Self-Care for Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative disease that causes wear and tear on the cartilage of your joints. Over time, it can cause deep, aching pain that complicates physical activity and daily routines.

“With osteoarthritis, you can’t reverse the damage that’s been done, but you can slow its progression and reduce your risk for further damage,” says rheumatologist Nivine El-Hor, MD.

Dr. El-Hor offers self-care strategies for living with osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis self-care tips

While there’s no cure for this form of wear-and-tear arthritis, self-care strategies can help you manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

1. Eat a healthy diet

Eating a well-balanced diet — one that’s focused on lean proteins, fruits and veggies — has a long-lasting impact on your overall health and wellness. Dr. El-Hor says there are a few ways that can benefit your osteoarthritis symptoms:

• Weight management helps relieve some of the pressure on your joints.
• Anti-inflammatory foods can help lessen swelling and inflammation.
• Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (like fish) can benefit heart health and circulation (which, in turn, help with strength and mobility).

2. Keep exercising

Physical activity may be furthest from your mind when you’re living with arthritis, but exercising can help you maintain strength, energy levels, balance and flexibility. Dr. El-Hor recommends starting slow with low-impact exercises, like:

• Swimming
• Walking
• Tai chi

“Exercise is always good, but you don’t want to exercise to the point where you’re hurting yourself,” she cautions. “If it starts to become painful, tone it down and take it easy.”

3. Consider using assistive aids

When you have osteoarthritis, it can help to add supports that can stabilize or reinforce your affected joints to prevent them from moving improperly or causing injury. Depending on the severity and location of your arthritis, Dr. El-Hor recommends assistive devices like:

• Shoe inserts and supportive footwear
• Hand, ankle or knee braces
• Canes
• Walkers

4. Minimize your health risks

We can all benefit from being extra careful in a few areas of our lives, and some things have a direct impact on osteoarthritis and worsening symptoms:

• Follow safety regulations whenever you’re actively participating in a sport, and limit the likelihood of trauma or injury.
• Smoking can raise your risk of developing osteoarthritis. It also worsens chronic pain and inflammation — giving you more reasons to quit.
• If you’re at high risk for arthritis, consider avoiding high-impact sports and following safety protocols like wearing a seatbelt while driving.

“Any kind of fall or injury — even when you’re young — will increase your risk of wear-and-tear arthritis,” warns Dr. El-Hor. “If you’re going to play any kind of sport, make sure you’re always wearing protective gear.”

5. Manage your pain

Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen are commonly recommended as-needed for pain relief. Lotions and gels (like diclofenac) can also help relieve joint pain and muscle stiffness.

“For example, if you know you’re going to be doing some gardening where you’ll be on your hands and knees, maybe put on some Voltaren® gel before you get started,” advises Dr. El-Hor. “If the pain doesn’t seem to be getting better with OTC medications and/or you’re having to use them every single day multiple times a day, then we might need to start looking into physical therapy and/or steroid injections.”

6. Talk to your healthcare provider about different therapies

When you have osteoarthritis, physical therapy can help with:

• Walking, balance and stability
• Mobility and flexibility
• Strengthening muscles

Dr. El-Hor also recommends trying occupational therapy. You’ll learn how to live with your arthritis and better manage daily activities in a new way.

“Occupational therapists will teach you different techniques like how to open a jar with less pain,” she explains. “They can give you exercises to strengthen your fingers or help you modify certain tasks so they become more manageable.”

Alternative therapies, like acupuncture or massage therapy, can also complement your approach to pain management.

7. Take care of your mental health

“Osteoarthritis can be very debilitating, so people sometimes end up feeling defeated and like there’s no hope,” recognizes Dr. El-Hor. But there are steps you can take to protect your mental health and work through anything you might be feeling:

• A therapist can help you process the complex emotions that can come with a long-term diagnosis like arthritis.
• Joining support groups can help you find other people who are living through similar experiences.
• Trying occupational and physical therapies can help you navigate the world in new ways that, in the long run, may make life more manageable.

“These can all help improve your mental health by providing you with techniques in your toolbox to adjust how you maneuver through life with arthritis,” encourages Dr. El-Hor. “Stay open-minded to trying different solutions until you find what works for you.”