Living with Arthritis as a Chronic Condition – Learn to Improve Your Long-Term Health

General Tips for Managing Arthritis

• Be aware that each person with arthritis is different and no one strategy is right for everyone. Strategies that exist may help you to feel better, sleep better, relieve pain, maintain or increase mobility, delay disability and continue with daily activities
• Take an active role in your own care through self-management. Taking part in a self-management program provides you with strategies to help you live with this chronic condition. Learn more about Arthritis Self-Management Programs [0].
• Set realistic goals for yourself and work towards them
• Be actively involved in developing your treatment plan. To do this, learn all you can about your disease, including proven therapies, and work with your health care team to achieve best health care outcomes. Your health care team may include a family doctor, rheumatologist, orthopedic surgeon, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, counselor or social worker, pharmacist, nurse and others. For more information on Health Care Team, click here [0]
• Be aware that keeping a health journal may be helpful in managing chronic disease. By keeping track of relevant details of your treatment, you will be better able to communicate with health care team members
• Be aware that exercise programs for arthritis need to include a variety of range of motion, strengthening and cardio-vascular/aerobic exercises. Regular moderate exercise, such as walking or swimming, decreases pain and joint stiffness, and increases muscle strength, mobility and coordination. Take part in an arthritis Land Exercises [0] or Water Exercises Program [0]. If pain persists for more than two hours following exercise, you should reduce the intensity and/ or duration of your activities or do a different activity. Swimming or participating in water exercises may be a better choice for people with severe arthritis as exercising in water put less strain on joints. For more information, click Water Exercise [0]
• Practice good joint care to reduce stress and pressure on joints and improve your body’s ability to absorb shock by:
  • Distributing load over stronger joints and / or larger surface area e.g. to open a heavy door, push with the flat of your forearm instead of your wrists
  • Avoiding the same joint position for prolonged periods
  • Maintaining good posture
  • Using adaptive devices when necessary e.g. large handle kitchen tools, wheels, pen grips and “reachers” for picking things up
• Be aware that fatigue may be caused by problems other than the disease. Inactivity, poor nutrition, not enough or a poor quality rest and sleep, stress and depression, medication effects and under-active thyroid may also cause fatigue
• Be aware that you may need to set limits on what you can do to manage a household and nurture family members
• Recognize the signs and symptoms of depression (e.g. loss of appetite, fatigue, loss of interest in daily activities, decreased sexual drive). Depression is common in chronic disease. Depressed people are less likely to self-manage and adhere to prescribed treatment plans. Consult with your family doctor for assessment and treatment or seek Social Work & Counselling (click here for more information [0]). A social worker can be contacted by phone at 604.875.4111 extension 68812. This service is available for any person with arthritis in BC. No referral is required
• Ensure that medications are taken correctly as prescribed. You should not stop or cut back on medications without discussing concerns with your family doctor. Look for aids such as “weekly” or “monthly” pill containers to assist in medication dosage and frequency
• Be aware that medications taken for one condition may have adverse effects on co-existing conditions and can contribute to the development of complications. You should disclose all the medications that you are taking (prescribed or non-prescribed) and discuss potential risks with your family doctor or specialist to ensure an informed choice is made concerning medications
• Be aware that some side effects of medications are influenced by your personal and family health history and lifestyle (e.g. smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, stress). When medications are prescribed, you should alert your physician(s) and pharmacist(s) of the above factors. For more information on arthritis medications, click here for Consumers Guide to Arthritis Medications [1]. You should ask about your doctor or pharmacist about the common side effects of arthritis medications which include:
  • DMARDS (including biologics): disgestive discomfort and risk of infection
  • NSAIDs and Coxibs: gastrointestinal adverse effects particularly in the elderly and in people with high blood pressure
  • Aspirin: gastrointestinal and blood-thinning effects
  • Steroids: mood swings and for long term use – loss of bone density
• Request a medication review with your family doctor or pharmacist when a medication is newly prescribed or after being discharged from the hospital or specialist's care. The review should include:
  • Identifying drugs that have high potential to cause other serious illness and side effects
  • Providing specific information about managing risks presented by these drugs and polypharmacy (taking multiple drugs at the same time)
  • Documenting the rationale for making changes to your drug regimens
• Be aware that living with a chronic condition may affect your work, family, social life, activities, moods, and sexuality, including contraception. You should express your feelings and concerns and be aware that receiving good social support starts with asking and receiving information and assistance when needed (which may include the family physician and/or professional psychological help)
• Be aware that ergonomic modifications, job accommodation, and vocational counselling aimed at job retainment have been associated with an increased likelihood of remaining employed. For more information on Working with Arthritis, click here [2].
• Be aware that the risk of employment loss increases with disease duration, physical work demands, and work pace intensity. To facilitate positive work outcomes and continued employment, you should recognize the importance of employer and co-worker support to deal with:
  • Pace of work
  • Organization of work tasks
  • Flexible hours
  • Flexible work arrangements (e.g. work at home)
  • Non-physically demanding work,
  • Discussions with the employer may require documentation from health care providers and suggestions for employment accommodations
• Be aware that your sexuality may be impacted by your condition. Tell your doctor if your arthritis is causing problems with sexual functioning or if you are thinking of becoming pregnant. Potential causes of loss of sexual desire are:
  • Physiological: pain, fatigue, limited joint range of motion
  • Psychological: depression, anxiety, fear, concern over body image, lowered self-esteem
  • Medication-induced: decreased libido is a side effect of some medications
  • Relationship-related: marital unhappiness, a partner’s fear of hurting his/her mate, a partner’s disinterest or embarrassment over difficulties with sex as a result of the condition
• Seek information on strategies to manage mobility restrictions or disability such as:
  • Making your home and workplace accessible and safe
  • Accessing Financial Assistance (click here for more information [2])
  • Your rights as a person with disabilities - click here for more information
  • Assistive Devices and technology aids including guide/working dogs(click here for more information [2])
  • Accessing Transportation Systems (click here for more information [2])
• Eat a healthy diet
• Stop smoking
• Reduce stress and depression
• Get proper rest
• When seeking information on complementary therapies, ensure that the information is reliable and based on good research. You should inform your physician or pharmacist about any supplements or complementary therapies that you are taking

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