Arthritis is a serious matter. This degenerative disease is not only painful but can prevent one from engaging in daily necessary activity. Although there is no cure for arthritis, there are ways that you can both ease the pain of arthritis and stop it from worsening.
1. Protect Your Joints
Always be thinking about protecting your joints, or at the very least make sure to not consciously injure them. For example, instead of lifting a heavy pot off of the stove, slide it off to take some of the weight off and leave less pressure on your joints.
Doing the little things to make sure your joints don't get overused will be huge to decrease inflammation and help you manage arthritis pain.
2. Exercise
Exercising can be a great way to keep your joints mobile, free of stiffness, and flexible. It isn’t recommended to do heavy lifting but exercises such as swimming, walking, and cycling keep your body active and ready to take on the day.
One tip is not to exercise when your joints are inflamed. You could potentially upset them. Take a break if you feel pain and alternate positions when performing tasks such as cooking or gardening so that your joints are put under less stress.
3. Stretch It Out
Stretching will go a long way to helping you relieve arthritic pain. Staying flexible with allow you to of course not tighten up by keeping joints limber and removing stiffness that causes much of the pain. A physical therapist can help you with stretching and exercises that both improve strength and flexibility.
4. Give It Rest
Getting enough rest is important. Relax your mind, ease the pain in your joints, and help reduce the fatigue that is often associated with the disease. Rest at night and rest when joint pain becomes too much.
5. Take a warm bath or shower
Heat helps provide relief to arthritis pain. Warm baths, soaking hands, and using moist heating pads can help to reduce swelling and provide pain relief.
6. Physical Therapy For Arthritis
A physical therapist is a great partner to help relieve the symptoms of this terrible disease. Physical therapy provides the environment to get better and do it with a coach who can offer great advice.
Cross Bay Physical Therapy has helped countless of patients in the New York area with arthritis pain. Located in Howard Beach, Queens and near Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, and Lindenwood, you are very welcome to make an appointment anytime.
Our aim is to have you go throughout the day without the normal swelling and pain so that you can live your life in a happy and healthy way. Call (718) 835-0084 today and schedule a consultation with one of our physical therapists!
By Benjamin Bieber