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Natural Remedies for Arthritis
We’re designed to move. To be free. To venture out each day thinking, “here I come, world."
So, when something inhibits your range of motion, it can be a blow to your motivation.
One of the most common offenders of this is arthritis. Whether it’s cartilage breakdown in osteo or inflammation in rheumatoid, what you’re experiencing is stiffness, pain and at times, a feeling of being powerless over your joints.
Treatment traditionally entails prescription medications and painkillers.
However, if that isn’t your cup of tea, here are some natural remedies.
Stay Active
The adage goes, if you don’t use it, you lose it. When you maintain regular movement, you maintain regular flexibility. If you’re already experiencing pain, there’s no need to increase it with high impact exercises. Instead, try swimming, water aerobics, stretching or daily walks. Having an exercise routine will aid with range of motion in addition to making an impact on your weight. The less weight put on joints, especially knees, the less pressure and pain.
Consider What You Consume
You are what you eat. Or drink. But, you need to know what to try. Certain fatty acids, such as omega-3, have been known to reduce stiffness and pain. These could be taken as supplements or found in walnuts, salmon or soybeans. Another ingredient to consider is turmeric. It’s a spice commonly found in Indian dishes and has been known to have anti-inflammatory properties. You can try it in food, or combine with ginger as a tea. Speaking of sipping your pain away, a few other curious ingredients that can be tried in healing cocktails include: white willow bark, blackstrap molasses, juniper berries, golden raisins and even frankincense.
Supplement Yourself
Many herbal supplements, such as devil’s claw, ginkgo and stinging nettle can sometimes reduce joint pain. It’s tough to incorporate certain items into a daily diet, so thankfully there are many things on the market to make it easy. Magnesium is also one of these supplements. It relaxes muscles and nerve endings which helps reduce stiffness. You can take this in through capsules or even spinach or nuts.
Get Topical
Apply some healing directly to the spots of pain. Rubbing extra virgin olive oil onto your joints works because of a compound called oleocanthal, a blocker to inflammatory enzymes. Epsom salt is something you can soak in because of magnesium sulfate, which we’ve already shared the muscle benefits of. Looking to spice things up eve more? Try cayenne capsaicin ointment. Found easily over the counter, the capsaicin is a component found in hot peppers, which inhibits “Substance P.” Substance P transmits brain signals to our brains, so blocking provides a temporary fix at the spot that bothers you. Just be sure to wash your hands immediately following application.
Have Someone Help
One of the smartest things someone can do is ask for help. Having regular massages, chiropractor appointments or physical therapy sessions are all intended to help soothe your body when it’s in pain. Acupuncture is another great hands-on (or hands-off, technically) approach to restoring balance in the body.
If you suffer from arthritis and have found a remedy which works for you, we’d love to hear from you on Facebook + Twitter.
And, as always, consult your doctor before trying anything new to avoid injury or drug interactions.
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