Living With Arthritis - How to Cope With This Debilitating Disease

Arthritis is no walk in the park - literally! If you are living with arthritis you know how much this condition can affect your life and reduce the quality and enjoyment you get out of every day things. It doesn't have to be that way!

When did you first notice the stiff joints and achy pains on waking? Did you pass it off as a symptom of aging?

Rheumatoid Arthritis alone affects 1% of the adult population and as many as 85% of people will suffer with osteoarthritis of the knee by the time they are 85. Shocking statistics!

So what can you do to ease the pain of living with arthritis? Let's look at a few tips that may help relieve the situation and make life a little more comfortable.

• First you should always visit your doctor and get the condition diagnosed properly.

There are over 100 kinds of arthritis, so to label yourself as "suffering with arthritis" is not the way to go. Get specifics from your doctor about what kind of arthritis afflicts you. If you are living with arthritis you need to know which type you have as each variety requires different treatment.

• Get help early on

Arthritis not only causes pain and swelling of the joints it also causes damage. Therefore, the earlier you get a definite diagnosis, the earlier you will receive the right treatment so that living with arthritis doesn't define who you are and what you can do.

• Think protection

There are various things you can do to help protect your joints so that living with arthritis, particularly osteoarthritis, doesn't prevent you from enjoying your family and family activities. Staying as close to your ideal weight as possible is always a good idea as this places less stress on the joints that support you, such as the hips, knees and ankles, and causes less pain. There are special devices that can help with lifting, or carrying, or even opening jars. Take advantage of any help you can.

• Keep mobile

Believe it or not, being sedentary when you are living with osteoarthritis is not going to help. Exercise on a regular basis can relieve pain and stretching exercises can help with your range of motion. Your doctor or a physical therapist can advise you on the type of exercise you would benefit from. It may help to make a tape of your favorite music to keep you motivated while you exercise.

• Bone Health

Your diet can play a significant role in maintaining the health of your bones. A diet rich in calcium and vitamin C can slow the progression of osteoarthritis. So enjoy a fresh orange or glass of cherry juice to get the antioxidants you need. Don't like milk? Try cheese, yogurt, ice cream, salmon (with the bones) or kale. Calcium is a mineral that can help prevent the development of osteoporosis.

• To live or not to live......

.......that is your choice, but living with arthritis doesn't have to prevent you from living life to the fullest. You just have to decide what the "fullest" is for you and live it. Your doctor can prescribe a variety of medications and some may not work for you or may have undesirable side-effects. Let your doctor know so that you can try something new. Researchers are always developing new drugs for people living with arthritis.

For more information about this and other forms of arthritis, and ways to help manage and treat it, visit http://gin-raisins-arthritis.net

Liam Wiltshire is an Arthritis sufferer who uses his own methods to allow him to play American Football in the UK for the Premiership Bristol Aztecs. He also maintains and runs the website http://www.gin-raisins-arthritis.net