There are millions of people worldwide who suffer from arthritis. While the symptoms of the condition can be quite painful, there are many different things you can do to improve your quality of life. This article is filled with a variety of tips and tricks that will make you more knowledgeable about arthritis.

Do what you can to get a good night's sleep. The right amount of sleep is important, especially for those with arthritis, because sleep refreshes your body and gives you energy to continue the next day. Prepare yourself for a good night's sleep by turning off all cell phones, making the room completely dark, and practicing relaxing techniques.

A hot shower or bath can ease some of your arthritis pain. This type of heat application will be a great way to relax your muscles, and heal your body. You may find moist heating pads worth a try too. Heating pads are available at most drugstores, or you can make your own by putting uncooked rice in a sock, tying it closed and microwaving it for a minute.

Losing excess weight can help to lessen the effects of arthritis. Eating a reasonable, anti-inflammatory, healthy diet can reduce the pressure and inflammation on your joints. Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers will find such a diet a real relief.

Try to participate in aquatic activities if you suffer from arthritis. Aquatic exercises gently stretch the muscles and joints, which is especially beneficial for chronic arthritis sufferers. You may consider enrolling in swimming lessons.

During a flare-up, it is important that you do not exercise. Even though this is normally helpful, during a flare-up, it could be damaging. The purpose of exercise is to keep joints flexible and healthy, not to deal with arthritis pain when it occurs. When your joints are sore and inflamed, it's better to postpone your exercise routine.

Counseling can help you if arthritis is causing emotional distress. Dealing with a painful illness can damage your emotional well-being, in addition to damaging your body. You need to face your feelings about your diagnosis and condition and release them in appropriate manners. Consider talking to a counselor about your arthritis-related frustration or sadness.

Try working on your muscle mass a bit. Muscle development helps relieve chronic pain. You can increase muscle tone by starting strength training with light weights and just a few repetitions. Once you start working on your muscles, you will get stronger. Over time, your arthritis should improve.

Keep a diary about the progress of your condition. This written record will help you understand what in your life is triggering the arthritis. It can also help you to understand what helps. This information should be shared with your doctor which can help him to prescribe the best possible treatment options. It is a helpful tool for many purposes.

This article has hopefully shown that arthritis is just a part of your life, not the controlling force in it. You shouldn't have to restrict yourself from activities you like or places you enjoy going to, just because of pain you have in your bones. Follow these ideas to help subdue the pain and handle the problem; then, you can climb a mountain without looking back.

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