Arthritis Do’s & Don’ts
For patients suffering from arthritis, it can be very difficult to do even simple tasks like brushing teeth, getting dressed, writing etc. Thanks to modern treatments arthritis can now be better controlled and patients can live a normal life. Apart from medicines and regular follow up with your rheumatologist here is a shortlist of do’s and don’ts for arthritis patients to help them manage their symptoms better.
DO’s:
Exercise:
Do low impact exercises like walking, stretching, swimming etc. Exercise helps improve muscle strength and increase the flexibility of joints. Studies have shown that in rheumatoid arthritis exercise can help reduce pain, fatigue, and morning stiffness.
Pay Attention to your Body’s Signals:
Exercising is good, however, it is important to not overdo it. Start slow, build up gradually and stop if your joints or muscles start hurting. Do as much as you can tolerate. Also if you experience an increase in joint pain after a particular exercise, avoid that particular exercise.
Maintain a Healthy Weight:
Research has shown that obese people have a higher risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis. Also being overweight adds extra stress on your joints especially knees, leading to early degeneration of joints.
Quit Smoking:
Smoking is an important risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis. The risk of developing RA is approximately twice as high for smokers than for non-smokers. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease. Smoker has an increased risk of more-severe rheumatoid arthritis. Smoking also reduces the effectiveness of many medicines used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Recent studies have demonstrated the association of smoking with gout also.
DONT’S:
Don’t Take Over the Counter Pain Medicines:
It is very important to follow up regularly with your rheumatologist and avoid taking medicines without prescription as many of these drugs can have long-term adverse effects on your body.
Do Not Exercise During Flare-Ups:
Exercising during flare-ups may increase your joint pain.
Avoid High Impact Exercises:
high impact exercises like jogging , jumping , running, tennis etc put extra stress on your joints.
Don’t Give in to Depression:
Anxiety and depression are very common in people suffering from arthritis as the pain has a negative effect on your mood. Getting your arthritis treated will help your mental health as well.
