Painful joints can affect your daily routine, especially if you love an active lifestyle. Swelling, stiffness, and pain in your ankles and feet can worsen with movement or rest, depending on your condition. Evergreen arthritis is manageable through careful and mindful planning around your diet and exercise regimen.
It is a condition that requires a certain level of commitment, especially where your joints and movements are concerned.
Forms of arthritis
There are three most common forms of arthritis, and they include:
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, and it occurs when the cartilage, a cushion between your bones, wears away, causing your bones to grind against each other.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease characterized by your immune system attacking the synovial lining in your joints, causing pain and inflammation.
Gout
Although less common, gout causes a lot of pain in your big toe and foot. It develops due to the excess distribution of uric acid crystals into your big toe, causing pain and swelling.
Ways in which you can manage arthritis pain
The following are strategies you can use to manage arthritis at home.
Exercise regularly
Arthritis requires an exercise regimen to strengthen muscles and keep joints flexible. Stretching your joints and muscles will alleviate stiffness and promote blood circulation for overall well-being. You can talk to your doctor about low-impact exercises that can help you strengthen the muscles around your joints. Such activities include walking, jogging, and swimming.
Maintain a healthy weight
While maintaining a healthy weight ensures you are not at risk of certain conditions like obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease, your arthritic pain can benefit from maintaining a healthy weight. Your specialist will scrutinize your diet and activity levels to ensure you don’t gain unnecessary weight, which can complicate your condition.
Eat a healthy and balanced diet
A diet rich in red meat can aggravate your symptoms. Before you eat certain foods, ensure they don’t cause inflammation, worsening your condition. Limit or eliminate foods with saturated fat and added sugars or salt. As a rule of thumb, lean toward unprocessed foods and a plant-based diet which can reduce inflammation.
Eating unhealthy foods can easily lead to weight gain, and the extra pounds can cause unnecessary pressure on your joints.
Consider massage therapy
Physical manipulation of your muscles using specific techniques can help you relax and, in the process, reduce your symptoms. Seeking a massage therapist familiar with arthritic patients can help target the affected joints and muscles for maximum relief.
Use medications to manage pain.
Painkillers can help you manage arthritis pain and help you perform your daily tasks. Furthermore, when you use pain medication, you can manage complications of arthritis such as anxiety or depression. Talk to your doctor about drugs that can reduce inflammation and pain.
If you have arthritic joint pain limiting your range of motion, visit Rocky Mountain Foot & Ankle Center for treatment. The available podiatrists will evaluate your joint before offering a treatment strategy. Call or schedule your appointment online to alleviate your symptoms and increase your range of motion.
