STRESS AND ARTHRITIS Stress in life can become a complicated issue when someone has the added burden of ongoing joint pains and limitations with arthritis. To find solutions, it is important to understand how stress and arthritis interact. ARTHRITIS WORSENS STRESS Dealing with ongoing pain and stiffness, or getting a sudden flare-up can make daily …
KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR PROGRESS A daily journal is a great way to keep track of your arthritis symptoms. Your journal provides important information to let you know how well your treatments are working. Also, recording your pain, mood, and level of function can help you figure out which activities are healthy and which are …
STARTING A TOTAL WELLNESS PLAN The best treatment plan for arthritis is to use every therapeutic tool available to you. Check out the list below and incorporate as many components as possible to give yourself the best chance to successfully manage your arthritis. Your medications are a critical component of your care. For autoimmune arthritis, …
STARTING A HOLISTIC HEALTH PLAN The care of arthritis requires a collaboration with you and the members of your healthcare team. Together, your doctors and therapists will be committed to providing the medical care you need. Meanwhile, create a wellness plan that emphasizes the health of your mind, body, and spirit. STEP 1: Stay connected- …
GETTING BETTER SLEEP Sleep is a necessary requirement for being healthy. When you have chronic conditions like arthritis, rest is vital for daily recovery and symptom control. Poor sleep can worsen fatigue and pain associated with arthritis. Therefore, a good night of sleep is an absolute requirement for any arthritis treatment plan—here’s how you can …
FATIGUE IN ARTHRITIS Fatigue is common as an unintended “side effect” of having chronic conditions like arthritis. Feeling tired from time to time is a normal part of life, but crippling fatigue for days, weeks, or months that doesn’t seem to let up must be addressed. Generally, there are many causes of fatigue apart from …
SLEEP AND ARTHRITIS PAIN Rest is extremely important when dealing with arthritis. A lack of sleep can worsen fatigue, and can increase arthritis symptoms. However, arthritis pain can interfere with sleep. This can create a difficult cycle where a lack of sleep leads to pain, and pain leads to further sleep loss. To avoid these …
BENEFITS OF WEIGHT LOSS FOR ARTHRITIS Obesity is a growing epidemic in the US. More than 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese. Obesity increases the risk of many diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and cancer. Meanwhile, obesity is a major risk factor for people with arthritis. Weight loss has many benefits for …
ARTHRITIS RELIEF WITHOUT MEDICATIONS There are many ways to help relieve arthritis symptoms without the use of medications. You can try any of the following “natural” treatments to see if they can help manage your symptoms better with less medical intervention. Massage therapy can relieve pain and stiffness, especially to relax muscles are working overtime …
YOUR ARTHRITIS WELLNESS BLUEPRINT When you are dealing with any chronic illness, including arthritis, you should always prioritize your wellness. Let’s define wellness as the maintenance of your physical, mental, and spiritual quality of life. For arthritis, your well-being will depend on your ability to remain physically active for occupation, daily tasks, and “fun” activities. …
