Whilst there’s no denying that arthritis can be an extremely uncomfortable condition, the good news is that there is a wide variety of treatments available today that will provide arthritis pain relief. These range from surgery on hips and joints, to steroids, injections to acupuncture. However, they are also simple, easy actions you can do, to provide relief on a day to day basis.

Before you start your arthritis treatment, get the correct diagnosis from your doctor. There are over one hundred different types of arthritis, including; fibromyalgia, gout, lyme arthritis, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis to name a few. Each different condition requires a different type of arthritis pain relief, so it is important that you know which one it is you are suffering from before beginning treatment.

The first step to arthritis pain relief is to protect your joints by avoiding placing extra stress on them. Using walking aids like sticks to remove pressure from your knees and hips and replace a shoulder bag (which encourages you to walk lopsided) with a satchel or wheelie bag, which will distribute the strain more evenly. Staying close to your ideal weight will also help to relieve your joints of unnecessary weight and strain.

Exercise is crucial to lessen the pain from arthritis; as keeping your body fit will in turn will help naturally combat the condition. Flexible joints and supple muscles are less brittle so less susceptible to cartilage deterioration and bone wearing. Talk to your doctor about special strengthening exercises you can do to strengthen the bones and muscles. If you’re fond of water, why not take up swimming, as it’s very good for relaxing the muscles and strengthening your body without the high impact of other aerobic sports.

If you want to find the best arthritis treatment to suit you, then it is important to educate yourself about the condition. Learning about arthritis will help you both to come to terms with the diagnosis and find a solution that works for you and enables you to live a normal, pain-free life.