Arthritis is a painful condition in the joints that causes inflammation, stiffness and most of all pain. As we age, these conditions become worse due to wear and tear on our joints, and managing the pain and related symptoms can become even more of a challenge.
For those who are dealing with arthritis related pain, managing the pain can be a major concern. Fortunately, there are several factors that we can directly control that can help reduce inflammation and pain overall. While these tips won’t eliminate your arthritis, they can help you to better manage the pain you feel on a daily basis.
Hot and Cold Therapy to Reduce Arthritis Pain
Remember those days when you’d play catch and wind up with a sore shoulder? Your mother likely told you to “throw some ice on it.” When back pain strikes, one of the first things many people do is take a few ibuprofen and grab the heating pad.
Hot and cold therapy helps reduce arthritis pain and while it’s a very temporary solution, it does actually work! Simply taking a warm bath and applying a heating bad while watching TV can help to ease stiffness in your joints, while an ice pack can help to relieve joint pain after a long day. When you’re looking to loosen up in the morning look to heat, but when you need a quick bit of pain reilief, grab an ice pack and give yourself a break.
Get Active and Start Exercising
Just about any major life problem can be solved in one way or another through exercise. It helps you control your weight, gives you more energy and overall just improves your quality of life. While intense sprinting exercises or body building may be out of the question, low impact type exercises like swimming allow you to move freely and to move your joints with little resistance. Looking for something a bit more involved? Try out yoga!
Take Control of Your Diet
Our diets have a much bigger impact on our quality of life than most of us realize or care to admit. The foods we eat provide our bodies with the energy we need, and the vitamins and minerals we need to thrive. Avoid fast food, foods with a high sodium content and inflammatory foods to help reduce arthritis symptoms. Also, including the right fatty acids in your diet can not only help with pain relief but are known to have similar effects as NSAIDs.
Be Mindful of Your Weight
Our final tip takes into account exercise and diet, as they both play a crucial role in maintaing a healthy weight. As the numbers on the scale begin to rise, the amount of stress that is placed on our joints increases as well. With arthritis already causing signifcant joint pain, keeping your weight under control can help reduce the chance of worsening this pain.
Have arthritis and want to reduce arthritis pain? Schedule an appointment with Dr. Warner today!
{{cta(‘5bdf3d7d-fe06-4fff-814a-274edbdda674’)}}
