Top Tips for Managing Arthritis

Arthritis — this one little word has some very surprising numbers attached to it. For starters, about 58.5 million American adults have been diagnosed with arthritis. By 2040, this number is expected to jump to nearly 78.5 million. This means that up to a third of our population is going to be hobbled by joint pain.

May is Arthritis Awareness Month in the United States, so our internal medicine team here at LaSante Health Center decided to focus on ways in which you can better live with the disease. 

There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, which is a broad term that describes diseases that lead to joint pain and inflammation. All forms of the disease share these two symptoms, and there’s no cure for any of the types of arthritis. 

That said, there are ways to reclaim your life from arthritis. We review some of them here.

Get the right team in your corner

The moment you first feel a twinge or ache in your joint, come see us so we can quickly assess the extent of the problem. In most cases, a quick X-ray can reveal much about what’s going in your joint, pointing us in the right direction.

Many forms of arthritis are degenerative, including the most common form of arthritis — osteoarthritis. With early intervention, we can halt or slow the progression of this joint disease to preserve your ability to move freely.

Early intervention might include joint injections, physical therapy, medications, and other more targeted therapies for your type of arthritis.

Top steps you can take when you have arthritis

While we can certainly do our part to help with your joint pain and inflammation, the steps you take on your own are equally as important and include:

Exercise

It may seem counterintuitive when your joints hurt, but one of the best things you can do when you have arthritis is to get moving. Your joints are made to move, and exercise helps keep resources flowing to the area and combats inflammation.

Depending on the extent of your arthritis, you should adjust your activities to accommodate the joint damage. For example, running or jumping on pavement may not be a good idea if you have arthritis in your knees or hips. Instead, try swimming or cycling.

Try yoga

When you have problems in your joints, there are three goals:

• Strengthen the joint
• Encourage flexibility
• Maintain range of motion

The practice of yoga addresses all three of these objectives and is one of the best forms of exercise when you have arthritis. 

And getting started is easier than ever. You can try a local class, an online class, or even download a yoga app.

Lose weight

Your musculoskeletal structure is designed to carry a certain amount of weight. If you’re carrying excess pounds, that extra workload can exact a big toll, especially on your joints. Being overweight or having obesity is one of the biggest risk factors for arthritis, so we encourage you to shed the pounds.

The exercising and yoga we referenced earlier will help with weight loss, and we can do our part through weight loss medications, nutritional counseling, and other support efforts. We know that losing weight is tough, but we’re here to help.

As you can see, if we tackle your arthritis from every angle possible, there’s no reason why you can’t preserve your ability to move confidently and without pain.

For expert help with your arthritis, please contact our clinic in Brooklyn, New York, today to schedule an appointment. We serve the Flatbush and East Flatbush, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Little Haiti, Little Caribbean, and Prospect Lefferts Gardens communities.