Pain Self-Management Tools

An important part of  arthritis pain control is self-management. This refers to activities and supports that you can use on your own to reduce joint pain. The following provides information, tools and strategies to help you take an active role in arthritis pain relief. 

Physical Activity & Exercise

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Arthritis may cause you to avoid physical activity for a number of reasons, including fear of making your arthritis worse, because movement is painful, or because you are tired. Although it may be difficult to stay active when living with joint pain, maintaining regular physical activity can be an important part of pain control and retraining the brain to experience pain less intensely. 

Physical activity can release endorphin hormones, which reduce stress and pain. Exercise can also stimulate the release of hormones that increase feelings of happiness and wellbeing (such as serotonin and dopamine). Physical activity overall helps improve strength, range of motion, sleep, and energy, which can have a positive impact on our experience of pain. 

When we avoid doing activities that we believe will result in pain, we can reinforce the brain’s perception that these activities are associated with danger and pain. However, consistent participation in safe physical activity can help retrain the brain. When taking part in physical activity, make sure to pace yourself by balancing periods of activity with periods of rest. Instead of going for very long, high-endurance walks or hikes, consider going for shorter and more frequent walks throughout the day. 

There are many benefits to physical activity and exercise if you are living with arthritis. A regular routine can increase your strength, your energy and your flexibility. Research shows that physical activity helps people manage their joint pain and can also relieve stiffness, improve energy, and make your everyday activities easier to do. It can also help with weight management, which may play a role in reducing pain for some people.

Getting started

There are a few basic principles that will help you get started:

1. Consult with your health care team about physical activity and exercise that will work for you given your personal situation. A physiotherapist can help develop a therapeutic exercise program unique to your needs.

2. Start slowly and pace yourself

3. Find activities you enjoy since you are more likely to stick with these in the long term

4. Exercise with a friend

5. Remember to warm up before exercise and cool down afterwards

Setting achievable goals related to physical activity will help you gain some control over your pain. Below is a list of resources to help you get moving.

Exercise videos

*Please consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise

• Exercises for the whole body

  Follow along with these exercise videos that will help you build overall strength and flexibility.

  • Tai Chi to Help Arthritis
  • 20-Minute Warm-Up for the Joints
  • A Warrior Series
  • Yoga for Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Stretches for the Workplace
• Exercises for specific joints

  These videos will teach you exercises to help relieve symptoms of arthritis in particular areas of the body.

  • Exercises for Osteoarthritis of the Hips and Knees
  • Exercises for Osteoarthritis of the Shoulders
  • Arthritis Advice: Knee Exercises
  • Arthritis Advice: Neck & Back Exercises
  • Arthritis Advice: Hand Exercises
• Guidance on physical activity and exercise – videos

  Learn how to become more active and practice exercise safely with these helpful videos.

  • Arthritis Advice: Walking
  • Arthritis on the Move: Nordic Walking
  • Arthritis Talks webinar: How to Get Active Again to Help Manage Arthritis
  • Arthritis Talks webinar: Managing Arthritis with Physical Activity and Assistive Devices
• Guidance on physical activity and exercise – written resources

  These written resources will help you learn more about safe physical activities for arthritis and how to protect your joints

  • Articles on Physical Activity and Exercise
  • Low-Load Activities for Osteoarthritis: Optimal Set-Up and Modifications
  • Modifying Activities for Osteoarthritis
  • External Resource: Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines
  • Information about GLA:D Canada: www.gladcanada.ca *Please note that some programs may have a cost

Eating Well

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While unfortunately there is no miracle diet for arthritis, food can play a significant role in arthritis pain control. What we eat can impact inflammation as well as our energy levels, mood, and weight, which are all factors in how we experience arthritis pain. For people living with gout, diet is particularly important when it comes to managing symptoms.  

Additionally, research has shown that for people living with knee OA and carrying excess weight, a reduction in weight by 10% or more can have a significant impact on joint pain, mobility and function. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats can help reduce inflammation and manage weight. Keep in mind portion sizes by using the balanced plate approach: make 1/2 your meal vegetables or fruit, 1/4 whole grains, and 1/4 protein foods, choosing plant proteins more often.  

Visit the resources below to learn more about how food can help you take control of your arthritis symptoms.  

• Learning the basics of nutrition for arthritis
  • What you need to know about food and inflammation article
  • Arthritis Advice: Nutrition
  • Arthritis Talks webinar: Eat Smart for Arthritis
  • Eating Well Online Guide
  • Gout and Nutrition
  • Understanding Arthritis and Alcohol
• Recipes and meal planning
  • Recipes for Healthy Eating 
  • Anti-inflammatory meal prep for beginners (article)
  • Easy, doable, delicious ways to make healthier food choices (article)
  • Healthy Eating and Nutrition for Arthritis (PDF)
  • Understanding nutrition labels on food
  • The truth about nightshades and arthritis (article)
• Meal prep made easy
  • Meals Made Easy (video)
  • Life Hack video: Stove-top cooking with pots
  • Life Hack video: Opening jars and pill bottles

Heat/Cold Therapy

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Heat and cold therapies can be helpful for short-term pain relief. Cold therapy can be used to reduce pain, inflammation and swelling if your joints are hot and swollen. Heat therapy is helpful for relaxing muscles and improving circulation. Be sure to protect yourself by placing a cloth or towel between the heat/cold treatment and your skin.

