Living With Arthitis: Problem Solving Steps

Arthritis is a very serious joint disorder that can effect people of any age, but is more common among the elderly. There is usually no way to reverse the effects of arthritis, so treatment typically revolves around trying to limit it from spreading further. As a result, living with arthritis can be very difficult, because many day to day tasks, such as even folding laundry, can become very painful.

One of the most important concepts revolving around living with arthritis is finding ways to make daily activities easier. It is a good idea to spend some time thinking about what tasks give you problems and then brainstorm ways to make these tasks easier.

Don’t Get Self-Conscious

Above all else, it is essential to not feel embarrassed or self conscious that you can not preform a task, even if it involves intimacy or something not regularly talked about. This will not address the issue and when arthritis problems are ignored, they typically only become worse.

Follow These Simple Steps

When addressing a problem that is caused by arthritis, it is essential to properly break down and address the problem. The following are some steps that can help identify and resolve problems caused by living with arthritis.

1. First, it is important to identify something that is giving you trouble and focus on this problem. Rather than trying to fix everything at once, pick the one item that is most difficult and address it first.
2. Next, determine the exact cause of the problem or discomfort. For instance, you might notice that whenever you go out to eat, the arthritis in your knees becomes very painful. Try to determine at what part in the evening your arthritis begins to act up and what are some signs. For instance, it may be that about halfway through the meal you start to experience stiffness and when you stand up, the pain becomes much worse. By identifying when the pain or discomfort occurs, you can begin to take measures to prevent it. This might not occur over night and may require purposely putting yourself in the situation, but is essential to finding and fixing the problem.
3. Once you have identified what you think is the problem, begin experimenting with ways to address the problem. For example, if you have narrowed the pain down to only when you get up from the table, consider spending some time stretching and walking as soon as you get out of the car and before you sit down to eat. It may also be a good idea to shorten your meal and even get up halfway through the meal to preform some more exercises.
4. Don’t be afraid to continue experimenting, until you get it right. Just because your first idea doesn’t work, you should not simply give up, but instead go back to step 3 and try again.

By following these steps, most problems can be addressed and often the issue resolved. It is very important to be conscious of what triggers cause you pain and what helps. Relying on other peoples experiences can be very valuable, but it is also very important to listen to what your own body is telling you. It is important to listen to others advice and find out what worked for them, but in the end, what helped them to live with arthritis, might not help you.