| People generally think of arthritis as an 'old persons' disease. In reality anyone can be afflicted with this painful condition. In order to alleviate the pain associated with this disease, many people have turned to prescription or over the counter remedies. Unfortunately, the side effects from these remedies were often as bad as the pain from the arthritis itself. That may be why so many people are turning safer, gentler arthritis home remedies.
While you should never just stop taking a prescription your doctor has given you without talking to him first, you may be able to combine both home remedies along with your prescription which may make it possible to cut back on the amount of pain relievers you have to take thus diminishing many of the negative side effects. Always talk to your doctor first.
Something as simple as using a heating pad when you are sitting at your computer or watching t.v. might offer you a lot of relief for your swollen and achy joints. Also make sure you keep your home comfortably heated during the winter months so you don't get cold.
Many people have reported that having a nice long soak in a warm bath has helped them find some pain relief too. Another benefit is that this can help relax you which is something very precious when you are living with such a painful condition.
Another tip that may help is to use warm olive oil and massage it into your sore joints. No need to stop at just your joints either, massage the tendons leading to your joints. For example, if your knees are sore, massage a little up your thighs too.
While it may not smell that great, many people have reported getting relief by massaging with warm vinegar. This may be a great thing to try when the in laws come for a visit!
The general rule of thumb is to apply ice before the joints are swollen. If they are already inflamed you should only apply heat. If you get to them before they are swollen ice can work very effectively. Generally if any treatment hurts you should stop.
Using a cream or ointment specifically created to ease joint pain can help provide relief overnight. Apply the cream at bedtime and you may have a less painful time sleeping, which means you'll actually be rested the next day.
As difficult as it may be to do, most doctors recommend that you try to stay active. The more you work your joints the looser you'll be able to keep them. Try low impact activities such as yoga or swimming. These exercises are a great way to stay in shape and keep your joints limber and they won't stress your joints further since they have virtually no impact on you.
You don't have to suffer or rely solely on prescription or over the counter arthritis pain relief. There are many simple, yet highly effective arthritis home remedies. As with anything, some will work better for some people than others so it's really just a matter of finding the best combination of treatments for you. |