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| Arthritis |
Do
When it comes to arthritis pain, don’t mess around. Even though arthritis is common amongst elderly patients, it can progressively get worse until it causes abnormalities and limited mobility. Your doctor can help you develop a treatment program that will allow you to live your life with mobility and a limited amount of pain.
Disclose every little detail to your doctor. Over 40% of arthritis suffers do not tell their doctor the amount of pain they are dealing with, making it difficult for your doctor to find an effective treatment program. You must tell your doctor what types of pains you are suffering from as using the wrong treatment could aggravate the condition. Keep a notebook that lists the types of pain you are experiencing along with the time when the pain is at it’s worst, if the pain is shooting or constant, and what type of treatments you have tried and if they have worked.
Ask your doctor to do an examination of your joints to see if they are damaged. If your joints are still in decent shape, you may be fortunate enough to keep the cartilage strong with calcium supplements and other things.
Exercise. A lot of arthritis suffers quit exercising and participating in regular routines because of their pain and limited mobility. You don’t want to hurt the joints and cause more pain so try water aerobics, swimming, and elliptical machines. These types of exercises do not put as much pressure on the joints, allowing you to workout without pain. Look for exercises that help to strengthen and build muscles around the joints. This is the best way to improve the swelling and pain that is associated with arthritis.
Don't
Do not participate in activities that aggravate your condition. If you have pill bottles that need opening, it can be extremely painful on the wrists and your fingers may have a hard time grasping objects they way they used to. Use the Open It RX tool when you have jars and bottles to open.
Do not participate in running, jumping, high-impact activities, and anything that causes you to repeat the same thing over and over again. If you participate in these activities, it will cause intense pressure and pain on the joints and it will make your condition worse. If you have a job where you need to do the same thing over and over, try to break up whatever it is you do into smaller chunks and then try to stretch out your muscles and joints. It may be time to look for a job that doesn’t require you to repeat the same thing multiple times as this will hurt the joints.
Talk to your doctor
If your arthritis pain is severe, you may need prescription medications that will manage it properly. Talk to your doctor about your condition so you can figure out what to do. They will most likely recommend you get plenty of rest each night as this allows the joints and muscles to rejuvenate. Sleep with a heating blanket so when you arise in the morning you will not feel the stiffness and pain that is common with arthritis. Alternate between heat therapy and cold therapy to reduce the pain, swelling, and inflammation in the joints. For a list of therapeutic wraps, visit the following site: http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/landing/arthritis/.
About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wisc. Visit http://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.
1 comment:
My dad has a bad arthritis. That is why I urge him to do more exercise and have it checked. I can see how pained he is when he is having one of his attacks. I do hope with the right treatment, he'll experience it less.
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