Arthritis Pain: Symptoms, Treatment, Do's & Don'ts
Take a moment to imagine having your joints slowly pulled apart. Now, imagine that you're not imagining it. Arthritis is what this is. Each patient is a chronic pain warrior, a fighter with immense suffering, a struggle they pull off day in and out.
Living with arthritis is like a difference between the things you ‘cannot do’ and the things you are ‘unable to do’. Both sequels are as different as chalk and cheese. In a nutshell, arthritis is an invisible illness in a visible person. It is something we cannot feel, yet is insufferable.
Arthritis is an auto-immune disease that tends to directly attack joints and bones which causes moderate to severe ranges of irritation, chronic ache, compromised movement, and narrow flexibility. The condition typically interests golden agers, but it can affect men, women, and children of all ages.
Unfortunately, we are yet to find a perfect cure, however, fortunately, doctors can efficiently manage the arthritic condition so that you can add a period over your lifestyle limitations and daily tortures.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an extent of 1 in 4 senior citizens, or 54.4 million adults are living and breathing with arthritis, hence positioning itself to become the leading cause of disabilities in the United States.
Arthritis strikes the most in the areas of the body:
● Hips.
● Feet.
● Lower Back.
● Knees.
● Hands.
● Elbows.
Symptoms Of Arthritis
One of the most common tasks that trigger arthritis is over excessive activities or trauma to the places or joints where two bones link up. Gradually, the swollen or affected joint gets damaged, and eventually, it might reach the point where arthritis has trouble with your organs (skin and eyes). Ordinary symptoms include:
● Inflammation or swelling.
● Severe pain.
● Joint stiffness.
● Tender and warm joints.
● Loss of appetite.
● Fever and fatigue.
● Redness (sometimes).
● Limping.
● Loss of Symmetry.
Treatment for Arthritis
The goal of arthritis treatment is to reduce pain, suffering, and joint injuries to enhance life's fruitfulness. Among the treatments are:
● Appropriate exercises.
● Physiotherapy.
● Weight Loss.
● Medications.
● Non-pharmacologic therapy.
● Joint associative aid or splint.
● Surgery (including joint replacement).
Apart from acknowledging the symptoms of arthritis and its remedy, you can also treat it on your own by contributing a bit more to your well-being. To help you out, here are some do's and don'ts:
DO: Stay Sporty
Engaging yourself in daily exercises is a blueprint to maintain health and ensure bones, joints, tendons, and muscles. Don't be a couch potato even if you are living with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis.
Self-belief is more limited by arthritis than our inability to do movements. But staying in bed or sitting for long hours won't cure the condition, even though it's not the best approach.
Exercising 15 minutes per day (light to moderate workout) will only lead to decreased joint pain, stronger muscles and greater flexibility.
DON’T: Over Medicate (or Undermedicate)
Currently, arthritis does not have a specific cure. You may feel severe pain, discomfort, irritation, or a sense of torture to your own body. But, it is important to understand that taking more pain-relieving medicines or under medicating yourself will not let the pain go away.
Conversely, consuming too much medicine can have adverse side effects on other body parts as well. For elucidating any issues and about dosages required for your body, see your doctor.
DO: Quit Smoking
Do you know the worst that can happen to you, if you smoke while suffering from arthritis? Your chances of recovery may decline, and your body won't be able to respond well to medications.
Toxins released by cigarettes affect and irritate joints near their junctions, which is why smoking invites arthritis.
DON’T: Eat Inflammatory Foods
A proper diet is essential to living life louder and longer. It strengthens the immune system and the bones, provides proper vitamins and proteins, as well as lowering the risk of diseases such as cancer. The following foods are known to increase inflammation and should NOT be consumed:
● Artificial trans fats.
● Smoking.
● Vegetable oils.
● Excessive alcohol.
● Sugar.
● Refined Carbohydrates.
● Fructose high corn syrup.
DO: Control Weight
Weight gain only looks good on a bank statement, not on the person carrying it. Similarly, being overweight can worsen arthritis suffering and pain. The extra pounds weigh down joints, causing the illness to worsen.
According to studies: a single pound of your weight adds 4 pounds of stress on your knees while you walk. The good news is, even if you lose a single pound, you are helping your knees to release four pounds of stress.
DON’T: Compromise your Sleep
From biological-self to physical-self, sleeping has countless impacts on the betterment of your health, brain, memory, diseases, and immune system. You may have sleepless nights because of pain from arthritis, but sleep is far crucial when you have one.
In the end, many people look upon diseases and sickness as inevitable, yet the truth is that health is a normal state and ill-health is an abnormality. The foremost cure for arthritis is a mindful game of embracing pain and getting comfortable with your uncomfortableness.
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