8 Home Remedies for Arthritis
Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints that causes swelling and pain in the joints. Arthritis can occur in men, women, and even children of varying age groups. This joint inflammation differs from one person to another in terms of where it hurts and intensity of the discomfort. If diagnosed and treated early, one can prevent the condition from worsening. In addition to medical treatment, there are several home remedies for treating arthritis pain some of which are given below.
8 Home Remedies For Arthritis
- Regular Exercise
- Healthy Diet
- Herbal Remedies
- Weight Management
- Daily Supplements
- Hot Or Cold Therapy
- Massages
- Yoga And Meditation
1. Regular Exercise
Exercise can be really beneficial if you have arthritis. Though it may sound counterintuitive, it can help with joint and bone discomfort. Exercises help you manage your weight, keep your joints mobile, and strengthen your muscles around the joints. Your exercise routine does not have to be sometime high intensity but even low-impact exercises like walking, biking, or swimming can be great!
The key to using exercise as a remedy for arthritis is to ease into the exercise routine instead of jumping headfirst. If you have had a sedentary lifestyle, then start with about 10 minutes of walking per day and then gradually increase your exercise time as per your capacity. Swimming is said to be a great option too especially for people with arthritis as water provides gentle resistance while still being easy on the joints.
2. Healthy Diet
A healthy diet full of fresh fruits, vegetables, and important nutrients can help boost your immune system and overall health. Foods like kale, broccoli, cherries, oats, beans, nuts, fish, brown rice, and turmeric are great to add to your diet.
Contrarily, a diet full of red meat, processed sugars, fast foods, saturated fats, and salts may aggravate the inflammation caused by arthritis. They also contribute to other health conditions like obesity, high blood pressure which are complications you don’t want along with underlying arthritis. By making small changes to your diet i.e. by adding foods rich in antioxidants, you will see a gradual difference!
3. Herbal Remedies
There are several herbal remedies that one can look up to, to provide some relief from arthritis. Though not scientifically proven, these herbs provide an alternative option to consider. Herbal remedies like using turmeric in your meals can help.Turmeric contains a chemical called curcumin, which is an antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties that helps reduce arthritis-related pain. Ginger and Boswellia serrata (a plant native to India) are also said to help with arthritis.
4. Weight Management
Weight management is an important point to keep in check when dealing with arthritis. Weight has a big impact on your arthritis prognosis since extra weight can put more strain on your joints, especially the hips, knees, and feet.
It is strongly recommended that people lose weight to a healthy moderate, according to their age and height. Losing weight can help improve your mobility, reduce pain in your joints, and prevent future damage to them. Being overweight can add more health complications like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes, etc. You can take a dietician’s guidance to maintain your weight.
5. Daily Supplements
Many times, our diet, even though well-balanced, may not be able to provide us with the daily dietary requirements of certain nutrients. So, adding some vitamins and mineral supplements can help fulfill those dietary needs.
These days there even are supplements for hip and joint pains or for people with bone problems. But if you’re planning to go for these, make sure to ask your doctor or your local pharmacist to ensure they won’t have unwanted side effects. You should go for supplements that provide magnesium, vitamin D, and calcium. You can also opt for flax seeds and fish oil capsules for your joint pain.
6. Hot Or Cold Therapy
Heat and cold can help alleviate the pain and inflammation caused by arthritis. Heat can help soothe the muscles and loosen stiff joints. It expands the blood vessels, which causes more blood and oxygen to reach the inflamed area, which in turn may help relieve pain. Warm baths, electric heating pads, and pain relief patches all provide heat. But be sure not to use heat therapy in case there is a sudden flare or swelling. In such cases, you should opt for cold therapy.
Cold treatments aid quite well in reducing swelling, joint pains, and inflammation. You can apply ice packs or put some ice cubes in a towel, and ice the joints that cause discomfort. Do not apply ice directly to the skin instead, make sure there is a barrier between the ice and your skin.
7. Massages
Massages are a great way to alleviate pain as well as provide a sense of well-being. It can help with joint pain and discomfort. More importantly, any sickness or health problem is not only a physical battle but also requires mental energy. Massages have shown to lower cortisol levels and blood pressure and increase the mood-lifting hormone which is serotonin. They also provide a sense of self-care and can help relieve stress.
8. Yoga And Meditation
Yoga is a great way to incorporate some form of physical activity into your life, especially for people with arthritis. It helps improve flexibility, increases the mobility of the limbs and joints, improves physical function, and helps relax your mind and body. Yoga and meditation together can help lower stress and enables individuals to cope better with arthritis. Meditation helps with common mental complications that follow with chronic illnesses like arthritis i.e. anxiety, depression, and stress.
Summing Up
Home remedies cannot cure or replace medical treatments, but rather offer some more viable options to alleviate the pain and inflammation due to arthritis. The best way to go about it is by making the required dietary and lifestyle changes. Depending on the intensity of your pain and the prognosis of your condition, these home remedies can offer some welcome relief from unexpected pain or stiffness.
FAQs
What Can Be Done Naturally For Arthritis?
Some natural remedies that can aid with arthritis include exercises like swimming or cycling, massages, acupuncture, and a healthy diet. This may help relieve the pain, stiffness, and swelling related to arthritis.
What Is The Fastest Way To Relieve Arthritis Pain?
Heat and cold therapy is the quickest way to relieve arthritis-related pain. Using heat pads, pain relief patches to the aching joints, or taking a hot water bath could temporarily relieve pain. If you’re having swelling, then using an ice gel pack over the swollen area should help with the swelling and pain.
What Are Some Of The Medications For Arthritis?
You can opt for over-the-counter pain relief medications like paracetamol. Pharmacies and doctors might even prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which help with swelling and pain. Or you can even opt for capsaicin gels, which are pain relief gels that cool down and heat your joints.
Which Fruits Are Good For Arthritis?
All kinds of berries are great for arthritis since they are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Fruits like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries contain anthocyanins, which help reduce inflammation.