How to ease arthritis pain

Think there is simply no cure or treatment when it comes to arthritis? Truth tells a different story. If one follows simple ideas in day-to-day life and maintains a healthy lifestyle, then long-term goals of treating arthritis are possible. So, in a bid to make arthritis a little easier for you, today Dr. Shekhar Agarwal, Executive Director and Chief Surgeon at Delhi Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedics gives us the 5 ways to ease arthritis pain. Dietary modification. This includes liberal portions of healthy food. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats in diet, as these lead to weight gain; thus leading to more load on the joints. Food beneficial in reducing pain include Omega 3 fatty acids, which are anti-oxidants and help in reducing inflammation and thus provide relief from pain. Foods such as walnuts, soyabean and sea food are recommended. Fresh tropical fruits, such as guava, oranges, lemon and pepper are good sources of Vitamin C and are good for arthritis patients. Carrots and turnips contain beta carotien, which again is an effective antioxidant. Finally, milk and sea foods, which contain vitamin D are essential for bone and joint health. Exercises strengthen the tone and power of the muscles, which protects the neighbouring joints and also increases the proprioception in the joints. Hence, exercises help in protecting the joints and preventing falls. The best types of exercises to strengthen the bones are weight bearing exercises like brisk walking, running, cycling etc. It helps in preserving bone density and avoids osteoporosis. Strength and balance exercises may help you avoid falls, decreasing your chance of breaking a bone. Consult trainers and other health professionals before starting a weight training routine. Physiotherapy helps in gaining range of the movement of stiff joints and helps build strength of muscles around the joint. The physiotherapist will also guide you regarding good posture and suitable lifestyle modification. One or two physiotherapy sessions in a month are good enough to ease the arthritis pain, depending upon the seriousness of the disease condition. Weight reduction is of paramout importance in arthritis patients because every pound of weight reduced means four pounds of pressure reduction on your knee joint. Thus, weight reduction means off loading of your knee joint. For a person with arthritis, losing weight means less of inflammation and hence the pain of arthritis joints. However, moderation is the key when it comes to losing the weight too.