Arthritis Pain Relief : Questions To Ask Your Healthcare Provider
A great place to begin taking charge of you arthritis
pain relief and prevention planning is by making an appointment with
your healthcare provider and finding out more about your condition
and treatment options.
Make sure to jot down questions ahead of time, and
take them along in your journal or notebook, armed with a pencil to
fill in his or her replies.
Some questions to begin with may be centered around
these:
1. Do I have a form of arthritis? If not, what is
wrong & what do I do next?
2. If so, which type is it? And what can I expect
short-term and long-term?
3. What pain relief treatments are available? Which
have side affects & what are they?
4. What self-care solutions do you advise?
5. Are there any limitations I should know about;
i.e. special dietary issues, special activities to avoid, any OTC
meds to NOT mix, etc.?
6. What resources do you have to help with my diet
and exercise planning?
7. What other arthritic and other health resources
do you have for my family and me?
When you take in your questions, also take in a description
of your symptoms so that your doctor can help better understand your
situation and health.
Make sure to note:
- Where you have pain (same joint both limbs?)
- When you feel pain - with certain activities, in the morning,
when it rains, etc.
- How long you have had the pain
- If the pain increases or decreases, comes and goes, etc.
- The type & intensity level of pain - stabbing, dull, cramping,
stiffness - and low, mild or high pain
- Note any limitations - can't bend over too far without pain, can't
get out of car, etc.
- Share any family history of arthritis
- Tell about any OTC or prescription medications or other treatments
you currently take or use.
- Discuss any special diet you are on and exercise programs
So try the different options available for arthritis
pain relief and prevention.
Give your joints a break as soon as possible from
any excess weight they're hauling around, even if it's the weight
of excess stress.
Lighten up and make pain relief
and prevention care part of your normal, everyday routine.
Copyright © 2005 Priya Shah
Priya Shah is the editor of The
Glutathione Report and Health
Naturale. For a comprehensive report on arthritis, visit Arthritis
Remedies
This article may be reprinted as long as the resource
box is left intact and all links are hyperlinked.
