Lifestyle And Arthritis

Many people find that making simple changes to their everyday lives can have a significant effect in reducing arthritis swelling, stiffness and pain. Lifestyle and arthritis treatment are inextricably linked and here are just a few ideas of things you can try to manage your own arthritis:

Lifestyle And Arthritis – Essential Elements Of Any Treatment Plan

• Follow an anti-arthritis diet. It is often said that “we are what we eat” and there is no doubt at all that diet plays a very important role in keeping us healthy. Some foods are especially good for our joints and these include such things as olive oil and fish oil, which feature prominently in the Mediterranean diet. So, eat plenty of fish but also include fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grain foods. Try also to keep processed foods to a minimum and, in particular, to avoid salad oils such as sunflower, safflower and corn oils.
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  Arthritis Exercise

  Take some form of daily exercise. If you have painful joints then exercise may well be the last thing you want to do. However, exercise is extremely important because it helps to lubricate your joints by forcing joint fluid into and out of the cartilage within the joint. Without this lubrication cartilage can become thinner and drier. It is important to choose exercises which you enjoy and which work your joints without putting too much stress on them. Walking, for example, is an excellent exercise for arthritis of the hips, knees or feet. A sedentary lifestyle and arthritis care simply do not mix.
• Be conscious of your joint alignment. Be careful to use your joints correctly and to protect them from undue strain or wear and tear. The correct posture when sitting, standing, walking, running, lifting and indeed doing just about anything else you can think of is important to protect your joints.
• Think about taking joint-saving supplements. Many people find that vitamins and other supplements are helpful in fighting the symptoms of several different types of arthritis. For example, many sufferers find that anti-oxidants such as betacarotene, grapeseed extract, green tea, selenium and vitamins C and E are very helpful. Other people swear by things like bromelain, chondroitin, flaxseed oil, vitamin B6, vitamin D or zinc.
• Manage stress and depression. Arthritis can be a very depressing illness and the way you feel about your condition can have a very real effect upon the progress of your disease. It is very important to remain positive about your illness and take positive steps to relax and to reduce stress in your life. There are many ways of doing this and it is important to find the method of relaxation which works best for you.
• Bring organization and efficiency to your life. It is possible to organize your life and your daily routine so that you can cope with the physical limitations which your condition imposes upon you. Doing so will not only make your life a lot easier, but it will also reduce the pain you feel and fatigue you experience.

This is just a glimpse of course of the way in which lifestyle and arthritis treatment need to work together to provide the very best possible quality of life for the longest possible time.