Do you struggle with arthritis, either your own or someone you care about? Are you looking for treatment options? There is hope, however. This article is filled with a variety of useful tips and guidelines for understanding different aspects of arthritis.

You could start practicing yoga. Yoga helps you relax and get exercise at the same time, and research has shown that it can help with arthritic joint pain.

Women suffering with arthritis should avoid wearing high heels. Although they make you more attractive, you do your feet no favors by wearing high heels. Heels put more stress on joints like ankles and knees, increasing arthritis pain. Wear sensible, flat shoes and your pain will likely decrease. Your body will thank you.

One way to relieve the pain and stiffness at night is to take a nice, hot bath. Use bath salts, and make it relaxing and stress-free. The bath and the warmth of the water will help relax you and provide some relief from your arthritis pain. Bedtime will come much easier once your body is relaxed.

Relax in a chair and close your eyes while taking some deep, calming breaths. Taking time to relax can help you refocus your thoughts into happier ones.

It may seem hard sometimes, but you need to get regular exercise to properly manage your arthritis. If your joints are not active, the condition of your arthritis can get worse. Those afflicted with arthritis can really benefit from exercises meant to increase flexibility, as they work to improve range of motion.

Learn everything you can about arthritis once you or a loved one is diagnosed. There are numerous resources available for arthritis sufferers where you can find helpful tips on nutrition, exercise and pain management. The more you study arthritis, the greater understanding you will have. This will give you a good chance at finding just the right combination of remedies to ease your pain.

Find a physical therapist and accept their treatment. Many people with arthritis feel very alone; therapy can help to remember that you aren’t helpless. People who suffer from arthritis tend to also have issues like depression so therapy can be very beneficial.

Yoga might be a good way to alleviate your arthritis symptoms. The techniques of yoga have been shown to reduce the painful symptoms of arthritis by relaxing the mind and body. For these techniques to be effective, practice them three to four times per week.

Eat a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, and cut down on meat. Vegetarian diets have been proven to reduce arthritis-related pain and inflammation. If you can’t give up eating meat, fill at least half of your plate with vegetables so that you still get some of the benefits of a vegetarian diet.

Try using a cane to support yourself. However, a cane, to many arthritis sufferers, tells people they are disabled so they go without it. If you have less pain when you use a cane you should do it. Choose a cane that fits your personality to feel more comfortable using it.

If you have arthritis, wearing comfortable shoes is very important. Regardless of which part of your body is afflicted by arthritis, walking around in shoes that are uncomfortable can cause you to have irregular movements. This could further complicate your arthritis. So, it is important to get a pair of gym shoes that will give you proper support and keep you comfortable.

Do not impose guilt on yourself or allow anyone else to do so. Arthritis may cause the inability to perform tasks that you once did with ease. Feeling sorry for yourself helps no one, so you should try to always stay positive. You certainly shouldn’t beat yourself up over things you can no longer do.

Knee Braces

Allow yourself to relax very deeply. Recline in your chair, let your eyelids grow heavy and use deep, controlled breaths. You will then forget the pain you have for a little while and have a chance to think happy thoughts.

If you have knee arthritis, try knee braces before choosing to have surgery. Surgery should be considered a last resort, and knee braces can sometimes reduce enough pain and swelling to make an operation unwarranted. You can wear the brace to bed with you at night as well.

If you are fighting with the pain that arthritis brings, try to lose a few pounds. Arthritis conditions are often exacerbated by extra weight, which can lead to inflammation and swelling. Extra weight increases joint stress, and can cause the arthritis to flare up. Losing weight will dramatically improve your arthritis pain.

People who drive with arthritis are able to park in handicap spots. Lots of arthritis sufferers are not aware of this, and they often succumb to parking in regular spaces, which can make things worse for those affected by chronic pain.

Don’t simply accept the fact that you have arthritis, and let it diminish your quality of life. Instead, educate yourself about your condition, so you can learn how to manage it and to minimize the impact it has on your life. This article is a great place to start because it contains some advice about the various treatments options available to you as you try to reduce the severe pain associated with arthritis.