How To Reduce Arthritis And Joint Pain

Treat Yourself To A Massage

Massages arent just for de-stressing they can also provide your joints with much-needed pain relief. A study of 42 adults with RA found that those whod gotten moderate-pressure massages had less pain better range of motion in their shoulders, elbows, and wrists and stronger grip strength after a month.

How To Relieve Arthritis Pain Naturally At Home 7 Tips

Arthritis is the painful inflammatory disorder which can cause stiffness and pain in your feet and hand. Some people want to seek a relief from medications and painkillers. Unfortunately, many medications and painkillers have side effects on the patients health. The good news is that you can find alternative solution from natural tips and home remedies on how to relieve arthritis pain naturally at home.

Emotional And Social Effects On Arthritis Pain

Your fears about pain, previous experiences with pain and your attitude about your condition can affect how you react to pain and how much pain you feel. Your cultural and religious background and the way people around you react to pain may also affect how you react to pain.

In addition, the emotional ups and downs of arthritis may affect your pain. If you feel depressed and stressed, your pain may seem worse. You may get caught in a cycle of pain, depression and stress that makes everything seem harder to handle.

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Add Turmeric To Your Diet

Turmeric is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties.

In one study, scientists gave turmeric to rats to ascertain its effect on inflammation and pain.

The results indicated that it helped to significantly reduce inflammation in their joints.

Other studies have found participantsâ pain levels improved when walking and when climbing stairs, as did their knee function, from taking turmeric supplements.

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Bring On The Chili Peppers

Capsaicin is the active ingredient in chili peppers and it can be used topically over symptomatic joints first thing in the morning to help ease the pain. It doesnt work for everyone, but some find it helpful. Be careful, it does burn a little at first!! Don R. Martin, MD, a rheumatologist with Sentara RMH Rheumatology

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How To Treat Arthritis

Treating arthritis requires each patient to be fully invested in their our own care. While we do offer traditional treatments, such as anti-inflammatory medications, injections and surgery, they are not the only way to increase joint mobility, reduce pain and promote faster healing.

Managing your arthritis focuses primarily on exercise, physical therapy as well as proper diet and nutrition to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. Muscles are a very important component of stability and structure around joints and can often slow the degenerative changes of arthritis if maintained with exercise and physical therapy.

Its best to avoid high-impact exercise like running or repetitive jumping if it makes your joint pain worse, although those activities wont necessarily worsen arthritis. We recommend cycling, swimming or the elliptical trainer as a low-impact alternative.

Additionally, maintaining a healthy weight, even a 5- to 10-pound weight loss can have a tremendous impact on reducing joint pain.

When it comes to managing pain, gentle stretching, yoga and tai chi may also improve flexibility and reduce stiffness and pain. Options for pain include acetaminophen or an anti-inflammatory pain reliever such as ibuprofen, but there isnt enough evidence to support taking supplements, such as glucosamine, to treat arthritis. There is some evidence that following an anti-inflammatory diet may reduce symptoms of arthritis.

What Is The Long

Some knee pain, especially pain caused by osteoarthritis, will likely be permanent. Thats because the structure of the knee is damaged. Without surgery or another type of extensive treatment, youll continue to feel pain, inflammation, and swelling in your knee.

The long-term outlook for chronic knee pain involves managing pain, preventing flare-ups, and working to reduce irritation to the knee.

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Arthritis: What Is It What Causes It And How To Treat It

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, and is often blamed on wear and tear. Right now, there are millions of Americans with OA, and their joint pain, swelling and stiffness can become a chronic condition that is felt most commonly in the knees, hips, lower back and neck, but can also effect smaller joints of the feet and hands. This is why its so important to learn as much as possible about arthritis in order take steps to improve your OA now.

After treating many patients with joint pain due to OA, we routinely get questions about how to prevent and/or treat arthritis, and we wanted to answer those common queries so people would understand what causes OA and what can be done to minimize the impact of arthritis.

The Science Behind The Remedy

With a history rooted in folk medicine, apple cider vinegar is tossed aside by many members of the medical field. Naturopathic doctors and other natural health professionals praise traditional remedies. Apple cider vinegar offers our body a multitude of health benefits, not just relief from arthritis or joint pain.

Apple cider vinegar is rich in minerals that our body needs including magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and potassium. Mineral deficiencies are the root causes of many health problems, and if not detected, deficiencies can worsen health problems including arthritis and joint pain. A diet rich in essential minerals is a critical step to relieving arthritic pain. The potassium in apple cider vinegar may be especially beneficial because it works to prevent calcium build-up in the joints, which is linked to joint stiffness.

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Watermelon And Joint Pain

Watermelon is a delicious and refreshing food but at the same time, an excellent source of potassium-containing 112 mg. in 100 gr. of this food

According to the American Arthritis Foundation, watermelon is one of the most recommended fruits for this disease.

