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Arthritis pain: Do’s and don’ts

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If you are suffering from arthritis, the pain you experience can be really distressing. It can give you a real tough time, making your routine tasks like climbing the stairs, sitting or standing for a long time an ordeal. However if you follow certain tips you can easily keep the pain at rest. You must also ensure to take a proper medical help from an orthopedist and regularly following the medication prescribed. Besides the medical treatment, you can also follow some guidelines to stay free from pain.

1. Everyday routine tasks

Do’s

a) In order to overcome the morning stiffness, do some exercises in the previous evening.

b) Stretch your body parts like neck, arms and leg. You can do so by watching TV or sitting at your desk.

c) While sitting, ensure not to put too much pressure on your joints. Change your position frequently. Never sit in one position for more than a hour.

Don’ts

a) Do not exert your body beyond limit and your age.

b) Do not overstress your joint as that can cause more pain.

c) Avoid sitting at your desk for too long; take frequent breaks and walk a little bit during the breaks.

2. Exercise

Exercising is the best way to avoid pain, as it helps you to strengthen your muscles and lessen the pain. While exercising, move your joint in order to decrease the pain.

Do’s

a) Choose appropriate activities that help in building muscles around the joints without damaging the joints.

b) Stretch your legs as many times as possible.

c) Try to focus on strength-giving exercises in order to increase the endurance of joints.

d) You can opt for aerobic exercise which has low-impact. This includes activities like walking, cycling, or swimming as exercises.

e) Control your weight by exercising and eating healthy food.

Don’ts

a) Avoid activities which lay most stress on your joints like running, jumping, playing tennis etc.

b) Avoid high-impact aerobics exercises.

c) Do not repeat the same movement many times, as it may put pressure on your legs and increase the pain.

3. Medications

Arthritis pain can be eased out by proper medical treatment and taking the medicines which your orthopedist prescribes.

Do’s

a) Use hot water bag on the affected joint to relieve the pain and ease the stiffness of the joints.

b) You can also apply cold packs to provide comfort to the aching joints.

c) Apply ointments for joint pain.

d) Take some OTC medicine every four hours to soothe the pain.

e) Consult your doctor in case the pain persists.

Don’ts

a) Do not take too much of pain relievers. Always consult your doctor if you are using pain relieving medicines like aspirin or NSAIDs.

b) Never ignore a serious joint pain. You might have a damaged joint that needs replacement. Hence consult your doctor immediately.

4. Physical and emotional integration

Arthritis pain can trigger bad moods, which is very normal and common in patients. Do not let the pain over come your confidence. Do not feel discouraged if you are unable to perform simple chores. Consult an orthopedist and start your treatment without delay.

Do’s

a) Let your family and friends know about your pain. Talking to them and their concern would definitely soothe the pain and their encouragement would keep depression at bay.

b) Make some lifestyle changes; lose weight if you are overweight. Adopt healthy eating habits and also get involved in exercising.

c) Try getting acupuncture treatment. Make sure you go to a reputed acupuncture specialist.

Don’ts

a) Quit smoking at the earliest as the toxins in the smoke are known to cause stress on the connecting tissues thus evoking more joint troubles.

b) Avoid negative thoughts; think about going in for an early treatment and do not brood over your helplessness.

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