How Can You Help Arthritis

Tai Chi Instead Of Yoga

Alternative exercises like yoga are known to build strength and flexibility. But tai chi may be a better bet for alleviating pain from back arthritis.

Tai chi originated as a fighting technique, but has transformed into gentle, continuously moving stretches. Many poses work from the waist, which enhances spinal stretching.

Unlike yoga, tai chi puts little stress on the joints and helps improve balance. If youre new to tai chi, consider signing up for a class. The exercises can also be modified for severe arthritis back pain.

Keep Dog Nails Trimmed

Nails that impact a dogs mobility can be heard. If you hear clicking when your dog walks, its time to cut her nails or have them done. One rogue toenail is enough to make your dog distribute her weight in a way that aggravates her arthritis.

To verify your dogs nail length is not aggravating her arthritis, make sure you can slip a piece of paper between her nail and the floor when shes standing. For a refresher on how to trim nails see this article: Senior Dog Nail Trimming.

What Is A Joint And How Does It Work

A joint is where two or more bones meet, such as in the fingers, knees, and shoulders. Joints hold bones in place and allow them to move freely within limits.

Most of the joints in our body are surrounded by a strong capsule. The capsule is filled with a thick fluid that helps to lubricate the joint. These capsules hold our bones in place. They do this with the help of ligaments. These are a bit like very strong elastic bands.

The ends of the bones within a joint are lined with cartilage. This is a smooth but tough layer of tissue that allows bones to glide over one another as you move.

If we want to move a bone, our brain gives a signal to the muscle, which then pulls a tendon, and this is attached to the bone. Muscles therefore have an important role in supporting a joint.

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Alternative Medicine For Arthritis

A variety of alternative therapies is used for arthritis. However, none of these has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of arthritis, so they may not be effective or safe. It is important to let your doctor know if you’re considering these types of treatments.

While some studies suggest that glucosamine and chondroitin supplements are as effective as NSAIDs for reducing pain, swelling, and stiffness in osteoarthritis, recent large studies funded by the NIH suggest these supplements are not very helpful, except perhaps in some cases. Typical daily doses are 1,500 milligrams for glucosamine and 1,200 milligrams for chondroitin.

The antibiotic doxycycline may have some potential to delay the progression of osteoarthritis by inhibiting enzymes that break down cartilage. More research is needed to confirm these results.

The NIH considers acupuncture an acceptable alternative treatment for osteoarthritis, especially if it affects the knee. Studies have shown that acupuncture helps reduce pain, may significantly lessen the need for painkillers, and can help increase range of motion in affected knee joints.

The supplement SAMe has been shown in some studies to be as effective for osteoarthritis pain as NSAIDs.

How To Help Arthritis In Knees: The Basics

Your knees are the largest, strongest joint in the body. Knowing a bit about the anatomy can help to appreciate not only their strength but also their unique vulnerabilities.

Knee joints consist of three bones. The femur connects to the tibia and the patella . Cartilage wraps around the end of each bone to protect and smooth movement where the three bones meet.

Two wedges of cartilage called the meniscus act as shock absorbers as the femur presses down into the tibia. Synovial fluid lubricates all of the cartilage in the joint and helps with smooth movement.

In addition, stabilizing ligaments and tendons include:

• Lateral and medial collateral ligaments: Stabilize side-to-side movement
• Posterior and anterior cruciate ligament: Frames movement forward and backwards

Knees absorb the impact of your upper body coming down on the lower leg: every day, all day. This means that everything you dowalking, running, hiking up a mountain, or simply standing up from a seatrelies on healthy knees.

When our knees are not healthy, the resulting knee pain can make it challenging to go about our normal daily activities or even get to sleep at night.

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What Happens At The End Of A Course Of Hydrotherapy

One of the main aims of hydrotherapy treatment is to give you confidence to continue and manage a programme of exercises on your own once the course has finished. Your physiotherapist will probably suggest that you carry on with your exercises in your local swimming pool.

Some swimming pools have special sessions when the water temperature may be increased and some sports centres offer water-based exercise classes. Ask your doctor or physiotherapist for advice before you join a class to make sure its suitable. You should also speak to the instructor about your arthritis and its effects so they can adapt some of the exercises for you if necessary.

It may also be possible to pay for further sessions without the physiotherapist in the hospital pool. And in some areas, local arthritis support groups hire a hospital or health club pool for hydrotherapy sessions.

If you cant swim, it might be worth learning swimming is an excellent form of exercise for improving your fitness and mobility without putting a lot of strain on your joints. Ask a healthcare professional for advice if youre not sure whether it would be suitable for you.

