Living with arthritis can make everyday tasks difficult and painful and leave you feeling as though you are no longer in control of your body. When you are trying to spend time with your family and friends, participate in your favourite hobbies or even volunteer in your community, constant pain can greatly diminish your enjoyment of life. Learning how to properly manage your arthritis can add a lot more quality to your daily life and may even help reduce the number of medications you take. Treatment plans for managing arthritis vary from person to person, but with a few lifestyle changes, you can have a better handle on your arthritis.
Regular exercise
Severe pains from arthritis may seem the possibility of exercise impossible. But whenever possible, exercise, especially when it is done regularly, can help relieve chronic pain. Light-impact activities such as walking, swimming and yoga are ideal for individuals with arthritis as they do not damage or put stress on the joints. Running, tennis and other exercises that put a lot of stress on the joints should be avoided as they can worsen the symptoms of arthritis and cause more damage.
Organize your life
The symptoms leading up to arthritis are gradual and are often dismissed. Unfortunately, arthritis cannot be reversed, but that doe not mean you cannot take control of your life. Remember, when it comes to your health, you are your own best advocate. It is important that you speak up and discuss the aspects of your care with your doctor or other members of your healthcare team. Keep track of your pain levels, sleeping patterns, ability to perform regular daily tasks and other aspects of your daily life that may be affected by arthritis. This way, your doctor or another healthcare professional will be able to help you create the best treatment plan that is unique to you and centred around your daily activities. It is important to take care of yourself, especially so while living with arthritis.
Check-in with yourself
Living with chronic pain can be overwhelming and all-consuming – which may make it very difficult to enjoy everyday life. It is really important that you have ways and methods to deal with negative emotions. This could involve therapy or counseling, meditation, yoga, or nature walks. It may take some time and experimentation, but once you find something that works, you will be able to be more relaxed and keep those negative emotions in check.
Watch your weight
While this may be a difficult subject to talk about, arthritis is one of those complications that is directly affected by how much extra weight you are carrying on your body. The more weight you have on you, the harder it will be on your joints, and that may result in flare-ups and cause more pain more often. Changes in lifestyle, exercise and diet are effective ways to reduce weight and have great benefits to your overall health.
Consider home care
Arthritis can make it challenging and, some days, impossible to complete your daily tasks and chores. It is important to recognize when you need help and find a way that would help you manage all the tasks. In some instances, having a home care worker come in a few times a week to complete more challenging tasks such as housekeeping, laundry and meal preparation might go a long way to help you with managing arthritis.
Contact VERA Home Care today
If you or a loved one is living with arthritis and needs some extra help, home care can help.
Contact VERA Home Care today for more information!