And it also allows you to control overweight in these patients thanks to its large contribution of water and low caloric content.

Surprising Facts About Arthritis Pain

Even though pain may interfere with work relationships and daily life few Americans talk to their doctors about it. Did you know:

• Fewer than half of Americans with severe or moderate pain report that they have a “great deal of control” over their pain.
• Fewer than half of people who visit their doctor for pain believe that their doctor completely understands how their pain makes them feel.

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Treatments For Joint Inflammation

Treatments for inflammatory joint diseases include medications, rest, exercise, and surgery to correct joint damage. Your treatment will depend on several things including the type of disease, your age, the type of medications youâre taking, your overall health, your medical history, and how severe your symptoms are.

The goals of treatment are to:

• Treat the disease thatâs causing your inflammation
• Relieve pain with medication and by changing your activities
• Maintain joint movement, muscle strength, and overall function with physical therapy and exercise
• Lessen stress on your joints by using braces, splints, or canes as needed

Whip Out The Resistance Bands

Working out may seem kind of counterintuitive when youre dealing with achy knees or a sore elbow. But keeping muscles strong, while maintaining flexibility and range of motion, is crucial. Otherwise, underutilized limbs become weak, making it even more painful when you try to move around. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Aging Research concluded that exercise improves overall function in those with rheumatoid arthritis. That same study found that the best exercise program for those with rheumatoid arthritis should include both aerobic and resistance training.

Muscle strength is especially important because you need muscles to absorb the impact that may occur when youre walking around or doing other activities, says Jonathan Samuels, M.D., an associate professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology and the codirector of the Joint Preservation & Arthritis Center at New York University Langone Health. Think of it as maintaining a shock absorber around the joints. Strengthening exercises are also beneficial for keeping bones strong, since people with rheumatoid arthritis are more prone to getting osteoporosis.

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How To Use Pain Medications Properly

There are two types of over-the-counter pain medications that can be used for osteoarthritis. Acetaminophen is a pain reliever but not an anti-inflammatory. It may help with mild knee pain.

NSAIDs can be more effective because they both relieve pain and reduce inflammation. However, they come with potential side effects and risks. NSAIDs can irritate the lining of the stomach, which may lead to an ulcer or other stomach problems. They also can impair kidney function. Some NSAIDs can increase blood pressure. And theyve been linked to an increased risk for heart disease.

Because of the risks, Dr. Day cautions against using NSAIDs regularly over long periods of time. Instead, she uses NSAIDs for her patients in two ways. First, people who have a flare-up of pain can take them regularly for three to five days and then stop. Second, they can be used over the long term, but only occasionally, maybe a couple of times a week as needed.

If youre taking NSAIDs several times a day for long periods of time, Dr. Day advises reducing their use by maximizing the other treatment strategies. She also suggests trying a topical NSAID, such as diclofenac , which has fewer potential side effects.

Opioid pain relievers are discouraged for long-term treatment of chronic knee pain. The milder narcotic tramadol might be appropriate for occasional use in some people, says Dr. Day.

Why Are Mornings So Miserable For People With Arthritis

One reason may be that inflammation creates a vicious cycle in the body. Inflammation causes swelling. This swelling overnight in an immobile joint causes the surrounding muscles and tissues to tighten up, which in turn causes pain and stiffness.

Another reason is that in inflammatory arthritis, the immune system attacks the synovium or lining of the joint, which causes it to become inflamed and swell. During the night, while your joints arent moving, the inflammatory materials can cause joint fluid to collect in and around the joint, which makes even more swelling, which leads to the pain and stiffness you feel first thing in the morning.

The frustrating part is that the very thing that can help prevent and reduce the symptoms movement is the thing that symptoms can make it feel impossible to do, says Nelson E. Dalla Tor, MD, a family medicine doctor at PIH Health who treats many patients with arthritis.

And once youre off to such a tough start, everything else in your morning routine feels so much harder.

Mornings are the worst, especially with my hands and fingers, says Angie Kynaston, a mom of eight and a nurse in Utah. When my arthritis is flaring, I cant make lunches for the kids, help them get dressed, feed them breakfast, or brush their teeth, much less take care of myself. Its enough to make me not want to get out of bed at all some days.

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Adding Or Removing Some Bone Around A Joint

If you have osteoarthritis in your knees but you’re not suitable for knee replacement surgery, you may be able to have an operation called an osteotomy. This involves your surgeon adding or removing a small section of bone either above or below your knee joint.

This helps realign your knee so your weight is no longer focused on the damaged part of your knee. An osteotomy can relieve symptoms of osteoarthritis, although you may still need knee replacement surgery eventually.

If you have osteoarthritis in your knees and your doctor has recommended an osteotomy, you can watch a video about how an osteotomy works, including the risks and benefits of having this type of surgery, on The Health and Care Video Library.

