Living with Arthritis

Living with arthritis can be quite disruptive and discomfiting. The pain and stiffness in the joints can make it difficult to carry out simple everyday tasks such as cooking a meal or dressing up. Therefore, if you have arthritis, it is very important to take good care of yourself to relieve pain, improve function and cope with difficult emotions. Adopting a healthy lifestyle and certain energy conservation strategies will also help in accomplishing daily chores more easily and protect your joints from unnecessary stress. Here are a few self-management habits that will help you in successfully managing the disease-

1. Exercise

In case your arthritis is painful, then you may not feel like exercising. But, being active can help prevent and even eliminate pain. Researchers at The Arthritis Foundation have suggested that yoga poses, breathing and relaxation techniques are helpful in reducing tenderness and swelling. Regular exercise will also improve joint mobility, increase muscle strength and reduce stiffness. However, if you have a lot of pain while exercising, stop and talk to your doctor.

2. Eat healthy

Eating a healthy well balanced diet, will give you all the required nutrients and help in maintaining optimal body weight. Your diet should include fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products.

If you are obese/overweight, losing weight will help in easing arthritic symptoms as extra body weight puts undue strain on lower extremity joints namely hip, knee, ankle, feet and even spine. Losing weight will really help you in coping up with the disease.

3. Sleep well

A good night sleep is relaxing and will relieve pain. Try going to bed at the same time every night and take away distractions like television and mobile phones. If you are uncomfortable in bed due to arthritis, try using pillows to take the pressure off painful joints.

4. Keep pain under control

Several over the counter medications are available to ease arthritis pain and swelling. However, each medicine comes with certain side effects and it is not recommended to take any pain reliever for more than 10 days without consulting your doctor.

5. Make home modifications

Incorporating simple home modifications will make a task less exhausting for someone with arthritis. For example, a grab bar can be mounted next to the toilet seat to offer support while sitting and getting up from the seat. Items of daily use should always be kept at a hand’s distance and not inside shelves or drawers to avoid unnecessary bending, stooping, reaching or griping.