Arthritis Self-Management

As the old saying goes, "cleanliness is next to godliness." But arthritis can make using a bathtub or shower not just more difficult but even downright dangerous. You deserve to relax as you get clean.

Arthritis can affect every aspect of a person's life, even using the toilet. Asking for help in this area may feel embarrassing, but there are products to help you stay independent in the bathroom.

At some point in your life, you may be called upon to help care for an elderly parent, a disabled adult child, or even one or more grandchildren. Caregiving can be satisfying, but balancing caregiving responsibilities with your need to take good care of yourself and your arthritis can be a real challenge.

Everyone experiences the challenge of conserving enough energy to get through days and weeks of daily tasks. Arthritis can complicate this challenge by further limiting your store of energy and interfering with your ability to work, carry out routine daily activities, and enjoy leisure time with friends and family. However, there are some simple techniques that you can incorporate into your life to help you use your energy wisely.

Arthritis can present many challenges in the kitchen, whether you struggle to open cans and containers, find it difficult to grip the tools you need, or are simply unable to stand at the stove for long stretches of time because of pain in your knees or hips. But preparing a meal at home can be pain-free if you make a few changes.

Gardening is a great hobby that can also improve your health. Achy joints may make bending over difficult, but never fear: Here's a guide to making your life a little greener while avoiding the thorny side of planting and weeding.

Walking is something that, for most of us, just comes naturally. Once we'™ve graduated from baby to toddler, we tend to take our ability to walk for granted. Falling can too easily change all that. For many people over 60 —” particularly those who have arthritis — taking action to prevent falls is an important part of maintaing an active and independent lifestyle.

For many who don't live in cities, driving can be vital to get to the doctor's office, grocery store, or even to work. Arthritis can inhibit our ability to drive and threaten our independence. Here are a few helpful strategies that can make driving safer and easier.

In a short time, computers have become central to how we work, play, find information, keep track of our personal records, store our music and photo collections, and stay connected with people around the world. Theoretically, everything is at our fingertips, but a keyboard, a mouse, and arthritis can make for a difficult combination.

Each year, one in three people over 65 experiences a fall. A serious fall can land you in the hospital or worse, but luckily you don't have to play the odds and wait for an unexpected tumble. Read this article to learn how to make a bad fall less likely, and minimize your potential for a serious injury.

If you have no problem getting to sleep, staying asleep, or waking up rested, consider yourself lucky. For many people with arthritis, pain, stiffness, and stress contribute to sleep problems, which can leave them feeling tired and groggy and put them at higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other serious health problems. Fortunately, there are strategies that can help you sleep better.

The phrase "arthritis-friendly clothing" does not conjure up images of the latest runway fashions. But there are ways to buy clothes that are easy to put on and wear without having to give up your personal style.

Listening matters. Sometimes there is nothing more comforting than feeling that someone is listening to you and really hearing what you have to say. There are many things you can do so other people will listen the way you want them to, and so that you can lend your ear the way other people need.

Although we may think of pain as a purely physical symptom, it has a significant mental and emotional component. It can arouse very strong feelings in us, and in turn, our feelings and thoughts can make pain worse. The key to living well with pain is to understand what contributes to our perception and experience of it — and to use this knowledge to loosen pain’s hold on us.

Independence is part of our culture and our identity, and most people place a high value on it. People with arthritis are more likely to maintain their independence when they are able to clearly ask for the help they need and refuse unnecessary help. Here are some ways to distinguish between the two types of help — “helpful help” and “unhelpful help” — and get the help you need.

As more people are living longer and better technology is available, it makes sense to consider home design that works for you not just today, but will continue to work for you in the years to come. If you’re thinking of building or renovating, now’s the time to take a look at universal design.

Sleep is vital to staying happy, healthy, and alert. But rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic pain conditions can make it harder to sleep, and make what sleep you do get less restful. There are some things you can do to make sure you get the best snooze possible.

Many people look forward to the joy and family togetherness the holidays can bring. But the holiday season — with its constant busy-ness, plenitude of rich foods, and (often) long-distance travel — also seems designed to sabotage your arthritis management plan and your peace of mind. A few simple strategies can help you enjoy what's good about the holiday season.

“You don’t look sick!” “How could you be tired? You haven’t done anything!” “What’s wrong with your hands?” Nothing undercuts the fun of socializing like insensitive comments from people who are unfamiliar with arthritis or who try to make you feel bad for having it. Your arthritis doesn’t define you. Here are some tips for dealing with stigma when you encounter it.

People with arthritis may find it increasingly difficult to care for their teeth and gums. Stiff and achy joints can make using a toothbrush and flossing trickier, and some types of arthritis can actually increase the risk of gum disease. Fortunately, there are ways to make effective oral care easier.

Summer is here, and sun protection should be part of any comprehensive self-management plan. Some kinds of arthritis can make you more sensitive to sunlight, but with the proper precautions, you can still enjoy the great weather.

A version of a patient education and support group for people with chronic conditions is now available for free online.

The pain and stiffness that come with arthritis can make moving seem like the last thing you'd want to do. But physical activity is key to keeping yourself functioning well. Not only that, inactivity can make your symptoms worse and have negative effects on your heart, muscles, energy level, bones, and weight.

Do you ever feel that you just aren't thinking straight? Memory lapses and other cognitive problems are common in people with arthritis, but they aren't always a cause for concern. It is important to understand the different causes of cognitive problems and what can be done to treat them.

Arthritis can make getting dressed in the morning a frustrating chore. Fortunately, there are clothes designed to be easy to put on, as well as creative tools that make it simpler to do everything from buttoning your shirt to tying your shoes.

People often use the phrase “quality of life” as a catchall term without having a good idea of what it means. Use of such familiar language may seem to make for effective communication (surely we all know what a good quality of life is). However, being diagnosed with a chronic health condition profoundly changes individuals and their circumstances, and colloquial, superficial language can leave them feeling worse rather than better. So what is quality of life, and how can we speak about it meaningfully?

Arthritis can take a toll on many aspects of your life, not least your ability to work. When you first realize that arthritis is affecting you, it can cause you significant worry. If you’re already working, you may find yourself wondering whether you will be able to continue at your job. If you’re looking for work, you may wonder whether arthritis will affect the kind of job you’ll be able to do.