6 tips for people suffering from arthritis

6 tips for people suffering from arthritis

Learn how to manage your symptoms and make it easier to carry out everyday tasks. After being diagnosed with arthritis, the first step is getting professional help and following the treatment plan that they prescribe you, then it is up to you to learn how to manage your situation.

Keep reading for some useful advice from long time arthritis patients:  

1. Lose weight

Say no to a sedentary lifestyle and junk food. Get moving! This is the best piece of advice if you want to lose weight. The less weight you are carrying on your body, the less strain you put on your joints.

If you have spent long periods of time sitting or lying down, try to stretch every 15 minutes and go for a 30-minute walk every day (as if someone was chasing you). Coupled with a healthy diet rich in fresh foods (foods rich in fiber help to metabolize fat) and low in salt, sugar and refined foods, this will help you lose weight.

“At first I didn’t take it seriously. I thought it was just about making me lose weight so I wouldn’t look fat. But once I cleaned up my diet and started walking for 30 minutes each day, not only did I lose weight, but I began noticing that there was less tension in my hips, knees and ankles and my joints were less painful”.

Phil, 56 (osteoarthritis)

The more fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains you incorporate into your diet, the sooner you will see results. Take note of the foods that help your joints and prepare some recipes using these ingredients.

In terms of physical activity, if walking isn’t for you, find what makes you feel good. Swimming, for example, is an activity that can greatly improve your physical condition with the least amount of impact.

It’s all about looking after your joints and staying as active as you can, but with low impact activities in order to reduce pain and stiffness, tone your muscles and improve your physical wellbeing.

Jogging, skipping and cycling on an incline are not recommended, as these are high impact activities that can overload the joints and increase wear in the joint.

2. Do physical therapy

As well as exercise, it is also recommended to attend physiotherapy with a certified health professional in order to improve mobility of the joints affected by arthritis.

“When I told my doctor that my arthritis was hurting me, they recommended that I compliment my medication with physical therapy. During these sessions, they placed heat pads on my wrists and gave me some exercises to increase the range of motion in my wrists. It has really helped with my joint pain”.

Agnes, 71 (rheumatoid arthritis)

As a treatment for arthritis, as well as doing exercises, applying cold/hot compresses and electrotherapy, among other techniques, physiotherapy also teaches you exercises that you can do at home to strengthen your muscles and improve range of motion in your joints.

Talk to your physiotherapist about all the activities that you do at home and ask them to explain the best way to do them. Tasks as simple as picking up something from the ground, if done incorrectly, could severely affect your joints.

3. Take your medicine

If you have already been to the doctor and they prescribed you medication to help with pain and inflammation, take it! Talk to your doctor about your options for relieving pain and the side effects of your medication.

“The hardest thing is definitely the pain, feeling like everything hurts, even your skin. Walking a short distance becomes impossible. If your doctor has prescribed you drugs to help control the pain, take them! Just be careful about side effects and talk to your doctor as soon you notice any”.

Charlie, 52 (gout)

Chronic pain, or pain that doesn’t go away, is one of the most characteristic, debilitating and frustrating symptoms of this disease. The most common way to treat it is with prescription drugs as part of a conventional treatment plan.

Despite the fact that many people around you are also suffering from pain, you never get used to it. Pain causes inflammation and this causes even more pain. But there are options available to help you cope, such as complementary therapies that could be very useful.

4. Use a support device to help you get around

If your mobility is significantly reduced, using a cane, walker wheelchair or mobility scooter can provide a huge support for those suffering from arthritis. Do try your best to keep moving, as your body can grow accustomed to a very little movement until eventually, your muscles lose their ability to function properly.

As well as relieving stress in your joints, these devices can improve your agility, allowing you to move around more easily and in a shorter amount of time.

“I didn’t feel safe walking around outside of my house. Initially, I didn’t want to accept the fact that I needed a walker because it made me feel like an old woman, but after my first fall, I gave up on vanity. Now I use a walker in the house and a mobility scooter when I go out”.

Rachel, 82 (rheumatoid arthritis)

Just because these devices help you, that does not necessarily mean that you are going to depend on them forever. Depending on how your disease progresses, rehabilitation may be possible through physical therapy.

As well as reducing your risk of falling, these aids can also help you to maintain your independence. When using these support devices, you should take into account the following recommendations:

  • Always look ahead of you, not at the ground or at your feet
  • Try to detect obstacles in advance
  • If you use a cane or a walker, move at a speed that works for you. It is not a race. This also applies to mobility scooters.

5. Seek emotional support

Being diagnosed with a disease that affects your day-to-day life is obviously going to have an emotional impact and this should be acknowledged. You may experience anger, denial, frustration, even depression.

If you are worried that you are losing your independence, look for support from your family and a qualified health professional to help you cope with the difficulties that can arise when living with arthritis.

“I just could not believe it, I always thought only old people got arthritis. Initially, I stopped doing everything, but after I started talking to other people who were going through the same thing, I saw that they were carrying on with their lives as normal, which inspired me to do the same”.

Sam, 25 (juvenile arthritis)

For your mental and emotional health, you should try to clear your mind of toxic thoughts, as these are what really debilitate you. Talking to a therapist, family member or someone close to you, will give you a chance to release your emotions and get some perspective.

Surround yourself with people who have experience with arthritis. You can talk to them about your doubts and worries about living with arthritis, share your experiences and useful tips.

Talk to your doctor about being referred to a psychologist, or a trained professional to help you handle the emotional side of living with arthritis and its symptoms. Get your family involved in this process, you will see that you are not alone.

6. Adapt your environment

There are many tools, accessories and devices that can facilitate day-to-day tasks in different areas of your life (home, work, hobbies). Look for stores or websites that sell products such as:

  • Dressing aids
  • Long handled shoe horn
  • Reachers, tools with long handles and a gripping mechanism
  • Cutlery with grips or long handles
  • Easy turn taps or special levers
  • Telephones with large buttons
  • Cushions for your knees (if you have to kneel down)
  • Compression garments for joints
  • Easy grip key turners or levers

“When I was diagnosed 15 years ago, there were no tools to help you. Nowadays, you can find everything from easy grip cutlery to special tools to help you reduce the strain on your hands. When you have arthritis, it’s all about finding ways to avoid straining your joints. Whatever helps reduce the strain on your joints and hurts less, use it. For example, if you have to reach for something high up  and it puts pressure on your shoulders, use a reacher or a grabber. The same goes for putting on your shoes – use a shoe horn! There is always a way to make it easier”.

Henry, 70 (osteoartritis)

Talk to an occupational therapist about the modifications you need to make in the different areas of your life, like putting wheels on furniture to make cleaning easier or look for other tools that will help you stay independent in your daily routine.

What should I do?

Many people who are diagnosed with arthritis worry about losing their independence. This is completely normal, so acknowledge the worry you are feeling and then try to come up with a plan of what you are going to do from now on to help you achieve what you want to do.

Question, investigate and research the medication that is prescribed to you, the treatment plan that has been recommended for you, as well as the latest support devices available for people living with arthritis.

The more information you have, the more informed you will be when it comes to making important decisions about your treatment.

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