Arthritis pain feels like a dull ache or burning sensation around your joint. Others may wake up to arthritis pain in the morning. Long story short, arthritis is a painful disease that requires long term care and management in addition to regular treatment.
What Triggers Arthritis Pain?
The most common trigger for arthritis pain is joint overuse caused by repetitive motion or excessive activities. Direct trauma to the joint could also trigger arthritis pain, for example, if you bumped your elbow into the wall corner really hard.
Other triggers for arthritis pain include
- Bone spurs
- Cold weather
- Change in barometric pressure
- Infection
- Weight gain
- Unhealthy diet
- Drinking and smoking
Home Remedies for Arthritis Pain
While it’s important to seek medical care for your arthritis, you can relieve and manage arthritis pain with home remedies that don’t include popping OTC painkillers. Here, we will introduce you to 11 natural relief remedies for arthritis pain and OA flare.
Proper Weight Management
A 2018 research proved that weight loss benefits arthritis pain relief, which makes sense: since arthritis is mainly pain in the joints, lessening how much burden your joints carry would naturally come to mind if you are tired of arthritis flares.
Furthermore, weight management is especially important, if not life saving for those suffering comorbidities like diabetes or cardiovascular diseases. Popular weight management methods include intermittent fasting, meal planning, calorie tracking, etc.
Adjust Your Diet
Certain foods can also lead to more frequent or painful episodes. Generally, arthritis patients should avoid
Adjusting your diet doesn’t mean you must completely get rid of these items. Just make sure you eat everything in moderation, and try to find healthier alternatives for these items. For example, using organic products is a great way to get rid of some high processed foods in your life.
Massages
Massage is a great method to relieve arthritis pain and other symptoms because it improves circulation and helps reduce inflammation, enhancing blood flow around arthritic joints.
Since your muscles typically need to recover from a deep tissue or shiatsu massage session, be mindful of your frequencies. Most massage therapists recommend arthritis to use massage for arthritis pain one hour every week for optimal results.
Essential Oil
Aromatherapy with pain-relieving essential oils is a great home remedy for arthritis pain. It also helps reduce the stress and anxiety that comes with arthritis symptoms, significantly elevating your mood. Some essential oils you can mix up for a blend for arthritis pain include rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, and tumeric.
Pain Relief Cream for Arthritis
If you’re looking for instant relief for arthritis pain, try pain relief creams. There are various OTC brands and specialty brands you can find. Generally, you should seek a natural formula versus a chemical one to avoid side effects, potential risks of addiction, and other unwanted results.
Herbal Supplements
Herbal supplements and herbal medicine can do wonders for your arthritis symptoms. Speak to a medical professional specializing in herbal medicine if you’re looking into alternative home remedies for arthritis pain.
Joint Support
Joint support equipment like braces, canes, or straps may be helpful depending on your type of arthritis. For example, a knee brace can improve stability and functionality for those with osteoarthritis. Again, consult your doctor and see if you need to wear joint support in your day-to-day life.
Warm Baths
Taking a warm bath is one of the best home remedies for arthritis pain and stiffness—one of the most effective ones, too! The heat helps loosen your joints and the muscles around them by alleviating inflammatory chemicals, thus relieving you of arthritis symptoms temporarily. You can add epsom salt to your bath for additional health benefits.
Improve Your Sleep
If you haven’t heard from your care provider, poor sleep can worsen your arthritis pain because your central nervous system pathway that regulates pain can malfunction due to sleep deprivation. But since lying down may lead to joint stiffness, which triggers arthritis pain, sleeping in the right position is key to arthritis patients.
Sleep with your head, neck, and spine in a straight line and sleep on your back or side. Avoid tilting your head sideways, or leaning too much forward or backward. Also, avoid oversleeping and napping in weird spots. Your muscles and joints won’t like that!
Learn to Manage Your Stress
Stress can be painful is more than a metaphoric explanation among those with arthritis. Our body responds to stress with inflammation, which can make pain and joint damage worse. Knowing how to manage your stress and “flip” yourself out of a stressful state is crucial. Therefore, meditating, journaling, or doing mild yogas at home are all great ways to relieve stress and help manage arthritis pain.
Seeking Treatment for Arthritis Pain
While home remedies for arthritis pain are quite effective if done consistently, it’s still necessary for you to seek arthritis treatment from a medical professional, especially if your pain is affecting your normal life. If your joint looks out of shape, that’s also a sign that it’s time for a doctor’s visit.
When seeking arthritis treatment, we recommend you speak with a specialist instead of a general care provider. You can also consult with your chiropractor or massage therapist if you prefer to stay away from the hospital for the time being.
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