Arthritis affects over 54 million people in the United States alone. Managing arthritis pain can help you maintain your quality of life and reduce your discomfort. But how can you know the right options for managing your particular arthritis type and pain level?
Step One: Don’t Go It Alone
You don’t have to manage your arthritis pain alone. An experienced physician or pain and wellness clinic can help you put steps in place to actively manage arthritis pain. Let your doctor know what you’re experiencing and provide them with a list of all medications and supplements you’re taking for your discomfort. Your physician can often fill in the gaps to help you effectively manage your pain.
Step Two: Do Adjust Your Lifestyle Habits
Making small changes to your everyday routine may provide some relief of arthritis pain. For many arthritis patients, movement is a major part of pain management. This means not sitting in one position for a long period of time. Whether you get up and move around, change positions or adopt a gentle exercise routine, you can help reduce stiffness and discomfort throughout the day. Your doctor may also suggest quitting smoking or losing weight to improve your pain, depending on your individual health.
Step Three: Do Adopt an Exercise Routine
Staying active can help decrease the discomfort and stiffness associated with arthritis pain. It can also strengthen the muscles that support your joints, which can keep them strong and healthy.
Your physician or physical therapist can work with you to adopt a safe and effective exercise regimen. Stretching, strength training, walking, swimming and cycling can all be excellent forms of exercise to consider. And, as an added bonus, they can help you maintain a healthy weight!
We’re Here to Help
Stay tuned next week, when we’ll talk about steps four, five and six of managing your arthritis pain. And remember that as a pain and wellness clinic in Georgia, our experts at Summit Spine & Joint Centers are always available to assist you with successfully managing your chronic discomfort. Contact us for an appointment today at (770) 962-3642 or submit our online appointment request!