The holidays are a great time to catch up with friends and spend quality time with family. From parties to special dinners to festive family traditions, this time of year is full of joy and excitement. But if the most important people in your life don’t live nearby, you’ll probably be traveling – and when you live with arthritis, that can often mean pain.Continue readingHoliday Travel Can Be a Pain
Traveling doesn’t have to be derailed by arthritis. We asked travel pros as well as casual travelers for their favorite arthritis-friendly travel destinations. Here are some of their suggestions:
Continue readingArthritis-Friendly Travel Tips for Outdoor Adventures
Sometimes you’ve just gotta get away and reboot for good mental andemotional health. Even a weekend getaway can help you recover from stressful work. A longer vacation may lead to greater psychological well-being and life satisfaction – if you can detach from your routine, plan your own schedule, do something challenging and relax, according to one study. But vacations can be stressful, and excess stress can worsen chronic pain when you have arthritis. Send vacation stress packing with these tips.
Continue readingDon’t Let Stress Get in the Way of Your Vacation
Whether by plane, train or car, travel can be a pain – literally. Especially if you haveinflammatory arthritisorosteoarthritis. Less oxygen and nutrients reach your joints, which contributes to pain and stiffness. “Sitting for long stretches slows your circulation,” says Lisa M. Higginbotham, anoccupational therapistand clinical rehab manager at a Cleveland Clinic hospital in Ohio.
Sluggish circulation also raises the risk for swelling and potentially dangerous blood clots, she adds. Moving at least every hour keeps joints mobile. Plus, “contracting your muscles pumps blood back to the heart,” says Eric Robertson, PT, director of Kaiser Permanente Northern California Graduate Physical Therapy Education. These moves done while seated can also help:
The stress and tension that often come with road trips can add to physical discomfort and even lead to anarthritis flare. But with proper planning and a few travel tips, you can reduce surprises andanxiety, says Elin Schold Davis, an occupational therapist and coordinator of the Older Driver Initiative for the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) in Bethesda, Md. Here’s how.