Health Tips A to Z

Health Tips – Coping with Arthritis?

Although arthritis can’t be cured or prevented, starting treatments early will keep the disease under control and prevent serious damage to your joints. There are also a number of lifestyle changes you can make to improve your mobility and reduce pain and stiffness. These suggestions will help you to manage your symptoms more effectively:

• Exercise regularly – The phrase “use it or lose it” takes on new meaning when it comes to arthritis. It’s important to move each joint through a full range of motion every day. If you don’t, your muscles, tendons and ligaments will become stiff, sore and progressively weaker. Even though your joints may be tender and sore, gentle exercise will ease the stiffness and help you feel better in the long run. It will also increase your strength and endurance, improve your flexibility, help you sleep better and keep your weight under control

• Eat a healthy diet – There’s no special diet that has been proven to treat arthritis. Over short periods of time, fasting, followed by a strict vegetarian diet may help reduce symptoms of swelling and redness in inflammatory types of arthritis (treatment must be supervised by a doctor or dietician). Omega-3 fatty acids, found in cold-water fish such as salmon and mackerel, may also help reduce joint pain and inflammation. But the best course of action is to eat a balanced mix of nutritious foods. A diet that emphasizes fruit, vegetables and whole grains will keep your weight under control and help you cope better with the symptoms of arthritis.

• Control your weight – Research has shown that losing even a few pounds can help reduce the symptoms of arthritis. Maintaining a healthy weight is particularly important for people with osteoarthritis because the disease affects their weight-bearing joints. Follow Canada’s Food Guide and reduce the amount of fat in your diet to less than 30% of your daily food intake (approximately 2 tablespoons a day). 

• Heat - Heat helps to relax painful, aching muscles and increases the flow of blood to your tissues. Try soaking in a hot bath or hot shower for 15 minutes to ease your aches away. A hot pack or electric heating pad is also very soothing. If you have poor circulation, heat may not be the right solution for you

• Cold – Applying cold helps reduce swelling in your joints and may dull the sensation of pain. When your joints are inflamed, try applying a cold pack, soaking them in cold water or massaging them with ice

• Relaxation techniques – Relaxing the muscles around an inflamed joint can help reduce pain. There are many ways to relax. You might find relief by listening to soothing music or relaxation tapes. Deep breathing exercises, meditation and visualization exercises (imagining a pleasant activity, such as lying on a beach) can also distract your mind and help soothe your aches and pains

• Manage fatigue – Prolonged feelings of tiredness and exhaustion are common symptoms of arthritis and often lead to depression. To avoid overdoing it, plan a daily schedule that alternates periods of activity with periods of rest. Prioritize important tasks and balance them with more leisurely and relaxing activities. As you go through your daily tasks, try to maintain good posture. By distributing your workload over various sets of strong muscles, you can help conserve energy and improve your endurance

• Medication – Your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication or pain relievers to help you cope with arthritis symptoms. Don’t wait for pain to intensify before taking your medications. If you take your medications regularly, you can keep your painful symptoms under contro