Answer: The moment I read “I used to be an athlete”, I was able to answer your question. I too, used to be an athlete, always working out, at the gym, running, jumping, or something. I watched my diet, got the proper amount of sleep, and lived a life of activity and discipline. However, when my athletic years came to an end, I ceased this type of lifestyle. I too, began to struggle with chronic pain. I was always achy and sore, tired and somewhat out of it.

It is true that some people who are experiencing chronic pain are suffering from a disease like arthritis. It certainly doesn’t hurt to visit your primary doctor and get a diagnosis. But, far too many people attribute their pain and discomfort to some serious disease or disorder while in fact, most of their pain comes from an improper diet and lack of activity.

If you want your life back, you have to do something about. No pill popping for you! Start moving! Fit exercise into your day, every day. Dance, ride your bicycle, go for a jog, or join a yoga class. You can even switch if you like to keep things fresh. Try to incorporate a good mix of aerobic exercise, weight-bearing exercise, and stretching to ensure the best results. Along with your increased moving, drink more water and less sugary and caffeinated drinks. Try to eat vitamin and mineral rich foods, cutting back on heavy carbs and simple sugars. Finally, make sure you’re getting the right amount of sleep and sleeping on a mattress that offers proper support.

If you’re anything like me, you won’t be complaining about your chronic pain for too much longer! So, get of the couch and take your life back!

Answer: Learning to live with arthritis pain can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. With the right mix of therapy’s and treatments, many people are able to live perfectly normal lives while coping with the disease.

The first challenge for an arthritis sufferer is maintaining basic joint mobility. Your doctor may prescribe a physical therapy routine that’s designed to keep you moving effectively. This kind of therapeutic treatment has been shown to help reduce the potentially crippling long-term effects of arthritis.

The second thing to cope with is the pain. To some extent, this can be handled with drugs. Since arthritis is a disease based around inflammation, the first line of attack is the use of NSAIDS (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). These include Ibuprofen, and Aspirin, along with several more specialized drugs that are specifically for arthritis sufferers. NSAIDS aren’t necessarily the strongest kinds of pain medication, but they are much less dangerous than opiates, and because they work by fighting inflammation, they are particularly well suited to arthritis.

The price of all these medications can sometimes be an issue, and for that reason, many arthritis sufferers take aspirin as their first line of defense. Aspirin is quite strong if taken in high doses, but it also has a tendency to cause stomach problems. Some people simply can’t stand aspirin on a daily basis, and for those people, other drugs are more popular.

Another important issue is the mental side of chronic pain. If you have to suffer every day, on a constant basis, it can be very depressing. Some people have trouble coping with the burden. There are whole books devoted to teaching mental strategies for dealing with chronic pain, and many arthritis sufferers can benefit greatly from them. In some cases, people may even get a prescription for anti-depressants, but it’s better if you can learn to manage your own mental state.

As a final line of defense, alternative therapies like acupuncture have always been popular among arthritis sufferers. Many patients swear that they’ve received great benefits from exploring herbal and dietary treatment plans. Whether or not alternative therapy works is always going to be debated, and medical science certainly doesn’t back up many of the claims, but it’s hard to argue with a patient who says acupressure has made his life easier. You may want to try it out and see if it works for you.

Within the first 48-72 hours after the onset of arthritis you should used ice on your arthritic joint. Ice reduces inflammation and spelling by restricting the flow of blood to specific joints. Once the intial inflammation is under control, use a heating pad or very warm water to promote blood flow back to the joint. Blood contains oxygen and many nutrients such as vitamin A & C (antioxidants) which are necessary for healing.

It is also a good idea to rest your joint from the get-go because any initial physical activity early on can exacerbate your arthritis symptoms. Wait until you get your inflammation under control before doing any rehabilitiation exercises. These exercises usually include both stretching and resistance exercises. Exercise also stimulates blood flow to the joints. Stretching exercises will keep your joint flexible once the recovery process has started. And resistance exercises such as light weightlifting can increase strength in the muscles and tendons and add greated stability to a specific joint. When you exercise, it is important to build muscles that are adjacent to your affected joint. For example, if you have arthritis in your lumbar vertebrae (lower back), building muscles in your abdomen, buttocks and legs in addition to lower back muscles will take even more pressure off your back vertebrae. This will help expedite the healing process.

