A painful condition that some individuals deal with on a long-term basis is arthritis. Usually when it is first developing you will notice that you feel a distinct stiffness in the joints, particularly when you first get up in the mornings or after you have been sitting in one position for an extended period of time.
While some arthritic conditions, such as gout for example, are short-term, most tend to last an extended period of time, often for the rest of your life. With proper treatment and precautions however you can still maintain a somewhat active lifestyle and deal with the pain that is felt.
The cause of the pain in people with arthritis is most often from the inflammation they experience around their joints and connective tissues. This will cause swelling and eventually the cartilage may even wear out around the bone, which then will cause bone to bone rubbing.
Some forms of this disease are the result of an autoimmune issue (rheumatoid is an example of this) in which the body starts attacking its own tissues. This particular form is usually one of the most severe and will require a great deal of medical attention and treatment.
If you are suffering from this condition, the major things you should be doing in order to promote wellness again are participating in a moderate exercise program that works with you so as to not aggravate the condition, watching your weight and diet as excess weight can put more pressure on the joints and increase pain, applying heat and cold treatments as necessary in order to reduce swelling and going for regular massages to help loosen the muscles
so they are not tight while helping to decrease the tension that the ligaments experience.
In addition to the diet point, while watching your weight is very important, you should also pay particular attention to the types of foods you are eating because certain foods can cause an inflammatory response and aggravate the symptoms of gout (coffee, organ meats, herring and scallops for example). You will also want to ensure you are getting enough calcium
in your diet to help protect the bones and minimize the risk you start suffering from osteoporosis.
Provided you take care of your body and are sensible in dealing with arthritis, it does not have to mean a sedentary lifestyle for you.
