5 Tips for Dealing with Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain

5 Tips for Dealing with Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain
John Mancini

Do you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and have had to quit
taking your prescription pain medication because of harmful side
effects? Are you looking for natural alternatives to help you
deal with the pain that you face doing everyday tasks? If the
answers to these questions are yes, then the following tips for
relieving rheumatoid arthritis are just what you have been
waiting for.

1- The most important thing that anyone can do for their bodies
is to exercise. This includes those who suffer from rheumatoid
arthritis as well. However, not every exercise is suitable for
sufferers of arthritis pain. The exercises that are done need to
be good for the muscle, while not being damaging for the joints.
A great exercise for those who are living with rheumatoid
arthritis, in fact for everyone, is walking. Walking is a good
low impact activity that does not put unneeded pressure on the
joints. Other alternatives to walking are biking or walking in a
pool.

2- The topic of exercising as a way to relieve the pain of
arthritis leads into another tip. It is very important to
incorporate balancing exercises into your daily routine. For
example, water aerobics and Tai Chi are two types of balancing
exercises. The reason for these types of activities is that
balancing is a very effective way of strengthening without undue
pressure on the joints. However, if the joints do begin to hurt,
the activity should be stopped. If the pain continues more than
a couple of days, it would be wise to consult your physician.

3- If you are suffering from the pain of rheumatoid arthritis,
it is a good idea to concentrate on your overall body weight. If
this is an issue for you, speak with your doctor about ways that
are suitable for you to take it off. When you are dealing with
any type of arthritis pain, the extra weight makes it worse.
Consider this; there is about 30 pound of force placed on the
knees for each ten pounds of weight that is being carried.
Therefore, the ability to lose ten pounds will effectively
result in 30 pounds of force being lifted from the knee.

4- Some rheumatoid arthritis sufferers find that applying hot or
cold compresses can help to alleviate some of the pain that is
associated with their condition. When using this method of pain
relief, there is a simple rule to remember, ice reduces pain
while the heat will loosen the joints and boost blood flow.

5- This next tip, while not an actual treatment option, is very
important to your emotional well-being. Educate yourself
regarding your condition, this will improve your attitude as
well as eliminate the element of surprise. Many people are
afraid to ask questions when they are faced with a debilitating
illness, they just wait for the bad stuff to start happening and
many end up depressed. Don’t be one of those people, ask your
doctor, ask friends, do research, learn as much as you can about
rheumatoid arthritis so that you can better deal with it.

About the author:
John Mancini has been writing about Rheumatoid Arthritis online
and offline for a long time. Visit http://stop-arthritis.net or
http://arthritis-cures.net to read more about matters like
arthritis drugs and arthritis pain relief.

5 Tips for Arthritis Pain Relief

5 Tips for Arthritis Pain Relief
John Mancini

For millions of people through out the world arthritis pain is
something that they live with everyday. Most of them are on some
type of prescription drug regimen to control the pain. However,
drugs alone are often times not enough to keep the arthritis
pain at bay. Therefore, there are a growing number of people
that are seeking alternative arthritis pain relief. If you have
considered some non-traditional treatment methods, but are
unsure of how they work, the following tips will help to answer
your questions.

1- There are multiple pain medications available for people who
suffer from arthritis pain. They consist of over the counter
remedies such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen to the stronger
prescription drugs such as Vioxx and Celebrex. The problem with
the stronger drugs is that they often come with undesirable or
even dangerous side effects. While the over the counter
alternatives are safer, they often need to have other remedies
used as well to achieve arthritis pain relief.

2- Exercise is a great option at your disposal when looking for
natural alternatives for your arthritis pain relief. Walking is
especially good; it is easy to do and does not put too much
unneeded pressure on the joints. Other forms of exercises that
are especially good for arthritis sufferers are balancing types
of movements, such as Tia Chi and water walking. While these
activities can help build muscle strength, they may cause some
discomfort in the joints. If this happens, stop the exercise, if
the pain persists more than a couple of days speak with your
physician.

3- Losing weight is another great way to find some relief from
your arthritis pain. This is because it has been found that just
ten extra pounds adds thirty pounds of stress to the knees.
Therefore, losing extra weight will be very effective for
arthritis pain relief.

4- Researching and using any product that will make your daily
life easier, will also indirectly help ease the pain associated
with arthritis. For example, using a shower seat will allow you
to shower without much of the pain that can result from extended
period of time standing.

5- Visit your physician when you first feel that you are having
arthritis pain. Together, the both of you will be able to devise
a treatment regimen that is right for you and for your
particular situation. Be sure to keep in contact with your
doctor, this is the only way to ensure that your treatment
methods will change as the pain becomes stronger.

About the author:
John Mancini has been writing about Rheumatoid Arthritis online
and offline for a long time. Visit http://arthritis-expert.net
or
http://arthritis-central.com to read more about matters like
osteoarthritis and arthritis treatment.

5 Things You Should Know About Osteoarthritis

5 Things You Should Know About Osteoarthritis
John Mancini

If you have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, you are not
alone. In fact, you are among the 20 million, or so, people who
are citizens of the United States that are affected by this
condition. Whether you are male or female, you are more likely
to experience the painful symptoms of osteoarthritis after the
age of 55.

1- If you have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, you probably
visited your physician due to pain in you feet, spine or hands.
This type of arthritis is known to also attack the larger weight
bearing parts of the body such as the knees and the hips.

2- If no cause for the arthritis can be found, this is called
primary osteoarthritis. However, if another cause for the pain
is present, then it is referred to as secondary osteoarthritis.
The treatment options for both types are the same.

3- Osteoarthritis is, in simple terms, the break down of the
cartilage that is naturally present between the bones of the
joints. As we age, this cartilage begins to dissolve, this
occurs at a quicker pace when repetitive motion is present. As
the amount of cartilage dissolves from between the bones, they
begin to rub against each other, and this is the pain that is
associated with arthritis.

4- People who perform repetitive motions involving the joints
are also the most commonly affected by osteoarthritis. The pain
is generally said to be at its worst during the night, after a
long day of activity. Generally, the arthritis is accompanied by
warming, swelling or creaking in the joints that are affected.
Stiffness and pain are also reported by patients, usually after
long periods of immobility.

5- There are several steps that can be taken to ease the
discomfort of osteoarthritis. Over the counter pain medication,
when taken in conjunction with weight loss efforts and exercise,
is often all that is needed to control the pain. However, if
this is not the case in your situation, speak with your doctor
about other pain suppressing methods that may work better for
you.

About the author:
John Mancini has been writing about Rheumatoid Arthritis online
and offline for a long time. Visit http://stop-arthritis.net or
http://arthritis-central.com to read more about matters like
arthritis pain relief and arthritis treatment.