What You Should Know About HPV
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Get the facts before you get the virus.
Living With Arthritis (And What You Can Do About It)
Living with arthritis isn’t easy; anyone who has it can tell you that. If you’re struggling with this condition, people may have told you it’s just a part of getting older, something you have to get used to.
The team at Health Solutions believe otherwise, especially based on the many ways you can treat and manage arthritis, and no matter where on your body it affects you. This can allow you to live with the condition without letting it define your life.
Living with arthritis: What it means and how you can do it
We at Health Solutions, just don’t believe your arthritis is a life sentence of suffering as you get older. In fact, many people deal with this condition when they are much younger than 65, and those who are healthy and active can also experience the problem.
According to statistics from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 7% of people 18 to 44 years old were diagnosed with arthritis. In the 45-64 age group, it was about 29%. The Arthritis Foundation states that living with this condition doesn’t mean giving up on doing what you love, just that you need to fight harder to maintain the life you want.
Ways to manage arthritis
You can manage the pain and other symptoms of arthritis in many ways. It isn’t just about taking over-the-counter medications to numb the pain. In addition, taking control of your arthritis management will make you feel more in charge of your life and your condition.
It might even make you feel ready to do things you thought you couldn’t, like exercise or travel.
Here are some of our teams favorite techniques for patients who want to manage their arthritis through their own means.
- Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
- Exercise regularly to keep joints in motion and healthy.
- Try to maintain a healthy weight. Minimizing the weight you put on your joints will often lessen the pain.
- Minimize conditions where you will need to put stress on your joints. Use a cloth to open a jar if you have arthritic hands, or if you have arthritic knees and steps leading to your front door, make modifications to your home (Harvard Medical School).
- Use relaxation and breathing techniques or meditation to deal with pain.
- Consider keeping a journal tracking your arthritis pain. Start finding the patterns of when you experience the most pain, what happened recently, what you ate, how much sleep you got, etc.
- Try to keep a positive attitude. It may sound silly, but it goes a long way toward helping you manage your overall health if you stay positive about your situation (The Arthritis Foundation).
For when you need treatment
Different people respond better to different treatment options for arthritis. If you decide to see our team, we start out treating your arthritis conservatively with medications, lifestyle changes, and exercises, but over time, the two of you may decide to choose a more aggressive treatment.
This could include options like stem cell therapy, platelet-rich plasma injections, or surgery, depending on your type of arthritis, your pain levels, and other variables.
A life with, not ruled by, arthritis
You shouldn’t feel that you’re unable to live a happy, fulfilled life with this chronic condition. You may have to work a little harder and try out different techniques and treatments, but it will be worth it when you find the combination that works.
Our team at Health Solutions is happy to meet with you to discuss these options. You can contact us at 708-802-9355 at our Tinley Park, Rockford, Flossmoor, Illinois, of Munster, Indiana location. You can also request an appointment here on our website.
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