• Cold Therapy

• Heat Therapy

Mindfulness Meditation and other Mind-Body Approaches

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Our brain is a powerful tool we can use to help control our experience of pain. Of course, pain isn’t “just in our heads,” but science has shown that techniques such as mindfulness meditation, cognitive behavioural therapy, distraction, and visualization may help reduce the intensity of the pain we experience.  

Below are some resources on mind-body approaches you can try.   

• Mindfulness meditation

  Mindfulness meditation is a practice that research has shown may have potential benefit for long-term pain management. While it can’t take away pain, it can help us reframe our response to pain so that we experience it less intensely.

  Mindfulness exercises help individuals focus their mind and body in the moment. Instead of paying attention to unpleasant thoughts about pain, individuals can focus on their breathing, body sensations and relaxing their body. Mindfulness helps us think about pain with less fear and more acceptance, allowing us to live a good, healthy lifestyle, despite having pain.

• Progressive muscle relaxation

  Progressive muscle relaxation involves working systematically through the different muscle groups in your body and tensing them as you breath in, then relaxing them as you breath out. This practice invites you to pay attention to how your muscles feel once tension is released and they are relaxed.

  Progressive muscle relaxation can help with pain relief because we often unconsciously tense our muscles around a sore area, which can make the pain worse. Learning to notice the different feelings of tension and relaxation in our muscles can help us recognize when we are unconsciously tensing up and what we can do to relax our muscles.

  Anxiety Canada has an excellent resource on progressive muscle relaxation, which includes a guided recording that you can follow: How to Do Progressive Muscle Relaxation

• Visualization

  Visualization or guided imagery is a short-term pain management strategy that uses the power of the mind to imagine specific positive scenarios that may help calm down the mind and relax the body. Visualization is about redirecting your attention to a positive memory or sensation, which may trigger the release of endorphins – your body’s natural pain relievers.

  Examples include remembering all the details about a favorite picture (where it was taken, what happened, etc.) or imagining yourself picking your favourite fruit, carefully choosing it, examining its texture, how it smells, cutting it up, eating and tasting it. The Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids) and Cassie + Friends partnered to create an excellent series of audio meditations that include visualization exercises. While some are more directed towards youth, most of the videos are appropriate for all ages: Audio Meditations.

• Distraction

  Like visualization, distraction shifts your attention from pain to another topic, taking advantage of the fact that your mind has trouble focusing on more than one thing at a time. This is a short-term pain management strategy. The goal is to occupy your brain with a detailed task.

  Some examples of distraction might include counting in multiples of an odd number, remembering all the words of a song, reciting the alphabet backwards, etc. Remember not to ignore your pain completely since it also protects you from harm. Emerging research has shown that virtual reality may be an effective tool in distraction from pain. To learn more, visit our article on Virtual Reality and Pain.

  Also, the Hospital for Sick Children (Sick Kids) and Cassie + Friends partnered to create an excellent series of audio meditations that include distraction exercises. While some are more directed towards youth, most of the videos are appropriate for all ages: Audio Meditations.

Assistive Devices and Joint Protection

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Taking action to protect your joints and minimize joint strain can help reduce arthritis pain and make daily tasks easier. Assistive devices can include practical tools and gadgets, mobility aids, medical equipment or assistive technologies that help you perform activities of daily living more easily, such as cooking, walking, or getting dressed. There are also physical joint protection techniques you can use to avoid putting weight on your joints in awkward positions and to reduce strain.

Visit the resources below to learn more about what you can do to help relieve joint pain.

• Written resources
  • Assistive Devices Resource
  • Top Tools: Assistive devices to help manage daily life with arthritis
  • Daily Living online guide: Includes helpful information to make everyday tasks easier, including tools, devices and life hacks; information on splints and braces; driving tips; sitting, standing and lifting; as well as getting intimate
  • Intimacy and Arthritis
  • Choosing the Right Footwear
  • Splints and Braces
• Videos
  • Life Hack Videos: Tips and tricks for doing daily tasks with greater ease and less pain, including dressing, cooking with pots, grasping and turning, washing and bathing, and more.
  • Arthritis Talks Webinar: Managing Arthritis with Physical Activity and Assistive Devices
• In the Workplace
  • Your Body at Work Joint Protection Guide [PDF]
  • Workplace Accommodation Toolkit
  • Workplace Accommodations for People with Arthritis
  • Joint Matters at Work Podcast: Lifting, Driving, Work Stations

Additional Resources

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