Anyone who is dealing with arthritis knows that it is a difficult condition to manage. Not only does severe pain strike you at the most inopportune times, but you have to find ways to live in a way that you aren’t further harming your joints. One of the best things you can do for arthritis, however, is learn the key ways to avoid pain and further joint damage, with these tips providing a great load of information.
Buy accessories for your life and your home that make things easier. For example, you can purchase products that make it easier for you to open doors or take the lids off of jars. If you can increase the ease of your daily life, you’ll reduce pain and stress and improve your attitude.
Try different treatments with hot and cold packs to see what works for you. Different patients have different success with hot or cold compresses. Generally, chronic pain responds well to heat, while sudden onset pain responds best to cold packs. Everyone is different, however, and your initial treatment attempts may not bring immediate relief.
If you have been diagnosed with arthritis, you must never exercise while wearing old, worn-out shoes. When your shoes are worn out, they do not distribute your weight evenly. Your joints may also suffer from poor footwear. Buy new exercise shoes on a regular basis, particularly when you find that the wear on the bottom of the soles is uneven.
Exercises that are low impact, such as swimming, cycling and walking, are shown to assist in easing some pain from arthritis. Ask your doctor if you do not feel right about exercise.
You should find ways to eliminate stress and relax to help manage your arthritis. When your body undergoes stress, it releases chemicals that can trigger inflammation and increase body pain thus affecting your arthritis. You need to brush up on managing time and exercising to deal with stress and anxiety.
Eat plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids to help combat inflammation. Recent studies have shown that Omega-3 fatty acids can help to reduce inflammation for arthritis sufferers. Food sources that are high in Omega-3s include fish, walnuts, and flaxseed. Better yet, try adding cod liver oil to your diet. Not only is it rich in Omega-3s, but it also has been shown to help significantly reduce arthritis pain.
When used with a combination of medicines and other treatments, hypnosis has been proven to help with arthritis. Although doctors are not sure why, patient studies have shown that hypnosis can ease arthritis pain in up to 75% of patients. It is recommended that patients have three rounds of hypnotherapy for the most effective results.
If you suffer from arthritis in your fingers or your hands, you may want to consider rubbing mineral oil on your hands. The natural ingredients of mineral oil have been proven to ease the pain of arthritis in the hands and fingers. To make this method effective, be sure to put the mineral oil on your hands and then put rubber gloves on them.
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 in spite of your condition.
Listen to what your body has to say. Arthritis is different for everyone, and only you know how bad the condition is for you. Therefore, listen to what your body says and follow what it is telling you to do. If you ever get worn out, cease your activity and get some rest.
Know your limits. Pushing yourself too hard can be detrimental to your health and safety. If you want to attempt something that may be a reach, try to have someone nearby in case you need assistance. You do not want to cause undue stress on your mind or your joints, so give yourself boundaries.
Many people tend to have bad posture and do all sorts of things that wreak havoc on their bodies. When you have arthritis, it is even more important to pay close attention to things like this. You need to make sure you maintain good posture and the correct positioning of your body.
Do not use your hands if you don’t have to. Even if they are not currently bothering you, protect them as much as possible; if you can open a door by pushing it with you shoulder, do so. This will help lessen the amount of pain that you feel in your joints and allow you to lead a more regular life.
Be sure to establish a proper balance between exercise and rest in your daily life. When you get plenty of exercise, as well as plenty of rest, you will find your arthritis is less bothersome. Remember that even very fit athletes need to give their bodies time to rest and recuperate between workouts, and so do you.
Occupational therapy has been known to help people who suffer from arthritis. Sometimes this kind of therapy is covered by many health insurance plans. Occupational therapy will help identify problem areas in your lifestyle and work with you to find ways to eliminate them or help you work with them to lead a more pain free life.
If you’re the parent of a child with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, it’s your job to ensure that your child receives physical therapy on a continual basis, engages in a regular exercise routine, and is administered any pain relief medications as prescribed. Taking precautions to protect joints is imperative, but so is exercise to keep children flexible and healthy.
You can try everything you want, but until you understand arthritis and the pain that it causes, you aren’t going to fully understand what it takes to ensure that you are managing your condition appropriately. From the first doctor’s visit to the many treatments you may try, you want to know what to expect from the start to the end.
