Arthritis And You: A Users Manual To Living
Arthritis And You: A Users Manual To Living
Arthritis comes often in this world and is known for having a huge impact on millions of people across the globe. It can stop the oldest and strongest of warriors in their tracks or disable the knees of young mother in her 20's. It is this wide range that makes it so difficult to fight or prevent, but it can be done.
If you have rheumatoid arthritis, measure your pain. Use a scale of one to ten to let yourself know how difficult a new task is for you to accomplish. Take a measurement before the task, and again after. This will let you know how that task is effecting your body, and your life.
As simple as it may seem, it is important that you flex your muscles at least one an hour, if you suffer from arthritis. Sitting or standing in one spot for too long can cause your joints to cramp up and give you pain. For 5 minutes, stand on one foot, with the other pushed up against the wall and then, switch feet.
It is important that you quit smoking if you suffer from arthritis. It is a proven medical fact that smoking can make your arthritis symptoms worse. Also, if you smoke and you are taking medications to control your arthritis symptoms, smoking can actually decrease the positive effects of these medications.
Partake in adequate exercise that's appropriate to your condition. When you exercise you improve your fitness while increasing your flexibility. Low impact cardio is the best way to avoid problems with your joints. Stop exercising immediately if you feel pain.
Don't give up on finding a way to manage your arthritis pain. Dealing with a debilitating condition can leave you feeling frustrated and hopeless - particularly if you are having trouble finding any treatment options that work. If what you are doing is not working, talk to your doctor about other treatment options or explore alternative treatments such as acupuncture, nutrition or holistic medicine until you find something that helps.
You may want to consider using celery seeds if you suffer from chronic arthritis. Not only are these seeds natural and healthy, but they help to reduce some of the swelling that is associated with arthritis pain and other chronic conditions. You can purchase these seeds from many health food stores.
You should try to eat more fresh produce and less meat. A vegetarian diet has been scientificially proven to reduce some symptoms of arthritis. If your carnivorous side is too strong to ignore, try to eat only a small portion of meat while filling at least half of your plate with vegetables, and you can still garner the majority of these benefits.
The key in arthritis and stopping the impacts comes from fighting it before the symptoms actually appear. Many simple things done throughout the day can increase or decrease your chances of developing arthritis and thus should either be avoided or encouraged accordingly. Pay close attention to your diet and make sure you follow some of the simple guidelines mentioned earlier.