People with arthritis often experience more severe pain and stiffness first thing in the morning, Dr Christine Haseler, a GP with a special interest in arthritis says: “Joints affected by osteoarthritis often stiffen up in the mornings and can make nights uncomfortable and restless.
Lying down can cause inflammatory chemicals to pool in the fluid that cushions your joints, which makes them stiffen up. And your perception of pain may be heightened during the nighttime because you're not distracted by anything else.
The most common triggers of an OA flare are overdoing an activity or trauma to the joint. Other triggers can include bone spurs, stress, repetitive motions, cold weather, a change in barometric pressure, an infection or weight gain. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory disease that affects the skin and joints.
Usually it starts to hurt when you use the joint or right after you wake up. The pain also often gets worse at the end of the day. Some other symptoms you may get: Stiffness.
Be Active and Adjust the Diet
One of the best (and hardest) ways to manage arthritis pain is to manage one's body weight and adopt healthy lifestyle habits. Activities like walking and aerobics can keep the joints limber and prevent arthritis pain from becoming worse.
Heat and cold. Use of heat, such as applying heating pads to aching joints, taking hot baths or showers, or immersing painful joints in warm paraffin wax, can help relieve pain temporarily. Be careful not to burn yourself. Use heating pads for no more than 20 minutes at a time.
It's different for everyone, but some people with RA notice that as the seasons shift, so do their symptoms. Studies suggest autumn may be the sweet spot for RA while winter and spring are the most challenging. A recent study found that humidity made pain worse, especially in colder weather.
Just as the effects of weather vary, the best climate may not be the same for all people. But based on research, it appears that for most people with arthritis, a warmer, drier climate may be optimal, such as that in parts of Texas, Arizona, Nevada and the Eastern Sierra region of California.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune inflammatory condition that causes pain, stiffness, and swelling, is most noted for its effects on the body's joints. But rheumatoid arthritis is also a systemic disease, meaning it can affect the whole body, damage major organs, and even lead to a shortened life span.
1. Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids , which are abundant in fatty fish such as salmon or tuna, are among the most potent anti-inflammatory supplements. These supplements may help fight several types of inflammation, including vascular inflammation.
Pain from arthritis can be constant or it may come and go. It may occur when at rest or while moving. Pain may be in one part of the body or in many different parts. Some types of arthritis cause the skin over the affected joint to become red and swollen, feeling warm to the touch.
"Doing nothing, regardless of what type of arthritis you have, is going to make your arthritis worse," says Cote. On rest days, he recommends gentle exercises that increase flexibility for arthritic joints.
RA is symmetrical, where a patient feels symptoms in the same spot on both sides of the body, often in the joints in the feet and hands. Osteoarthritis, in contrast, begins in an isolated joint, often in the knee, fingers, hands, spine and hips. While both sides may hurt, one side is more painful.
The effect of humidity — moisture in the air — on arthritis pain is worse on wet winter days. For many people with arthritis, summer is a much-needed reprieve. Even when there is some humidity, arthritis pain tends to be better on warmer, sunnier days.
Others found a direct link between temperature and arthritis pain, and even some found that the connection between arthritis and cold weather was strongest when coupled with high humidity. If that's true, then cold, wet weather is worst for your joints. Warm, dry weather, on the other hand, is best.
In the study, the median survival rate for healthy adults was approximately 82 years while the median survival rate for people with RA was approximately 77 years.
Nevertheless, with the right treatment, many people can live past the age of 80 or even 90 years while experiencing relatively mild symptoms and only minor limitations on day-to-day life.
Pills. NSAIDs are the most effective oral medicines for OA. They include ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) naproxen (Aleve) and diclofenac (Voltaren, others). All work by blocking enzymes that cause pain and swelling.
Walking is one of the most important things you can do if you have arthritis. It helps you lose weight or maintain the proper weight. That, in turn, lessens stress on joints and improves arthritis symptoms.
Walking is recommended for people with arthritis as it's low impact, helps to keep the joints flexible, helps bone health and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. If you do experience pain or you're very stiff afterwards try doing a bit less, factor in more rest and check in with your GP, if you need to.