Your joints are swollen. They hurt when you walk too much or sit too much. They’re stiff and painful when you first wake up in the morning. All these issues are signs that you have some form of arthritis.
Arthritis is an issue that’s far too common in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 54 million American adults have some form of arthritis. There are many ways you can manage arthritis and its symptoms, but there are three tips that can be especially helpful.
Three tips to help you figure out how to better manage your arthritis
Figuring out how to manage arthritis is a process that’s slightly different for every arthritis patient. For instance, knee arthritis might respond better to one sort of treatment or management tip, while hip arthritis doesn’t. Even patients with the same type of arthritis can experience it differently. However, there are three general tips that can help most people manage their arthritis more effectively. These tips are:
- Exercise daily — Many arthritis patients fear that moving will make their symptoms worse. However, doing some movement every day can actually decrease your symptoms. One medical study reports that movement helped increase the number of cartilage cells producing lubricating compounds in bovine joints by about 27%. You will need to pay attention to the signals your body is sending you. This can help you figure out how much exercising is enough for you.
- Eat more antioxidant-rich foods — Antioxidants are molecules that can help decrease inflammation in the body. They do so by helping your body fight inflammation-causing free radicals. One medical study showed that participants who ate 20 milligrams of an antioxidant-enriched spread had fewer swollen and painful joints after 10 weeks.
- Try to drop some weight — It’s estimated that about 39 million adults who have arthritis are also overweight or obese. Carrying extra weight can put more pressure on your joints, which can lead to more pain and other symptoms. However, medical research reports that losing just one pound can lead to four pounds less strain on your arthritic joints.
Border Therapy Services can help you learn how to manage arthritis more effectively
You don’t have to figure out how to manage arthritis all on your own. Our physical therapists at Border Therapy Services are ready and willing to help you. We offer free screenings that can help us learn how arthritis is affecting your body. Our team can then use this information to build you an individualized therapy plan designed to reduce your arthritis symptoms.
Are you ready to start getting our help with your arthritis? Contact us today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.