Arthritis

Arthritis affects nearly 43 million Americans. Yet because of misperceptions about the arthritis inflammation, many people never seek appropriate medical care. They believe they are too young to be affected or they may believe that disease arthritis is "just something you have to learn to live with." While it is true there is no cure for arthritis injury (just as there is no cure for diabetes or hypertension), there are effective treatments available and measures that can be taken to protect muscles, bones and joints. This is truer today than ever before.

Splints

If a joint is very swollen and painful, your doctor or therapist may suggest you use a splint to rest the joint (see figure 2). This helps reduce swelling and pain. Your doctor may recommend that you wear the splint during certain activities, all day, or only at night. This depends on how severe the swelling or pain is.

Sleep

Getting a good night's sleep restores your energy, so you can better cope with the pain. It also rests your joints, to reduce the pain and swelling. Only you know how much sleep your body needs, so get into the habit of listening to your body. If you feel tired and ache after lunch every day, for example, take a brief nap. This can help restore your energy and spirits.

If you have trouble sleeping at night, try relaxing quietly in the afternoon rather than taking a nap. Here are some other tips to help you sleep better:

Take a warm bath before going to bed
Listen to soothing music or a relaxation tape
Spend some quiet time by yourself before you go to bed
Read

Do not take sleeping pills unless your doctor recommends them.

Massage and topical lotions

Massage increases blood flow and brings warmth to the sore area. You can massage your own muscles or you can ask your doctor to recommend a professional who is trained to give massages. If you have arthritis problems in your shoulders, elbows, wrists or fingers, you may not be able to give yourself a massage.

When giving yourself a massage, use lotion or oil to help your hands glide over your skin. Menthol gels also provide a comforting tingle that can further ease the painful area.

Topical "deep-heating" rubs may contain medicines that block the sensation of pain. Or, they may increase blood flow in the skin where they are applied, and distract attention from the painful muscle or joint. Usually, these ointments do not penetrate very deeply into the skin. Therefore, claims that the active ingredients go directly to the joints and relieve pain are not true.

Tips for safe massage:

When doing self-massage, stop if you have any pain.
Don't massage a joint that is very swollen or painful.
If you use a menthol gel for massage, always remove it before using a heat treatment--otherwise you might burn yourself.
If you have a professional massage, make sure the massage therapist has sufficient knowledge about arthritis.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)

TENS helps reduce pain for some people with severe arthritis. It is a small device that uses mild electric pulses to stimulate the nerves in the painful area. This blocks the pain message in several ways.

To use a TENS machine, electrodes are taped on the skin near the painful area. These electrodes are connected by wire to a small, battery-operated stimulator. TENS doesn't hurt, but it may cause some tingling. Usually it feels like vibration or tapping. TENS works for some people, but not for others. Talk to your doctor or therapist about whether TENS might help you.