Managing
your arthritis may feel impossible. Not only does it complicate a number of
everyday tasks, but the pain can be excruciating. But as difficult as dealing
with arthritis may seem, there are a number of things that can be done to help.
The
following eight tips inside this article will give you some of the best tips on
how to better deal with your arthritis.
- Make time in your day to do the things you love. Increased stress levels can lead to more arthritis flare-ups. If you find time to do the activities you enjoy, you'll improve your mood and your energy levels. This kind of effect will lead to lasting improvement for your symptoms.
- It is important that you have enough calcium in your diet if you suffer from arthritis. Medical research has proven that inflammatory arthritis conditions are worse if a person does not have enough calcium in their diet. You can find calcium in foods like milk, cheese, and ice cream.
- It is important that you quit smoking if you suffer from arthritis. It is a proven medical fact that smoking can make your arthritis symptoms worse. Also, if you smoke and you are taking medications to control your arthritis symptoms, smoking can actually decrease the positive effects of these medications.
- Learn ways to adapt to your child/grandchild's need to play without injuring yourself or making your arthritis worse. If your child wants to play on the floor, try sitting on the bed or on the stairs to give yourself a break from trying to get up and down from the floor.
- As a treatment for any fatigue-causing pain, look to heat. Some people swear by cold as the best way to treat pain, but it's not the case for anyone who suffers from arthritis. Pain that fatigues is best treated with heat; the warmth not only reduces pain, it also increases your energy.
- Whenever you must do an activity that is strenuous, take advantage of any assisting devices which can help to make long periods of standing or lifting heavy objects easier and less damaging. More joint damage simply means you will have more pain, so keep less pressure on your body when performing strenuous activities.
- Learn as much as you can about your condition if you have arthritis. The old adage that knowledge is power is especially true in this case. The more you learn about your form of arthritis and its treatments, the better chance you have of living a full and active life.
- Last, but not least, consult a pain management expert or find the best orthopedic surgeons near you to treat your chronic arthritis pain when it becomes too difficult to bear.
Millions of people successfully manage their arthritis, and
you can too. While your arthritis may always be a burden, applying the advice
in this article can make it much easier to live with. Take the time to give
these tips a try and find out what works for you. Once you try them, you'll be
wishing you looked for advice a lot sooner.
