When Arthritis Hits Staying Aligned
Arthritis tests any marriage. But, there are practical steps both spouses can take to help ensure that the
disease does not become a wedge between them. Health professionals offer these tips.
Share information: The couple with arthritis needs to seek accurate information about the disease
together and find support groups that one or both can join.
Be Sympathetic , not overly helpful: "If spouses are over-solicitous, the ill spouse can feel demeaned or
powerless," for families dealing with chronic illness. Someone recovering from knee surgery, for
example, might want support and encouragement for her or his efforts to become mobile again more
than she or her wants someone to serve him or her.
Take A Break, If the spouse with arthritis needs a great deal of care, it's important to acknowledge that
and find ways the well spouse can get some respite. If you do not have family members who can help out
for a few hours, seek out providers who can help.
Be Up Front: It is really important for parents with arthritis to communicate with their childern. If you
are irritable because your arthritis has flared, your child can tell. Instead of hinding it , explain it to
them how bad you feel.
Communicate: Discuss what you are doing to help yourself cope. For example: I am going to take a warm
bath or hot shower to help me feel better.
Walk The Walk: Demonstrating that you are actively coping with your arthritis helps your child develop
coping mechanisms. But, if your child simply hears you complaining, that's the behavior likely to be
modeled.
Be Aware: Look at the family dynamics , too. If daddy is attentive and affectionate only when Mommy's
sick, a child observes that "Being sick" is a way to get nuturing and attention. It comes down to teaching
our children to deal with pain both physical and emotional as a normal part of life.
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When joints in the hand or wrist are damaged by osteoarthritis or reheumatoid arthritis using the hand
muscles can be difficult and painful. Over time, the strength of your grip can decrease and pain can
increase.
1. Hi and Bye : To strengthend and limber your wrist and forearm, rest your forearm on a table with your
hand hanging over the edge. Keep fingers relaxed and bend your wrist up and down as if you are waving
slowly, Repeat 10 times.
2. Door Opener: Start with your forearm resting on a table, palm down. Keeping your little finger on the
table, turn your hand so the palm faces up. Perform 10 repetions.
3. Thumb Walk: Holding your wrist straight, form the letter "O" by lightly touching your thumb to each
fingertip and holding for five counts. After each "O" straighten and spread your fingers. Use the other
hand to help if necessary.
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Moving even just a bit more than you do now may be enough to ensure you maintain your ability to do
daily activities like bathe, dress, cook and clean.
A recent study shows that 5, 700 men and women age 65 older shows that with out regular physical
activity, a person with arthritis nearly doubles and decline in function. Eventually the decline may
result in the inability to perform the basic daily tasks essential for living alone. Muscles will respond, if
they are given the opportunity,, regardless of age and current activity level. Muscles has a wonderful
memory.
Start slow and build up your strength. Incorporate short periods of exercise into your life and gradually
lengthen how long or how often you do them. The more exercise you do, the more benefits you will
receive.
Break up your routine time spent execising is cumulativ, which means you do not have to do a hour at a
time to obtain healthy benefits. Moving for 10 minutes at a time provides benefits. Moving for 10
minutes at a time provides benefits. Give yourself credit for the time you spend housecleaning, walking
your dog and doing other chores.
Make it fun do activities that you enjoy. Involving your family and friends allows you to spend quality
time together while benefiting from exercise.
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Good exercise I do my self keeps me cool and gives me something to look at is mall walking. Yea, sure it
is funner to do this when you have money to spend put you can do it with out money too. Just looking
around and going through stores and window shopping keeps your mind off your pain and before you
know it you walked a lot or even the whole mall . You can sit here and there too on benches to take a
breather be it from pain or other wise. I have sarcoidosis of the lungs there is no cure for it and it puts
me at a higher risk for lung cancer or even lympmatic cancer but as of now I had a biopsy done and I do
not have lung cancer but I have a lung disease that has no cure the goal is the same as cancer remission
and I hope for this every month. I go here soon for my 6 month X-ray I was getting one done monthly, but
because it had not progressed they gave me a break from all the rays. Now what I hope for is when I go
here soon and get my many of x - rays done that they will say its improved even more but as long as it is
not worse I can deal with it. I also have rheumatoid arthritis early stages , but I tell you what it is the
worse pain I have ever had. I have had a broken ankle, broke both little toes three times each OUCH. I
got blug disc in my neck maybe two and blugged disc in my lower back around the L4 and L5. I have two
bad knees my right one is the worse. You are talking about 3 different operation needed , but being put
off. Knee replacement only last about 5 years with luck and there is no for sure it will work some it does
some people it does not.
