It's not uncommon for someone to suffer horribly from arthritis, yet be completely clueless as to what the actual problem is. Luckily, we've included many tips and techniques here to help you better understand arthritis and how to cope with it.
For women dealing with arthritis pain, put your high heels aside and choose lower heels or supportive flat shoes. Because of the way the limbs and muscles work together when you walk, the stress caused by a tough shoe like a high heel will affect joints throughout the legs and even those as far away as the upper back. Substituting supportive running shoes or orthopedic shoes at work will quickly show improvement in pain levels.
Let your doctor check for deficiencies. Being low in certain vitamins or minerals, like vitamin B-12 or iron, can cause havoc for arthritis sufferers. It exacerbates the symptoms. If you regularly have your blood work checked for deficiencies, you can manage your levels and reduce the amount of pain and inflammation associated with your condition.
Hot wax has been known to relieve some symptoms of arthritis. If you have pain mainly in your feet and hands, hot wax baths can soothe the inflammation and pain caused by the arthritis. Similar to warm bath soaks, the heat caused by the wax goes completely around your toes and fingers for some relief.
Heed your body's cues when it is telling you that you need a break. You can only control your arthritis if you pay attention to your body, so if it is telling you to stop, stop.
Don't make any additions or subtractions to your medicine before checking with your doctor to make sure it's safe. There are medications out there that have to build up in your body before they work. There are also those that can have withdrawal effects.
The best thing to do is make others around you aware that you have arthritis. Make sure you let them know about how your arthritis is affecting you. There are times in your life when you notice arthritis getting in the way of things. It can cause you to be grumpy and frustrated. This can change the way people see you. Letting them in on what is happening to you can allow them to understand and give you the support you need.
It is important that you monitor your weight with arthritis so as not to put extra strain onto your joints. Even just a few extra pounds can place undue pressure on your joints, increasing the negative effects of your arthritis. Keeping your weight down has plenty of other health benefits besides easing your arthritis pain.
Your risk of getting arthritis increases if you are a smoker. If you smoke, it is imperative that you quit as soon as possible. Although the quitting process is tough, once you get through it you will notice you aren't in as much pain as you were before. If you're not ready to stop smoking, you should try to at least slow down on your smoking.
Educating yourself about arthritis goes a long way in getting your life back. Learning is power in the case of arthritis. The information we have provided here can be a starting point in choosing treatments that will eventually help you to reduce and even prevent the pain of arthritis.