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Arthritis

arthritis diet
Achieving BETTER functioning and mobility ? What works for ONE person, might not be any good for YOU or any other individual! You are trying to take control, lessen pain and impact, understand the disorder better, as well as the functioning of your joints, what hinders/helps to tap into your body and its strengths to heal itself. Reduce the demands you place on your joints and body through practical adjustments to your lifestyle *to test the practicality of this for example count how many times in an hour you actually BEND over, bend down, reach, jump, lunge, stretch or use your hips, knees, joints YOU WILL BE SURPRIZED! Talk to others and communicate frequently with your treatment team and partners on progress, hurdles, effective or not so effective regimens and solutions and try and pursue new or adjusted ones that work and last for you! Focus on something else besides just the pain, your hip, knees or arthritis.

what is arthritis
Anywhere on the body, one spot, more, hot and tender spots, like wrist, knees, knuckles, one or both sides, hands, feet, extremities, back, hips ? Significant loss of mobility can also be present. 28. 44.

Arthritis Info

What Is Arthritis Resource

Section 3 - SEVENTY Practical Considerations And Tips For Dealing With The Pain Of Arthritis And Making The Pain Disappear

1. Pain is common and it occurs for everyone differently
2. It is the one almost pre-occupation and most prevalent situation, occurrence, manifestation and reality of this condition
3. Pain (and managing it), is the ONE sure thing you will have in common with many/most others which makes it easier to talk about, discuss and share you do not have to go down this road alone
4. PAIN IS PERSONAL and UNIQUE no two people will experience it in the same way be sure when you talk to your doctor to be as specific as you can about this! Even making notes can be helpful, when it starts, where it is, how it feels, how long it lasts, what brought it on, what made it worse/better these cues and clues can all contribute to finding the right treatment and pain management strategy for you and your arthritis pain
5. PAIN is hard to quantify, but try to wrap your mind around the difference aspects of it which joint, where exactly, why you think it is hurting, what it lets you do or not do for example. Treating and managing pain will also be easier when you understand it more and better!
6. Causality is not easy to pin-point with arthritis and there is no cure! This is a reality you will have to accept, YET not be immobilized by it! You can do something about, with it in your life do not let is rob you of your mobility, range of motion ,quality of life, hope joy and future! IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THAT WAY!
7. There are multi-faceted factors at play in and with pain with arthritis
8. What works for ONE person, might not be any good for YOU or any other individual!
9. You can find ways for YOU to help manage your pain better there is always something else to try or things to do differently to make your life and PAIN more practical, have less impact and pain, demand on your joints and LIVE!
10. You need to know the extent and severity of the joint damage not only a diagnosis, formally by a medical practitioner, but also a firm prognosis and treatment plan, will leave you feeling empowered as opposed to in the throes of despair. Also, have them look at any at-risk areas and surrounding tissue etc. where things might get worse over time, causing MORE pain!
11. Even if you feel like NOT moving around to NOT experience the pain, MOVE!! Your body is designed to do it! If not, it will kick into protection mode and even build up more fluids, trying to protect the joint, or at risk area, making it even MORE painful. It could be one of the reasons for your pain. Make your body and its functioning parts, processes and elements, components YOUR FRIEND, ALLIES and NOT YOUR ENEMY!
12. Make getting rest an absolute priority and make it count, look after your whole body, not just your knee, hip or arthritic hot-spots!
13. Try to keep your emotions/feelings in check this is often ignored by patients as we all want to believe that we can cope effectively with whatever life tends to throw at us including immobilizing, debilitating diseases/disorders.
14. Minimize personal, professional and disorder-related, stress, angst, emotional extremes, anger, fear, frustrations, depression, hopelessness, demoralizing, deconstructive self-talk!
15. Talk to others and communicate frequently with your treatment team and partners on progress, hurdles, effective or not so effective regimens and solutions and try and pursue new or adjusted ones that work and last for you!
16. Know that pain can come from many places, vary from day to day, time of day, severity, intensity, duration, can be in more than one place, be caused by many things and not even have a clear cause just be a PAINFUL reality that has to be dealt with effectively, swiftly and on an on-going basis, positive attitude and a PLAN! YOUR PLAN!
