Did you know that arthritis can be bad enough that it actually inhibits daily required activities of people such as taking a shower or getting dressed. This condition can range from causing minor discomfort to the extreme situation just mentioned. Read this article for some of the greatest arthritis advice.

Joint Pain

Make sure you don't smoke. Smoking has been shown to increase your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Not only that, but if you do develop it, smoking has been shown to worsen the joint damage. Patients who smoke most often have much more severe symptoms than those patients who don't smoke.

In order to prevent joint stiffness, incorporate low-impact exercises into your day-to-day routine. Doing too much exercise can cause arthritis to flare up. However, light-to-moderate low-impact exercise can help to keep your joints from stiffening up, giving you more freedom of movement. Some exercises you can do to stay limber include walking, swimming, or bicycling.

Watch your knees. Your knees absorb at least three times the impact of any other joint on your body, so they need extra care. Always make sure to use pads when kneeling and try to flex them often. Sitting cross-legged for too long can also cause issues, so you should stretch them out on a regular basis.

Get a professional massage. Having a massage done by someone who specializes in arthritis pain can be a delightful treat to any sufferer. These experienced professionals know how to target painful spots and work out tension and pressure that may be hindering your flexibility. If you cannot afford this, have a family member look up techniques and try them out.

Arthritis is becoming more and more common! If you notice that you have pain, swelling, or stiffness around your joints, it is important that you see your doctor right away! This could be a sign of arthritis, and if that is the case, you want treatment to begin as soon as possible. Make sure, you also, ask your doctor what kind of arthritis it is. This will be helpful when getting the proper treatment!

One of the best ways to cope with arthritis pain is to exercise. Exercise is the best advice doctors give to their patients that experience arthritis pain. Exercising and stretching increases the flexibility of your muscles and helps reduce joint pain. It can also help you to lose weight, which will put less pressure on your joints. The Arthritis Foundation recommends water exercises because it is the safest exercise to flex the muscles without causing undue stress to the joints.

Know your individual risks for arthritis and prevent damage however you can. If you are at a higher risk of arthritis, you want to take extra care to follow prevention tips and maintain a better fitness level for stronger joints and less risk overall. Even if arthritis runs in your family, there are things you can do to prevent joint damage and pain, and you should be doing these things to lessen your risk.

Even though arthritis cannot be cured, there are many things you can do to get your pain under control. Be sure to discuss alternative treatments with your doctor that will give you more control over your pain symptoms. A feeling of empowerment will help you get the most out of your arthritis therapy.