When your symptoms get worse, this is known as a flare-up. These can happen at any time but can happen after you have been stressed or had an infection.

Over time, you may get better at noticing the early signs of a flare-up.

If you’re having regular flare-ups, you should mention this to your doctor. It may be that you need to review your treatment.

Here are a few things you can do to help yourself during a flare-up:

• Keep taking your medication at the doses you’ve been prescribed.
• Do gentle exercises.
• Put heated items on the joint – these can include a hot water bottle or electric heat pad (see below for more information).
• Put cold items on the joint – these can include a bowl of cold water with ice cubes, a pack of frozen peas wrapped in a towel, or a damp towel that has been kept in the fridge (see below for more information).
• Let people around you know, so they can help and support you.

Tips for using heated items

Heated items that could help your joint pain include a hot water bottle or electric heat pad. Wrap these in a towel, then place on a painful joint. You could also try having a hot or warm shower or bath.

Other heated items that people have found useful are wheat bag, heat pads, deep heat cream, or a heat lamp.

Make sure these items are warm but not hot, as you could risk burning or scalding yourself. Gentle heat will be enough.

A towel should be placed between the heated item and the skin for protection. Check your skin regularly, to make sure it is not getting too red or blistering.

Tips for using ice packs

Some people find that using an ice pack can help their joint pain. You can buy one from a pharmacy, or you can make one at home, by wrapping ice cubes in a plastic bag or wet tea towel.

Here’s how to apply the ice to your skin:

• Rub a small amount of oil over where you’d like the ice pack to go. Any type of oil can be used. If your skin is broken – for example, if you have a cut – don’t use the oil and cover the area with a plastic bag. This will stop the cut getting wet.
• Put a cold, wet flannel over the oil.
• Put the ice pack over the flannel and hold it there.
• After five minutes, check the colour of your skin. Remove the ice pack if your skin has turned bright pink or red. If it hasn’t, leave it on for another 5 to 10 minutes.
• You can leave the ice pack on for 20-30 minutes. Don’t leave it on for any longer, as you could damage your skin if it is left on for too long.

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