How To Protect Your Joints

Here's How:

1. Do gentle range-of-motion exercises daily. Put each joint through its full range of motion by bending, stretching, and extending the joint and surrounding muscles.
   • How To Exercise When You Have Arthritis
2. Adjust your activity level according to your pain level.
   • 10 Ways To Increase Your Pain
3. Make an effort to maintain your ideal weight.
   • What Makes People With Arthritis Overweight?
4. Pace yourself by balancing rest and activity.
   • 8 Best Things To Do For Arthritis
5. Use assistive devices to preserve your joints.
   • Assistive Devices For Arthritis
6. Use the largest or strongest joint possible when doing a specific task.

7. Avoid excessive pressure or stress on the small joints of the hand.
   • What Can Be Done To Prevent Hand Deformity?
8. Change positions as often as possible.

9. Extend your joints as opposed to contracting them.

10. Avoid heavy lifting if possible.
    • 8 Safety Tips When Lifting Heavy Objects
11. Whenever possible, sit instead of standing.

12. Ask for help when you need it.
    • Problem Solving: Declare Your Independence

Tips:

1. If an activity feels like too much, it is too much.

2. Know and respect your limitations.

3. Good nutrition and exercise help to keep your weight in check.

4. Related Resources:

   • Joint Protection For Arthritis
   • Assistive Devices For Arthritis
   • Pain Relief Information
   • Joint Pain Information
   • Do You Use Joint Protection Techniques?
     You can lessen arthritis pain and preserve your joints by following joint protection techniques and principles.