Many more Australians battle with arthritis than you may expect: an estimated 3.7 million¹, or 15% of the Australian population. While the figures skew toward those who are 55 years old and above, people of all ages can, and do, battle arthritis.
Unfortunately, there is no known cure-all. Depending on your symptoms and medical history, your doctor will likely prescribe a variety of interventions, including medicines, lifestyle changes, and surgery in more severe cases.
Your GP or one of our doctors at MedReleaf Clinics should be your first port of call. Refer to them for any specific questions you have on your symptoms and optimal treatment options. For advice on self-care arthritis strategies — read on.
What causes arthritis?
Joints are found in the area where two bones meet. Naturally over time, or due to acute conditions, joints can become damaged, leading to arthritis. While the term “arthritis” literally means joint inflammation, arthritis can generally refer to over 100 rheumatic diseases and conditions that affect joints and associated areas.
Arthritis can arise from different causes — the most common being age. Approximately 3.6% of adults² aged 18–34 have arthritis, while 53.9% of adults age 75 and older suffer from this condition. Generally, the cause of the arthritis is associated with its arthritic category, for example:
- Osteoarthritis is caused by the wear and tear of cartilage (the protective tissue at the ends of bones). This breakdown of cartilage leads to the bones rubbing against each other, causing pain, swelling, and reduced motion in the joint. Risk factors include aging, joint injury, obesity, and repetitive overuse of the joints.
- Gout is caused by the accumulation of urate crystals in the joint, resulting from high levels of uric acid in the blood. This can lead to sudden, severe attacks of pain, redness, and tenderness in the joints — often at the base of the big toe. Contributing factors include diet, genetic predisposition, and reduced excretion of uric acid.
- Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and scleroderma are caused by autoimmune disorders, where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues. In rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system targets the lining of the joints, while in lupus, it can affect joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, and lungs. Scleroderma primarily affects the skin, but can also harm structures including blood vessels and internal organs.
Because the causes of arthritis differ, treatment plans also can vary — what works for one person may not work for the next. Arthritis treatment requires a holistic, personalised approach. At MedReleaf Clinics, our doctors examine medical history, current symptoms, lifestyle factors, potential environmental triggers, and more, before making a prescription — that way, each individual patient receives the tailored care they need.
The dos: Self-care strategies for arthritis
There are a range of practical steps that you can take immediately to help reduce arthritis symptoms —
these include the following.
Strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint: A stronger muscular base provides additional joint support, thereby alleviating pressure to the area. The exercises you adopt should both be joint-specific and low impact. Joint-specific refers to being placed on a plan that intentionally targets the groups of muscles that are most applicable to your area of pain. Low impact refers to types of exercises that, while stimulating muscle growth, don’t place undue strain on your joint — generally, low impact and low-to-moderately weighted exercises go hand-in-hand.
Refine your diet: Diet can be a primary cause of inflammation. As inflammation directly impacts arthritis, it’s good to immediately take stock of your diet. Have a talk with your doctor about what the optimal diet for you is; it’s just as much about what you remove from your diet as it is about what you place in it.
Try heat and cold therapy: Heat therapy is associated with increased blood flow and muscular relaxation while cold therapy is associated with decreased inflammation — all of which can help relieve symptoms of arthritis. Heat therapy can include sauna, baths, and warm compresses. Cold therapy, on the other hand, can include cold baths (ice baths, as they’re commonly referred to), ice packs, cold compresses, cooling gels, and cryotherapy treatments.
Opt for a mobility aid: A mobility aid — whether a crutch, wheelchair, or similar — can help to reduce pressure to your joints. If you are to opt for one, ensure you do so under the guidance of your doctors. Sometimes, prolonged use of a mobility aid without accompanying interventions can lead to muscle weakness and decreased joint flexibility, potentially worsening your condition over time.
Consider CBT: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, works by helping you identify and challenge unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. Interestingly, mental health interventions — CBT in particular — have been identified as viable interventions for arthritis and other forms of chronic pain. “There is a lot of empirical evidence to suggest that CBT can be helpful for both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis pain,” says Tamara J. Somers, PhD. “There is also evidence that CBT applied to these conditions can improve pain self-management ability, physical disability, distress and other pain-related outcomes.” Have a talk with your doctor about the possibility of CBT.
The don’ts: Avoid these if you have arthritis
As much as it is important to adopt self care strategies, it’s also just as important to neglect practices that worsen your symptoms. These include:
- Smoking: Those who smoke are twice as likely to develop arthritis³ compared to those who don’t smoke. This is because smoking contributes to systemic inflammation in the body.
- Inflammatory foods: The foods that commonly cause inflammation include refined carbohydrates, processed meats, sugary beverages, fried foods, and foods high in trans fats and saturated fats. Additionally, excessive consumption of red meat, artificial sweeteners, and refined sugar can also contribute to inflammation. Have a talk with your doctor about what the optimal diet for you looks like.
- Alcohol: Alcoholic intake and increased symptoms of arthritis are directly connected⁴. This is because, like smoking and certain foods, alcohol can lead to widespread inflammation throughout your body, thereby worsening symptoms.
- High-impact exercise: While certain forms of exercise are highly effective in managing arthritis symptoms, it’s important to ensure that those exercises don’t place excessive strain on the joints. With the help of a personal trainer or sports medicine doctor, put together a training plan that is tailored to your specific symptoms.
MedReleaf Clinics can help
Arthritis interventions require a holistic, person-centric approach. As each case of arthritis is different, our doctors at MedReleaf Clinics work to ensure each patient is equipped with a tailored treatment plan that accounts for all factors.
It starts with a free pre-screening call, where we’ll discuss your health concerns, give answers to any questions you have, and place you with a doctor suited to your needs.
Book a free pre-screening call today.
Reference list
- Chronic musculoskeletal conditions, All arthritis. (2023, June 30). Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-musculoskeletal-conditions/musculoskeletal-conditions/contents/arthritis
- Data Briefs – Number 497 – February 2024. (2024). CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs.htm
- Chang, K., Yang, S., Kim, S., Han, K., Park, S., & Shin, J. (2014). Smoking and Rheumatoid Arthritis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 15(12), 22279–22295. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms151222279
- Di Giuseppe, D., Alfredsson, L., Bottai, M., Askling, J., & Wolk, A. (2012). Long term alcohol intake and risk of rheumatoid arthritis in women: a population based cohort study. BMJ, 345(jul10 2), e4230–e4230. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e4230
