From tying your shoes to opening a jar of pickles, there are countless things you do every day that call upon your joints to get the job done. But when you have arthritis, the swelling and pain make these simple tasks nearly impossible.
Dr. Damon Christian Kimes at Roswell Pain and Weight Loss Specialists knows a lot about arthritic pain and how to manage it. But before recommending any course of treatment, he takes the time to get to know you personally, so he can understand your unique set of symptoms and your personal experience with pain.
Although arthritis isn’t curable, it’s certainly treatable—and Dr. Kimes can help you reduce or eliminate your arthritis pain altogether.
You also play a major role in your own pain management. Choices you make every day can either make your arthritis pain better or worse! Here are some helpful tips you can do to reduce your pain and make living with arthritis easier.
Being overweight makes everything worse. It’s hard on your heart, it’s bad for your blood pressure, it puts you at risk for diabetes, and yes, it can lead to arthritis.
Unfortunately, over one-third of adults in the United States are more than 20% beyond their ideal weight—in other words, obese. Losing weight can take a lot of pressure off your joints and ease your pain.
If you’ve tried fad diets and just can’t seem to keep the weight off, we understand. Our team specializes in creating personalized, comprehensive weight-loss programs that address your unique needs and goals.
From vitamin injections and hormone therapy to nutritional education and personal support, we can help you tackle your weight and your arthritis with an integrative approach that takes into account all your symptoms and health concerns.
Stiff joints beget stiff joints. If you spend your day in an office chair, a car, or on a couch, your stiff, arthritic joints are going to get worse. Even if you don’t feel like moving at first, the more you do, the better you’ll feel. Exercise increases your mobility, flexibility, and range of motion. It also reduces your pain.
Part of living with arthritis is learning to recognize your limitations, so you can avoid unnecessary pain. For instance, if your right wrist is arthritic (or more arthritic than your left) use your left hand to open jars.
Relying on your strengths can save you pain and frustration. Better yet, get an electric can/jar opener to do it for you!
One of the best kept secrets for living with arthritis is taking advantage of modern conveniences, like grab bars or automatic toilet and shower cleaners, etc. Here are a couple more cleaning tips:
Every little bit helps, so do yourself a favor and make household chores simpler and less painful.
Remember—the choices you make can either make your arthritis better or worse. If you’re embarrassed or too proud to ask for help or make adjustments in your home, you’re only hurting yourself and potentially making your arthritis worse.
We can help improve your symptoms, but you can do the opposite by refusing assistance. Talk to your family and friends about what you can and can’t do. And remember, you can always ask for help!
Following these lifestyle tips can go a long way in easing your arthritis pain, as well as over-the-counter medications when you have an especially tough day.
But if you need more help managing your symptoms, come see us. We can help reduce your pain, increase your mobility, and help slow the progression of some types of arthritis through:
Our Roswell, Georgia, office is your all-inclusive, one-stop place for professional care and pain management. If you want to start living with less arthritis pain, call us today or book an appointment online to set up a consultation with Dr. Kimes.
