Health Tips A to Z

Health Tips – Arthritis Tips and Information

Types of arthritis

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Chronic back injury
• Fibromyalgia
• Gout
• Lyme disease
• Lupus
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Raynaud’s Phenomenon
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Repetitive stress injury

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

• Pain, stiffness and swelling around a joint that lasts for more than two weeks
• Joint stiffness after sleeping or periods of inactivity
• Swelling and pain in a joint, particularly after use
• Discomfort in a joint before or during a change in weather
• A crackling or grinding sound when you move a joint
• Loss of joint flexibility and range of motion
• Bony lumps on the middle or end joints of your fingers or at the base of your thumb

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis

• Pain and swelling in your joints, especially the smaller joints of your hands and feet
• Aching or stiffness in your joints and muscles after sleeping or periods of rest
• Loss of motion in the affected joints
• Loss of strength in muscles attached to affected joints
• Fatigue and low-grade fever during flare-ups
• Loss of joint flexibility and range of motion
• Joint deformities

Arthritis Exercise basics

• Take a slow, but steady approach to exercise – don’t overdo it
• Set aside a few minutes at the start of your day and before bedtime for flexibility and range-of-motion exercises
• Schedule three, 45-  minute periods every week for strength and endurance exercises
• As an alternative, aim for 30 minutes of moderate endurance exercises every day
• Give yourself rest breaks each day to compensate for your increased activity
• If a joint is unusually painful, just do range-of-motion exercises and apply an ice pack before and after you exercise