Today, there are a range of therapies and drugs available for those who want to seek treatment for their arthritis from a physician. However, you may have heard of friends or relatives who have self-treated their arthritis. 88-year-old Bob is one of those people. He decided to self-manage his arthritis. Although you may want to self-treat your arthritis, you may not be sure. You may be concerned about what self-treatment entails. Some of the information below might be just what you need to make an informed decision about self-treating your arthritis.
Diet and Exercise
It is common knowledge that proper diet and exercise can increase longevity. Also, suitable diet and regular exercise can help people stay healthier longer. Now you can add soothing your arthritis to the long list of reasons to monitor your diet and engage in exercise. However, you may not know the suggested diets and exercises recommended for those afflicted by arthritis.
There are many diet regimens out there these days. Knowing what types of foods can inflame arthritis is part of selecting food for self-treatment. For example, the very popular Paleo diet is very high in saturated fat, which can cause arthritis inflammation, according to Dr. Solomon, who is a registered dietician at Mount Saini in New York City.
There are a few other diets people with arthritis might consider. A gluten-free diet could work for some people with arthritis, but not everyone who cuts gluten from their diet has seen the same benefits. Although some might see changes in arthritis inflammation from a gluten-free diet, the Mediterranean, the Flexitarian, and the DASH are recommended as the diets that have significant outcomes.
The Mediterranean diet consists mostly of fruits and vegetables, some whole grains, and healthy fats. Olive oil is an example of a healthy fat. You might consider swapping your butter to oil olive when you cook. Likewise, the Flexitarian diet does not limit intake, but it mainly comprises fruits and vegetables, with minimal meat intake. With a Flexitarian diet, you may want to limit your intake of processed meats, although they are allowed. Lastly, the DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, comes highly recommended for those who wish to self-treat arthritis. In fact, because DASH is so low in saturated fat, sugar and salt, in can improve a range of issues.
Along with your diet, you may consider including exercise in your arthritis self-treatment plan. Exercise comes highly recommended because arthritis stiffens joints, so movement can help increase mobility. Also, improving muscle strength around the joints plagued by arthritis might ease the pain. However, most people find that rest can help arthritis inflammation. Acknowledging when it is time to rest and when it is time to exercise could be part of your self-treatment plan. The rule of thumb for arthritis exercise is usually “little but often.”
Lifestyle Changes
Other than diet and exercise, some arthritis suffers find that lifestyle changes can also be worked into their self-treatment. For example, lowering your stress, moving to a warmer climate and joining a self-treatment support group might be changes that benefit arthritis. It is said that these tactics can be used to lessen the pain, swelling and stiffness in joints.
Stress can be a vicious cycle. For instance, if arthritis causes you stress, it could worsen arthritis. It is suggested that stress levels are different among people, but researchers aren’t sure why. Arthritis can be linked to stress because when people are stressed, the body releases cortisol, which is meant to help reduce stress. However, cortisol causes arthritis inflammation. Therefore, lowering your stress levels might be something you add to a self-treatment plan.
Although there are conflicting outcomes of studies done on the connections between cold weather and arthritis inflammation, many people believe their arthritis worsens on cold or rainy days. Research has shown that people who live in dry or warm climates have fewer incidences of arthritis inflammation, although living in dry or warm climates will not change the course of arthritis. Consequently, warm or dry weather may help decrease inflammation, but it cannot cure arthritis.
Additionally, some people have found the benefit of joining a self-treatment group in their town or city. For instance, Bob, the 88-year-old arthritis sufferer, found that becoming a member of an arthritis group helped steer his self-treatment plan and helped him to stay motivated. Often, people have better success rates with a new venture if they have the support of other individuals who are going through the same life change.
Help from Physicians
Other therapies include acupuncture, aromatherapy, cognitive therapy, meditation, hypnosis and herbal medicine. However, arthritis self-treatment doesn’t entail practices that are done without a doctor's supervision. Certain types of arthritis might benefit from visits to the chiropractor. These types of treatments are called complementary or corresponding therapies. While the treatments are performed in a doctor’s office, they are non-invasive and do not require drug therapy.
Even though self-treating arthritis might seem like a good idea, everything you decide to do regarding your arthritis would be, too. The practice of arthritis self-treatment can be beneficial, but it also can be detrimental if you don’t set up a plan that is right for you. Most doctors can help patients design an arthritis self-treatment plan that is customized to their needs. Additionally, it is usually a best practice to inquire about changes to your arthritis treatment. It is not too late to ease some of your arthritic pain.