Take care of yourself and your arthritis by learning more about dealing with this condition. There are many different factors that go into preventing and reducing the symptoms of arthritis. In this article we will cover a few areas that you can focus on to deal with this condition.
Learn as much as you can about the disease. The more you know about the symptoms and treatments for arthritis, the more of an active role you can play in your treatment plan. It can also help you to feel less alone, to read about what others with the condition are going through and what they’ve been trying.
Watch out for co-morbid condition, especially depression. Arthritis and depression can lock you into a feedback loop: you’re tired and in pain, so you can’t do the things you love, which makes you more upset. Being upset then leads to symptom flare-ups. If you think you are depressed, speak with your doctor about a referral to a psychiatrist.
Lay down the clipper on your thigh, then press down using the heal on your hand. This helps you from not having to use your sore fingers while making it much easier to finish the task.
Just sit back, shut your eyes, and breathe. Doing this will help you focus on something else and feel less pain.
Aromatherapy can help to reduce your arthritis pain, so it’s worth giving the idea some thought. Research has proven that aromatherapy aids in the relaxation of muscles and joints thus decreasing the pain of chronic conditions such as arthritis.
If you suffer from arthritis in your fingers or your hands, you may want to consider rubbing mineral oil on your hands. The natural ingredients of mineral oil have been proven to ease the pain of arthritis in the hands and fingers. To make this method effective, be sure to put the mineral oil on your hands and then put rubber gloves on them.
Budget your energy wisely. If you know you will have an important task to take care of later in the day, be sure to remind yourself not to get too tired beforehand. Knowing how you are going to expend your energy during the day can help to make sure you get the things most important to you finished.
If excess weight and poor physical fitness are things that you struggle with, then deal with these things immediately. Being overweight can negatively impact your arthritis symptoms. If you drop some pounds, you could reduce the pain and other effects of your condition. The amount of your arthritic suffering that gets relieved by dropping just five or ten pounds can really be eye-opening.
Watch for symptoms of depression when you are dealing with psoriatic arthritis. The fatigue you experience with psoriatic arthritis can mask the symptoms of depression. It is hard to feel like you will ever be normal again after the diagnosis. Make sure to see a doctor and deal with symptoms of depression.
Arthritic knees can be very painful, and it is important to try and take stress off or you knees when you have arthritis. One way to do this is by losing weight if you are overweight. Doing this relieves the pressure off of the joints in your knees and helps out immensely.
Make sure your diagnosis is correct before you spend time looking for treatments for a disease that you do not have. Consult your physician and he or she will be able to assist you as to your proper diagnosis and treatment options. After you do this, there are a variety of different options you have.
Be protective of your joints by finding alternative ways of accomplishing tasks. Opening doors with your shoulder as opposed to your hands or sliding objects instead of lifting them can prevent some of the pain or discomfort you feel. Try resting books on the palm of your hand as opposed to using your fingers.
Hopefully these tips have given you some things to consider when dealing with your condition. While we can’t cover every possible tip here, you can use what you have learned to go out and discover more. Knowledge is the best weapon we have in the fight against arthritis and its effects.
