7 Steps for Managing Pain and Fatigue
Pain, fatigue and sleep problems often come with arthritis. Here's how to cope.
Like a cook trying out different ingredients to get just the right flavor in a dish, people with arthritis and related conditions may have to experiment to find the best ways of coping with fatigue, pain and difficulty sleeping. Finding a balance and rhythm to your life may be difficult at times, but having a solid plan for coping should help anchor you. Kathleen Lewis, a registered nurse and author of Celebrate Life: New Attitudes to Living with Chronic Illness (Arthritis Foundation, 1999) has been dealing with lupus for more than 25 years. She offers the following menu of options to concoct your own coping strategy:
Listen to your pain and fatigue. They’re signals that you need to slow down. Ignoring them may make your condition worse.
Practice the four P’s: Plan, prioritize, problem solve and pace.
Follow activity with inactivity. Rest to prepare for an active day. Set aside time after an active hour to take it easy.
Exercise at your own pace. Alter your exercise program according to how you feel each day. You may want to try swimming, yoga, tai chi or walking.
Learn to take the middle road. Instead of thinking you can’t do the things you love because of your arthritis, find creative ways to do what you used to do.
Chill out. Try relaxation and meditation techniques to ease fatigue and muscle tension.
Prepare for sleep. Develop and stick to a bedtime routine. Avoid smoking, eating chocolate or drinking caffeinated coffee, tea and soft drinks six hours before bedtime.
– Linda J. Brown
