Occasional pain in the joints is a normal part of life. For example, you could have sore shoulders after a long day of physical activity. However, when you have chronic joint pain due to a condition like arthritis or an injury, you need to make some adjustments in your life.

Don’t give up hope and let chronic joint pain define who you are. By making the right changes in your life, you can improve your ability to live more independently and enjoy some of your favorite activities.

Five tips for living with chronic joint pain

1. Stick to your treatment — Take your medications when prescribed. Do not take more or less than you need and do not skip intervals.
   Follow your physical therapist’s instructions. If your physical therapist recommends a set of exercises and stretches to do at home between treatments, you need to do these.
   Altering your medications or treatments in any way can affect your progress and lead to worse pain and increased stiffness.
   
2. Get moving — Sitting for long periods of time leads to weaker and stiffer muscles. Weak and stiff muscles fail to provide enough support for your joints, which can increase joint pain and make it more difficult for you to move around.
   Try some gentle exercises and stretches on a daily basis. If you sit at a desk for work, make sure you get up at least once every hour for about 10 or 15 minutes to move around.
   
3. Make a plan — Plan ahead for everything you can think of to help make life as simple as possible. Use more electronic gadgets in the kitchen, such as an electric can opener or electric blender. Organize the layout of your home so it’s easier to move throughout it. Have someone help you move hard-to-reach items to easier locations.
   Can you think of some other ideas to make life at home simpler?
   
4. Lose weight — Work on exercising and cutting back on junk food to help burn any excess body weight you may have. Excess body weight increases strain on your joints, which can cause more pain and stiffness.
   
5. Improve your diet — Improving your diet is beneficial for a couple of reasons — one being that it helps you lose weight, which we already established is helpful for your condition. The other is that certain foods can cause an increase in the development of inflammation, which contributes to joint pain.
   Read more here to learn about foods you should avoid and foods you should include in your diet when you have chronic joint pain.

Visit Rehab Access for chronic joint pain treatment

Is chronic joint pain keeping you from your work or from enjoying your favorite activities? Our team at Rehab Access can help. Our physical therapists can work closely with you to get to know your condition and develop a personalized treatment routine to help you manage your pain and stiffness. Contact our team today for more information about chronic joint pain treatment or to schedule an initial appointment.