Anyone who is dealing with arthritis knows that it is a difficult condition to manage. Not only does severe pain strike you at the most inopportune times, but you have to find ways to live in a way that you aren’t further harming your joints. One of the best things you can do for arthritis, however, is learn the key ways to avoid pain and further joint damage, with these tips providing a great load of information.

Reduce the stress in your daily life. Stress causes your body to release the neurochemical cortisol, while causes inflammation. People with arthritis should know that inflammation is the main cause of the pain and stiffness of arthritis. Reducing stress reduces your body’s production of these chemicals, which relieves your symptoms.

Be sure to move throughout the day. Remaining in the same position for a long time puts more stress on your joints than if you shift positions. Be sure to take regular breaks to stand and stretch and make sure that your work environment is set up to allow you to protect your joints.

Always protect your joints when you are dealing with arthritis. Keep your joints moving throughout the day and avoid holding them in the same position for too long a period of time. Always consider how to best execute a task to minimize stress to your joints.

Drink a little wine. While some people will tell you that people who suffer from arthritis should never drink, studies have shown this to be an unfounded concern. Light drinkers do not have any excess issues with their arthritis, and red wine may actually help to prevent damaging inflammation from cropping up.

Staying slim will help to reduce the stress that is put on your joints. When you’re overweight, you will put a lot of strain on your joints and that makes arthritis worse. However, as with any weight loss, it is important that the weight loss is done in a healthy way so that your body still receives the nutrients it requires, and not by missing out on meals.

Before you can get the proper treatment for arthritis, it is important that you know which type you suffer from! There are treatments, both natural and medical, that may help certain kinds of arthritis while doing nothing for other types. If you are uncertain to which kind you have, ask your doctor.

If you suffer from arthritis in your fingers or your hands, you may want to consider rubbing mineral oil on your hands. The natural ingredients of mineral oil have been proven to ease the pain of arthritis in the hands and fingers. To make this method effective, be sure to put the mineral oil on your hands and then put rubber gloves on them.

You can try everything you want, but until you understand arthritis and the pain that it causes, you aren’t going to fully understand what it takes to ensure that you are managing your condition appropriately. From the first doctor’s visit to the many treatments you may try, you want to know what to expect from the start to the end.