Arthritis is one of the more common debilitating conditions for people worldwide. It can cause you great pain and greatly alter your lifestyle. For people with arthritis, daily activities become stressors and ordinary tasks become painful undertakings.

Though there’s no way to avoid some of the more painful activities in your day-to-day life, here are a few helpful hints to help you manage your pain and treat your arthritis. Our hope is that with these tips, you can achieve some degree of normalcy in your life and get back to doing the things you love.

Learn about your condition

Do you know your type of arthritis? Is it osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis? They are different conditions that call for different treatments. Make an appointment with a concierge doctor to diagnose your condition. A concierge doctor will help you come up with a treatment plan to best help you manage your pain and improve your condition.

Keep your joints moving

When it comes to joint pain, pay attention. Listen to your body when you are sitting, standing, walking, bending and so on. What causes you pain? The key is to not allow your arthritis to relegate you to a sedentary lifestyle. It’s important to stay active. One of the best ways to combat arthritis is to keep your joints moving. But listen to your body, and know your limits.

Learn good posture

With arthritis, your body will have a hard time with any kind of mobility. If you’re immobile for too long, you will lose your flexibility, making it extremely hard to get back, especially if you’re in pain. Be proactive and practice good posture. Be aware of your posture when you’re walking, standing and sitting. If you reinforce good posture, you’ll retain the strength and flexibility that are important to keep your body mobile.

Exercise

Keep as active as you can through exercise. Focus on exercises that strengthen not only the muscles but also the joints. Stretching and range-of-motion exercises are key to staying active longer.

Low-impact aerobic exercises are important, both for your overall health and for maintaining a healthy weight. Keeping extra weight off is a huge factor in reducing arthritic pain. These exercises include walking, biking, swimming and water aerobics.

Note: your exercise program should first be approved by your physician.

Know your limits

Unfortunately, you may not be able to run or take part in high-impact aerobic activities anymore. Listen to your body and know your limits. Common activities that people with arthritis are advised to avoid include running, jumping, tennis and basketball.

Golf may be OK, but again, listen to your body, practice good posture, and focus on range-of-motion exercises to add longevity to your golf game.

Embrace therapy

Sometimes, trying to cope with daily tasks with arthritis feels hopeless. Depression and other effects on mental health are common with arthritis. There are a number of therapies, both physical and mental, that you can use to combat the negative effect that arthritis can have on your mood. Helpful therapies for coping with arthritis include:

  • Massage therapy
  • Acupuncture
  • Relaxation therapy
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy
  • Hot and cold therapy

This article is general information, not advice for your situation. Members can call the office with questions about their own care.