Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Basic, Yet Helpful Tips for Relieving Arthritis


Doing a quick search on the internet will reveal that there are plenty of healthy, safe methods to aid in relieving some or even all of the pain you may be suffering due to arthritis. These tactics are not self-evident, however; but they are a great way to begin on the road to feeling better so that you can once again enjoy some of the things you have difficulty doing when the pain of arthritis kicks in.

Change your shoes - Especially if you're a woman arthritis sufferer. Running shoes give your joints much more support than heels. When shoes are not supportive enough, it can cause excessive stress and pressure on your joints. So exchange those dress shoes for something more comfortable and lower to the ground when and where you can.

Cut back on the dairy - Believe or not, dairy products (especially pasteurized) can actually contribute to your pain. Why? Because consuming large amounts of dairy or any other animal protein for that matter results in your body leaching calcium from your bones due to insufficient amounts of uric acid to aid the body in breaking all of that (animal) protein down. There are many other sources of calcium such as supplements, nuts, and dark, green, leafy vegetables such as collard greens, kale and swiss chard.

Sleep baby... sleep! - Getting adequate amounts of rest is important for a couple of reasons. First, the body does most of its healing and repairing when we're sleeping and second, you will want to have as much energy as possible to face the coming day ahead. Make your resting time as fruitful as possible by making sure your room os completely dark, the alarm clock is not facing you, turn of the cell phone so that any alerts don't awaken you and don't drink an excessive amount of water or other beverage right before going to bed as to avoid getting up to use the bathroom. You may also wish to incorporate some relaxation techniques such as meditation to help you relax. Practice doing this not only before bed, but also anytime the pain starts to get the best of you.

Keep your weight under control - You'll definitely want to eat as healthfully as possible and keep your weight down since being overweight can lead to undo stress on your knees, lower back and joints. Decrease the amount of processed foods, refined sugar and again, dairy products you eat and in exchange, increase your consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes.
Regardless of what anyone says or thinks, you can do something about the constant discomfort associated with arthritis!