Apply Heat And Cold Therapy

Ever notice how a warm shower loosens up your joints and muscles in the morning? If you have arthritis, your answer is probably yes. Did you know you can use both heat and ice to treat your arthritis? Heatsuch as from a shower, bath, electric blanket or heating padhelps relieve stiffness and gets blood flowing to the muscles so you feel able to move again. Ice reduces joint pain and swelling. If your arthritic knee hurts after youve been standing or walking all day, apply an ice pack to the painful or swollen area for no more than 20 minutes. Rest a bit, then move around again to keep from getting stiff.

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The 10 Best Foods To Eat If You Have Arthritis

If you have arthritis, you know just how devastating this condition can be.

Arthritis is a term for a class of diseases that cause pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. It can affect people of all ages, genders and ethnic backgrounds.

There are many different types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is one type, which develops in joints with overuse. Another type is rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks your joints (

Fortunately, there are many foods that can ease inflammation and may help relieve some of the joint pain associated with arthritis.

In fact, one survey found that 24% of those with rheumatoid arthritis reported that their diet had an impact on the severity of their symptoms (

This article will look at 10 of the best foods to eat if you have arthritis.

Give Your Dog A Daily Massage

Massage therapy is great for arthritis and some pet boutiques charge big money for a dog massage. You can do this for free! Use long gentle strokes and always push blood toward your dogs heart. Massage gets blood flowing to the arthritic area and can reduce pain and stiffness for several hours.

You can actually do this massage in combination with the next suggestion which is heat therapy.

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Osteoarthritis Of The Ankle

Ankle OA is painful and can make it hard to walk. Treatment can ease your pain and keep you moving.

Your ankles allow you to walk, run and jump. Three bones come together to let us move our feet up and down. The surfaces where these bones meet are covered with cartilage. This smooth tissue protects and pads the bones.Osteoarthritis causes the cartilage to wear away over time. The bones rub against each other and bone spurs form. Ankle OA causes pain, swelling and a loss of function.

Causes of Ankle OA

There is no single cause of OA. These factors can make it more likely youll have OA:

• Age: OA can occur at any time of life, but it is most common in older adults.
• Obesity: Being overweight adds stress to your ankles. Fat cells produce proteins that may make OA worse.
• Injuries: Any ankle injury, even one that happened years ago, can lead to OA.
• Repeated stress: High-impact stress on your ankles over a long period of time can increase risk for OA.
• Genetics: You may have a family history of OA.
• Joint shape: If you have misaligned joints, you are at higher risk.

Risk Factors For Knee Pain

Anyone with knees can have knee pain, but there are some risk factors that increase your chances. Carrying extra weight is a primary risk factor, as is having a job that places lots of stress on the knees. Professional athletes and enthusiastic amateurs alike are all at risk of knee pain due to wear-and-tear and injury also.

Other risk factors include:

• Lack of flexibility or strength in supporting muscles

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Make Sure You Get Enough Vitamin C

Vitamin C not only helps produce collagen, a major component of joints, but sweeps the body of destructive free radicals, which are harmful to joints. One of the best-known studies looking into vitamin C and arthritis found that people whose diets routinely included high amounts of vitamin C had significantly less risk of their arthritis progressing. Spread out your intake throughout the day because your body doesnt store vitamin C rather, it takes what it needs from the bloodstream at any given time and flushes out the rest. This means a megadose in the morning doesnt really do as much good. Sip citrus drinks or eat C-rich fruits and vegetables such as strawberries or melon, broccoli, or sweet peppers. And be sure to avoid these foods that might flare your arthritis.

Make A Ginger Poultice

Applying crushed ginger to a painful join works along the same lines as capsaicinelements in the plant can deplete the bodys stores of substance P, a brain chemical that carries pain messages to your central nervous system. One study of 56 people found that ginger eased symptoms in 55 percent of people with osteoarthritis and 74 percent of those with RA. To treat yourself, peel and finely mince a 3-inch piece of fresh ginger. Mix it with just enough olive oil to form a paste, then apply it to the painful joint. Depending on where the pain is, you may need to wrap the paste in place with a gauze or a length of ace bandage. Leave in place for 10-15 minutes to allow the ginger to penetrate.

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How Chiropractic Can Reduce Arthritis Pain

Are you wondering how chiropractic can reduce arthritis pain? Youre not alone. Millions of people suffer from arthritis. Though common, arthritis is often misunderstood. This disease, with its painful joint inflammation, swelling, and stiffness, usually rears its head during middle age and grows worse with each passing year.

However, arthritis is more complicated than its basic name suggests. Its not just one disease. Doctors are aware of more than 100 unique types of arthritis and many levels of severity. In fact, arthritis is the leading disability cause in the U.S.A. and afflicts over 50 million people.

