Dip Into Soothing Relief
As kids, we all dreaded washing dishes but when arthritis leaves your hands stiff and tired, plunging them into the warm water is no longer a chore its instant relief. But washing and scrubbing dishes may get painful. But there is another way to get that warm, soothing relief without working quite so hard for it: paraffin wax treatments. Occupational therapists use them to soothe stiff joints. Kerrie Kratzman did a paraffin treatment with her physiotherapist to help with her swan neck deformity, in which the middle joint of your fingers is bent back more than normal. I thought I had gone to heaven it felt so good, says Kratzman, of Australia. You can get a paraffin bath at home and take advantage of soothing relief anytime. Just check with your occupational therapist first for specific at-home instructions.
Use A Supportive Device
People with arthritis will often avoid walking aids, which may make them feel old and frail. But the fact is that people who do so often walk less because they are either unsteady on their feet or afraid to place weight on a swollen joint. As such, avoiding these devices can make your condition worse.
Supportive devices are no longer limited to canes and walkers. People with knee arthritis can sometimes turn to a device known as an unloader brace, which selectively relieves pressure on the most damaged side of a joint. There are even rolling walkers that allow you to move more freely without the fits and starts of a standard walker.
While these newer devices won’t work for everyone, it may be worth speaking to your healthcare provider to see if they are the appropriate choice for you.
Ways To Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis Naturally
Also Check: How Bad Does Arthritis Hurt
Taking Precautions To Prevent Injury Or Trauma
Arthritis, mainly of the spine, can occur due to injury. An injured joint will be more susceptible to arthritis than an uninjured one. Without a doubt, avoiding injury is essential. If you are into sports, always ensure that you put on protective gear. As you lift objects, use your hips and knees and not your back. As you carry things, keep them close to your body so as not to strain the wrists.
What Not To Do
Taking proactive steps to prevent arthritis can have a significant impact, especially when effective chiropractic care is involved. Some common solutions being offered today are not really solutions at all. In fact, they can create even more problems in the body.
For example, it is common for people with arthritis to use drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, etc. to fight the pain associated with arthritis. Sadly, these drugs, known as NSAIDs, come with dangerous side effects.
According to a UK research report in the journal PAIN, patients taking NSAIDs for at least two months show a risk of death at a rate of 1 in every 1,200 patients! In addition to this risk, 1 in 5 will have ulcers, about 1 in 70 have stomach pains/symptoms and 1 in 150 have ulcers that bleed. It was concluded that NSAIDs kill 3 times as many people as cancer of the cervix.
Given this information, I hope this you will want to consider looking at more natural ways to treat arthritis. People who want to prevent arthritis or treat its symptoms long term should avoid these types of drugs.
Read Also: What Kind Of Doctor Do You See For Arthritis
Hand Exercises To Prevent Arthritis
Arthritis wears away at the joint’s cartilage, a cushioning material between bones causing inflammation and irritation of the synovial lining of the joints, which produces the synovial fluid that protects and lubricates the joints.There is increased pain and stiffness in the joints of the hands affected by arthritis. A non-invasive way to keep the joints flexible, improve mobility, and relieve arthritis pain is hand stretches and exercises. In addition, hand exercises for arthritis may strengthen the muscles that support the hand joints and help keep ligaments and tendons flexible, which improves hand function and mobility.Finally, hand strengthening exercises can increase the production of synovial fluid, which can also improve joint function.
Conclusively, if you are at risk of developing hand arthritis, pay attention to preventive measures to reduce the risk of developing it. If you already have arthritis, adopt the methods which can reduce the pain and alleviate the symptoms. There are also many over-the-counter joint pain relief creams that you can try, along with the various techniques mentioned above.
Recognize The Symptoms And The Cause Of Osteoarthritis
Symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain at the joint, inflammation, stiffness, loss of flexibility and range of motion. A surgeon’s evaluation, including an MRI and x-ray, can determine the degree and extent of any cartilage damage and also establish the injury or underlying mechanical problems that may have caused it, such as a missing or damaged meniscus cartilage.
Read Also: What To Do For Thumb Arthritis
Always Maintain A Proper Posture
Improper posture may cause you to develop arthritis especially, related to the spine. You must therefore ensure that you maintain the proper posture at all times. If you have to stay in the same position, make sure to refresh the posture every 15- 20 minutes. As you sit or stand for very long hours, remain upright and always ensure that your legs, arms, and back are well supported.
