Freedom From Your Arthritis Pain

Joanne Brown of south Salem plays the piano every morning. When you watch her play, you can tell how much she enjoys it. Her morning routine has an added benefit of helping limber up her fingers for the day.

Joanne has osteoarthritis. She receives regular pain treatments from local orthopedic surgeon Hal Boyd, M.D. She’s also learned a number of ways to continue her daily routines, such as using both hands to pick up a glass because she can’t tightly grasp the glass with just one hand.

She says that the techniques she learned in Salem Hospital’s Living Well With Chronic Conditions class were equally as effective in helping her deal with her arthritis.

“They have you figure out the specific steps you’re going to take to help relieve the pain; they don’t let you generalize,” says Brown. “It’s very helpful because you don’t usually think those things out ahead of time unless someone suggests you do that.”

One of the techniques Brown learned is counting backward from 100 by threes when she experiences pain. “The mental attention needed to count that way really takes your mind off the pain,” she says.

Brown also exercises on the NuStep machine at her retirement center. “When I had problems with my knees, I couldn’t walk as much as I had. But, I forgot to change my eating habits!” says Brown. “The NuStep machine doesn’t put stress on my knees and that makes it easier for me to exercise.”

Brown’s friends offer their support, too. “We get a lot of desserts at our center,” laughs Brown. “My favorite is lemon meringue pie. Whenever they serve that, my friends tell me that it wasn’t very good this time.”

See the Living Well With Chronic Conditions listing for details on upcoming classes or call Salem Hospital’s Education Services at 503-561-5138.