Living with arthritis can be difficult for those suffering from it, as well as those who love that person. If you are knowledgeable about arthritis and know good tips about how to lessen the negative effects of it, you are going to be much more comfortable in either situation that you are in.

Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight causes stress on the joints especially in the knees and hips. This added stress leads to flare-ups of arthritis. This is in addition to the well-known health dangers of being overweight and the detrimental effects it has on your mood and energy levels. Speak with your doctor about a safe weight loss plan.

Lay the clippers on your thigh, then using the heel of one hand, press down on the clippers to cut. This not only makes the task easier overall, but makes using your fingers completely unnecessary.

If you find that your arthritis is getting worse and you cannot figure out why, you want to tell your doctors about certain medications that you are taking. Believe it or not, one of the side effects of many common medications is arthritis flare ups, and if this is the case for you, your doctor may have to switch your medication.

It is important to attend your therapy sessions. Therapy can be helpful in reminding people with arthritis that they are still capable, despite the difficulties of living by themselves. Depression is common with arthritis sufferers, so a support group or therapy can help with this as well.

Learn tai-chi. Tai-chi is a mind and body connective technique, that is also a form of light martial arts. Using tai-chi can help to convince yourself your body is not in as much pain as your mind believes. Some arthritis sufferers even claim that the use of this method allows them to use their mind to convince their body they are more flexible.

It is very important that you drink a lot of water and stay away from sugary drinks if you suffer from chronic arthritis. Water helps to improve muscle and joint strength, while sugary drinks like soda make you gain weight, which causes more pressure to be put on your joints.

Glucosamine is a supplement that you may want to consider using if you suffer from arthritis. This supplement is made from the shells of lobsters, crabs, and shrimp and contains nutrients that help to ease pain in the joints, especially pain in people that suffer from arthritis in the knees.

You will have to become accustomed to establishing and reinforcing boundaries for your limitations. Arthritis may make it uncomfortable to perform many common tasks. Feeling sorry for yourself helps no one, so you should try to always stay positive. Just because there are some things you can't do doesn't mean you should give up on everything!

The preceding information was put together to help you and your loved ones deal with arthritis. If you utilize the information that was included in the article, you are sure to benefit from all of it. Find comfort in life even when dealing with the terrible pains and inconveniences that come with arthritis.