Even though you may suffer with rheumatoid arthritis pain, doesn't mean it has to have complete domination over the rest of your life. Even if you've endured this monster for years, there's a good chance that you can have some effective control by learning all you can about managing and controlling what happens in your body in relation to your rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Many have received lasting results and relief just by following a few helpful guidelines.

Be Practical

Do everything practical that you possibly can to alleviate your joint pain. If your doctor has prescribed a particular medicine for you to take, take it. Use heat pads or cold packs at the first sign of trouble. Get off your feet. Elevate your legs. Get some rest.

Prioritize Your Activites

Cut down on some of your scheduled activities for the day if your joints are swollen or giving you problems. Only do what's necessary and then get off your feet. If the swelling is more painful than usual don't attempt to do anything at all except to rest and maybe call your doctor if you think it's serious enough to call for it.

Exercise With Caution

Exercise as much as you can because it's good for the joints. Exercise acts like lubrication to the joints but don't over do it if your joints become painful. The exercise will actually begin to help alleviate the pain at some point but you must use caution and listen to your body's signal to stop. In time you will be able to do more.

Rest

Get as much rest as you possibly can. Your joints need the rest whether you feel like you need it or not. This is especially so during flare ups or even if you have just minor swelling and pain. And while you're resting be sure to move around a bit every so often, stretching the legs and especially readjusting them so as not to leave them in a bent position for too long. A prolonged bent positioning of your joints can damage the surrounding tissues and will in time curtail the mobility of those already painful joints. You are experiencing enough pain and limited mobility as it is so pay attention to those bent knees while you're resting day or night.

Allergy Watch

Pay particular attention to any allergies that you might have. There used to be a time when doctors thought it was pure nonsense or just plain folklore to suggest that allergies could trigger an arthritis flare-up. Today leading specialists acknowledge that in regard to arthritis symptoms, what you eat can either make your life easier or miserable. Studies have shown that certain foods can either cause or precipitate inflammation in the joints while other food substances can control inflammation, which is in essence like squelching the arthritis symptoms. Although these studies have their own individual results, you have to watch what seems to trigger inflammation and the accompanying flare-ups in your own case. What triggers a flare-up for you may not be a problem for your best friend. An excellent way to begin paying attention to your own allergy triggers is to go on a fast. You will get immediate relief just from the fast. You can also go on just a limited food fast in which you limit yourself to a few foods everyday for say a few days to a week. Then begin paying attention and recording how you feel as you start to eat additional foods.

Don't let the rheumatoid arthritis control you. Take back control by paying attention to your body's signals.