Arthritis pain can lead to a low-quality life amongst elders. It can cause immense pain and inflammation to the joints and make movement a pain. It is a degenerative condition where the pain only increases once it starts. You can control the pain with medication, but there is no permanent cure for it. Additionally, doctors term it an autoimmune disease in which the body’s antibodies hurt the cells.
You will mostly come across two main types of arthritis. They are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis. The former deals with wear and tear of the cartilages, which leads to the bones rubbing together and causing inflammation. While the latter is an autoimmune disease in which antibodies hurt healthy tissues. Most people above 50 suffer from such conditions. This leads to immense pain in the joints and adjoining areas. There are various natural approaches to these conditions.
Read about various ways to alleviate the pain.
-
Reduce Weight
When you go to a doctor, this is the first thing that you will hear. Your weight can cause the condition to deteriorate. The extra weight puts extra pressure on the joints, especially those of the knees, feet, and hips. After prescribing medication to manage the symptoms, your doctor may also prescribe the weight loss diet or program. Additionally, you may be asked to consult a dietitian. By losing excess weight, you reduce the stress on your joints and improve mobility.
You can exercise to lose weight. Low impact exercises like walking, swimming, and cycling are the best. Additionally, you can also try Yoga. Apart from these, you can try out obesity-reducing juices. The best real juices with additives like Curcumin complex and L-Carnitine are now available. These substances act like anti-oxidants and flab reducers as well. Moreover, these juices also help you to stay full. So, you have fewer cravings and eat less. This creates a calorie deficit in the body that leads to fat burn.
-
Use Hot and Cold Therapies
Heat and cold remedies are excellent for arthritis and joint pains. It also tends to reduce inflammation. There are several heat treatments that you can undertake. Hot showers rank first. A hot shower helps ease the stiffness of the joints and muscles.
Moreover, you can also get an electric blanket or heating pad to ease the pain. Arthritis pain reacts well to alternate hot and cold therapies. So, you can also rely on cold packs. They can decrease the pain and swelling. However, ensure to never rub ice directly on the affected areas. You can wrap ice cubes or cold vegetables inside a towel and apply them to the affected areas. You can also buy and apply OTC products like ointments containing Capsaicin that provide warmth to the painful areas.
-
Try Acupuncture Therapy
This treatment modality has shown a lot of promise in treating Rheumatoid Arthritis. It is an ancient Chinese alternate treatment. You will find the practitioner inserting needles into the joints and swellings in this process. It helps to re-align the energies and restore balance. The insertion of needles leads to biochemical changes inside the body. Moreover, it also signals the brain to produce endorphins that provide relief. You should always get it done by a licensed practitioner.
-
Add Turmeric to Food
There is another home remedy that can provide you relief from arthritis pain. And, it is easily available at your home. Turmeric often contains a compound called Curcumin. It is known to have various anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Moreover, it is also known to be effective on pains and aches. The active compound has huge therapeutic effects on the body and also reduces oxidative stress on the body. It acts by preventing the activation of inflammatory molecules in the body. Curcumin is extracted from the roots of the wonder plant. There are debates on whether you should have the whole turmeric or the compounds in supplement form. Both are effective to a certain extent.
-
Get a Massage
Regular massage of the muscles and joints can also relieve the nagging and throbbing pain. Massage has several health benefits, including the lowering of cortisol release. If the cortisol release is lowered or managed well, it can decrease pain. Additionally, massage also helps boost the production of happy hormones or serotonin levels in the body. You should get a massage therapist on board who will provide moderate pressure on the body parts.
Lymphatic massage is best for arthritis pain. At times, a lot of fluid gathers near the joints, and only lymphatic massage can drain off the excess fluids. The kneading and rolling mechanism on the skin and muscles have therapeutic effects.
These are a few remedies that you can try to relieve arthritis pain. But do continue the medication prescribed by your doctor. Then only you will be able to manage the disease well.