Coping with arthritis is coping with pain. Approximately one in six people will suffer from arthritis at one point in their lives. In most people's minds arthritis is associated with being elderly. It's true that, as we get older, there is wear and tear on the tissues in our joints. But, it can also be the result of an injury. Even then, it can take years before arthritis manifests itself.
There are many different types of arthritis. But they all seem to share the same symptoms. Symptoms of arthritis are: Swelling, inflammation, pain and stiffness of the joint, or joints that are affected.
The best way to diagnose arthritis is by taking an X-Ray. But this will show the damage, but cannot determine the severity of pain. The pain can be different for every patient. And it doesn't just depend on the amount of damage that was done. A person with less damage could hurt worse, than a person with severe damage. It depends on where exactly in the joint the damage occurred.
People have different pain thresholds. Also, people have different dispositions. So some people are coping with arthritis better than others. Attitude is definitely a big factor in coping with arthritis.
Let me give you a list of known arthritis treatments.that may give you some arthritis pain relief::
o Physical Therapy
o Weight Control
o Exercise to keep flexibility
o Ice- or heat packs for temporary relief
o Topical analgesics
o Acupuncture
o Natural/herbal medicines.
o Support bandages for wrist or knee
Make sure you give your joints enough exercise, without overdoing it. If you have arthritis in your knee, or hip, make sure you do not take on tasks that require too much time. Just do some of the work, and then take a short rest before you finish the job.
A good way to rest is sit in a Lazy Boy chair, with your legs elevated. Don't sit in one position for too long a time. Pull your legs up on the support, and bend your knees. After a few minutes stretch your legs again. If you alternate this every once in a while, your knee, or knees, won't get that stiff, and it will be easier to get up.
Personally, I'm taking some natural products for arthritis pain relief, and weaned myself off the morphine I had been taking for nearly seven years. The morphine was by prescription, but I was getting concerned about all the chemicals going into my body. (Yes, I realize it took me a long time to figure that out).
I feel myself to be much more alert, and don't feel drowsy all the time. Nothing will take the pain away completely,( not even the morphine), but it is now almost negligible. There are a multitude of natural products on the market for arthritis pain relief.
The best way of coping with arthritis is to not dwell on what we can't do, but enjoy the things we are still able to do.
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