Tips for Managing the Pain of Arthritis
- Posted on: Jun 15 2020
If you’re dealing with arthritis, you know how much pain it can cause. Arthritis is, in fact, the number one cause of pain in the world. It can make it difficult to work, exercise, enjoy your hobbies, and even do simple things such as a button shirt. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can manage arthritis pain and keep it from overwhelming your life. While taking over-the-counter medication is one such way, there are other options that don’t involve medication.
Cut Out Unhealthy Habits
Smoking and excessive drinking can make arthritis pain worse. When you smoke, the connective tissues in the body are put under more stress. This can make the pain worse. Drinking affects the body in many different ways, leaving it without the nutrients it needs. Both smoking and heavy drinking can also leave the body vulnerable to other diseases and conditions.
Exercise Regularly
Movement can help decrease how stiff your joints and are even decrease the amount of pain you’re in. However, you want to make certain you’re doing the right type of exercises so you’re not damaging your body further. Don’t do anything that involves repetitive motions or high impact. This means you want to avoid running, jumping, doing high impact aerobics, and playing sports such as tennis. Instead, look for exercises that involve improving your range of motion and on stretching. Things such as walking, water exercises, cycling, and low-impact aerobics will help a lot, as will yoga and tai-chi.
Try Acupuncture
Acupuncture can give some relief for arthritis pain. It does vary from person to person, though. For some, acupuncture does help reduce their pain quite a bit. You will want to make certain the person you’re seeing is a qualified, trained acupuncturist. Also note that acupuncture doesn’t always work immediately. It can take a few weeks before you start to feel relief.
Relax
Relaxing helps reduce stress, which in turn can help reduce inflammation and help you get through the day with less pain. Yoga, meditation, taking a bath, and other techniques can help you relax.
Work with an Expert
If you suffer from arthritis pain, you need to see an expert in pain management to work out what forms of treatment are best for you. Maximum Orthopedics has these experts. Contact us today to set up an appointment.
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