Managing Pain

Arthritis Australia’s condition-specific websites provide tools and information to help you learn about osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and back pain. Access them using the links below.   This website can help you relieve the symptoms of joint pain or osteoarthritis (OA) and help you lead a...

The festive season can be a busy time of shopping, cooking, cleaning and gathering with family and friends. With a chronic condition, however, it can also be a difficult time managing your energy levels, eating (and drinking!), organising travel and managing stress. You may feel that you need to...

It’s a well-known saying, ‘use it or lose it’, and never has this been more true than in the case of exercise and the body. One of the most significant factors when it comes to pain free movement for those who suffer from arthritis is the strength, biomechanics and endurance of their movement of day to day...

Low back pain is a significant burden in terms of pain, disability and loss of quality of life for those who experience it. This is a global problem with data in Australia revealing that a quarter of the population may have it at any one time. The fiscal burden...

Pain is not the same thing as harm or injury. Isaac Cockcroft, a physiotherapist at the Royal North Shore Hospital, explains…. “I shouldn’t do that activity, as it causes me pain” “Exercise flares up my condition, so I can’t do that”. These are common reasons why pain stops people...

Living with pain can be one of the hardest parts of having arthritis. It’s important to understand the pain cycle and learn techniques that may help you cope with pain. It is also important to not solely rely on medications alone to manage your pain, the best results are...

As the weather starts to cool down, many people find their stiffness in the morning worsens. For osteoarthritis it may last for up to an hour or so. For others living with inflammatory arthritis however (such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis) it can last for hours or...

Knee pain has a number of different causes. Whatever the cause, exercise and keeping to a healthy weight can reduce symptoms. How does the knee work? The knee joint is where the thigh and shin bones meet. The end of each bone is covered with cartilage, which allows the...