What is a flare?
Your arthritis may have been well controlled and suddenly one morning you wake up and feel as bad as you did before you started treatment. It can be so frustrating! We’re not sure why it happens. Sometimes it’s after an infection or a particularly stressful period in your life. A flare and can last from a few days to weeks.
How often?
This is unpredictable and hopefully temporary. But if it happens too frequently we may need to look at your medication. This could involve changing the dose or using another medication.
What can you do yourself?
- Continue to take your medication regularly. For pain relief, you can use paracetamol or take over the counter pain relief medication (for a short period of time)
- Heat/cool packs (not directly on the skin, cover with a towel). Heat can help ease the pain and cool packs can reduce the swelling
- Keep moving- gentle stretches and exercises, or simply moving the joint may ease your symptoms. You can gradually increase this as the flare settles
- Get rest- you can often feel fatigued when you are having a flare. You need to balance this with some activity so that you don’t get too stiff
- Use distraction- doing an activity or interest can help distract you from the pain
- Minimize effort- for example, sit down to comb your hair, brush your teeth, get washed. Keep things close to hand where you can reach them easily. Try to keep some healthy meals handy in the freezer.
If you still need help, speak to your GP or contact our telephone advice line: 0131 537 1405
