Arthritis is a basically one such health condition that causes inflammation in one or more joints of the body. This further causes pain and stiffness which can even worsen with age. Now, stating a fact, “How you live affects your Health.” This clearly means that the lifestyle choices you make as an individual has the ability to affect your entire physical well-being, including your joint pains when you have arthritis.
Arthritis is also considered closely linked to all types of health conditions, especially heart diseases and diabetes. A major concern during Arthritis is ‘Weight’. Now you must be wondering why does the weight matter so much when you have Arthritis? Well, here is why…
It is because, Arthritis affects almost 36% of obese adults. In general also, to maintain a healthy body weight is a fit and healthy idea for your body which also includes your joints. Now with an extra body weight, the joints are more likely to feel stressed and strained. This is what causes wear & tear, inflammation, stiffness and other symptoms of Arthritis Pain in the joints. So, to make the pain go away all you need to do is Lose your extra body weight and…
Here are some lifestyle changes to manage arthritis pain –
- Exercise
- Healthy Diet
- Check on your Weight regularly
- Self-Management skills
- Avoid Alcohol and Smoking
Exercise
Exercise like we all know is a must. Anything from using hands for washing something or walking can be called an exercise. All an exercise needs is movement, movement in the limbs. You might be wondering that it is easy but you’ll be surprised to know that more than 50% of each household in India does not believe in doing their own household chores. This is the number one cause of Arthritis. Now, if you don’t think of doing household chores, you must at least set a target of the number of steps you walk in a day.
In today’s life with so much innovation and technology, we are sure that you will be able to find yourself a good application that can measure your daily number of walking steps for free.
And like we explained earlier, cutting down on extra weight is a must for those who have arthritis and what better way to lose weight than to exercise. But before you begin to make your own exercising schedule, don’t forget to get yourself checked by a doctor for precaution.
A Healthy Diet
To lose extra body weight, you need to be precise about what you eat. Being overweight is definitely not a healthy choice and you must work and eat equal to what your system can easily digest. An idle diet for arthritis must include low-fat and low-calorie foods. You can also plan your meals and snacks with lots of fruits and vegetables. Eating healthy not only helps with weight loss but also helps the body in functioning efficiently with all the correct ingredients to fuel up the organs of the body.
Some studies have also pointed out that Vitamin C is good for Inflammation. Now, if you have arthritis, you must add food with more vitamin c to your diet.
To get an accurate diet according to your daily regimen, you can reach out to us at the Lifeline Laboratory, the best path lab in Delhi NCR and our experts help in guiding you in the best manner possible. You can also get an online blood test booked with us to help your doctor analyse more about your system.
Check on your Weight regularly
Keeping a track on weight cannot always be easy but you must remind yourself to do it frequently, at least once a month. During Arthritis, even a slight extra weight can cause the pain to worsen so you must consult your doctor and aim to reach your idle weight. Checking with weight not only helps in the case of Arthritis but also makes you aware to get yourself tested for any other problems if not arthritis. A sudden rise or fall in your weight could be a warning signal to visit the doctor. You could also reach out to our experts at the Lifeline Laboratory, the best pathology lab in Delhi and can also get an online blood test as it can help in examining internal problems of the body.
Self-Management Skills
Joining a self-management workshop can be an amazing idea for you to get rid of arthritis pain. The skills teach you how to manage arthritis well and also insists you in bringing change to make right decisions about your health. This workshop can make you feel more controlled about your health. It also helps you in carrying out your daily activities – spending time with family, going to work, etc… Not only this, it also reduces down your stress and makes your mood better. Stress is again, a major trouble for those who have arthritis as it increases inflammation. It must be controlled otherwise it could lead to several complications. Little things that can help in reducing stress are:
- Take a break/vacation
- Turn to spirituality for motivation
- Get rest
- Meditate
- Feel the sun
- Be more creative (read more and write down on a journal or blog everyday)
- Spend quality time with loved ones
Avoid Alcohol and Smoking
Drinking alcohol is injurious to Health and we also know that smoking causes cancer and also kills. So why go down this road? Trying to avoid pain is not any reason to start drinking or smoking. So medicating yourself with alcohol or smoking will not get you any help in managing your arthritis pain or any other pain for that matter. Alcohol and Smoking only create more problems.
Below are some tips that can help you with arthritis pain.
- Talk to your doctor and know all about your condition.
- Use comfortable door handles to avoid pain.
- Use reachers (rods to reach out and grasp items that are hard to reach).
- Use railings, even if it means you need to install one in your washroom but make sure you do not have any problems in walking, sitting, or standing.
- Use velcro because buttons and shoelaces can also become a challenge.
- Use technology for comfort.
For any other help, you know that you can at anytime reach out to experts at the Lifeline Laboratory, the best pathology lab in Delhi NCR, and can also get an online blood test booked with us for any other health issues. You can also ask our experts for any personal queries regarding your health issues.
