What self-help skills should a person with arthritis have?
Arthritis may affect you in many ways, from what you can do to how you look. Daily tasks maybe harder to do or may take longer. Arthritis may change the shape of your joints or how your skin looks, but most people won’t be able to tell by looking at you that you have arthritis. You are the best manager for your arthritis. Being a good arthritis manager means knowing what to expect. It also means planning your activities for your best times or days. And it means learning how to work with your doctor as a team. This includes discussing changes in your abilities as well as what works and what doesn’t. You can help yourself feel better. You can learn to manage your arthritis symptoms and how they affect your daily activities. You can also learn skills to help manage how arthritis affects your emotions and your family. Symptom-management skills use problem-solving methods to help you identify and overcome difficulties with daily tasks. You can learn skills to help you exercise and use heat
