Taking Control of Your Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain

Many people with rheumatoid arthritis believe there's nothing they can do to ease their pain and stiffness, but they're wrong.

"In addition to seeing your doctor and taking your medications as prescribed, there are dozens of things you can do to make living with arthritis less painful," says Gary R. Botstein, M.D., medical adviser for the Arthritis Foundation. "The right self-care can improve your health, outlook and pain level and generally can make life with arthritis a little easier."

Give the following self-care steps a try.

• Lose weight. Every extra pound you carry translates to added stress and pain to your knees and hips. Too much weight also increases your risk for gout.

• Get moving. Exercise helps lessen pain, helps with weight loss, increases range of movement, reduces fatigue and helps you feel better overall. Your doctor, a physical therapist or other health professional can teach you beneficial range-of-motion and strengthening exercises. "The important thing is to strengthen the muscles around the joint that's painful," says Dr. Botstein. "Doing so will help stabilize the joint, letting you use it with less pain."

• Protect your joints. Avoid excess stress on joints by learning how to do chores and activities in less stressful ways. Occupational therapists can show you how to manage everyday tasks with less strain and pain.

• Learn to pace yourself. Spread out difficult activities over a week's time instead of trying to do them all in one day and then suffering for several days afterward.

• Stretch. Stretching is a simple way to keep joints and muscles flexible. It relieves stress and can help you maintain your daily activities with less stiffness.

• Adjust your attitude. "Maintaining a positive state of mind regarding your condition and the impact it has on your life is just as important to your overall well-being as is taking medications," says Dr. Botstein. "Learning positive ways to cope with chronic pain can help you maintain your ability to function on a daily basis at home and at work."