17. Pain management and reduction will be up to you to be most effective. You are the one choosing which therapies and remedies to apply and partake of.
18. Exercises that both strengthen and relax the muscles and joints need to be done in moderation and alternated for optimal results. Consult your medical practitioners and fitness professional, even rehabilitation specialists and physiotherapists, massage niche providers to assist you with a balanced pain management treatment plan.
19. Reduce the demands you place on your joints and body through practical adjustments to your lifestyle *to test the practicality of this for example count how many times in an hour you actually BEND over, bend down, reach, jump, lunge, stretch or use your hips, knees, joints YOU WILL BE SURPRIZED! Try to make the most of how you can use what you have and not get too caught up in what you cannot do!
20. Identify, understand and cope with the demands and restrictions, range of motion that you do have, avoiding things that can aggravate your pain and suffering.
21. Set up a pain-management journal, plan and log for yourself . This can be a handy and most effective treatment and communication tool for you and your medical practitioner to use in your treatment and management of your pain on an on-going basis, while actually making and seeing some progress (or not!), finding alternatives and tracking the effectiveness of certain therapies and interventions.
22. Be and eat healthy, the right foods, right portions, frequent , smaller meals, control weight
23. Find out all you can about your medications, treatments and how to optimize them, risks, side-effects, contra-indicators, problems, limitations, risk/reward. Then, only decide which is the best option or strategy for you for your pain management.
24. Implement small pain management steps throughout your day, week and life and deal with it with patience and grace, motivated and positive attitude.
25. Use cognitive, positive suggestions, mantras and power of the mind over matter, to deal with pain, tapping into your pain receptors, brain-power to heal and cope better with your body and its moving parts as well as your whole body, well-being. You are one functioning and wonderful whole do not dismiss the opportunity and effectiveness, role YOU can play in dealing with pain. Sometimes it is mind over matter!
26. Make relaxing the muscles of your body a top priority, reduce stress, reduce PAIN it is that simple like a chain of command of sorts! You can take control through processes like medication, relaxation, stress-reduction, visualization and more to take more control over your condition and PAIN!
27. Thoughts and feelings are part of this condition and realities and can be positive or negatively affecting you even as you read here! How to you feel and what are you thinking about your condition? Is it positive or negative? Do you believe you are getting better and/or fear getting worse? Relieve pain and suffering through positive thought and self-speak, focus and mental agility.
28. You are also a bio-electric being with your own energy-signatures and dynamics you are truly unique. Many believe and advocate that you yourself have within you the power, knowledge and answers to cope with pain effectively. They point to survivalist instincts kicking in when we need it most and then wondering why we suddenly forget about these, ignore or downplay their effectiveness when we need it every day, coping with pain and relieving our suffering due to joint issues and problems.
29. There are different paths to joint health, dealing with overcoming and making the most of your arthritis situation, condition and challenges. Choose the one that is most-suited, affordable, low risk, best reward type therapies and treatment.
30. Give every treatment or strategy a fair run or hearing, be open-minded enough to try new things out, at least for two weeks and at least for 20 minutes every day for a length of period to really know if it will be helpful to manage your pain.
31. Find practical ways in and around your home, work and life to apply every technique and path of remedy you choose. Mix and match the solutions into a fine-tuned strategy that makes pain manageable and/or even make/have it disappear or at the very least, you being less obsessed, aware and not being affected by it in your daily life as much.
32. Build better joint habits, posture, making moving a priority and moving, sitting, walking, running, reaching RIGHT and BETTER top priority for you.
33. Relaxation of your different muscle groups in a deliberate fashion can yield great result too. Less tense, they cause less pain in and to the affected areas.
34. NEVER LOSE HOPE with your arthritis or feel too overwhelmed to ask for help.
35. Getting over-exerted, fatigued, run-down or tired is NOT A GOOD STRATEGY AT ANY TIME FOR ARTHRITIS SUFFERERS! Get rest, take breaks, sleep well and longer, deeper and wake up refreshed to face another day. Sometimes taking it an hour at a time, day at a time is good advice! Do not try to move too many mountains or build too many ROMEs in one day!