A good diet is also important for relieving pain from arthritis. Eat plenty of fresh vegetables, nuts and fruits. All of these foods contain nutrients that are effective in relieving arthritis pain. Glucosamine and chondroitin, two supplements, can also help relieve arthritis pain. Glucosamine is a gluten protein and chondroitin is a complex carbohydrate. Both help regenerate existing cartilage in a joint and bolster synovial fluid production in the bursa sacs.

Arthritis is when your joints become inflamed and overworked. The tearing can often cause the discs of cartilage to thin, and cause pain during movement. If this is a constant pain, and pain killers aren’t doing too much to relieve it, then you might want to see a doctor about better pain pills and exercises to help your joints.

One of the more serious conditions, as well as arthritis, in the back could be a herniated disc. Though usually with a herniated disc, you will notice a huge lump arising where the pain is. This lump will be more towards the spinal part, and will be extremely painful to touch. If this is the cause, you will definitely need to see a doctor.

On a less serious note with back pain, it could be from straining it while lifting something heavy or doing sports. The back pays the price the most when ever you get injured during moving heavy equipment. That is why they always say to bend your knees while you lift up things, otherwise it can cause pain in the back.

To relieve a strain in the left part of your back, apply ice packs and make sure not to do any more heavy lifting for at least a week. Straining it more could do serious damage to your back, and that would be when it was time to see a doctor.

Unfortunately bad posture and obesity can be another cause to the back. Especially if one side, such as your left side, slants more than the other, cause this could cause an imbalance in the pelvis, which will effect your back greatly. So make sure to eat healthy, don’t over do exercising though, and try to sit up straight.

As long as nothing is constantly in serious pain, and there is no swelling in the spot of the pain, it usually is just caused by straining it while maybe you were picking up something. If arthritis runs in your family however, it would be best to talk to a doctor about the main causes and factors.

Feeling pain is one of the body’s first signal that something is wrong. The number one reason there is pain in arthritis is the breakdown of cartilage. The fluid that cushions and lubricates your joints can break down and lose its ability to cushion your joints. The cartilage protecting the ends of bones can deteriorate causing the bone to rub against each other. The pain in this type of arthritis is constant and severe, diminishing your ability to participate in physical activity..

Another common type of pain associated with arthritis of the joints, such as the knees, is stiffness. The stiffness of the joints is more pronounced after sitting or lying down for a long period of time. There is pain while walking and mobility is limited To help avoid stiffness, try becoming more active and move around as much as possible. Movement helps lubricate and nourish your joints.

Making changes in your lifestyle can help to improve your arthritis pain. Low impact exercise can help maintain healthy joints, relieve stiffness and reduce pain and fatigue. You should avoid high impact exercises like running and jumping. Water aerobics or swimming is an excellent exercise for arthritis. Walking or using a stationary bike is very effective for relieving arthritis pain. To manage your arthritis, you should control your weight because extra weight put extra stress on your knees, hips, feet and lower back.

Arthritis pain can cause physical trauma to athletes, ballet dancers and others who work in jobs that engaged in repetitive actions that puts stress and strain on a joint. Arthritis pain can be caused by joint inflammation , where the body attacks itself, because it believes a part of the body is foreign or infected with a virus. Inflammation is the body’s response to infections or other threats.

There is no proof that weather affects the amount of pain caused by arthritis. People believe that arthritis is worse in cold and rainy climate, but studies have been inconclusive. Some studies find there is pain associated with low temperatures and high humidity, while other studies have found no connection between arthritis pain and weather.

Genetics can play a part in the amount of pain associated with arthritis. People born with a risk factor or a predisposition to early arthritis, should focus on controlling the onset of arthritis by using a preventive program This should include weight management, activity modification and exercise.

The key to controlling your arthritis pain is to stay proactive. Treatment should focus on relieving some of the underlying symptoms like joint pain and swelling, stiffness of joints and lost of mobility. Keep your arthritis pain under control by staying fit and controlling your weight Also getting plenty of rest and reducing stress will help control the pain of arthritis.