Flare ups are a temporary worsening of symptoms, usually from too much activity. Whether it’s a flare up of arthritis or other soft tissue, the principles below remain the same. Here are five steps to help you, and them, manage their flare up better!
- Give them any pain relief medication that has been prescribed in the quantities advised by your vet
- Try natural pain relief strategies like heat or ice therapy, massage, range of motion exercises, stretches or home laser if you have it.
- Stop strengthening exercises until flare up resolves.
- Continue very gentle and short walks to keep the joints and muscles loose and mobile (too much rest will make joints stiffer and sorer and add to pain!)
- When the flare up resolves, start introducing strengthening exercises again. When you do so, consider only starting with about 3/4 of the exercise that were done prior to the flare up and then slowly increase over a week or two to return to 100%.
Please note that what may appear as a flare up may be another issue so don’t hesitate approaching your vet. Also, flare ups may indicate that the consition is progressing so a vet review may be needed.