What other things do people with arthritis have to do apart from take medication?
For example, people with diabetes have to exercise and keep their blood sugar at a certain level. I wanted to know what do arthritis patients have to do apart from taking medication?
Arthritis is inflammation in a joint. Medications helps reduce it. Other treatment depends on which type you have. Examples of other ways to reduce inflammation is joint movement and heat to increase circulation into the area.
It does depend a lot on what kind of arthritis you have.
But generally exercise is recommended. If you have rheumatoid arthritis or any type of autoimmune arthritis, then it’s generally not recommended to do extensive exercise while you’re flaring.
There are diets that are considered low in inflammation. Some people find certain foods trigger their symptoms. But there don’t seem to be any general consensus about which foods these are. A healthy diet low in fats, oils, sugar and salt is obviously recommended. If you have autoimmune arthritis then you might find removing gluten, dairy or red meat helpful. But there has been no scientific evidence to support this. If you have gout you should eat a diet low in uric acid.
Some people swear by supplements. Omega 3 is the only one with scientific evidence to support its effectiveness. It can help lower inflammation. I would speak to your doctor about what the recommended dose should be for you. Other people find Evening Primrose Oil helpful. Glucosamine and Chondrotin can be helpful for osteoarthritis, but useless for autoimmune.
If you have autoimmune arthritis the only way to prevent damage to your joints is through medication.
Good luck.
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