.
Why does the diagnosis influence your exercise plan?
For osteoarthritis, appropriate strengthening and movement can have a positive effect on pain and function. A tendon, by contrast, needs an activity plan suited to its current response and the affected site. After an injury or operation, temporary restrictions may apply and need to be considered when choosing exercises.
‘Movement is healthy’ is therefore not yet a suitable treatment plan. Advice that worked well for someone else may be too early, too intense or unrelated to your actual goal. Particularly after a longer break, it is worth assessing your starting point together. With osteoporosis or an increased risk of falling, safety, balance and any previous fractures also need to be considered in the plan.
Further information
How can a wish become a manageable goal?
Tell us what you would like to be able to do again and describe what you can currently manage. ‘I want to get fitter’, for example, can become a question of whether you can complete a particular walk without several breaks. ‘I want to strengthen my knee’ may mean feeling more secure when standing up or climbing stairs.
We bring this information together with the examination, diagnosis and previous experiences. It also helps to know which activities you enjoy and what opportunities you have at home or nearby. A plan is of little help if you lack the equipment, time or support it requires. Please discuss such barriers openly. They are part of planning together, not a personal failing.
Medical advice and physiotherapy support
The doctor’s role is to assess your symptoms and capacity for activity, discuss the treatment goal and consider whether additional physiotherapy would be useful. During physiotherapy, you can learn suitable exercises and receive feedback on how you perform them. You arrange the appointments and specific therapeutic guidance with your treating physiotherapy practice.
You are welcome to bring existing exercise plans or reports to your medical appointment. We can then discuss what has already been agreed, what helps and where questions remain. If you have not understood an exercise or feel unsure how to perform it, this should be clarified. Guidance should enable you to continue appropriately between treatment appointments; it does not need to include as many different exercises as possible.
Increasing activity and observing your response
An exercise plan needs feedback from your daily life. For example, observe how you tolerate an activity during and afterwards, and whether you can manage as usual the following day. This information is often more useful than whether you completed as many repetitions as possible.
Not every reaction automatically means damage. Equally, not all pain should be assumed harmless. Which symptoms are acceptable within your plan and when you should pause or seek advice must reflect the diagnosis. Significantly increasing swelling, new loss of strength or persistent worsening are reasons to review the plan. After surgery, the agreed activity restrictions apply; general exercise tips do not replace them.
If muscle loss or osteosarcopenia is the main concern, BIA, strength measurement and functional tests can supplement follow-up. We want to know whether standing up, walking and your capacity for activity are changing alongside the measurements. Similar measurement conditions are important for comparison; we can then repeat the same measurements after some time to assess, for example, your progress with exercise.
How can you move forward after a setback?
A worse day can be unsettling, especially if you had previously noticed progress. If useful, note what has changed: was the distance longer, was there an additional activity or did you sleep badly? This is not about finding fault with yourself. It helps make your response more understandable and prepare for the next decision.
If the current plan consistently does not fit your daily life or is not allowing any noticeable progress, please raise this. Sometimes the amount of activity needs adjusting, a different exercise is needed or a further medical assessment is appropriate. The aim is not to stick to a plan at any cost. What matters is whether a clear approach helps you regain more freedom in what you can do.
What to expect and next steps
Your doctors and the next step
At OrthoCoast, your doctors for advice on movement and exercise are Priv. Doz. Dr. med. habil. Richard Kasch, Dr. med. Christoph Jährling and Björn Weidemann. Dipl. med. Matthias Dallmann also provides advice on movement and exercise. We arrange appointments during his locum work personally.
The first step is to discuss your goal, suitable options and alternatives. Whether a particular service can be prescribed by a doctor or would be self-funded is clarified for the specific measure. If you have German statutory health insurance and are considering a self-funded service not covered by GKV, we discuss its scope and expected cost using a cost estimate. You can also take time to consider the decision at home. We provide the service only after you have signed to confirm that you want the treatment and accept its cost.
Our doctors in this specialty
Priv. Doz. Dr. med. habil.Richard Kasch
Specialist in orthopaedics and trauma surgery
View profile
Dr. med.Christoph Jährling
Specialist in orthopaedics and trauma surgery
DVO-certified osteologist
View profile
Björn Weidemann
Specialist in orthopaedics and trauma surgery
DVO-certified osteologist
View profileThese doctors can support you with medical guidance. Together, we discuss which movements and activities matter to you in daily life.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be sporty for exercise to help?
No. Your starting point and an achievable goal determine how you begin. Everyday movements can also be an important first step. If symptoms have not yet been assessed, we first discuss which activities are suitable for you.
Do I need a gym for this?
Not every exercise goal requires a gym or special equipment. Suitable options depend on your goal, your safety and the guidance you need. Do not buy equipment solely on the basis of a general recommendation.
How often and for how long should I exercise?
There is no useful general answer without knowing the diagnosis, exercise and your capacity for activity. Ask for an explanation of what to do, how to begin and how to recognise when the next adjustment is needed.
Can I directly arrange a follow-up treatment that has already been discussed?
If treatment at OrthoCoast has already been medically recommended and agreed with you, use the appointment route discussed. A further consultation is then not planned solely to arrange the appointment. If symptoms or circumstances have changed, please let us know before continuing.
Your next step
