Lifestyle management for arthritis relief

You would be surprised how important proper dress can be for your comfort. When it comes to clothes and shoes, always focus on your comfort. Forget about those beautiful Italian shoes if they do not really fit your feet. You should always choose comfort over beauty in order to be healthy.

Another good practice is to write down all of your thoughts connected with your health in a diary. This is not the type of childish diary you may have used in high school; this is something serious. In your diary, you should record all the details of your day that are connected with your health, describe your lifestyle, and try to motivate yourself to maintain a healthy well-balanced diet, regular exercise, and other healthy habits.

In addition, you should be aware of safety. Panic attacks and fear are no good for your health; they can only lead to stress. For this reason, if you need something to feel yourself safe, go ahead and do it, regardless of what others may think. Being safe is one of the most basic human needs.

“Join the club.” Of course, this is said metaphorically; however, you can actually join an online forum of arthritis sufferers, and have conversations with people who share your problems and experiences. You can also meet with some people who suffer from arthritis and go to the gym together or simply have a cup of coffee. It can be very helpful to know that you are not alone.

Organize your working process in such a way that you can have frequent breaks; say, every half an hour. Many people who suffer from arthritis have jobs that are connected with sitting, typing, etc. Another thing that can help in this situation is wrist supports.

Remember that massage can be a very effective treatment for those people who suffer from arthritis. However, some people simply cannot afford it. This does not mean that they have to lose this fantastic opportunity to relax. There are several ways to give yourself a massage:

If you have osteoarthritis, you can rub and knead the diseased area with some type of oil several times a day. Make small circles with your fingertips on your skin, but do not touch the join itself. You should concentrate your massage above and below the joint.

If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, then employ energetic “effleurage” (a French word meaning “to skim” or “to touch lightly on”), massage. Do not touch the joint; simply rub the skin around it for 8-10 minutes daily.

In addition, you may want to start practicing yoga. This is a fantastic way to help prevent arthritis. Yoga is a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline that incorporates breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures. This discipline is widely practiced for health and relaxation, and can help you to fight arthritis. The yoga widely known in the West is based on hatha yoga. Hatha yoga forms one aspect of the ancient Hindu system of religious and ascetic observance and meditation, the highest form of which is raja yoga — and the ultimate aim of which is spiritual purification and self-understanding leading to samadhi or union with the divine. Any of these types of yoga would be highly beneficial. To begin, you need to learn six basic postures, as follows.

1. Mountain Posture. This is one of the most important postures that help to keep balance. Stand straight, placing your feet slightly apart, and tightening your thighs. Other parts of your body should be relaxed. The most important thing is to maintain balance and not to arch your back or lean forward.

2. Child Posture. With the help of this posture, you can stretch the muscles of your back and your neck. While sitting in a chair, let your torso rest on your knees in a relaxed way and strengthen the muscles of the back. If this is easy for you to do, then try to make this posture a bit more complicated by spreading your knees and putting your torso between them.

3. Down Dog Posture. This is a posture that will help you to exercise many parts of your body by trying to arrange them in a straight line. Stand close to a wall with your legs parallel and knees a bit bent. Put your hands against the wall and your head between your arms. Push back with your hips. Do not forget to inhale and exhale regularly.

4. Cat-Cow Posture. This is a very useful and beneficial posture for those people who battle depression. Place your hands and knees a comfortable distance apart and crouch with your knees bent and heels close to the buttocks or the back of thighs. Then, arch the back and stretch the neck and head forward as you breathe in. Tuck your head as you breathe out. Try to coordinate your movements and breathing to achieve the maximum effect.

5. Reclined Twist Posture. This is an extremely advantageous posture for those who suffer from arthritis. This posture involves lying on your back with your knees bent. Breathe in slowly, as you continue by lifting your hips and shifting them slowly to the right as your knees fall to the left. Turn your head to the right as you breathe out.

6. Deep Back Rest Posture. This is one of the best postures to aid in relaxation. It is usually used to end the yoga session. Lie on your back and extend your arms away from the body so that you feel comfortable. Then close your eyes and try to relax.

Yoga is not the only discipline that can help you to stay fit and relax. There are other things you can do, such as exercise while listening to your favorite music or some natural sounds — like the ocean, or a rainforest. You may also want to look into physical therapy that may be offered by some healthcare providers. There are many things that can help you to battle arthritis, and some of them may even be offered for free; you just need to conduct a little research.

In addition, always bear in mind that your primary task should be to beat stress. Stress is your number one enemy. This is the underlying cause of many diseases, and arthritis is no exception. To fight stress and arthritis, you can employ some of the following techniques.

  • Assertiveness Training. Sometimes people just simply do not understand or do not want to understand what you are going through when you have arthritis or joint pain They may feel that you exaggerate and complain, although in reality to truly feel pain. You should not let their ungrounded opinions influence you. You need to learn how to say “no” and refuse to take part in activities that bring you pain. If you do not feel comfortable in certain clothes or shoes, take them off. There is no need to make the suffering worse, no matter what some ignorant people may think.
  • Coping Skills Training. You can manage your life better and cope with arthritis if you make some changes to your lifestyle, thinking and behavior. First of all, tune your mind to a more positive melody. There is no need to waste time thinking about negative things, when you can instead focus on something positive – something that you can actually achieve. Our thoughts are very powerful; they can change your world, so you should start with positive thinking. Visit a library and look for some useful books on arthritis that will help you to cope with your disease or to prevent it.

Your perspective on life is very important. It is not easy to live with such a disease and you will need a great deal of strength to cope with it. If you maintain a positive attitude and a certainty that you will be able to beat this disease, then there is nothing that can stop you.

Moreover, you may need to reorganize your life. There are many changes to your lifestyle that will make it more healthy and enjoyable. Healthy eating and regular exercise are not the only things in life; they are simply important parts of it. Your relationships with friends and relatives are also very important. Even if you feel that you do not need any support, it is always great when you have your friends around to cheer you up or simply to talk. Furthermore, try to make humor a part of your life; everything is easier when it comes with jokes and laughter. Plan you everyday routine in such a way that it will suit all of your needs, including the needs of your body and your spirit. There should be place in your day for work, physical training, relaxation, leisure time, and many other extremely important things that can change your life for the better.

Do not forget about music, movies, and books. These are all elements of happy and healthy living. You should enjoy your life 100 percent, and it should satisfy you.

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Last updated on Feb 25th, 2009 and filed under Musculoskeletal Disorders. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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