So what can you do to manage and reduce your arthritis symptoms? Often, management involves a lifestyle rethink, with particular regard to healthy eating and weight control. This is because an unhealthy diet and weight can put extra pressure on weight-bearing joints, and so you need to up your intake of omega-3 essential fatty acids, as found in oily fish, and reduce your consumption of red meats, highly sweet food items and alcohol.
Your treatment options will also depend on the type of arthritis you have, but you could benefit from medications, physiotherapy, exercise, and orthopaedic bracing. If you have an eroding form of arthritis, you may require joint replacement surgery, whilst people often are given medications because they can reduce inflammation in the joint which decreases pain. Unfortunately, there is no permanent cure for either rheumatoid or osteoarthritis, but these treatments can delay or stop the progression of the disease.
When it comes to physical therapy, there are three types: hydrotherapy, in which you do special exercises in a warm-water pool; physiotherapy, which helps you to move your joint and work out its stiffness without damaging it; and occupational therapy, which teaches you how to reduce the strain on your joints during your daily activities, and can also involve making modifications to your home and workplace.
Pain killers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and steroids are used to treat the symptoms of arthritis, whilst disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologic drugs work to suppress the underlying inflammatory disease. Finally, surgery, either for pain relief or reconstruction, is recommended when these other treatments fall short of preventing damage.