What Does Rheumatoid Arthritis Eat How To Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis
At present, the cause of rheumatoid arthritis is not completely clear, but it can be seen from some cases that cold, humidity, fatigue, malnutrition, trauma, spirit and other factors are often the inducing factors of this disease. What should rheumatoid arthritis patients eat? Let’s have a look
What does rheumatoid arthritis eat
1. Light food. It is suggested that patients with rheumatoid arthritis should eat more light food. Because patients are often suffering from pain and accompanied by drugs for a long time, and when the disease occurs, tea and rice are not fragrant, so the diet should be light, which can not only help patients maintain a better appetite, but also help patients maintain a better spleen and stomach transportation function to enhance their disease resistance.
2. Reasonable diet without partial eclipse. Chicken, duck, fish, grains, vegetables, fruits and vegetables can not be ignored. Patients should pay attention to reasonable collocation of various foods in diet and fully absorb all aspects of nutrition.
Angelica Angelica wine has tonic effect. Patients can choose to drink it according to their own physical conditions.
Materials: Angelica, Eucommia ulmoides, angelica, chuanxiong, Rehmannia glutinosa, Salvia miltiorrhiza each 30 grams, Baijiu 1000 milliliters.
Practice: first, the 6 drugs should be finely finely wrapped up in gauze, put into the Baijiu, sealed and set aside for 24 hours by the fire.
How to prevent rheumatoid arthritis
Read Also: Is Broccoli Good For Arthritis
Use Your Largest Joints And Strongest Muscles Instead Of Your Fingers
It may take a while to make this a habit, because youve been using your fingers to hold a purse or to close a door most of your life. But put on your occupational therapist hat and think about how you can interact with your daily environment while protecting your joints. Crow advises patients to hold things closer to the core and as far away from the fingers as possible to avoid extra pressure in the finger joints. Always use the largest joints and strongest muscles instead of your fingers, when you can. When you interact with a door, use your hip to close it instead of your hand.
Is Caffeine Bad For Rheumatoid Arthritis
Coffee could potentially benefit people with rheumatoid arthritis because of the anti-inflammatory properties of coffee. 5 Reducing inflammation in the body could help reduce joint pain. Also, the stimulating effects of caffeine help to fight physical and mental fatigue that is common with rheumatoid arthritis.
Read Also: Does Arthritis Hurt All The Time
Is The Sun Good For Rheumatoid Arthritis
The Bright Side Sun helps the body synthesize vitamin D, which is essential for bone health and a well-functioning immune system vitamin D deficiency has been linked to autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis . Plus, sunshine boosts mood by raising levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain.
How To Diagnose Arthritis
Arthritis is usually diagnosed by a physician once they have done physical exams and blood tests. Once you report to a hospital with joint pain, the doctor will ask about your symptoms, such as where the pain is, when it started, the level of the pain, and health and lifestyle habits such as smoking. They then have to conduct a physical exam to see if the joint has any swelling, stiffness or redness. The doctor will also check for any fluid in the affected joint.
An imaging test, mostly X-ray, is done to visualize the joint. This is done to check for any structural changes in the joint, any joint erosions, inflammation, any fluid in the joint , presence of loose tissue fragments, cartilage loss, and soft tissue tears. Blood tests are done to check for the presence of antibodies and the level of inflammation. If there is fluid in the joint, some of it will be drawn for tests.
Diagnosing arthritis involves eliminating any other conditions that are not arthritis that may have similar symptoms. Once the type of arthritis is diagnosed, the doctor them advises you on the best treatment method to use.
Don’t Miss: How To Reduce Arthritis In Knees
Control Your Blood Sugar If You Have Diabetes
How Can I Prevent Arthritis Naturally
While theres nothing you can do to completely eliminate your risk for developing arthritis down the road, there are things you can control, like diet and exercise, that will have a positive impact on your condition and potentially prevent arthritis from taking place at an earlier stage.
Consuming a diet thats low in processed foods and saturated fat and rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts and beans can help fight the inflammation caused by arthritis.
Maintaining a healthy weight can also help reduce arthritis pain and take pressure off the joints. Physical activity can help, too especially if you focus on flexibility and strength training. If its painful to move, try low-impact cardio exercises like swimming and cycling theyll work your muscles while taking it easy on your joints.
If youre wondering, what is the best treatment for osteoarthritis, physical therapy has proven to be an effective treatment, and it may help you avoid surgery and the use of prescription painkillers. While the symptoms and progression of arthritis are different for everyone, starting a personalized exercise program and addressing your risk factors can help with pain relief and slow the advancement of arthritis.
