We tend to take our freedom of movement as a given unless it is limited. Joints are responsible for our ability to move, but joint pain or arthritis can also take the ability away. Joint pain is a type of joint disorder involving inflammation of the joints and it can affect one or more joints. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are just two common types of joint pain. There are many various causes of joint pain including infections, genetics, metabolic abnormalities, and bone injuries.
Use Home Remedies to Get Joint Pain Relief
Joint pain is common within daily life, but if you ignore it, your life quality will be affected. Those with arthritis should see their doctor for treatment and advice. There are actually many non-medical treatments to get joint pain relief.
1. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Any extra weight that you have will increase the pressure your joints experience, particularly the feet, hips, and knees. By maintaining a healthy weight, you can reduce this stress and therefore decrease pain while increasing mobility.
2. Do Exercise
Exercise helps you lose weight, but it can also keep your joints flexible. Instead of doing weight-bearing exercises (walking or running), opt for low-impact ones like swimming or water aerobics as these won’t add any stress.
3. Take Advantage of Hot and Cold Therapy
Taking a long, warm bath or shower can help ease any stiffness. You can also use a heating pad or electric blanket, or even a moist heating pad. Heat works well for stiffness, while cold is best for joint pain. Try applying a bag of frozen vegetables or a gel ice pack through a towel for relief.
4. Adopt Acupuncture
This ancient Chinese treatment involves an expert putting thin needles on specific areas throughout the body to restore balance and re-route your energies. It may help arthritis pain, but be sure to opt for an experienced acupuncturist.
5. Get a Massage
Getting regular massages can also help reduce stiffness and pain as well as increase your motion range. Either schedule massage appointments or learn self-massage techniques.
6. Apply Capsaicin Creams
At first these creams distract you from the pain via a warm burning or tingling sensation. After using the cream for several weeks, the burning sensation decreases while pain-relieving benefits grow. It may take two weeks for maximum benefit because these creams work by reducing the chemical substance P which sends pain signals.
7. Try Herbal Remedies for Joint Pain
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Name |
Directions |
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Cayenne Pepper |
When you rub cayenne on the area affected, you will have a mild irritation designed to distract your nerves from the joint pain. You can create a topical paste using 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper and ½ cup cocoa butter or a soak with a ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper and a cup apple cider vinegar. |
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Pectin & Grape Juice |
Pectin can be used to reduce fluid buildup while grape juice contains anthocyanins, an antioxidant that helps to reduce inflammation. Mix two tablespoons of additive-free pectin with ½ cup grape juice, and drink the mixture twice a day over six weeks. |
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Stinging Nettle |
Stinging nettle has vitamin A, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin D, beta-carotene, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, calcium, and protein. Normally coming in contact with the plant’s small hairs will be painful, but when there is pain in the area, it can interfere with transmitting pain signals or decrease the inflammatory chemicals. Either apply a whole leaf to the area or take a 1,300 mg capsule each day. |
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Turmeric, Ginger & Bromelain |
Each of these can relieve joint pain, swelling, and stiffness by itself, and when combined their effectiveness multiplies. Take the three together twice daily, but on an empty stomach. |
Turn to Medical Treatments to Get Joint Pain Relief
Some people experience unbearable joint pain. When it affects the way your move, you should talk to your doctor about taking medications.
1. Medications for Slight Joint Pain
In the case of mild joint pain without swelling, acetaminophen may help. Be cautious, however, especially if you drink, as it can lead to liver damage.
2. Medications for Moderate-to-Severe Joint Pain
Over-the-counter NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like naproxen sodium, ibuprofen, or aspirin can help. There are newer NSAIDs (Cox-2 Inhibitors), but you won’t find these on the market (except Celebrex) due to cardiovascular side effects including stroke and heart attack. NSAIDs may also increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.
3. Medications for Severe Joint Pain
Sometimes your doctor will recommend a strong opioid medication, but these can lead to drowsiness and constipation and should only be used at your doctor’s suggestion.
There are also muscle relaxants which treat muscle spasms and can be combined with NSAIDs. Some antiepileptic and antidepressant drugs also help by interfering with the pain signals.
4. Injections
Some people will not experience relief using topical or oral medications and in this case, your doctor may suggest a steroid injection, potentially combined with local anesthesia. This will be injected directly in the joint once every three or four months. These are most common for those with inflammation, joint disease, and arthritis. There is still no research confirming the effectiveness of the treatment and it may lead to side effects. They may also mask an injury, leading to your overuse it. Other injections include those that remove fluid from your joints and hyaluronan injections, which are for treating osteoarthritis and contain a synthetic form of natural joint fluid.
For more information, please refer to http://www.md-health.com/Natural-Remedies-for-Arthritis.html
Watch the video for more safe and natural treatments for arthritis: