Although there is no cure for arthritis, by making some changes to your way of life and reducing pain, you can greatly improve your quality of life. The treatment to choose depends on the type of arthritis and the stage of the disease. Regardless of which course of action you decide to take, you need to train properly and take care of yourself. Check with your doctor to figure out which of the following tips is right for you. Keep reading the article from step one.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Exercise
Step 1. Practice yoga
This discipline includes a series of useful exercises that help relax all the muscles of the body and increase their elasticity. When arthritis begins to manifest, people avoid moving for fear of pain. While it's inviting, it's not a good idea at all. Yoga offers enormous benefits because, while it stimulates the muscles, it does not involve any intense effort.
Not exercising, the surrounding muscles go into spasms and contractures, and consequently the pain increases. Following regular physical activity, such as yoga, helps to maintain the elasticity of the muscles and also to relax them
Step 2. Raise your legs
If you are not in perfect physical shape, with the help of a chair you can do some exercises along the lines of those contemplated by yoga. The leg raise exercise is a great example:
- Sit in a chair with your back straight. Lift your right leg and, if you can, try to bring it parallel to the ground.
- Hold this position for 10 seconds and repeat with the left.
- Try this by adding light weights to help tone your thighs.
Step 3. Try the squat exercises
It is best to work all the muscles around the knees. Here's how to train your thighs, calves and glutes:
- Get behind a chair and, leaning on, keep your posture erect.
- Lower yourself as far as you can, but make sure you don't bend your knee more than 90 degrees.
- Repeat 10 times for each leg. This is an exercise that helps increase muscle tone and flexibility in the knee joint.
Step 4. Use heat
Arthritis is a degenerative disease due to the tearing of the cartilage. By applying heat to the area with the help of a bag or a heating pad, the underlying arteries dilate, improving blood circulation and making it easier to perform the exercises. With increased blood supply, the number of cells that can help the injured knee heal also increases.
To do this, get a hot water bottle and fill it with warm water. Rub it on your knee for 15-20 minutes every 4-6 hours
Step 5. Try aqua aerobics
It is practiced in the pool. The buoyancy given by the water reduces any strain on the knee. These are very versatile aerobic exercises, which improve the pulling force of the knee.
Many people find that they are easier and more enjoyable to perform because they have a different rhythm than the normal "gymnastics" concept. Look for a water aerobics class at the pool near your home
Part 2 of 4: Harnessing the Medicine
Step 1. Take pain relievers
Medicines such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and celecoxib can help reduce inflammation and swelling and, consequently, pain. Ask your doctor about taking them.
These drugs affect the action of cyclooxygenase within the body, which causes the cells to produce inflammation and swelling. These drugs inhibit the biochemical pathway, decreasing pain
Step 2. Physiotherapy begins
The physiotherapist enables the patient to perform a series of movements in order to make the knee joint less rigid. Usually, arthritis sufferers avoid moving the affected area. Therefore, the physical therapist can help restore joint functions without causing damage and teach the best way to move the knees in daily life.
Physiotherapy differs from one patient to another. Treatment depends on the severity, age, and type of arthritis
Step 3. Perform the exercises with the help of the physiotherapist to strengthen the knees
Here are three examples of what the physical therapist could help you do:
- Stretching of the tendon. You will need to warm up by walking for five minutes. Next, you will stretch on your back with a sheet knotted around your right foot. The sheet is used to pull the leg straight and stretch it. You have to keep it for about twenty minutes and then leave it. The exercise is repeated with the other leg.
- Calf stretch. This exercise is done using a chair to stay balanced. Step back with your left leg and straighten it, bending the right. Then push your left heel towards the floor. You should feel some tension in the calf of the rear leg. Hold the position for 20 minutes and then switch legs.
- Raising the pelvis with gear. Sit in a chair with your legs at 90 degrees. The left foot should be slightly back with the sole on the floor. Bend your knee and lift your right foot off the floor. Hold it suspended for 3 seconds and then slowly lower it to the floor. Repeat the exercise ten times, then switch legs.
Step 4. Also try occupational therapy
You will be shown how to reduce the strain exerted on the ailing joint when it is involved in daily activities. Your therapist can help you make some changes in your home so that environmental barriers don't worsen your health. This is a rehabilitation discipline applicable mostly in normal home activities, which increases autonomy in daily life.
The occupational therapist will also take care of the little things. He may recommend shoes to buy, the best walking devices, and anything else that could take the stress out of your knee while staying indoors
Step 5. Take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
They help you reduce joint inflammation and decrease pain by blocking the action of prostaglandins. However, they can have anticoagulant properties and cause bleeding. Therefore, it is necessary to seek the advice of the doctor before taking them.
- A great example is 50-75 mg diclofenac, once or twice a day (depending on the state of the arthritis).
- To be precise, prostaglandins are hormones that trigger muscle cramps, inflammation and physical pain.
Step 6. Consider steroid injections
If the pain gets worse, steroids are the next step in arthritis treatment. They are injected by an orthopedic surgeon under anesthesia. However, they are not a therapy you can rely on constantly. If you need to have regular injections, you will likely be recommended to have surgery.
