Arthritis treatment focuses on pain reduction, preserving function and mobility, and preventing further damage to the joints. Pain treatment is specific to the individual, so it will take some time to figure out what management techniques work for you. Some people find that heating pads and ice packs do the trick, while others might use movement assistance devices like canes or walkers to help take pressure off sore joints.
Improving joint function is also crucial to managing your arthritis. Your doctor may prescribe a combination of treatment methods to achieve best results, which generally includes physical therapy, home remedies, cold-pack application, anti-inflammatory drugs, pain medications, biologic medications, immune-altering medications, and/or surgical operations. Some arthritic pain requires injections for treatment. Rheumatoid arthritis may require medications to suppress the immune system.
As with many conditions, the best treatment plan is a combination of medication, lifestyle changes, and therapy (mental or physical).
While arthritis medication is an incredibly important part of your treatment, you can make other changes to relieve arthritis pain, such as:
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Maintaining a healthy weight and getting regular physical activity
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Eating a wide variety of foods and avoiding foods that cause inflammation such as dairy, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and certain meats
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Physical therapy: Physical therapy aids with mobility and strengthening muscles around the affected joint. While it might be painful at first, when monitored by a licensed physical therapist, this therapy can be incredibly helpful with relieving symptoms and slowing the progression of inflammation.
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Surgery: If a joint is causing pain that is not lessening with medication, it might be helpful to consider joint replacement.