10 Best Ways To Improve Chronic Joint Pain

By Author: Monica Quinn
Total Articles: 99
Comment this article

Joint ache? There are numerous conditions that could be causing your aches and pains, ranging from psoriatic arthritis to rheumatoid arthritis to fibromyalgia. And if you're suffering from joint pain, you're not alone: the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that tens of millions of Americans suffer from painful joints, and that number is likely to rise.

If you have a chronic illness that causes joint pain, proactive self-care is essential for managing your condition—and preventing it from controlling you. Here are some smart strategies to help you manage your symptoms and find help when you need it the most.

1. Listen Closely to Your GP’s Advice
You may be tempted to start self-treating your pain, but it's still important to see your doctor first. For all joint pains, people should be evaluated by their primary care physician.

Your doctor can help you determine the source of your pain and, if necessary, refer you to ...
... a rheumatologist. Chronic joint pain sufferers must remember that collaborating with their doctor and being open to trial and error, combining modalities such as exercise and physical therapy, and accepting that all treatments are imperfect are the keys to success in managing their pain.

2. Hit the Books or Your Laptop
Update your Internet browser's bookmarks bar with tools and resources that can help you manage your symptoms on bad days. The Arthritis Foundation provides exercise recommendations, advice on developing a personal pain management plan, a free Better Living Toolkit with condition-specific resources, and other resources.

3. Manage Your Inflammation
Inflammation has been linked to a number of conditions that can cause joint pain. Controlling inflammation is the goal of treatment in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, for example, though other pain management methods are usually used in addition to therapies aimed at controlling inflammation, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). A diet high in anti-inflammatory foods may also be beneficial. These include omega-3-rich oily fish, dark leafy greens, colorful vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains.

4. Use Topical Pain Medication
If your pain is in joints near the skin's surface, topical medications with active ingredients like capsaicin, salicylates, and counterirritants like menthol and camphor, which produce hot and cold sensations, may help.

5. Heat Up or Cool Down
Heat or cold treatments may help relieve symptoms depending on the condition causing your joint pain. A heating pad, a hot soak in the tub, or a steamy shower can help relieve aching joints. These are low-cost but effective muscle relaxants that can be especially beneficial for conditions that cause "morning stiffness" of the joints, such as psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Some patients may benefit from an ice pack or a cold bath to relieve joint pain because cold temperatures reduce swelling and dull acute pain.

6. Sleep Well
Getting enough sleep is critical for your health, and sleep deprivation can increase your risk of depression, obesity, diabetes, and other conditions. However, getting a full night's sleep is more difficult for people who suffer from chronic pain. To reduce nighttime discomfort, make sure you're sleeping on the right mattress and that you've chosen a pain reliever that will last until morning.

7. Be Physically Active
While it can be difficult to get out of bed on days when you have joint pain, experts emphasize that gentle exercise can help alleviate symptoms. Low-impact activities help to strengthen the muscles around the joints, which is especially beneficial for people who have psoriatic arthritis, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis.

Exercise helps you lose weight and avoid gaining weight, which can have a significant impact on your condition. Excess weight puts additional strain on your joints, exacerbating existing symptoms.

8. Visit a Mental Health Professional
Scientists discovered that 56.3% of adults experiencing severe psychological distress also experienced severe joint pain. While severe joint pain should go without saying, research has shown that beliefs about pain control and feelings of helplessness, emotional factors like anxiety and depression, and social support all play important roles in how we experience and adjust to pain.

9. Try Acupuncture
Acupuncture can be a helpful adjunct in the treatment of chronic joint pain. Acupuncture can help with four types of chronic pain: back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, chronic headaches, and shoulder pain.

Acupuncture is a safe treatment that may be beneficial to you. If you want to try acupuncture, look for someone who has the professional initials DABMA.

10. Build Your Support System
Don't be afraid to ask your doctor or a local hospital about support groups for patients suffering from chronic joint pain. If you have psoriatic arthritis, visit the National Psoriasis Foundation, which hosts TalkPsoriasis, the world's largest online support group and discussion community for people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Greetings, my name is Monica. I graduated from New York Medical College and work as a nurse in Queens Hospital at the moment. The thing I love the most is morning jogging, because it is a wonderful way to keep myself in tonus. I like to communicate with people who care about their health. I became a vegetarian five years ago. Now my daily menu consists mainly of vegetables, fruits and different cheeses. I am a member of water polo team and I love gardening. I like to see how huge flowers grow out of the tiny petal, it dazzles me because I love spending my time outdoors. My goal is to visit all the USA parks, and then all over the world)