No More Winter Pain by Dr.Rajeev K Sharma,Joint Replacement Surgeon

But no more, there are simple ways which will help to keep your arthritis pain at bay. All you have do is follow these simple rules-

• Keep your muscles and joints warm. You may use medically recommended heated blankets or even heated mattress.
• Stay active: don’t dig yourself inside the blanket. Cover yourself well and do some physical activity.
• Don’t overdo physical activity. Be gentle with you joints
• Always stay warm with good woollens
• Winter make you lazy, shed some weight and fight the winter fat.

Simple ways are always keep you active even in this lethargic season. It is always said that exercise is the best way to keep ailments at bay and it is very true in the case of arthritis. It will strengthen your muscles and increase your endurance. Don’t randomly start doing exercise, here are some do’s & don’t to follow:

Do

• Right activity for your body. Seek help form a physiotherapist and do the activity in the right way.
• Focus on stretching exercises and gradual progressive strength training.

Don’ts

• Running
• Jumping
• High-impact aerobics
• Inactivity, which can lead to muscle atrophy and further decrease joint stability

If everyday activities make you hurt, you’re bound to feel discouraged. It’s no surprise that arthritis pain has a negative effect on your mood. But when these normal feelings escalate to create a constant refrain of fearful, hopeless thoughts, your pain can actually get worse and harder to manage.

Dr.Rajeev K Sharma,Joint Replacement Surgeon,Indraprastha Apollo Hospital,New Delhi.