If you have arthritis, you know how much it can hurt. But did you know how chiropractic can reduce arthritis pain? There are 2 major kinds of arthritis that regular chiropractic can help: Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

For both types, your at-home care can be supplemented by gentle, non-addictive treatment to help manage pain and discomfort.

How Can I Access Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy sessions are available on the NHS, and most hospitals have access to hydrotherapy pools. Any member of the healthcare team should be able to refer you to an NHS physiotherapist if they think you might benefit from hydrotherapy. In some parts of the UK you can also refer yourself to a physiotherapist, wholl assess whether hydrotherapy would be suitable for you. Check with your GP or call your local rheumatology department to find out if an NHS physiotherapist in your area will accept self-referrals.

You can also choose to use private healthcare, but its important to be aware that in rare instances private hydrotherapy may be unregulated, and so the quality of the changing areas, the water or general environment can vary enormously. Check before your treatment starts that youre happy with the facility. A qualified physiotherapist will be registered with the Health Professionals Council , and its recommended that you see someone whos a member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists and whos accredited by the Aquatic Therapy of Chartered Physiotherapists .

A course of hydrotherapy usually involves five or six 30-minute sessions. Not all physiotherapy departments have a hydrotherapy pool, so you may have to travel to another hospital.

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Physical Activity For Arthritis

If you have arthritis, participating in joint-friendly physical activity can improve your arthritis pain, function, mood, and quality of life. Joint-friendly physical activities are low-impact, which means they put less stress on the body, reducing the risk of injury. Examples of joint-friendly activities include walking, biking and swimming. Being physically active can also delay the onset of arthritis-related disability and help people with arthritis manage other chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

Learn how you can increase your physical activity safely.

On This Page

• When to see your doctor

Stay as active as your health allows, and change your activity level depending on your arthritis symptoms. Some physical activity is better than none.

For substantial health benefits, adults with arthritis should follow the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommendations for Active Adult or Active Older Adult, whichever meets your personal health goals and matches your age and abilities. Learn more at the Physical Activity GuidelinesExternal website.

Learn how you can safely exercise and enjoy the benefits of increased physical activity with these S.M.A.R.T. tips.

• Start low, go slow.
• Modify activity when arthritis symptoms increase, try to stay active.
• Activities should be joint friendly.
• Recognize safe places and ways to be active.
• Talk to a health professional or certified exercise specialist.

Start low, and go slow

Provide A Dog Bed In Every Room Where Family Spends Time

Some dogs have one dog bed and it may not necessarily be available to the dog until bed time. This is fine with young dogs, but older, arthritic dogs need something to cushion their protruding joints wherever they spend time with humans.

If your arthritic dog is laying on a cold, wood floor of a game room while the kids play for hours at a time, your dog will thank you for placing a dog bed in the game room.

Now lets move on to products that can be added as budget permits.

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Natural Therapies For Arthritis Pain

Medication isn’t the only way to manage arthritis pain. Look at these eight natural therapies for arthritis.

1. 8 Natural Therapies for Arthritis Pain

2. Acupuncture

Best for:

3. Massage

Best for:

4. Tai Chi

Best for:

5. Yoga

Best for:

6. Weight Loss

Best for:

7. Physical Therapy

Best for:

8. Topical Gels

Best for:

9. TENS

Best for:

Final Thoughts On How To Treat A Dog With Arthritis At Home

I hope out of these 20 ideas, something brings your dog a little relief from the pain of arthritis and maybe even makes your life easier too.

As with most ailments, a multi-pronged approach to helping your dog with arthritis can really improve your dogs quality of life. The good feeling of knowing you improved your dogs mobility or reduced your dogs pain lasts a lifetime.

Thanks for visiting SeniorDogDays!

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Keep Bc Arthritis Powder Stick Packs Handy

When you need quick pain relief at home or on the go, BC® Arthritis can help. It contains a higher dose of aspirin than in our original formula plus the same amount of caffeine to help stop minor arthritis pain fast. Powder pain relief absorbs quickly and our convenient, on-the-go, sealed stick packs let you slip one or two in your pocket or purse to take with you wherever you go.

As always, especially if you take other medications, talk to your doctor to make sure its okay to take BCÒ Arthritis occasionally too.

Install Small Step In Front Of High Step

Even before your dogs arthritis gets really bad, you could help him out by installing a small step in front of a high step. These high steps are really common in capes and ranches or even off decks. Even though its just one step, its a killer on arthritis. These small steps keep your arthritic dog independent longer and the relieve joints from the stress caused by having to navigate a high step up.

Most stutter steps can serve a dual purpose, for instance, you can use it on your high step and then move it to your van or SUV as needed. Just make sure that it is not too narrow. TIP: To save money, and enjoy a better quality, get the kind that are made for elderly or disabled people like this: Anti-slip half step .

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