If you often struggle with painful, stiff or swollen joints, the root of your pain could be arthritis. And while there are several different types, with different associated causes, arthritis literally means “joint inflammation.” We know this can be uncomfortable and frustrating — and can slow you down. Try these relief tips to help manage your symptoms and keep moving.
Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about your specific pain situation.
Engage in low-impact exercise
Staying active helps support many functions in your body to remain healthy and strong — including your joints. Regular exercise can help ease pain and stiffness while strengthening the muscles around weak joints. While high-impact activities like running and jumping may be your preference, these types of exercises can add strain to your joints, which, unfortunately, can help contribute to an arthritis flare-up. Low-impact options like walking, swimming, cycling or yoga can do the opposite and naturally help fight back against arthritis pain by reducing strain in the body. Again, consult your doctor before starting or changing any exercise routine.
Consider your sleep positioning
Have you ever found yourself unable to sleep due to pain? It’s a vicious cycle – and a term coined by patients themselves as “painsomnia.” And the importance of a full night’s sleep cannot be overstated – sleep helps your body heal. So, if you have arthritis in your hips, be sure to consider your sleep positioning. Lying on your back with your legs apart will help ease pressure and get better-quality sleep. And if only one hip has arthritis, lie on the other side with a pillow between your knees.
Eat a balanced diet
One of the potential tools in reducing inflammation throughout the body: a healthy, balanced diet. An anti-inflammatory nutrition plan does exactly what its name says – helps reduce inflammation, while providing key nutrients for joint health. This diet includes a variety of nutritious foods, from fresh fruits and vegetables to whole grains, lean meats and healthy fats like olive oil.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist about arthritis medicine
Arthritis is a progressive disease. And even if you’re finding other relief strategies helpful, you may still want to have a pain reliever on hand. Tylenol® 8 Hour Arthritis & Joint Pain Acetaminophen Caplets provide fast-acting, effective relief for minor arthritic joint pain in hands, wrists, elbows, feet, ankles and knees. The extended-release, bi-layer caplet design is formulated for powerful pain relief that lasts up to 8 hours.
If the above tips do not work for you or if you have any questions, make sure you discuss your treatment plan with your doctor, who can help find what options may be right for you.