How To Relieve Arthritis Pain

You have been diagnosed with arthritis and you want to know how to relieve arthritis pain?  There are several things you can do and several things you should not do to help get the pain under control.  There are certain types of exercise that will help, while others that will make the pain worse.  In addition, there are medications, stress relief techniques, and other natural remedies that may help.

Before starting a treatment regimen, you need to know:

• what type of arthritis you have
• if any joints have been damaged
• if you have any other medical issues

1. There are some basic easy exercises you can do in the evening that will keep you from being stiff when you get up in the morning.  While you are relaxing watching TV or sitting at your desk, you should bend and stretch your legs, shake out your hands, and tilt your neck sideways.  Do not stay in the same position, but change it often.  Keep from overusing a joint by taking frequent breaks.
2. There are certain things you can do that will help reduce pain, give you the ability to have a greater range of motion, increase your muscle strength, and help with your endurance.  In order to do this, it is important that you choose activities that do not damage the joints but instead increase muscles around the joints.  Stretching and building muscle strength are two of the most important aspects of exercise.  Walking, riding a bicycle, or exercising in the water can make your mood better and help you with controlling your weight, which in turn may reduce pain.
3. There are some exercises you should avoid that could make your arthritis worse.  Repetitive movements, such as those in tennis, can irritate the joints.  Running, jumping, or high impact aerobics can also be damaging.  Being completely inactive can cause muscle atrophy and lessen the stability of the joints.
4. Before starting a medication regimen, talk to your doctor.  If you only have occasional pain, it could be that all you need is rest and hot or cold packs to give you relief from your achy and stiff joints.  Remember all medications have the potential for side effects, so it is important to take that into consideration before starting on prescription medications.
5. If you do need medication, there are several available medications that can help relieve the pain of arthritis.  Before taking any medication, you should talk to your doctor and discuss what is best for you.  If you only have occasional pain, there are over-the-counter medications like Tylenol or aspirin that can help give you relief from joint pain that occurs from an activity you are not used to performing.  If the pain persists for longer than a couple of days you can switch to Advil, Motrin or Aleve to help reduce the pain and inflammation.  If you know you are going to be performing some activity that will cause your joints to hurt, you can take one of the over-the-counter drugs before you do your activity to help lessen the anticipated pain.  If these drugs do not stop the pain, you need to consult with your doctor to find a prescription medication that will work for you. 
6. There are some things you should not do when suffering from arthritis pain.  Do not overuse over-the-counter preparations to treat your arthritis pain.  If you pain continues for a long period of time, consult with your doctor to see if you are suffering from damage to your joints.  You may also be suffering from depression and may need an antidepressant.  Depression can make your arthritis pain worsen. 

Tips:

• Consider therapy to help cope with arthritis pain.
• Make lifestyle changes like losing weight and quitting smoking to help decrease pain.
• Focus on calming and distractive thoughts instead of negative ones.
• Consult with an acupuncturist for pain relief.