It is not uncommon to get varying information from different doctors on the best way to deal with your arthritis. Do you just want the straight dope about how to cope with your arthritis? If this is true, you can utilize the advice given here to cope with your arthritis symptoms better.

Consumption of alcohol is often considered dangerous for a variety of medical conditions. Moderate alcohol consumption may be beneficial for some arthritis sufferers.

Stay away from cigarette smoke; if you are smoker, then you should quit. The nicotine from cigarettes reduces the blood flow to your extremities which can provide temporary relief. In the long-term though, smoking will corrupt your joints and sharpen the pain that you feel from arthritis.

If you have arthritis, consider taking part in aquatic activities. They help stretch muscles out and they are also quite soothing when the temperature of the water is fairly high. Joining a swim class is a good idea if you are not aware of how to do that.

Ask a builder to do modifications on your home if you are dealing with arthritis. Make a list in consultation with your builder. These types of modifications can help to alleviate the pain of stretching sore joints and make your day-to-day life easier.

Learn good posture to help you keep your joints healthy. It can help to alleviate your arthritis pain. Keep you body straight when you are standing up, and do not slouch when you sit. When on your feet, balance your weight equally across both legs. With stronger support muscles, you might notice a decrease in pain.

Always stick to your physical therapy regimen. People with arthritis may have a difficult time being on their own, so therapy can be beneficial in reminding you that you are not helpless. Depression is common with arthritis sufferers, so a support group or therapy can help with this as well.

If you’ve tried various arthritis treatments without success, speak with your doctor regarding joint surgery. This surgery can help reverse mobility and flexibility effects and has worked for many patients.

Use ice packs or heating pads to relieve some joint pain. Try taking turns between the hot and the cold to receive the most optimal relief. Speak with a physician to find the best ways to soothe pain.

Heating Pad

A heating pad, especially a moist pad, is very effective at relieving the pain of arthritis. If your arthritis is really painful or interfering with proper functioning, try to get a heating pad that provides good, moist heat. These pads provide you with quick relief, but you still need to see your doctor.

Many people perform low impact exercises such as swimming, cycling and walking to help soothe the discomfort they are feeling in their joints due to arthritis. Ask your doctor if you do not feel right about exercise.

When you experience pain and tiredness, try using a heat pad. While many people believe that cold packs are the best for any type of pain, with arthritis sufferers, this is not the case. Heat will alleviate your pain, and help to increase your energy level.

If health is an issue, consider implementing a weight loss and fitness routine. Extra weight definitely increases the strain of arthritis. By extension, losing weight is an easy way to lessen arthritic pain. Dropping your weight by a few pounds can bring relief to your aching, overburdened joints.

If you’re dealing with arthritis, you should never skip quality sleep. You will be sabotaging any other efforts you make to deal with arthritis pain if you try to employ them while you have a sleep deficit. Try to get eight hours of sleep everyday at the very least, or ten hours on more stressful days. Good sleep is one of the best things you can give your body.

Castor Oil

One substance that you can apply to your joints to fight arthritis symptoms is Castor oil. The oil itself is beneficial to your joints, but rubbing it in provides double the relief. The massage allows blood flow to increase which reduces swelling and pain, and castor oil helps reduce stiffness.

If you are having a hard time getting rest because of arthritis, take a hot bath with some bath salts. This helps relax your body, along with soothing your arthritis pain so you can fall aleep and stay asleep for a longer period of time.

Reduce the amount of weight you carry around with you on a daily basis. Arthritis of the shoulders is actually very common. It is even more common in women. Toting around a bag that is too heavy can lead to swelling, and pain in the neck and shoulders. For times when you need to carry a large number of items, consider using a backpack that will distribute the weight over a larger area.

A while back, it was advised that those with arthritis should stay away from alcohol. More recent research has shown, however, that moderate alcohol consumption is not likely to be harmful. In fact, some studies indicate that moderate alcohol consumption can reduce the symptoms of arthritis.

If you have arthritis, refrain from wearing high heels and any other uncomfortable shoes. It doesn’t matter which part of your body is affected by arthritis, uncomfortable shoes and heels will cause you walk in an abnormal manner, which can negatively affect your joints and muscles. What you should do it to purchase sneakers that are comfortable and which can give you support.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of isolation when you suffer from arthritis. You will have more luck managing your condition if you can find a support group. Join a support group to find information about new treatments, get advice and realize some people do understand your struggle with arthritis. You will be able to share your coping tricks and tips with people who understand how you are feeling.

Consider working with a therapist using cognitive behavioral therapy. This therapy helps change the way a person thinks about people and the things that occur in their everyday life, thus altering any negative behavior. Since experiencing a life-long illness may cause stress to an individual, therapy could lead to a better quality of life.

If you haven’t had any success with the arthritis treatments that you’ve tried, speak with your physician about the possibility of having joint surgery. There are effective surgeries that can reverse the effects of arthritis that affect the flexibility and mobility of your joints.

Arthritis can really keep you from enjoying your life like you should. Use these management tips to better control your condition.