Combining Docker containers with configuration management enables version control and dynamic updates of configurations. Configuration management methods: 1) environment variables: suitable for simple configurations, supports dynamic updates; 2) configuration files: use volume mounts, suitable for complex configurations; 3) configuration centers: Consul, Etcd, Spring Cloud Config; 4) Kubernetes ConfigMap and Secret. Best practices: separate configuration from code, use version control for configuration files, encrypt sensitive information storage, implement configuration hot reload, audit configuration changes. Considerations: avoid hardcoding configurations in images, use .dockerignore to exclude local configuration files.