Dealing with arthritis pain

Suffering from arthritis can be a painful and debilitating disease. There are many sufferers in New Zealand and some who haven’t been diagnosed. In the below guide, you’ll learn symptoms to look out for, ways to care for your condition at home and how our team of physios can help you live almost pain-free with arthritis.

Symptoms:

Some early warning signs of arthritis are; morning joint stiffness, joint swelling, a numb or tingling feeling and fatigue. When the condition worsens it is likely you will experience all of the following.

• Pain
• Decreased range of motion
• Stiffness
• Swelling
• Redness

How to self-care:

Learn as much as you can about your condition. What type of arthritis is it and what works for you to reduce pain. Some ways to deal with this may include the following.

• Stay active: Research suggests light to moderate exercise helps to reduce joint pain and improve arthritis pain. Exercise releases endorphins which help you feel relaxed and also takes your mind off the pain.
• Everyday activities: Making subtle lifestyle changes can benefit your overall health. Taking the stairs rather than elevators, walking to the shop rather than driving and carrying a shopping basket rather than a trolley are all ways to improve your physical strength which, in turn, can help treat your arthritis pain.
• Sport: Avoiding high-impact sports is best when suffering from arthritus. Instead, swap these for yoga, pilates and stretching exercises.

Why you should seek help from a physio:

Physiotherapists are experts in pain management. Our team at Cairnhill have experience working with arthritis sufferers and know what works and what doesn’t in the ongoing maintenance of your condition. That said, everyone is different, and that’s why we adopt a personalised approach to each client we treat. We can provide a bespoke treatment plan for you which will include exercises to perform, stretching techniques to do, range of motion and strengthening exercises. We may also suggest some of our services such as acupuncture, massage therapy and other physiotherapy techniques.

With multiple variations of arthritis and tailored personal needs, book an appointment with us today for us to assess your individual needs and put together a treatment plan to deal with your pain. It’s as simple as that. We’ll get to the bottom of your pain and figure out how to improve the quality of your everyday life.