Living with arthritis is an everyday battle, especially if you’re not taking care of yourself. The chronic autoimmune disease known as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory condition that when left untreated can cause severe pain to the joints in your body and reduce normal mobility. When you individually treat all the symptoms as a separate entity the risk of triggering a debilitating flare-up subsides, making it easier to go about the day as you wish you could.
Most Common Symptoms Of Arthritis
Having RA requires constant self-care to alleviate as many of the symptoms as possible so that you can get back to a healthy life without having to rely on heavy painkillers. Common symptoms associated with arthritis include:
Stiff Joints
Swelling & Redness
Chronic Pain
Depression
Jaw Pain
Poor Appetite
Poor Sleep & Fatigue
Develop A Daily Treatment Plan
Get on with your day and enjoy the activities that you want by changing your lifestyle to alleviate the pains associated with arthritis. Include these pain management tips in your daily routine to reduce your arthritis pain levels:
Eat A Healthy Diet
Take Vitamin Supplements
Exercise & Stretch
Get Plenty Of Sleep
Soak In The Bath
Avoid Alcohol & Nicotine
Use Over-the-Counter Remedies
Go to the chiropractor in Atlanta
Schedule A Regular Massage
Eat Vitamin Enriched Fruits & Vegetables
Carrying around extra body weight is known to trigger inflammation and excess pressure to the joints in your lower back and knees. For patients with arthritis, many doctors have recommended a Mediterranean diet. For those in chronic pain, it’s best to supplement your meals with extra vitamins and minerals, as just eating fruits and vegetables at every meal is not enough to combat severe pain associated with arthritis. It’s vital to incorporate more organic wholefoods and omega-3 fatty acids into your diet while avoiding heavy carbs and sugars to start to reduce your waist size and alleviate inflammation quickly.
Yoga, Tai Chi, Or Simple Stretching
Once you establish a regular workout plan, you will discover that your pain slowly decreases day by day as you continue proper stretching and gentle movements. Staying in bed all day can make matters worse. It’s essential that you continue to walk for at least 20 minutes or more every day.
If you avoid walking and stretching, there’s a likely chance that you’re setting yourself up to make matters worse by decreasing your range of motion and losing muscle mass in the process.
Make Sleep A Priority
Sometimes when you’re in severe and sudden pain, the best thing you can do is make sure you always get enough sleep each night or take a nap. Without a proper amount of sleep, pain can increase due to the stress of not having enough time for your body to recharge. Sleeping is the best medicine in many cases and is when our bodies heal the fastest.
Hot & Cold Therapy Treatment
Reduce swelling and inflamed joints by applying an ice pack to the affected area. Because ice packs can cause cold-burns, make sure to use a cloth barrier such as a cotton t-shirt instead of placing ice directly to your skin. The cooling effect will reduce muscle spasms, soothe achy muscles, and numb the pain to a slightly more manageable level.
You can alternate between a hot pack and an ice pack for full effect. If you have a bathtub or have access to a hot tub, steam room, or sauna, utilize these resources as much as possible.
Avoid Recreational Drugs & Drink Lots Of Water
It’s essential to your long-term health plans that you minimize the consumption of alcohol and quit smoking tobacco products as soon as possible. The tobacco plant is related to the nightshade family, which is known to increase inflammation in the joints, and this is terrible for those who suffer RA or any other chronic pains and diseases.
Alcohol may reduce pain while you’re drunk, but if used daily for pain
management alcohol can increase pain while you’re sober. The healthiest option is to make sure you’re always
drinking at least 48 oz. of water or more a day to keep your system hydrated
and working at optimal capacity.
Take OTC’s & Target Your Pain
Over-the-counter painkillers (OTCs), naproxen sodium, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), ibuprofen, or even doctor prescribed non-opiate pain relievers should be taken when you feel impaired enough to be unable to do the little things in life. It’s okay to take pain medication but talk to your doctor to find out which drugs will work best for your individual needs.
Find A Nutrition Specialized Chiropractor
One of the significant reasons for rheumatoid arthritis is improper posture, repetitive motion, and poor nutritional habits. An Advanced Chiropractic Biophysics (CBP) doctor is trained to provide you with the alternative plans necessary to realign your spine and relieve pressure to your joints through means of eating an anti-inflammatory diet and stretching appropriate to your medical condition.
Get A Regularly Scheduled Massage
Sometimes the best stress reliever is pampering yourself with a professional massage. If you have arthritis, then make sure to get a massage in tandem with a chiropractic adjustment for a holistic approach to your RA pain management routine.
Manage Your Arthritis Pain Naturally
Use these suggested tips to lower your arthritis pain and avoid the need for unwanted surgeries and stronger prescription medications. With the help of a spinal expert, a massage therapist, and your doctor, you will be doing all you can to lower your pain levels and live a more active and less painful everyday life.
