Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Tips for Handling Arthritis Joint Pain

Arthritis is a disease associated with joints and it occurs due to a whole range of reasons starting from old age to sedentary lifestyle. Pain is the most uncomfortable part of this disease, besides the limited mobility. In many cases, the pain can be very excruciating and you may require some help in the form of medications or massage to alleviate the pain.

There are some techniques that you can follow to reduce your pain and suffering. First and foremost, you must not stop moving your joints because of the pain. It will only worsen the pain. So, it is suggested that the patients must move the joints in the range of motion that does not cause a lot of pain. This motion must be done at least a couple of times everyday to keep the joints active. While doing this, you must ensure that you do not overdo it because it can result in a l ot of pain after wards. Even while using your joints, you must not do any awkward movements or twists as it will increase the pain. Use your body and the joints in an appropriate way. Sitting slouched or working on the computer or typing for extended periods of time or carrying heavy objects can put a big strain on your joints and so you must be careful while doing them. In short, you must do mild exercise and activities that does not increase pain in any way.

You must also learn to now the difference between arthritis pain and other mild discomforts that can occur from time to time. When arthritis pain occurs, you must respect it and take the necessary medications. Also, during this period, you must not over-use the joints as it will further increase the pain.

Another common remedy is to take pain reliever medications that are available in the market. There are two kinds of pain relievers that can be used and they are over the counter drugs and prescri ption drugs. Over the counter drugs are relatively milder than prescription drugs when it comes to pain control. On the other hand, they also have very minimal side effects. So, it is a personal choice that one has to make after taking their medical condition and age into consideration.

Good rest and healthy diet are important to get relief from arthritis pain. You must not work for long periods, but at the same time you must not keep your joints rested in the same position for a long time either. A good balance between the two will help keep your joints active and will also minimize pain to a large extent.

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