5 Remedies to Help Reduce Your Arthritis Pain
According to the CDC, one in four American adults has arthritis pain. What’s worse, 1 in 10 people with arthritis limits their activities because of their condition. Interestingly, even the CDC recognizes that traditional prescription medication isn’t the only way to combat arthritis pain. We’ll show you five remedies besides arthritis medications that can help reduce your pain. But first, let’s learn more about arthritis.
What is arthritis?
Arthritis is a condition where you experience pain in or around your joints. Many people who get joint pain are initially concerned that their discomfort is arthritis because it’s so common.
There are multiple forms of arthritis, with osteoarthritis being the most common type. Other types of arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and a form of arthritis associated with lupus.
Arthritis pain occurs when cartilage wears down and causes your bones to rub together. This, in turn, leads to damage and inflammation of your joints.
The symptoms of arthritis can go beyond pain. Stiffness is another common symptom, as is aching and swelling of your joints.
If you get joint pain, it’s important to see a health professional because rheumatoid arthritis and lupus can also affect your organs.
More than 50% of people living with arthritis are younger adults who are limited in what they can do because of pain.
Unfortunately, arthritis can sometimes worsen over time. Because prescription medication doesn’t often completely relieve arthritis, many health practitioners support other measures to help arthritis pain.
Remedies to Help Reduce Your Arthritis Pain
Arthritis patients have explored many remedies in hopes of reducing their joint pain. Before making any lifestyle changes or adding a new remedy to your treatment plan, check with a health professional.
Here are a few ideas to consider.
1. Watch your weight.
The Arthritis Foundation points out that losing weight is a good part of an overall wellness plan to lessen your arthritis pain if you are overweight. Added weight places your joints under more pressure. This is particularly the case for your feet, knee, and hip joints. Other recommendations by the Arthritis Foundation include managing your blood pressure and cholesterol, physical and occupational therapy, stopping smoking, and other complementary measures.
2. Exercise.
Getting enough exercise probably seems like a huge feat when you’re in pain. But the alternative is that your joints don’t get the lubrication they need to move smoothly with ease. Your joints are surrounded by synovial fluid, and exercise circulates the fluid where it needs to go. In turn, your blood circulates better, your joints get the nutrients they need, and you strengthen the muscles and ligaments that protect the joints. Together, it benefits your joints and makes them their healthiest, which could mean less pain for you. Some low-impact exercises are tai-chi, walking, swimming and water activities, and cycling.
3. Consider CBD.
Some patients, like Ron Lev, have used CBD as part of their overall treatment plan for arthritis. They try CBD for arthritis in hopes of warding off the joint pain altogether. And some, like Ron, use CBD to minimize their steroid use or avoid unwanted side effects of other prescription medications. For Ron, it worked, and he never looked back. Do your research, give it time, and experiment to find what works best for you.
4. Eat healthily.
Many people who have joint pain swear by a whole-food diet approach rich in fresh vegetables in fruit, particularly berries and spinach. Plant-based foods help reduce inflammation because they’re full of antioxidants. Conversely, a diet that includes sugar, processed foods, and red meat aggravates and increases the inflammation that occurs with arthritis. Research also shows that adding turmeric to your diet can help manage arthritis-associated pain.
5. Apply heat or cold to your joints.
Hot and cold treatments have been shown to relieve pains and inflammation associated with arthritis. For example, a warm bath or shower can help minimize arthritis stiffness that occurs in the morning, while an electric heating pad or blanket can ease your pains in the evenings. You can also try wrapping an ice pack in a towel and applying it to the joints that hurt. Cold therapy can relieve joint pain and inflammation but avoid placing ice directly on your skin or for more than 15 minutes. Some people find heat works best, while others prefer ice treatments. Many also alternate. Experiment to learn which works best for you.