Don’t Let Arthritis Dictate Your Life: 5 Ways to Manage Your Pain

Arthritis is a progressive disease that can’t be cured, but there are many ways to manage the pain and live your best life. 

Early treatment, seeking pain management, and adopting healthy lifestyle habits can help slow or stop joint deterioration and alleviate symptoms, whether you have hip pain, knee pain, or arthritis strikes another joint.

Our Florida Pain Medicine team specializes in helping patients with arthritis find relief from their symptoms.

As part of your pain management plan, we teach lifestyle habits that combat pain and inflammation, promoting a healthy lifestyle. Here, you’ll learn our top five tips for managing arthritis.

1. Keep moving

Exercise is crucial for managing arthritis pain. Although you need to balance exercise with rest, and you may need to avoid intense activities during a rheumatoid arthritis flare-up, it’s essential to schedule regular exercise into your days.

The Arthritis Foundation reports that 30 minutes of exercise, five times a week, can help reduce pain. Exercise also eases arthritis symptoms because it:

• Reduces inflammation and pain
• Boosts circulation
• Fights chronic inflammation
• Improves joint mobility
• Increases joint lubrication
• Strengthens the muscles that support the joint
• Supports a healthy weight

We may recommend that you start with physical therapy because your therapist will create an exercise plan tailored to your unique needs and help you learn when to rest.

However, exercise is most successful when you stick with activities you enjoy, whether walking, swimming, or gardening.

Start slowly and gradually exercise longer — and listen to your body. If your joint pain worsens or you experience fatigue, rest and talk with us about how to continue safely.

Beyond exercise, stay aware of when you’re in one position for a long time and purposefully plan to move or change positions regularly. For example, if you work at a desk, get up, stretch, and take a short walk every 15-30 minutes.

2. Manage your weight

Carrying excess weight significantly increases the stress on your joints, causing more pain and accelerating progressive tissue damage caused by arthritis.

The pressure placed on your knees when walking is three to six times your body weight. If you’re 10 pounds overweight, your knees bear 30-60 pounds of additional pressure.

Losing weight can make a significant difference, slowing cartilage degeneration and alleviating arthritis pain and stiffness.

3. Follow an anti-inflammatory diet

Foods can have an anti-inflammatory effect or promote inflammation. Following an anti-inflammatory diet can go a long way toward reducing the joint inflammation caused by arthritis. Taming the inflammation alleviates your pain.

You could follow eating plans suggested by anti-inflammatory diets such as the Mediterranean diet or the DASH eating plan. Alternatively, you can simply increase your intake of anti-inflammatory foods while avoiding those that promote inflammation.

The Mediterranean diet and DASH eating plan focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, olive oil, fish, and lean protein.

Fruits and vegetables have a starring role because they’re packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients that fight inflammation. 

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in walnuts, plant oils, and fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, tuna, and trout, are also powerful anti-inflammatory agents.

Foods to avoid because they contribute to inflammation include:

• Sweets
• Red meat
• Processed meat
• Fried foods
• Sugar-sweetened and high-fructose beverages

It’s easier to change your diet by planning to ensure you have healthier foods on hand and by making changes slowly.

For example, you may want to add one healthy food while eliminating one inflammatory product. Then, give yourself time to adjust and repeat the process.

4. Take up mind-body practices

Mind-body activities combine exercise with mindfulness, training the mind to focus on specific things and to disengage from others. As a result, your physical health and arthritis pain improve while you destress, stay calm, and relax.

Yoga, tai chi, and walking meditation are three mind-body techniques that can help reduce pain and stress, lower arthritis activity, reduce inflammation, and improve sleep and mood.

5. Seek help if your pain doesn’t improve

If your joint pain doesn’t improve or worsens, it’s time to consult with a healthcare provider. Living with pain can cause your nerves to become hyperactive, which amplifies the pain.

Additionally, ongoing pain is a potential sign that your arthritis is advancing and causing more joint damage. The sooner you seek treatment, the faster we can help you find relief and improve your health.

You may need advanced pain treatment provided by our team. Or, you may choose to check with your rheumatologist or consult with a mental health specialist for help with stress, anxiety, and depression.

Don’t wait to get compassionate medical care for arthritis pain. Call Florida Pain Medicine today or book an appointment online to get the support and treatment you need.