Dr. Catherine Backman
Retired Occupational Therapist & Senior Scientist Emeritus,
Arthritis Research Canada
Practical self-care strategies from Arthritis Research Canada show that living well with arthritis is about balance, rest, and meaning.
For people living with arthritis, chronic pain can slowly reshape every part of life. Living with chronic pain requires shifting routines and finding ways to engage in daily life while managing the disease. As a result, self-care can look different for everyone.
Dr. Catherine Backman, a retired occupational therapist and Senior Scientist Emeritus at Arthritis Research Canada, emphasizes the importance of a personalized approach to self-care.
“We all have things that we need or want to do to take care of ourselves or others,” she explains, “How do we develop the habits and routines that help us achieve a balanced life?”
Backman suggests the following strategies help people with arthritis balance what needs to be done with what’s meaningful to them.
Choose and Plan Ahead
Finding a restorative balance for fatigue from arthritis can be overwhelming. Pain gets in the way of completing chores or other tasks. Even if you have the best intentions for creating a balanced, healthy meal or doing some exercise, chronic pain may prevent you from engaging in those activities.
Backman emphasizes being kind to yourself when making your to do list for the day.
“Instead of thinking of a 24-hour day and mapping out an hour for exercise, think about, ‘how do I want to use my mental and physical energy?”, she suggests. “What’s important for making me feel well?”
Sleep: The Cornerstone of Recovery
More than a third of your day is dedicated to sleep. Ultimately, focusing on sleep will help people with arthritis prevent those “worse days”.
Both the quality and quantity of your sleep matter. Lack of sleep increases inflammation, while sufficient good quality sleep helps heal, repair tissues, and supports brain health. It is the body’s way of repairing itself.
Backman suggests the following to achieve a good quality sleep:
- Sleep in a cool dark room
- Purchase a pillow that supports your head and neck, and the best bed linens or mattress you can afford
- No screen time an hour before bed
- Take a hot bath, as it relaxes the muscles and mind
How do we develop the habits and routines that help us achieve a balanced life?
Find The Balance That is Right For You
There’s no one right way to live a balanced lifestyle. Living well also means balancing different kinds of “occupations”, which is the mix of family, work, household tasks, and activities that fill our time and are meaningful to you.
Backman encourages people to build flexibility into their days and have a variety of activities to fill their downtime. Even an activity that you can do for 10 to 15 minutes to give yourself a small breather is helpful.
“While research on finding a cure or finding the best medication is important, there are thousands of people who are living with the effects of arthritis,” she says. “We also focus on practical research that helps people get on with their day-to-day lives”.
Living well with arthritis doesn’t mean ignoring pain or pushing through it. It involves understanding your needs and finding balance across all the days, whether they’re good, bad, or everything in between.
Explore more strategies for self-care and well-being on the Arthritis Research Canada website.
