Although it’s often associated with older hands, arthritis can strike at any age and anywhere in the body. It effects the bones and can cause severe pain in the joints that inhibits normal, daily routines.

Try keeping a journal or how arthritis affects your living. A diary can help you to understand the things in life that trigger your arthritis flare ups. This way, you will also learn what actually helps your arthritis. Let your doctor know about your findings to find a more adapted treatment. The journal is a very valuable tool and a good idea all the way around.

If you have arthritis, do not wear high heels. High heels may seem attractive, however, the damage they do to your feet and body is not. High heels can make you off-balanced and bring about torque, which will aggravate arthritis. Therefore, it is advised that you wear comfortable shoes to diminish arthritis pain. Your feet and legs will be grateful.

Allow yourself to relax very deeply. Recline in your chair, let your eyelids grow heavy and use deep, controlled breaths. This may help you forget about your pain so that you can start thinking happily again.

Fish Oil

Arthritis pain can make sleep difficult. Try taking a bath with warm water and soothing bath salts. The bath will put you in a relaxed state and reduce the severity of your pain, which will help you get to sleep and stay asleep.

One supplement that many arthritis suffers recommend is fish oil. Omega-3 fats in fish oil help to reduce pain associated with joint inflammation. Many supermarkets, and any vitamin/supplement stores, will carry fish oil.

You should have physical therapy to help with arthritis pain. If symptoms of arthritis inhibit your daily activities, a physical therapist can develop an exercise and stretching routine to diminish pain and inflammation, restore flexibility, and reduce swelling. Follow their directions to a tee, and you will be able to get your life back to normal.

If no other treatments help your arthritis, maybe you should speak to your doctor about joint surgery. Joint surgery can increase flexibility and mobility in arthritis patients, and has a good success rate.

Patients that are afflicted with osteoarthritis in either or both knees should ask their arthritis specialists about electrical stimulation therapy. It has been proven that this kind of treatment is very effective in reducing swelling of the knees from arthritis, while reducing arthritis pain at the same time.

Plan your exercise or work periods carefully ahead of time, taking into account your physical capacities. Maintain a solid plan and understand what you need to do in the event of a flare-up. Do your jobs in small sections, and rest in between. You should be able to stop if you must.

Maintain your weight at a proper level to alleviate joint stress. Being overweight can strain your joints, worsening arthritis symptoms as a result. Don’t skip meals or follow fad diets as a way of losing weight. Instead, enjoy a healthful and abundant whole food diet that provides all of the nutrition your body needs.

Certain Tasks

Do not make yourself sad and do not allow others to do it either. When you have arthritis, you may not be comfortable performing certain tasks. The last thing you want to do is make your arthritis worse. If you allow guilt to creep in, then that’s exactly what you’re doing. Having to avoid certain tasks is not something you should feel bad about.

If you have osteoarthritis in one of your knees or both knees, consult your doctor about electrical stimulation. This treatment has been shown to be effective in reducing the amount of arthritic pain and swelling in the knees.

Having a good support system is important for arthritis sufferers. It is important to build up a strong supportive circle of friends, family members and professionals to assist you with this experience. You should join a support group to interact with other people who are dealing with the same issues.

Sun block should always be given it the proper attention. Lupus is more easily developed by people with arthritis. Make sure that as much skin is covered up as possible whenever you are out in the sun so you prevent other diseases related to arthritis.

Never make yourself feel bad, or allow others to. Arthritis sufferers are not comfortable or even able to do many tasks or chores. Guilt and pressure from others will make you feel even worse, so don’t let others get you down. Not being able to do everything is not a reason to feel bad.

Buy a digital timer that you can clip onto your belt and use daily. When you need to do chores, set the timer for five to ten minutes as a reminder to take a short break. Many will keep trying to get tasks done by pushing through their pain, but this can cause more damage.

A good tip to remember if you’re suffering from arthritis: try to keep laughing. Try joking around with your friends, reading a funny book, or watching a comedy to bring your mood up to lessen stress levels. Laughter will make a noticeable difference in reducing your stress and pain because of the chemicals your brain releases.

Because arthritis affects so many people, you should know what symptoms to look out for. Learning about the symptoms ahead of time can help you detect it early. Knowing what to look out for will give you an accurate barometer of when you should consult your general practitioner or specialist. Management is most effective when you seek help as problems arise.

By putting these ideas into action and staying on track, many people with arthritis have become professional athletes. Your focus should be on maintaining dominance over your emotional and physical states. There are many different ways to fight this condition and alleviate the pain. Remain positive, and you can overcome it.