Everyday Tips for Managing Your Arthritis

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If you suffer from arthritis, you want to ensure you're always keeping your doctor's appointments and following your doctor's advice carefully. This will ensure that you aren't making the condition worse, and it will also ensure that you're managing your arthritis pain. However, there are also many things you can do yourself to manage your arthritis; note a few of those here, and discuss them with your doctor so he or she understands the changes you'll be making and can adjust your medication, physical therapy sessions or other arthritis treatments as needed.

Get massages

Your doctor may prescribe physical therapy for your arthritis, but regular massages between those visits can be very beneficial. Massage helps to strengthen your blood circulation, and blood brings healing oxygen and nutrients to all the body's cells, including those affected by arthritis. A good massage can also loosen all the muscles of your body so they're stronger and can then better support your arthritic joints.

Choose a massage therapist who offers a treatment meant for arthritis, as they can then target certain areas of your body in particular. At the very least, ensure you tell the massage therapist what joints are affected by your arthritis so they know to avoid those areas or to massage them very delicately.

Eat the right fats

Saturated fats can be very unhealthy, as these might clog your arteries and raise your cholesterol levels. However, healthy fats are needed by the body to lubricate joints; going without these fats can then make those arthritic joints even more stiff and painful. Your doctor can advise you on the best fats to eat and on how much is safe for your overall health, but ask him or her about adding olive oil, fatty fish like mackerel and tuna, and other such sources of healthy fats to your diet.

Avoid stress

Stress can make your arthritis more painful, as you might tense up certain areas of your body when under stress. In turn, your muscles cannot relax and support your arthritic joints, so you feel added pain. Stress may also interfere with healthy blood circulation, which is also needed to manage your arthritis.

You might also handle stress in ways that make arthritis worse, such as by indulging in comfort foods that cause you to gain weight, or by smoking, which narrows the arteries and also affects your heart health. Learn effective ways of managing stress and discuss your stress levels with your doctor during your next check-up, as he or she can also give you advice on how to cope with stress every day.

14 August 2017