How Stress Affects Arthritis Pain

Feeling stressed, depressed, and overwhelmed by arthritis pain is common, but such emotional reactions may actually make your arthritis pain feel worse and inhibit you from doing what you know you need to, like exercising and taking medications.

To help you control your stress levels:

• Take a vacation if and when you can just bring along your medication and all your doctor’s information.
• Express your feelings in a journal, diary, or blog several times a week.
• Turn to your religion or another form of spirituality for support and guidance.
• Get enough rest, at least eight hours each night, and take a short nap when you need it.
• Meditate a few times a week.
• Read, relax, enjoy a hot bath, and just savor some private quiet time alone.

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What Causes Chronic Knee Pain

Temporary knee pain is different from chronic knee pain. Many people experience temporary knee pain as a result of an injury or accident. Chronic knee pain rarely goes away without treatment, and it isnt always attributable to one incident. Its most often the result of several causes or conditions.

Physical conditions or diseases can cause knee pain. These include:

• osteoarthritis: pain, inflammation, and joint destruction caused by degeneration and deterioration of the joint
• tendinitis: pain in the front of the knee that is made worse when climbing, taking stairs, or walking up an incline
• bursitis: inflammation caused by repeated overuse or injury of the knee
• gout: arthritis caused by the buildup of uric acid
• Bakers cyst: a buildup of synovial fluid behind the knee
• rheumatoid arthritis : a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorder that causes painful swelling and can eventually cause joint deformity and bone erosion
• dislocation: dislocation of the kneecap most often the result of trauma
• meniscus tear: a rupture in one or more of the cartilage in the knee
• torn ligament: tear in one of the four ligaments in the knee the most commonly injured ligament is the anterior cruciate ligament
• bone tumors: osteosarcoma , most commonly occurs in the knee

Factors that may make chronic knee pain worse:

• injuries to the structure of the knee can cause bleeding and swelling and can create a chronic problem over time if not treated properly

• injections

Tips For Using A Cane

When using a cane, remember the following tips:

• Ensure the cane isnt too tall or short. You shouldnt slump or slouch over when using a cane. Its height should come to the top of your wrist.
• Use the cane on your strong side. If your affected hip is your right one, hold the cane with your left hand. When you step forward with your right leg, the cane will provide support. Practice moving your affected leg and the cane at the same time.
• Advance the cane an appropriate distance. Move the cane about 2 inches to the front or side of you. If its too far from your body, you might lose balance.

A physical therapist can help you develop a safe technique.

Your insurance company may cover the cost of these aids. Your healthcare provider can write a prescription for these mobility aids to help in the reimbursement process.

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Exercise And Physical Therapy

Exercise is essential for reducing the risk of osteoarthritis and slowing its progress. Exercise not only helps you manage your weight, but it also improves strength, flexibility, and mobility.

Low-impact exercises are less likely to put strain on a damaged joint. Experts strongly recommend tai chi for people with hip osteoarthritis.

Other options include:

Regular stretching can help relieve stiff, achy, or painful joints. Here are some tips to help you stretch safely:

• Start by asking a physical therapist for suggestions and guidance.
• Do all stretches gently and build up flexibility slowly.
• Stop if you feel pain.
• Increase intensity slowly.

If you dont feel pain after the first few days of an activity, gradually spend more time on it. At first, you may find it hard to stretch very far, but your flexibility will increase over time, as you practice.

Here are a few possible stretches:

Forward fold

Start with your feet shoulder-width apart or sit in a chair. Slowly lean forward, keeping your upper body relaxed. You should feel the stretch in your hips and lower back.

Knee pull

Lie on your back. Pull your bent knee up toward your chest until you feel a stretch. If your body allows it, use your other leg to deepen the stretch.

Extended leg balance

This is the same exercise as the knee pull, but you start from a standing position. Place one hand along the wall for support.

Cobra

Here are some other stretches you can ask your healthcare provider about:

• standing hip flexors

Use Heat Or Cold Safely

• Use either heat or cold for only 15-20 minutes at a time. Let your skin return to its normal temperature before using another application.
• Always put a towel between your skin and any type of pack.
• Always follow the advice of your physical therapist or doctor carefully when using these methods especially heat.
• Check your skin before and after using heat or cold.
• Use milder temperatures for a child’s skin because it is more sensitive than an adult’s skin.

Don’t:

• Do not use either heat or cold if you have open cuts or sores.
• Do not use cold packs if you have poor circulation or vasculitis.
• Do not use heat that is too hot or cold that is too cold. It is normal for your skin to appear pink after using a hot or cold pack. If an area appears dark red or spotty red and white there may be some skin damage. Blisters also appear if the pack was too hot or too cold.
• Do not use creams, heat rubs or lotions on your skin while using a hot or cold treatment.
• Do not make your bath or shower water too hot. This may cause dizziness or fatigue.

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