As if work isn’t stressful enough, try adding arthritis into the mix. The average work week has its ups and downs for everyone, but it can be extra challenging for people with arthritis. But being employed while having arthritis has its benefits. Research suggests that holding a job increases self-esteem and improves mobility in arthritis patients.1
Depending on your work environment and responsibilities, there may be a few changes you can make to alleviate arthritis pain in the workplace and improve your work days. Here are some ways you can make working with arthritis a little easier.
Whether or not to tell your boss or coworkers will depend on your level of comfort. That said, research by the American College of Rheumatology shows disclosing your arthritis to your boss and colleagues typically will not have negative impacts on your work performance. In fact, people with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis or osteoarthritis who told their managers and coworkers about their conditions reported reduced stress at work. In addition, support from colleagues resulted in fewer disruptions, help with tasks and less hours taken off work.2
Ensuring your workspace is comfortable can make a major difference when it comes to easing pain caused by arthritis. Here are a few ideas from the Arthritis Foundation on how you can adjust your space for optimal comfort:
Check out this video to see some ergonomic adjustments in action.
Text: Arthritis Tips
Text: Voltaren Arthritis Pain
Text: Office Edition
Text: Uncomfortable office seating?
Text: Try an ergonomic chair
Text: Typing trouble?
Text: Use an arthritis-friendly keyboard
Text: Try desktop reminders to stay moving
Text: Get up and move around, Lisa!
Text: …responsibly
Text: And, of course, use Voltaren
Text: Powerful arthritis pain relief in a gel
Text: Voltaren Arthritis Pain
Text: The joy of movement
Light range-of-motion exercises and stretches are easy to do in the office and can help provide relief from arthritis pain. Try taking a short walk around your office during your break, raising your arms over your head, rolling your shoulders back and forth, or doing other light stretches and movements.4
You deserve an arthritis treatment that works as hard as you do. Consider opting for a treatment that’s easy to open and easy to use, like Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel. Voltaren is an effective topical treatment clinically designed to relieve joint pain caused by arthritis. And to make things less complicated for you, it’s easy twist cap makes it easy to open.
Don’t let arthritis get in the way of your career. A few small changes to your workspace and routine can help keep you a successful employee and coworker.
You can take control of symptoms in a few ways: by exercising daily, eating healthy, and using hot or cold packs. Taking these lifestyle tips into consideration can help make life a little easier.
Did you know that your arthritis pain might be induced by stress? Learn to identify the symptoms and what you can do to ease them for more stress-free days with less pain.