The Difference Between Arthritis and Joint Pain

Do you have an ache in your wrists, knees, or ankles that makes it difficult to do simple things like type or walk upstairs? Everyone experiences some type of joint pain in their lives, but is it arthritis? Though you may associate arthritis with older people, it can affect anyone at any time in life – even children. The most common type of arthritis, osteoarthritis, will affect 1 in 6 people in their lifetimes.

If you are experiencing joint pain, there are ways to manage the symptoms and live a normal life:

• Exercise and move around the right way. Though you may believe otherwise, inactivity can actually make the pain and loss of movement worse. Low-impact activity, stretching, and exercise like yoga or walking keep your joints loose and improves blood flow to damaged tissue.

• Avoid repetitive motion. High-impact activities like running or repetitive motions like swinging a tennis racket can make pain worse. Instead, do gradual strength-building exercises to build muscle around the joints.

• Try massage and hot/cold therapy. Massage can help relieve symptoms and lift your mood, so a monthly session can be beneficial. Try a heating pad or hot bath or shower to help ease pain as well. Ice packs can help with swelling after exercise.

If you’ve been diagnosed with arthritis, there are ways to ease the pain:

• Pain medications that also reduce inflammation (NSAIDs) can help. Check with your doctor for other available options.

• Reduce pressure on painful joints. Buying a better mattress, losing a few pounds, and being careful to do the right exercises to reduce the strain on your joints can all help.

• Keep your body healthy with a diet including fish (twice a week), nuts (about a handful and a half day) and olive oil (2-3 Tbsp./day) which all contain omega-3 fatty acids to help reduce inflammation.

If your pain – whether from arthritis or otherwise – is chronic, you might want to consider installing a therapeutic hot tub inside your home. While a hot bath even in a normal tub can be therapeutic, the soothing action generated by a hot tub’s jets is even more so. At Conway Services, we can handle all the plumbing required for installation while providing other soothing plumbing solutions, including walk-in tubs, handheld shower massagers, and more. Contact us today for more information and a no-obligation quote.