Tips for Keeping Arthritis Symptoms at Bay
Did you know that around 10 million people in the UK have arthritis? The two most common types of arthritis are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis and the symptoms are dependent on the type you have. However, these are the most common arthritis symptoms:
- Joint pain and stiffness
- Restricted movement or range of motion
- Inflammation of the joints
- Warm, red skin and tenderness around the affected joint
- Muscle weakness
Although there is no cure for arthritis, there are ways in which you can keep the symptoms at bay to help you navigate everyday life.
What Helps Reduce Arthritis Symptoms?
- Harness the Power of a Healthy Diet
- Implement Regular, Stress-free Exercise
- Create a Joint Care Regime for You
- Quit Smoking to Reduce Arthritis Symptoms
- Take Advantage of Mobility Aids
1. Harness the Power of a Healthy Diet
By making sure you maintain a healthy diet, you will be able to keep your arthritis symptoms at bay. Not only will you feel much healthier within yourself, but you will also be able to stay at a healthy weight. This is important for your joints because every extra pound you may gain results in extra stress on your weight-bearing joints that breaks down the cartilage that helps cushion them. Unfortunately, this cartilage is irreplaceable, so it’s vital you keep an eye on your weight.
Certain foods can also have an impact on your arthritis symptoms, so it’s helpful to include them in your healthy diet. For example, low fat dairy products help improve bone density and strength, green tea and garlic help protect cartilage and prevent cartilage damage, and cherries are renowned for their anti-inflammatory properties. Also, food that is high in Omega-3s, such as salmon, trout, mackerel, nuts and seeds, bring health benefits and reduce inflammation.
Another important note is to make sure you control your blood sugar as high levels can stiffen the supportive tissue for your joints. As you can see, some small changes and extra additions into your diet will make a big difference.
2. Implement Regular, Stress-free Exercise
Although an exercise routine may feel quite daunting, creating your own low-impact exercise routine will benefit you in many ways. The Arthritis Foundation recommends 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five times a week to keep joints flexible and help strengthen the muscles that support them. This will not only promote balance and stability, but it will also protect the body against injury.
This moderate-intensity exercise doesn’t necessarily mean a full-on HIT workout every day. Walking, cycling, swimming, doing chores or playing with children or pets are all great examples of the type of exercise recommended. Always make sure you are comfortable with the level of intensity and don’t push yourself too hard. As long as you are consistent with the exercise, you will feel the results.
3. Create a Joint Care Regime for You
There is no one-size-fits-all joint care regime, but there are adjustments you can make to suit your needs and some joint care practices you can put into play. Some adjustments you can make to protect your joints include using your larger and stronger joints as levers and use several to spread the weight of an object, don’t sit in the same position for long periods of time, and don’t grip too tightly either. These adjustments will relieve your joints more often.
Also, stretching on a regular basis can help with arthritis symptoms. In the same way that an exercise routine helps keep your joints and muscles strong, a joint care stretching regime will keep your range of motion in check and your joint limber. Also, it’s essential to keep reliable products on hand to help with arthritis symptoms immediately. Pernaton Gel has been designed to provide long-lasting ache relief for those suffering with everyday joint wear and tear, including arthritis symptoms. It contains 100% natural Perna Extract from New Zealand’s Green Lipped Mussel which has been proven to provide fantastic benefits and relief to those suffering with arthritis symptoms.
4. Quit Smoking to Reduce Arthritis Symptoms
Smoking unfortunately causes a domino effect when it comes to reducing arthritis symptoms. First of all, smoking is another way to put stress on the supportive tissues of your joints which ultimately leads to pain.
Additionally, smoking causes breathing and circulatory problems which can lead to debilitating health. These problems impact your ability to keep fit and active which, as mentioned above, will help keep arthritis symptoms at bay.
5. Take Advantage of Mobility Aids
Even though you may have avoided them in the past, it’s a good idea to take advantage of mobility aids to keep your muscles and joints strong. Canes, walkers and wheelchairs have been designed to give you the independence and freedom that you desire, so embrace it and do the things you enjoy!
What Aggravates Arthritis the Most?
Arthritis flares can impact many aspects of everyday life for sufferers. Flares commonly look like increased joint pain, reduced movement or range of motion, additional swelling and stiffness. As arthritis is a degenerative disorder, sometimes it may be unclear if you are experiencing a flare or disease progression.
However, these factors can aggravate arthritis:
- Overdoing an activity or repetitive motions
- Trauma to the joint
- Bone Spurs
- Weight gain
- Stress
- Cold weather
- An infection
Whether you experience flare ups or are looking for a way to keep arthritis symptoms at bay, Pernaton is here to support your joints and to help you take back control of your life. Take a look at our products here to find out more information or request some free samples today.