If you feel new joint pain, stop. New pain that lasts more than 2 hours after you exercise probably means you've overdone it. If pain persists for more than a few days, call your doctor. Control your weight. Excess weight puts added stress on joints in your neck, hips, knees and feet places where arthritis pain is commonly felt.
Excess weight can also make joint surgery more difficult and risky.
Eat a healthy diet. A healthy diet emphasizing fruit, vegetables and whole grains can help you control your weight and maintain your overall health, allowing you to deal better with your arthritis. However, there is no special diet that can be used to treat arthritis. It hasn't been proven that eating any particular food will make your joint pain or inflammation better or worse. Heat will help ease your pain, relax tense, painful muscles and increase the regional flow of blood.