It is not uncommon for someone living with arthritis to be diagnosed with more than one arthritic condition.
While treatments for each type of arthritis can vary, there are ways you can help to manage your arthritis no matter the type of arthritis you have.
Assemble your healthcare team
Your healthcare team is important in helping you look after your arthritis and your health. Everyone’s healthcare team will be different and may include both doctors and specialists. Your doctors and specialists will advise on the best treatment options for your individual circumstances.
The best place to start is with your GP, who can then help refer you to other specialists. See the Working with your healthcare team information sheet.
Learn about your condition and play an active role in your treatment
Learn about your condition, available treatment options and the ways you can help to manage your condition.
Not all information you read or hear about is trustworthy so always talk to your doctor or healthcare team about treatments you are thinking about trying.
Make positive choices
An unhealthy diet, smoking and too much alcohol can all increase our risk of arthritis. No diet or food can completely prevent or cure arthritis, but eating a healthy, balanced diet helps us manage our weight, and our health and wellbeing. Smoking and alcohol intake can place unneeded stress on our body, and are best avoided.
Keep Active
Keeping active helps make sure the parts that support our joints (muscles, ligaments and tendons) stay healthy and strong. It’s also great for our health and wellbeing. A mix of exercises for staying flexible, strong, and fit can help manage arthritis. Always check with your Doctor before starting anything new.
Protect Your Joints
Protect your joints by looking for ways to keep them free from too much stress or strain. Some ways to do this include planning and pacing out activities to avoid too much load on your joints. Another way is to use the strongest and largest muscles to do a job.
Learn ways to manage symptoms
Find ways that work well for you for managing symptoms of your arthritis or related conditions (like Sjogren’s syndrome, scleroderma). This could include ways of dealing or coping with pain, managing fatigue, looking after your skin, protecting yourself from the sun, cold or temperature changes. View our range of information sheets for more information.
Acknowledge your feelings and seek support
As there is currently no cure for arthritis, it is natural to feel scared, frustrated, sad and sometimes angry. Be aware of these feelings and get help if they start affecting your daily life. For more information view Arthritis and emotional wellbeing information sheet.
March, 2021