How can Lifestyle Changes help Arthritis Patients?
Arthritis is affecting millions of people including the young generation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 36% of obese American adults Arthritis Patients are badly inflicted with arthritis pains.
Acute pain in the joints and bones can be devastating and the excess body weight eventually leads to wear and tear, inflammation, stiffness, and immobility in joints.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) affects the whole body. The immunity system of the body weakens and apart from the lining of the joints (synovium), the whole body including hands, knees, and ankles seems to be attacked.
This can further escalate into problems affecting the eyes, heart, lungs, and circulatory system. RA is a curse to live with and the patients are recommended certain lifestyle changes to alleviate the pain and discomfort
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What are the Necessary Lifestyle Changes in Curing Arthritis?
Dr. Tanveer Bhutani, EVA Hospital, is a renowned arthritis specialist in Punjab. With experience in dealing with acute arthritis patients, he insists that simple lifestyle changes can go a long way in healing arthritis. Rheumatoid Arthritis, which usually occurs in women, finds its root in an obese and sedentary lifestyle.
Here are a few lifestyle changes that can help arthritis patients:
- Maintain an Ideal Body Weight
Healthy body weight keeps less stress on your body and joints. Excess weight strains the body weight and causes inflammation, wear, and tear of joints and stiffness. This aggravates arthritis pain.
Moderate exercises help keep weight gain at bay and reduce arthritis pain. Keep a track of your ideal weight and try maintaining your weight around that goal.
Exercising will also increase energy levels and strengthen muscles and joints. It also boosts energy and increases the activity level. According to Dr. Bhutani, this will certainly help in successfully curing arthritis, though initially exercising with arthritis is also a challenge.
- Stay Stress-Free
Stress is known to trigger arthritis pain and you have to maintain healthy lifestyle patterns to keep yourself stress-free. Arthritis also endorses stress, depression, and a gamut of emotional reactions.
Dr. Bhutani suggests patients with arthritis to dedicating their time to their hobby or activity that makes them feel happy, like painting or dancing, etc.
Mediation and a calm mind are the keys to a healthy life and you must spend a few minutes daily in meditation so that your mind is at ease. Keep your mobile phones away for a few minutes and relax with your family without any deadlines in mind. And the easiest of all is to take a vacation whenever possible.
- Sleep Well
Sleep and rest are of paramount relevance when it comes to keeping your body stress-free. Eight hours a day is advocated by doctors and health practitioners for a sound mind and sound body.
The body needs that time to regenerate and rejuvenate. Dr. Bhutani emphasizes following a consistent bedtime routine- sleeping and waking up at the same time each day. This helps in maintaining a consistent body clock.
In case you are suffering from insomnia or lack of sleep, a few simple steps can help you get rid of the problem. A warm bath and a cup of warm milk before bed, stay off from mobile phones and gadgets immediately before bed, and meditate for a while. This will help you catch your 8 hours of undeterred sleep.
- Opt for Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Patients with arthritis must be cautious of what and how much they eat. A diet full of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is important.
Along with this load up the anti-inflammatory supplements like salmon, flaxseeds, walnuts, and olive oil which are rich in Omega-3. A low-calorie meal with all the nutrients should be the ideal diet. Strictly avoid high-calorie, processed foods as they tend to aggravate arthritis traumas.
Load up the vitamin C with citrus juices and say ‘NO’ to alcohol.
Final Words
Dr. Tanveer Bhutani says arthritis can aggravate and be really painful. Daily activities and lifestyle can really impact the arthritis level. You must monitor the daily routine as worsened arthritis adversely affects the heart and can lead to diabetes. For any kind of help or expert guidance, get in touch with Dr. Bhutani at EVA Hospital and adopt a complete lifestyle change for relief from arthritis.
