Not too long ago, Arthritis was a condition that was only diagnosed in individuals aged 50 and above; however, nowadays individuals are developing its symptoms as early as at the age of 35. Given that arthritis can be a painful condition, it can only be considered chronic if the level of pain continues to escalate, makes it difficult to perform regular everyday activities, and tends to last longer than six months.
For those suffering from chronic arthritis condition, we are going to recommend some sure shot ways to managing it.
Taking inflammation medication
When it comes to arthritis, no pain relief strategy is as important as controlling inflammation. The number one choice to relieve inflammation is to use disease modifying drugs known as DMARDs. The gap during acute flares can be bridged using steroids, and if flares continue any way, the doctor may suggest a triple drug therapy. Newer drugs may be expensive but they are more effective. More information on these medications can be obtained at the Arthritis UK website.
Pain Management Medications
After inflammation, the next concern of most patients is to manage acute pain that follows in this condition. To treat this, non-steroidal inflammatory medications are used. Opioids are known as powerful pain relievers mostly used to treat chronic pain. Note that these medications are cautiously prescribed by doctors, as it is rather easy to build up tolerance against these medications that often leads to abuse. It is advised that you contact your GP about pain management medications. Some online clinics will also prescribe pain management medications on a short course until you can see your GP. The Online Clinic provides this service but they do require that you provide details for your GP so that he or she can be kept informed.
Weight management
One effective way of managing chronic arthritis pain is managing ones weight. By maintaining a healthy weight, you reduce the amount of stress you put your joints through. In a study conducted in 2013, it was found that being overweight requires stronger and more frequent dosage of medicines to control pain and relieve symptoms.
Consulting a Massage Therapist
A complementary treatment to manage arthritis pain also lies in the hand of a massage therapist. In the same study mentioned above, it was also found that light and medium massages a couple of times a week helped patients in curbing the symptoms of Arthritis. After a month of regular massages, the pain patients felt was reduced considerably.
Staying Active and Exercising
Given that one doesn’t feel like staying active when suffering from arthritis, but maintaining a light routine of exercise can prove to have pain relieving effects on patients. Depending on the severity of your condition, your doctor will suggest different types of exercises, which include walking, cycling and swimming. In fact, doctors recommend that water aerobics are perhaps the best way exercise as it doesn’t stress any particular joint because water tends to buoy your body.
Orthoses may prove to be helpful
Orthoses are essentially mechanical aids that protect and help support your joints. Examples of orthoses are padded insoles, bracers or splints that help keep joints properly aligned. Patients can even find specially made gloves for chronic pain in their fingers and hands. In order to know which orthoses suits you best, consult a physical therapist to determine that.
If you suffer from chronic arthritis pain, before you go on trying different techniques to see what helps with the pain, consult your doctor first as they will be able to advise you as to which ways will be the most effective for your condition.