Steroids help reduce inflammation and excess fluids that form in the process of swelling. However, it can be an expensive, time-consuming drug therapy
Step 7. As a last resort, consider having surgery
This solution is used in severe cases where the joint is severely damaged and in circumstances where other treatment modalities have not produced the desired results. It is possible to completely replace the injured joint by adding a prosthesis between the knee and the bones in order to produce and maintain a cushioning effect.
You will likely be advised to undergo an arthroscopy. It is a procedure in which a semicircular incision is made with which the lesion of the cartilage is examined. Depending on the severity of the tear and the damage that has occurred, your surgeon may recommend knee replacement surgery
Part 3 of 4: Changing the Lifestyle
Step 1. Change your diet
Arthritis sufferers are encouraged to consume lots of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. It would be wise to reduce your carbohydrate intake, because, if taken in excess, they turn into fat which is stored in the body and increases weight. The daily requirement of carbohydrates is equivalent to 20-70 grams.
It also increases your consumption of omega-3 fats. They are found in fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel and sardines. They help to accelerate the healing process, as they break down into glucose providing energy to the body
Step 2. Don't get too much calcium
Calcium is terrific for the bones, but in exaggerated quantities it is not useful. Drink a glass of milk every other day to avoid excessive calcium intake, otherwise it could interfere with the proper functioning of the heart.
Talk to your doctor about the right amount of calcium to take. Pregnant women, people of old age or people with osteoporosis are likely to need to control the amounts of calcium they take
Step 3. Lose weight
For those who are obese it is the perfect way to avoid the onset of arthritis over time, as excess fat in the upper body increases stress in the knees. There are various diets and many exercises that help you lose weight. Talk to your doctor, asking him what is the right path to take.
The two main factors are nutrition and physical activity. While certain weight loss treatments and exercises may be more effective, what is most important is to establish a routine that you stick to faithfully. In addition to following a good diet, include a stimulating sport in your daily life, such as swimming, mountain biking, hiking or dancing
Step 4. Avoid drinking alcohol
Alcoholic beverages increase uric acid, which builds up in the joints, worsening health conditions. Make water your main source of fluids, as it helps remove waste, including excess uric acid, speeding up the healing process.
Try to drink the classic 8 glasses of water a day. The more water you drink, the less tempting you will be to consume sweet sodas and fruit juices, which are full of sugar and unnecessary calories. Plus, they'll fill you up and reduce your appetite
Step 5. Use turmeric to combat pain and swelling
Every morning take 2 tablespoons of turmeric powder mixed with some honey. Turmeric powder can help reduce inflammation by inhibiting the isoforms of the cyclooxygenase enzyme, called COX1 and COX2, which cause pain and swelling. In addition, it is a natural antioxidant, which is considered to be very useful for the body.
If you don't like the taste, try putting the mixture of turmeric and honey in green tea to dilute the flavor. This type of tea contains catechins and epigallocatechin-3-gallate which also inhibit the inflammatory process due to cyclooxygenase. It also reduces the destruction of collagen fibers, which are responsible for the production of cartilage tissue
Part 4 of 4: Learning about Arthritis
Step 1. Recognize the early symptoms
Usually, the signs and symptoms of arthritis develop slowly and worsen over time, as there is a reduction in normal joint function, which worsens with continued use of the joint. However, the early symptoms include:
- Stiffness. It occurs when you have difficulty bending or straightening the affected joint. Stiffness is common after a period of inactivity and typically in the morning upon awakening.
- Swelling. It is caused by inflammation due to fluid accumulating in the tissues surrounding the joint. This is a physical reaction to an infection as the body tries to fight off the bacteria.
- Tiredness. It occurs because the body is busy fighting arthritis and, therefore, is less focused on producing the energy needed for daily activities.
- Ache. It occurs due to the inflammation taking place in the joint, which sends a message to the nerve centers responsible for carrying the pain.
Step 2. Recognize late-stage symptoms
As arthritis progresses, it becomes more and more evident. Check for any of the following symptoms:
- Soreness. If you feel pain after touching the knee, it is a consequence of the inflammation in which the affected area becomes painful, red and swollen.
- Inability to walk. The pain can increase over time to such an extent that you won't be able to walk long distances, especially without a cane or walker.
- Bone spurs. They develop in the joint that has swelling, due to the buildup of uric acid.
- Fever. Fever is a reaction of the body to any external invasion - it is an automatic immune response from the body. The body's immunity is strengthened at high temperatures and, therefore, when the bacterium enters the body, the temperature rises to fight the infection.
Step 3. Learn about the risk factors
Several aspects come into play when a person suffers from arthritis. The following can predispose you to this disease:
- Obesity. The heavy weight exerted on the joints interferes with proper joint functioning.
- Infections. Germs find their way into the joint through blood circulation or when there is a cut or wound that gives access to the bacteria. When the latter gain a passage to the joint, they can cause inflammation leading to arthritis.
- Job. Arthritis is common in people who work in places where they are required to walk continuously without resting. This causes the joint to over-fatigue, causing inflammation which, in turn, causes the onset of arthritis.
- Past injuries. Arthritis is also common in people who have previously suffered a knee injury. The knee could heal with scar tissue that could affect the normal functioning of the knee.
- Consumption of alcohol. Alcohol increases the level of uric acid in the body. The latter is deposited in the form of crystals in the joints, making them painful.
- Genetics. Finally, arthritis is common in people suffering from hereditary diseases that interfere with the proper functioning of the muscles, hindering their contraction and relaxation as needed.