36. Breathing exercises, paced breathing, focused breathing, even yoga can help. You are infusing your body with oxygen, filling muscles and circulatory systems with much-needed power and means to function at their best. Refresh, cleanse and ease discomfort. Manage your pain symptoms with deep breathing techniques for about two weeks and see if it makes any difference for how your feel in the moment, afterwards as the pain subsides. Most patients report feeling empowered by the hint that they can control how their body responds to and deals with pain.
37. Guided imagery, visualization, meditative states and journeys are other ways for you to explore how to tap into your body and minds respective and combined strengths, helping your get a better handle on reality, pain and how you feel and cope with and about it.
38. The art of distraction does not only work on kids! (Ask parents they will tell you it is a highly effective technique, even for disciplining, reward, nagging, bed-time or more to get cooperation, calm etc.!) It is also great on adults. YET, we rarely use it! If you feel pain taking over, try and focus your mind on something else deliberately, trick your brain into getting away from the pain stimulus-response loops! IT is easy and costs nothing! ANYONE AND EVERYONE CAN DO AND USE IT.
39. Self-talk, reflection, even visualizing and claiming feeling healthy, better, can lift your spirits and have you address the realities of your pain BETTER! You are not wishing or praying it away, just realizing that you have choice to react differently to the PAIN itself and what it is doing to you, your life, your mobility and MORE.
40. Heat and cold, massage, stroking, kneading, rubbing, professional therapy and even physio can all relieve all levels of pain, from mild, moderate to severe and extreme caution should be exercise not to harm or worsen, risk injury consult a professional on how best to implement and proceed with this one!
41. How you sleep, sit, ergonomics have lots to offer, the type of bed, sleeping position you hold change during the night, support pillows, the softness/harness, how new or old your mattress, cushions, chairs are can all make things better or worse this one is up to you. Focus on the environmental and contextual factors that can help you rather than hinder you or make joint pain worse. Get a foot-stool if you work in-front of the computer all day, a recliner for watching TV (heat/massage), warm-water bottle and comfortable blanket, support pillow for work, home and car etc.
42. Break the pain spiral and cycle if you can! Be active, over inactive, eat well, over poorly, stay positive and keep hopeful, deal with negative, difficult emotions, realities, feelings and response, relax tense muscles and do not allow the pain and disease to dictate your days and life any longer or at all.
43. Surround yourself with activities and people that you enjoy and do not make your pain and disease the main focus of your being and life. Interesting hobbies, friends, socializing, over isolation, loneliness and being with and aware of your condition 24/7/365 can be a breath of fresh air!
44. Get the help you need, can afford and know will give you the most/best bang for your treatment buck!
45. Review your medications and treatment plan from time to time and keep on top of your condition, get progress reports, journal your thoughts, feelings and more and discuss this with your medical practitioner, partners and treatment team(s), including casting the net wider than your GP!
46. Cut down on bad, poor habits like too much alcohol, smoking and nutritionally unhealthy foods.
47. Reward yourself for getting through a day or reaching a goal, share stories of success, pain and failure, recovery and hope with others, volunteer and share your experience with fellow-sufferers, volunteers, online chat-groups.
48. Realize that there are connections between pain and your mood or how you feel about things, yourself, the pain, your condition
49. Make mobility a top priority and precious commodity in your life, yet not obsess about losing or fear not having it. Focus on what you can do, get better, structure and organize your surroundings, home and life around enabling yourself, practical and not hurdles to overcome, leaving your powerless, helpless, feeling despair!
50. Move through and with the pain BUT MOVE! Yes, even when it hurts, really hurts! Look and feel good and better and the pain will be less on your mind as you go about your day and business. Focus on something else besides just the pain, your hip, knees or arthritis.
51. Exercise to loosen stiff or even lazy, inflamed or unused muscles they can be the very cause or at the very least a contributing factor to the pain that you are feeling.
52. Minimize flare-ups by being active on a daily, regular basis.
53. Do not hold out with pain, if you do not have to. Discuss options and decide what you will take/do when pain strikes. Having a plan is half the battle. Being prepared and somewhat pro-active, rather than just passively responding will greatly enable your life and mobility.
54. Getting and being tired are not friends of this condition, so ensure that you get the rest, sleep and relaxation that you need, despite your fast-paced, priority-filled life, especially working moms/dads!
55. Avoid inactivity, fatigue, bad/poor nutrition, skipping meals, taking on too much, and schedule down-time, gym-time and YOU-time! Conserve and manage your energy effectively and you will benefit more from it in those painful moments when it will count and make all the difference in the world.