Physical therapy treatment may include:
Recommended Reading: What Blood Tests Are Used To Diagnose Psoriatic Arthritis
To Avoid Arthritis Start When Young
Osteoarthritis is a pain in our joints that we’ll all get sooner or later, if we live long enough.
But, says one expert, you can delay it a long time if you take care of yourself, especially when you’re young.
Osteoarthritis is something people should think about preventing, or at least delaying, when they’re still in their 30’s and 40’s, or even younger, according to Dr. Jason Theodosakis , a specialist in sports and preventive medicine, and an assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.
He says many people don’t realize arthritis starts when they’re young, long before its joint pain emerges.
The incidence of osteoarthritis is rising rapidly, and a contributing factor is that lack of awareness of when it actually begins, Theodosakis says.
Osteoarthritis, he explained, occurs when cartilage in the knee and other joints wears away. But since there are no nerve endings in cartilage, there’s no pain associated with the condition in its early stages. The pain doesn’t begin until the deterioration of cartilage is fairly advanced. But once it does begin, it affects many people.
It is the No. 1 source of pain in older Americans.
Again, he stressed, it’s a young person’s disease, too.
When we are in our 30’s and 40’s, our joints generally feel fine, Theodosakis observes. And arthritis isn’t even on our radar. But it should be, because arthritis may already have begun to form and accelerate.
For arthritis info from the Mayo Clinic, .
Wear A Brace Or Splint
This can be cumbersome when youre going about your day, but the support and pain relief it brings can be significant for some people. But a brace or splint is not useful is the fit is off or if its not the right type for your specific needs. I usually recommend neoprene orthosis for daytime to support a wrist or thumb, and if needed thermoplastic , which are rigid and meant to limit motion at night if pain interferes with sleep, says Dodge. Be sure to check in with your occupational therapist before ordering one on your own.
Read Also: Is Salmon Good For Arthritis
Preventative Measures For Arthritis
There are over 100 forms of arthritis and some are easier to prevent than others. In some situations, such as autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis, a low-inflammation diet that eliminates sugar and grains can alleviate some symptoms. Eating a diet low in processed foods and saturated fat and rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts and beans can help fight the inflammation caused by osteoarthritis.
Maintaining a healthy weight can also help reduce the pain and take pressure off the joints. Once osteoarthritis develops, exercise can help limit pain and improve overall function, especially a focus on flexibility, aerobic and strengthening exercises. Swimming and cycling are excellent low-impact exercises that will work your muscles but arent hard on your joints.
While theres nothing you can do to completely eliminate your risk for developing arthritis, there are certain steps, like diet and exercise, you can take to be more proactive about your long-term health.
How Exercises Help Prevent Arthritis
- Helping in weight loss. Exercises and workouts, when done consistently over time, help reduce weight. This, in turn, reduces the stress on hip and knee joints, reducing the risk of arthritis.
- Supporting healthy cartilage. Joint cartilage needs motion and some stress to stay healthy. Synovial fluid, stored in the cartilage, is excreted whenever the joint is used to deliver nutrients and lubrication. It also reduces inflammation of the joint.
- Reducing pain. Exercise strengthens muscles, which then provide better support and stability to joints. This stability helps prevent bones from dislocating, and protect them from impact and friction, therefore reducing pain. Endorphins released by the body during exercise are the bodys natural painkillers.
- Increasing motion and function. Exercises keep the joints and muscles agile and flexible, increasing their range of motion. This also reduces the chances of stiff muscles, which can lead to arthritis.
- Increasing strength. Exercises increase the strength of muscles, which reduce the amount of stress that would have been placed on joints.
Don’t Miss: Can You Have Ra And Psoriatic Arthritis
Replace High Impact Sports With Low Impact Activities
Some people dont feel like theyre getting a workout unless theyre gasping for breath, but in reality, low impact exercises and activities can provide a great workout without damaging your joint cartilage. High impact sports like running, basketball and football cause wear and tear of cartilage in our joints. Strength training, brisk walking, swimming and yoga are all excellent low impact exercises.
Maintain A Healthy Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight by exercising and choosing healthy food reduces your chances of developing heart disease, obesity, diabetes and arthritis.
Maintaining a healthy weight also reduces the amount of pressure youre carrying on your knees. The more pressure on your knees, the more pressure on your knees cartilage. Once that cartilage breaks down, you face some tough decisions about how to deal with chronic knee pain.
Read Also: How To Reduce Arthritis Swelling In Fingers