manage my arthritis

I have arthritis in both feet, surprising since I am only in my mid-30s. Lately, it has been keeping me off my feet and from exercising which is a real negative for me. I was only diagnosed back in May and got custom orthotic inserts in June- this after a year of not knowing what was going on with the debilitating foot pain. Between the recommended stretches, the orthotics and losing some weight I’d been feeling great for over a month. I was walking for exercise everyday and pain free. The hip and knee pain that had developed as a result of compensating for my foot pain disappeared too. And now… a major flare up that has kept me from walking for exercise or really being on my feet much at all. I’m sick of it. I was feeling so great after I adjusted to the orthotics that I though they were the magic bullet. Not so, evidently. So I’ve been doing some reading and there are some additional stretches that I should add to the ones my doctor gave me, and some strengthening exercises that might help stabilize the joints. I took some Ibuprofen this afternoon and got out on foot to do some errands. Nothing major, but better than all the sitting around I’ve been doing lately. Supposively exercise actually helps not hurts so as long as I can manage the pain, I think it’s okay to try to start exercising again.