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How you deal with pain may be the biggest challenge you’ll face with osteoarthritis. It helps to have a strategy for how you’ll manage pain.
Create a Pain Management Plan
Your plan may include keeping fit, losing weight, eating right, and perhaps taking medicine. Know which drugs you take and how often. Learn how they work and if they have side effects. Keep track of your progress with exercise, weight loss, and diet. Buy a scale and regularly check your weight.
Work with your doctor to fill in the 1on1health® Pain Management Plan (PDF Format). Note any changes in your symptoms and discuss them with your doctor.
Keep a Pain Diary
Part of managing your pain is learning to understand its patterns. Learn to pay attention to your joints. Do they hurt more in the morning or at the end of the day? Do some activities cause more pain than others? What works to ease the pain?
A diary can help you keep track of your pain. Print it out and keep it in a handy place. Try to fill it in whenever you have pain. Take it with you to every appointment with your healthcare provider.
Download the 1on1health® Pain Diary (PDF Format).
Pain-relief options
Besides medicine, there are several ways to ease joint pain. Talk with your doctor about these therapies. He or she can tell you which may help you most. Seek treatments only from trained professionals. These include licensed massage therapists, chiropractors, and osteopaths.
- Physical activity. Regular exercise is the most helpful non-drug treatment for osteoarthritis. It can reduce pain, control swelling, and improve movement. In fact, exercise can help you feel better all-around. It can rebuild the strength, endurance, flexibility, and range of motion that osteoarthritis steals from you. Discuss any exercise plan with your doctor. He or she can help you pick the exercise that is right for you.
- Acupuncture. This Chinese treatment has been used for thousands of years. Acupuncture appears to relieve osteoarthritis pain. Large studies are in progress to test how well it works. Like all “alternative” treatments, acupuncture is not regulated by the US government. Be sure to look for a licensed practitioner who uses only sterilized, disposable needles.
- Massage. Massage is one of the favorite non-drug treatments for patients with osteoarthritis. It eases pain and stiffness, and promotes flexibility. Massages also are a great way to help you relax and relieve stress. There are several types of massage, from Swedish and Asian to deep-tissue techniques. Your doctor and local spa or health club can help you decide which is best for you.
- Relaxation. If a massage costs too much, there are free ways to help you relax. Deep breathing, guided imagery, and meditation are great ways to reduce stress. They may also help you focus on the positive parts of your life.
Set aside 15 minutes or more, at least four days a week, to practice your relaxation method. Go to a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Get as comfortable as you can. No matter what relaxation technique you choose, give it time. It may take several weeks for you to master it.
- Moist heat. Warm towels, heat packs, or a bath or shower can help ease stiffness. Use them for 15-20 minutes at a time. Don’t use heat on sores or cuts. Always put a towel between your skin and a heat pack. Electric heating pads are also helpful. Don’t sleep with one on. It may burn you.
- Cold. If you have pain and swelling, putting a bag of ice on it can help. Or, use a package of frozen vegetables, like frozen peas. The package can fit the shape of elbows and knees. Put on the cold pack for 10-15 minutes at a time. Always put a towel between your skin and the cold pack. Be careful: Using ice too long can make you stiff. There are also non-prescription sprays and ointments that can cool your skin. Don’t use these without first checking with your doctor.
- Mobility therapy. These treatments include massage and moving the joints to restore function and ease stiffness. These treatments can reduce pain and increase range of motion. They also can help keep muscles and tendons flexible.
- Water therapy. Spending time in warm water is a good way to reduce pain and stiffness. You can sit in a hot tub and let the massaging jets do their work. Or, you can exercise in a pool while the water takes the weight off painful joints. Check with your community services agency to find water therapy classes in your area.
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