Everyday ways to cope with Arthritis

Being diagnosed with arthritis doesn't mean that you have to wait in pain for the next specialist appointment or for new medication to arrive.  There are many ways in which you can manage arthritis comfortably on your own time and at your own pace.

We have listed a few of the simple measures to help you deal with the challenges that are associated with arthritis.

Knowledge is power
The importance of knowledge and understanding of ones own health cannot be overtstated. Many people say that learning about their arthritis and what they can do about it gives them back a feeling of control over their lives.

Healthviews provides a good start to understanding and managing your arthritis.  It is advisable to learn about:

• Symptom management skills to lessen pain by exercising, using heat or cold, or other strategies
• Coping skills to help contend with the arthritis-related changes, including changes in appearance, mood, or levels of pain and stress
• Activity planning, so that if symptoms are problematic, activities are planned for the best times or days

On-line forums are also an excellent place where those living with arthritis and/or those who have loved ones living with arthritis can ask questions, gain insight, share common experiences, draw inspiration, encourage each other and build friendships.

Team Appoach
The best way of living well with arthritis is by working closely with your healthcare team which could include doctors, rheumatoligists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses and psychologists.

Remember that you are the most important member of your healthcare team.  Make sure you establish and maintain good communication with all the other members.

Your doctor or rheumatoligist can also serve as a reseacher when they provide a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.  Knowledge along with informed opinion and insight leads to teamwork which can be the best approach in healthcare.

Positive Attitude
The stress of waging a constant health battle can get to you. Day after day, week after week. It's easy to get down, depressed.

There's good scientific evidence that a positive attitude is necessary for optimal physical health. It's the mind-body connection. As studies have shown, your state of mind is an essential element in your health and well-being. 

Some ways to remain motivated:
- continually focus on waht you can do rather than waht you cannot do
- devise startegies and  set goeals in order to continue living life to the fullest
- focus on remianing active and maintaing as much independence as possible

Communication
Arthritis not only affects the person who has the condition but also the people around them so educate them so that they can learn to adjust and adapt to the changes too.

Let your family and friends know when living with arthritis becomes a challenge or when you are frustrated with the disease. Share your feeling with them, express nay need for assistance, convey thier need for patience, understanding and support.

Stay active but pace yourself
The pain will be there whether you choose to do something or not, so it makes good sense to use your time and energy to do whatever you find enjoyable.

You need to be mobile every single day in order to keep your current range of movement.  Engaging in activities like shopping, visiting, walking, travelling, swimming etc will not only help with mobilty but hopefully also remind you that life, even with arthritis, is still worth living.

Even if you only manage a ten minute walk daily then those tem minutes will do wonders for you mood, joints and pain in the long term.

Take Stock
Don't push yourself if you don't have to use your body to move, push or pull something.  Living with arthritis means taking stock of what you can and cannot do - create new ways of doing the same things without hurting yourself.  This might mean buying assistive devices (e.g. large-grip kitchen tools or fat pens with gel padding), losing weight or using the larger joints (e.g hips) instead of the smaller ones to lift things.

Learn to Relax
Arthritis not only takes a physical toll but also a mental one too. The mind often gets cluttered with thoughts about dealing with difficulties and adjusting to life with a chronic condition so it is beneficial to focus on other things in an attempt to clear the mind.

Meditation is a very useful relaxation procedure in releasing tension.  Learning to relax and meditate can ease muscle tension and help fight fatigue so time spent meditating can give the body and mind needed relief.

Meditation, deep breathing, guided visualization, biofeedback and self-hypnosis can reduce stress, pain, anxiety and depression.

Exercise
By stretching the joints that you use the most you are not only making your body work better, you'll be making your disease easier to manage.  Try to focus on the larger joints (knees, ankles, hips,  back) at least once a day for a cat-like stretch to invigorate the mind, body and spirit.

Arthrits varies from person to person and you need to find out which exercises work best for you and how to do them correctly.

Watch your weight
Being overweight puts more stress on the joints. As a matter of fact, a weight gain of 10 pounds can mean an equivalent stress increase of 40 pounds on the knees. So if you are carrying excess pounds, losing weight can help improve joint function.

Sleep
Sleep restores your energy so that you can better manage pain. It also rests your joints to reduce pain and swelling. Most people need seven to nine hours of sleep per night. If you feel tired and achy after lunch every day, taking a brief nap (15 to 20 minutes) can help restore your energy and spirits. If you have trouble sleeping at night, try relaxing quietly in the afternoon rather than taking a nap.

Related Articles:

Arthritis Basics

A walk through understanding arthritis better

Conquering Arthritis

Exercises for Arthritis

Arthritis Pain Relief