{"id":618,"date":"2017-12-20T17:39:11","date_gmt":"2017-12-20T14:39:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.findmecure.com\/blog\/?p=618"},"modified":"2017-12-20T17:42:11","modified_gmt":"2017-12-20T14:42:11","slug":"simple-hacks-for-easier-life-with-osteoarthritis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.findmecure.com\/blog\/simple-hacks-for-easier-life-with-osteoarthritis\/","title":{"rendered":"Simple Hacks For Living With Osteoarthritis"},"content":{"rendered":"

As most of you reading this already know, living with Osteoarthritis (OA)<\/a> can prove to be a challenge \u2013 and one you never asked for. We at FindMeCure<\/a> read a lot of stories of people living with OA, checked out a lot of the clinical trials<\/a> searching for a cure (and shared some of them with you) but we are no experts on the pain and difficulties you\u2019re going through \u2013 you are. All we can do is offer some advice, some techniques for managing the symptoms and all of our moral support, but at the end, you decide what works for you and what doesn\u2019t and ultimately the best support you can get comes from your loved ones.<\/p>\n

Without further ado, here are some tips we picked up from our research on living with OA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with food<\/strong>: you probably know by now that reducing body weight can be beneficial when dealing with OA, as it lowers the pressure on your joints. It won\u2019t do wonders for your hand osteoarthritis<\/a> but if you\u2019re a bit overweight and OA is mainly affecting your hips, knees or feet \u2013 losing weight can be a huge relief and even improve your overall health condition.<\/p>\nAll you need to know about OA<\/a>\n

Eat all the veggies you want and you might want to add salmon to them\u2026 it is suggested that omega-3 fatty acids may relieve some of the pain and stiffness in your joints, as it reduces inflammation. You will find omega-3s in fatty fish (twice a week is enough to get the amount of omega-3s you need) or if you\u2019re full-on vegetarian or simply hate fish, you can ask your physician about supplements. Talking about reducing inflammation, some studies suggest that olive oil can be good for that too due to oleocanthal, and keep in mind \u2013 the stronger the flavor, the more oleocanthal there is. Vitamin C, on the other hand, helps in building connective tissue \u2013 the same tissue OA slowly takes away.<\/p>\n

\"FindMeCure\/Osteoarthritis
FindMeCure\/Osteoarthritis (OA)\/Salmon\/Diet for OA
Photo by Agto Nugroho on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We\u2019re ending the section of diet with a warning though \u2013 cooking meat at high temperatures (grilling, frying or microwaving it) can cause inflammation, because it leads to the formation of compounds called AGEs (advanced glycation end products), which are linked to heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.<\/p>\n

Exercise<\/strong> is advised as well and even though you have already heard that, I\u2019m stressing on it one more time because it\u2019s easy to forget. I get it, movement can be painful and you\u2019re more prone to fatigue than ever and you\u2019ve already been advised to rest, so it seems like a contradiction.<\/p>\n

A couple of years ago my grandmother\u2019s OA seemed to get even worse \u2013 whenever she called she would tell my mother how her pain was getting more and more severe, until finally we convinced her to go to see a specialist again. The doctor asked about her day-to-day life (which was more sedentary than it had ever been) and suggested she started going for a short walk once or twice a day. And it really helped \u2013 the pain was manageable again and my grandmother slowly increased her endurance.<\/p>\n

\"Exercise\/
Exercise\/ Osteoarthritis\/ FindMeCure\/ Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The point of the story is: yes, you should rest but you should also stay active if you want to preserve your joints\u2019 range of motion and stay in a healthy physical shape. Talk to your doctor or physiotherapist about the physical activities that can be beneficial in your case \u2013 you can even keep on playing a favorite sport of yours, provided you practice at a reasonable intensity and you keep your affected joints from straining.<\/p>\n

And on the topic handling your mundane day-to-day tasks that now with OA in your life present an unexpected challenge, there are some hacks. Some of them you might have figured out on your own already, for example, there is no need to tell you how to position your cushions when you\u2019re resting. But in case you need some extra tips and suggestions, here they are:<\/strong><\/p>\nAll you need to know about OA<\/a>\n