Arthritis self-management: what you need to know

Author: Lynn Xiaolin Li, Occupational Therapist Candidate Reviewer: Dr. Grace Lee (MD)

There are different types of arthritis. The most common ones are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The main symptoms of arthritis are pain, swelling and joint stiffness, which prevent people from participating in daily activities. It undoubtedly has a huge impact on their daily life. Nevertheless, people with arthritis can still live a quality life and enjoy daily activities that are meaningful to them if using a proper way to manage arthritis. The strategies to manage various arthritis are similar even though they are different in pathology. This article will introduce some self-management tips for people with arthritis. Please share if you find this article is helpful for your families and friends who are in need.

Manage mood and affect

Pain is very subjective, and the tolerance level of pain is different to each individual. Pain is determined by various factors, such as genes, age, gender, and emotion. Studies show that emotion and pain interact with each other. Pain can exaggerate an individual’s negative emotions. Being in a bad mood can also aggravate the feeling of pain. Good management of mood and affect is a key to control the pain and even reduce the feeling of pain. Mindfulness meditation nowadays is a popular mental training supported by many scientific studies. It is a practice for you to focus on the “present”, feeling the sound in your surroundings, your perceptions (such as the pain and joint stiffness), your emotions at the moment no matter good or bad. Bring awareness to all the feelings at the moment and accept them which can help practitioners to calm down both body and mind. Mindfulness practice can effectively help practitioners to regulate emotions and live with the pain. It is especially effective for people with chorionic diseases. There are many online resources about mindfulness. New practitioners can start 2-mins training every day at home. You can also ask occupational therapists for more information.

The balance between rest and exercise

Exercising is beneficial for people with arthritic because exercise can reduce joint stiffness and improve joint flexibility. However, over-exercising is not what you want to experience because it can severe your joint inflammation, swelling and pain. Therefore, you need an appropriate amount of exercise to manage your arthritis. You may ask, how much amount of exercise are appropriate? Generally speaking, you can continue your current exercise plan if it does not evoke any discomfort, such as swelling and pain after exercising. You should reduce the amount of exercise or adjust your exercise plan if it causes severe pain lasting over 2 hours after the exercise. People with arthritis should also avoid sports that require repetitive joint motions, such as running, badminton and tennis. These sports are characterized by repetitive motions, such as swinging the racket and large impulsive force, such as the counterforce to the knee at the moment foot touching ground. These motions can worsen the inflamed joints.

Daily stretches

Joint stiffness usually is worse in the morning for people with arthritis. Morning stretches are very beneficial to warm up the affected joints and help you get moving. Many stretches can be performed in bed and you can perform stretching after you wake up in the morning. It is a good way to start your day. You will see the effect if you persist in doing morning stretches regularly.

Pictures: https://www.meghanlivingstone.com/5-easy-morning-stretches-in-bed/

Activity diary

Track your daily activities through a log to understand how those activities influence your mood and emotion. You can jog down all the activities during a day, such as washing face, brushing teeth, walking, calling a friend and/or shopping. The symptoms of arthritis sometimes get worse not only because of over-exercising but also negative emotions which may be caused by an unpleasant conversation. Through the way of tracking daily activities, you can purposively avoid those activities that worsen your joint pain.

Splints

You can also use splints to stable the affected joints and reduce joint pain. Splints are beneficial but also induce discomfort if not using it properly. Joint stretches cannot be neglected during the use of splints in order to decrease joint stiffness. About more information about using a splint, please contact your family doctor or an Occupational Therapy.

Pictures: https://www.mysplint.com/hand-splints/

References

Connelly, M., Bromberg, M. H., Anthony, K. K., Gil, K. M., Franks, L., & Schanberg, L. E. (2012). Emotion regulation predicts pain and functioning in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: an electronic diary study. Journal of pediatric psychology, 37(1), 43-52.

Keng, S. L., Smoski, M. J., & Robins, C. J. (2011). Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies. Clinical psychology review, 31(6), 1041-1056.

Van Middendorp, H., Geenen, R., Sorbi, M. J., Hox, J. J., Vingerhoets, A. J., van Doornen, L. J., & Bijlsma, J. W. (2005). Styles of emotion regulation and their associations with perceived health in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 30(1), 44-53.

Managing arthritis pain. (2020, August 05). Retrieved September 12, 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arthritis/in-depth/arthritis/art-20046440

What It Really Means to "Pace Yourself" . (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2020, from https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/managing-pain/fatigue-sleep/what-it-really-means-to-pace-yourself

Zelman, D. (2018, May 05). Stretches for Arthritis Morning Stiffness. Retrieved September 12, 2020, from https://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/best-stretches

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These presentations are intended for general information purposes only. Audiences are recommended to consult with a qualified healthcare provider and obtain professional advice and subsequent management for your particular conditions. The views and opinions expressed by the speakers do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of Assisting in Medical Expectations.