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Self-management is about using your own resources to help manage your condition. There is much you can do for yourself. You may well already use a combination of the following techniques:
- keeping active to help keep your muscles strong and joints moving
- looking after your joints by reducing the stress on them
- pacing yourself - try to balance rest with activity
- having a warm bath and using heated pads or a hot water bottle to reduce stiffness
- using a cold pack or a damp cloth around ice cubes or frozen vegetables to reduce swelling
- complementary therapies such as acupuncture and osteopathy
- massage to help relax muscles and improve blood flow
- TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) machines use electrical impulses to block pain
- relaxation, breathing exercises and meditation techniques to relax muscles and ease pain
Keeping notes or a health passport is a good way to track your symptoms, treatment and activities to establish what makes your arthritis better or worse.
Other self-management resources
There is plenty of support available to help you learn how to self-manage.
- Learn more about your condition and tips on managing it at one of our self-management courses
- Chat to others with arthritis to learn how they manage on our discussion forums
- Read a wide range of information on living with and managing your symptoms
