Every year, millions of men and women are affected by arthritis. While severe pain is associated with the condition, there are techniques you can learn which will help you to manage the pain. By drawing on the information in this article, you can begin to manage your arthritis in a more life-fulfilling way.
Yoga and meditation are both useful when dealing with arthritis-related pain management. Studies show that these practices help the body to relax, which can also alleviate painful symptoms. In order for these techniques to be effective, it is important that you practice them 3 or 4 times a week.
Sit down in a nice comfy chair, lean back with your eyes closed and take some long, deep breaths. This keeps your mind from focusing on the pain and gets you to think about something happy.
Keep your joints in mind at all times. Even super-quick, simple tasks can be trying if you have arthritis. Pushing items to their destination is easier than lifting. The best option is to ask for help. In order to keep your joints flexible, you must prevent irritation and swelling.
Going back and forth between cold and hot treatments is the best method to help treat and soothe your arthritis symptoms. It is easy to overuse your joints, so use both treatment methods as a way to relieve your pain and lower your swelling. Use such treatments in moderation; over-indulging in heating or icing can cause more joint problems in the future. Try to do these on the maximum capped at two times a day.
Add additional vegetables to your diet, and reduce your meat consumption. Studies have shown that vegetarians afflicted with arthritis suffer less swelling, inflammation, and pain than other arthritis sufferers that include meat in their diets. If you cannot stand to stay away from meat, make sure at least half your plate is filled with veggies to reap most of the same benefits.
Fish Oil
You may want to consider using fish oil if you suffer from arthritis. It has been medically proven that the omega-3 fatty acids that are found in fish oil can reduce joint inflammation and pain. Fish oil supplements are readily available at most supermarkets and drugstores.
If you suffer from chronic arthritis, you could try regular visits to the sauna. Because of the high humidity and heat of a sauna, the inflammation from arthritis is reduced. This can lead to less pain. In order to get results from it, you will have to go to the sauna consistently.
A cane offers great support. Many people with arthritis will not use a cane, since they think it signifies a type of disability. Using a cane can actually reduce the amount of pain you experience; this can enable, rather than disable you. Choose a cane that fits your personality to feel more comfortable using it.
Find good assisting tools and devices to help you perform more difficult activities. If lifting heavy objects or you need to stand a long time, take precautions to protect the joints from extra pressure to avoid further damaging them. More joint damage will increase pain, so avoid any sort of long-term exertion if you can.
Try not to let stress get a choke hold on you. In some instances, stress will trigger swelling and painful inflammation. Try to get control of your stress so you can control your body more clearly.
Arthritis sufferers need to take more care than the average person to avoid the sun. Unfortunately, those afflicted with arthritis are also more likely to contract other conditions, such as Lupus. Preventing these aggravated conditions can be as simple as keeping yourself covered and using ample amounts of sunscreen.
As you’ve learned, you are not alone in suffering from arthritis because millions suffer from at least one type of it. Learning all you can about dealing with arthritis is the best way to properly deal with it. Put the information you found here to use to better deal with your arthritis.
