Hi - Welcome to Mayo Connect. You will find a great community of people living with a variety of challenges, and learn how they cope. We are not health professionals, so we don't dispense medical advice, but rather share our own experiences.

I have osteoarthritis, with rigidity and some stenosis in my spine from top to bottom, and have tried a lot of ways to manage the pain and stiffness. I see a physical therapist whose training combines traditional therapy & osteopathic training. He works with me to find specific home exercise to mobilize my spine and the surrounding muscles. With arthritis, which presents itself differently in every body, the most important thing, as you have discovered, is to KEEP MOVING.

If massage therapy helps you, there are hand-held massagers, with or without heat that may help. Here's one example (have not tried this one - ours is no longer available) https://www.amazon.com/Percussion-Adjustable-Intensity-Interchangeable-Shoulders/dp/B008981SDI/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=handheld+massager&qid=1603128383&sr=8-9.
I also find pressure point therapy using a Muscle Hook helpful after I stretch my neck & shoulders - here is the Muscle hook, widely available on line : https://gofit.net/products/muscle-hook I specifically like this one for its versatility & stiffness.

When I had my first hip implant, and later when my spinal involvement was discovered, two different ortho docs were adamant - running, except on a cushioned treadmill, is not a good exercise for an arthritic body. I had been a regular jogger and runner for almost 40 years, so I was quite upset, but now after 15 years I am over it, except for an occasional game of tag with my grandkids. My current exercise is very fast walking or bicycling. Others find swimming to be a good exercise, but it's not for me, although I sometimes walk, jog & stretch in the pool. You just have to find what suits you and your life.

Sue