Best Ways To Get Rid Of Arthritis Pain

Each step you take down the stairs suddenly becomes a long painful journey and you begin to avoid stairs whenever you can. Months later you’re fine again, but your hips have become painfully sore and walking itself can cause pain and stiffness. If you’ve had this problem, you’ve probably got arthritis.

Arthritis is very common and often misunderstood. It is not a single disease, but refers to many different types of joint pain that afflicts people of all ages. Depending on the severity of your pain, there are some long and short-term measures you can take to lessen the symptoms.

1. Take anti-inflammatory medications

Sometimes, there are moments when you need immediate pain relief. Medication can become a part of your pain maintenance strategy. The pain is immediate and you want the relief to be also. At these times, anti-inflammatory medications can provide immediate relief.

There are also roll-on products that contain natural herbal extracts that provide relief when you just need to get some sleep. Your doctor can also prescribe medications, but they often come with unwanted side effects.

2. Hot and cold therapy

Heating the body by taking a warm bath, or soaking in a hot tub can ease the stiffness experienced from arthritis. You can also wrap a gel ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables over the joint if the pain and swelling is severe.

3. Get a massage

There is nothing like a professional massage to hit those pain pressure points and provide immediate pain and stress relief. Regular massage can help reduce pain and stiffness. With a massage comes the relaxation you need to keep your muscles from tensing up.

Additionally, physical therapists can show you some self-massage techniques that can be very helpful.

4. Lose weight

For every extra pound of weight your body carries, the stress on your knees is worsened by four times normal. After hearing this, weight loss should be your first thought. Research has shown that losing 11 pounds can improve your joint health and cut your knee joint pain by fifty percent.

5. Don’t wear heels!

Wearing shoes with more than a one inch heel can increase the stress on your knees. Stick to shoes with a rounded toe, so that your toes have movement. Choose shoes with a flexible rubber sole that moves with your feet and provides comfort and support.

6. Boost your calcium intake

Increasing your daily calcium intake can help strengthen your bones and keep them from getting weak. Calcium rich foods include: milk, yogurt, and cheese as well as greens such as broccoli and kale. Also consider seafood such as salmon and sardines, and for you sweet-tooth’s out there, there are dried figs and molasses. A calcium supplement added to your diet will insure that you are getting enough calcium in your diet. Adults should be consuming at least 1000 mg daily.

7. Begin a low impact exercise regime

Keep away from exercises that place impact on your knees such as, jogging, kickboxing, zumba, or aerobics. Stick to gentler low impact exercises such as swimming, or biking.

Range-of-motion exercises like working out with hand weights are also a good way to stay in shape. You still get a good calorie-burning workout without the extra stress on you joints. This will increase your mobility and prevent future damage to your joints. Regular movement will increase the flexibility of your joints and give you energy and strength as well as boost your mood. Slow, steady and consistent should be your motto.

8. Take time to relax

It might be tough to do at first but taking a little extra time for yourself to just put your feet up and relax will help a great deal. This extra stress reduction will ease up the pain in your joints, and also frees up time for exercise and healthy eating. When you are stressed and rushing around, this is when you might make poor food choices. The important thing is to strike a balance between rest and activity.

9. Get a good night’s sleep

You can help to end the fatigue cycle by getting a good night’s sleep. Even though you have chronic pain, this is still possible. Try to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time. This might be difficult on weekends when we are busier in the evenings and tend to stay up later, but it is worth a try. Getting enough sleep is crucial when dealing with the chronic pain of arthritis.

10. Try some natural remedies

Try adding turmeric to your recipes to help reduce joint pain. Turmeric, a yellow spice popular in Indian cuisine contains a chemical called curcumin that has natural anti-inflammatory properties.

Also there are many herbal supplements that you can try such as boswellia, bromelain, devil’s claw, ginkgo, stinging nettle, and thunder god vine. Omega-3 fatty acids and fish oil supplements added to your diet can also help with arthritis.

It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before trying a new supplement to avoid side effects and dangerous drug interactions.

Symptoms may include swelling, pain, stiffness, lack of mobility, and decrease of motion that range from moderate to severe. Symptoms may come and go, or they may stay the same for many years and then suddenly get worse.

Chronic pain and fatigue go hand in hand with arthritis. Dealing with day-to-day pain causes fatigue, making the pain worse and more difficult to manage. Feeling more tired than normal is part of the cycle.

The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis. The cartilage, which is the cushioning surface on the ends of the bones wears away, causes bone to rub against bone. Over time, joints can lose strength and the pain becomes chronic.

While there is no cure, arthritis can be managed.

You can’t get rid of arthritis, but you can learn to get rid of the pain. More importantly, if you take some of these steps you can prevent further damage to your joints and break the chronic pain and fatigue cycle. Learning all you can to manage your pain helps you take control of your life.