5 Tips for Dealing with Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain
by John Mancini
Do you
suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and have had to quit taking your
prescription pain medication because of harmful side effects? Are you
looking for natural alternatives to help you deal with the pain that
you face doing everyday tasks? If the answers to these questions are
yes, then the following tips for relieving rheumatoid arthritis are
just what you have been waiting for.
1- The
most important thing that anyone can do for their bodies is to
exercise. This includes those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis as
well. However, not every exercise is suitable for sufferers of
arthritis pain. The exercises that are done need to be good for the
muscle, while not being damaging for the joints. A great exercise for
those who are living with rheumatoid arthritis, in fact for everyone,
is walking. Walking is a good low impact activity that does not put
unneeded pressure on the joints. Other alternatives to walking are
biking or walking in a pool.
2- The
topic of exercising as a way to relieve the pain of arthritis leads
into another tip. It is very important to incorporate balancing
exercises into your daily routine. For example, water aerobics and Tai
Chi are two types of balancing exercises. The reason for these types of
activities is that balancing is a very effective way of strengthening
without undue pressure on the joints. However, if the joints do begin
to hurt, the activity should be stopped. If the pain continues more
than a couple of days, it would be wise to consult your physician.
3- If
you are suffering from the pain of rheumatoid arthritis, it is a good
idea to concentrate on your overall body weight. If this is an issue
for you, speak with your doctor about ways that are suitable for you to
take it off. When you are dealing with any type of arthritis pain, the
extra weight makes it worse. Consider this; there is about 30 pound of
force placed on the knees for each ten pounds of weight that is being
carried. Therefore, the ability to lose ten pounds will effectively
result in 30 pounds of force being lifted from the knee.
4- Some
rheumatoid arthritis sufferers find that applying hot or cold
compresses can help to alleviate some of the pain that is associated
with their condition. When using this method of pain relief, there is a
simple rule to remember, ice reduces pain while the heat will loosen
the joints and boost blood flow.
5- This
next tip, while not an actual treatment option, is very important to
your emotional well-being. Educate yourself regarding your condition,
this will improve your attitude as well as eliminate the element of
surprise. Many people are afraid to ask questions when they are faced
with a debilitating illness, they just wait for the bad stuff to start
happening and many end up depressed. Don't be one of those people, ask
your doctor, ask friends, do research, learn as much as you can about
rheumatoid arthritis so that you can better deal with it.
John
Mancini has been writing about Rheumatoid Arthritis online and offline
for a long time. Visit http://arthritis-cures.info or
http://arthritis-central.com to read more about matters like arthritis
pain relief and osteoarthritis.
I am a
journalist by profession. Now i work from home as a freelancer. I live
in Quebec.
