Natural Remedies For Arthritis & Joint Pain

Natural Arthritis Remedies

Chronic joint pains or arthritis can not only immobilize, but make life a living hell. Imagine experiencing pain while sleeping, getting out of bed, arising from a toilet seat, dressing, walking, preparing meals, writing and attending to personal matters that involve bodily movements. You’d be surprised to know as many as one in three adults in the US get affected by one of the more than hundred types of arthritis.

Knowing arthritis

According to doctors, the common pains usually go away after a few days, but pains due to arthritis persist over weeks. For most people arthritis sets in as the body ages, as joints naturally degenerate over time. In fact, people over the age of fifty begin to get susceptible to it. So, what exactly is this condition?

Arthritis may include joint pains and inflammation, resulting in the limited movement of the joints. This happens due to decreased lubrication provided by cartilage, a slippery smooth substance that covers most joints. If this cartilage degenerates or gets damaged or narrowed, it can give rise to over a hundred types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.

An inflamed joint may appear reddish, swollen, tender and warm to the touch. So, if you experience pain, stiffness or swelling, around a joint for more than two weeks, it’s time to visit your physician. Fortunately, arthritis can be managed through a combination of medication, exercise, rest, weight-management, nutrition, and, in some cases, surgery. However, the best course is to prevent the condition or take natural remedies for arthritis.

Preventing arthritis

You can prevent arthritis by following the tips given as under:

a. Avoid excess stress: Protect your joints by avoiding excess stress. This can be done by using devices that assist you around the house. You should also aim at preserving and improving your daily tasks to help treat the condition.

b. Maintain ideal weight: There’s a relation between arthritis and body weight. If you’re overweight, your joints would’ve to bear that much extra weight. By staying within your ideal weight, you help relieve pressure on your hips and knees.

c. Avoid animal foods: Meat contains arachidonic acid that provokes joint inflammation and aggravates arthritis.

d. Find out your food allergies: They’ve been linked to many types of arthritis. So, find out if you’re allergic to food stuffs, like wheat, corn, dairy products, tomatoes, white potatoes, eggplant, peppers, citrus, salt, caffeine, and the like.

Natural remedies for arthritis

Now with so many drugs for arthritis available in the market, why would you go in for natural remedies? The reasons can be many, like you may not have responded well to an over-the-counter medication or may have experienced side effects. You may even be a staunch non-believer in healing your body chemically. So, natural remedy seems the most sensible course. Whether you’re seeking natural remedy for rheumatoid arthritis or arthritis natural pain remedy, there are a few excellent and safe options to be tried. Let’s have a look at them:

a. Natural oils: Consuming fish oils controls inflammation in the body. Even oils of flax, borage, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin prove as effective.

b. Ginger: Being an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory, it is effective in reliving the arthritic condition with no major side effects.

c. Nettle leaf: It improves the condition and reduces the need for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

d. Acupuncture: This Chinese needle therapy is known to relive pain even in the most severe cases.

e. Aroma therapy: Certain natural fragrances help in reducing the pain and discomfiture of arthritic condition.

f. Magnet therapy: Magnets worn as wrist bands or in clothing or bed linens are known to relive this condition.

g. Other therapies: Yoga, meditation, creative visualization and imagery are other natural therapies for arthritis, which have been successfully practiced.

Natural remedies for arthritis seem inviting, especially when compared to the side effects associated with prescription drugs. But, always consult your physician before you try them out.