56. Watch for side-effects of medications or reactions, responses to treatment and therapy that might not be helping you, but making you feel worse avoid, adjust or change it.
57. Stay hydrated, get enough fiber in your diet and ensure optimal nutrients to give your body a fighting chance.
58. Strengthen your immune system and take supplements to ensure you get all the nutrients that your body requires from different sources (especially when you feel lousy, do not have an appetite, suffering from intense or sever pain).
59. Be involved in your treatment, choose your medical team closely and discuss any issues, concerns, inquiry, questions, research, products, treatments and therapies with them all. Get second opinions, baseline, test, investigate, partner, communicate and discuss, making every visit and consultation, results and follow-up count.
60. Do not only focus on medicines that reduces pain and inflammation, ask about safety and alternatives, relief, results, trails and evidence learn and explore new therapies, products and breakthroughs with caution, skepticism, safety and assess your risk, interactions and responses to medications BEFORE adding or starting any new meds.
61. Realize that inflammation of the joints is both the condition and your bodys natural way of dealing with a problem. It is part of your healing process and secret as well! Do not just leave it up to anti-inflammatories to work the trick and magic! There might be MORE to getting results that work and last!
62. Depending on the type of arthritis that you have, your strategy and treatment will/may vary from others, over time etc. NO TWO TREATMENT PLANS ARE, WILL AND SHOULD BE THE SAME! What is good for the goose (one patient/individual), might in this case, NOT be so good for the gander (other patient/YOU?!)!!
63. Pain-reducing drugs should not be your fall-back position they are risky and can be addictive, do not solve anything and put you in jeopardy or at risk long-term. You do not want to mask or cover symptoms, that might be tell-tale signs of what exactly is wrong, happening or keeping you from real treatment that might actually help relieve the pain, through different channels and options. Suppressing pain is no solution anytime! You might actually be causing MORE harm than good! Tolerance and side-effects, even dependence may also develop from prolonged use with associated risks.
64. Medications and pain management tools are not to be crutches or supports alone, they are enablers of your life, mobility and health they assist you being independent, functioning, happy and healthy BUT they are not the only things you have at your disposal to deal, cope and get rid of pain and the demands that Arthritis places on your life. YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND HAVE A DIFFERENT APPROACH, realistic, feasible, affordable, practical and individualized to making the pain more manageable, go away, be less severe etc.
65. Pain killers like Darvon, Darvocet, Codeine, Percodan, Demerol can help you manage the symptoms and pain associated with arthritis, as can some natural alternatives of which there are numerous products and combinations on the market.
66. Some arthritis sufferers also swear by tranquilizers, muscle and spasm relaxants, even anti-depressants to help them cope with all aspects of the condition, including pain, depression and more. Joint-injections and lubrication, as well as alternative medicines can add great value to this equation as well. ALWAYS INFORM YOUR DOCTOR OF ALL MEDICATIONS AND SUPPLEMENTS, OTC DRUGS that you are taking.
67. What to do if all else fails and surgery is the only option? Educate, inform, investigate, research, get the best surgeon and team, you can afford and muster in your area, type of operation, treatment and intervention, effectiveness, pre and post-operative rehabilitation, realities, risks, repeat or additional surgeries throughout your lifetime, type of problem and arthritis you have, match and suitability of the procedure for your case, replacement or augmentation, repair, installation, resection, fusion, back, hip or knee surgery or all of the above?!
68. not all Arthritis treatments and products, alternatives and therapies are created equal. It will be up to you to find the best, reliable, affordable ones and THOSE THAT ACTAULLY WORK! BEWARE THE SNAKE-OILS!
69. Critically evaluate and investigate claims of healing arthritis for good with X, Y or Z, without questioning the source, track record, research, trials, experiments, successes and failures rates, does the product and/or results apply to you and your condition, situation, diagnosis and prognosis, PAIN? In other words, will it work for you what is the probability of it?
70. Effectiveness of any one treatment or therapy does not happen in a vacuum. Are the other contributing or enabling factors to consider as well? Risk, danger and harm, contra-indicators, drug-interactions, cost and expense? How accessible and practically viable is the treatment for ME?