How can you relieve joint pain?
If you are living with joint pain, there are two ways to relieve the pain; traditional medicine and alternative health care. That means that joint pain does not have to rule your life.
Remember, this is not meant as a diagnosis or treatment. You need to speak with or see your doctor to determine the treatment plan that is right for you.
Both are useful when it comes to relieving joint pain. Some alternative health care treatments can be combined with traditional medicinal therapies without side effects.
Prevention of joint pain is always the best course, but if you cannot prevent, then treat with the therapies that work best for you.
Traditional medicinal and alternative therapies for joint pain
Traditional medicinal therapies include anti-inflammatories, pain pills, biologicals, disease-modifying drugs, braces, hot and cold therapy, and physical therapy.
The anti-inflammatories, biologicals, disease-modifying drugs, injections, and pain pills can have both serious and minor side effects. Those side effects range from upset stomach to liver, heart, or kidney problems, and cancer. Any medication can result in an allergic reaction in the person taking it so that is also something to consider. Know the risks and side effects of the medication before you take it so that you can make an informed choice as to what medication is right for you.
Alternative therapies include hot and cold packs, meditation, acupuncture, exercise, supplements, and diet modifications.
These are all-natural remedies that have fewer side effects if any, and are not generally addictive.
All-natural tips on how you can relieve joint pain
The following all-natural treatments can help you relieve joint pain.
- Use hot and cold therapy. Cold reduces swelling and inflammation. Heat reduces pain and encourages circulation. Using hot and cold therapy does not have to be expensive. You can make your own gel cold pack by using a gallon freezer zip bag. Pour 2 cups of water and 1 cup of rubbing alcohol in the bag. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible and zip closed. Place the closed bag zipped side down inside another zip bag and squeeze the air out before zipping shut. Place in the freezer until you need to use it.
For the hot pack, put rice into a sock and sew it shut. This can then be heated in the microwave in 30- to 45-second increments until it gets warm.
- Soak in warm water with Epsom Salt added. If you want a little more relaxation, add a couple of drops of lavender and chamomile essential oils to the water.
- Apply capsaicin “hot pepper” cream. You can make your own capsaicin oil with olive oil and cayenne pepper. Use gloves to rub on the joint area that is hurting. Do not rub your eyes, nose, or lips later as doing so can cause stinging and burning.
- Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet – Studies show that the Mediterranean diet fights inflammation. Add foods like fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines), nuts and seeds (flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts), vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil, and low-fat dairy foods such as eggs, yogurt, juices, and milk to your diet.
- Engage in low-impact exercises such as yoga, walking, swimming, and stretching. Not only will it help your joints, but it will also improve your mental mood.
- Add supplements like vitamin D, calcium, glucosamine, magnesium if you are not getting proper amounts in your diet.
- Lose weight. If you are overweight, it puts undue stress on your joints.
- Get a massage to help relax tight muscles that can cause pain.
- Have acupuncture performed as it can provide improved function and lessen pain.
- Use essential oils as they can help relax you and provide pain relief.
- Make sure your shoes fit properly and provide support.
- Meditation can help reduce stress and pain and improve mental mood.
- Avoid foods and drinks that are high in sugar and refined carbs such as soda, baked items made with bleached flour, and candies.
- Stop smoking if you are a smoker.
- Do not consume alcohol on a regular basis. When you do drink, do so in moderation.
- Get enough sleep. During the day, lie down and rest if you need to. If you do not get enough sleep, you will not only hurt more, but can become depressed.
- If your wrist and finger joints hurt, wash your dishes by hand if you can as the hot water will help ease the pain and promote circulation.
- Limit repetitive motions.
- Drink plenty of water to help eliminate toxins from the body that can aggravate inflammation.
- Add turmeric and ginger to your food – they both contain curcumin which is an anti-inflammatory.
- Delegate some of the heavy work to others to take a load off of your joints.
- Use a brace for joints like the wrists, ankles, knees, or elbows if it is prescribed by a physical therapist. A brace, when used properly, can help support and stabilize the joint to keep the swelling down and reduce pain.
- Keep a positive attitude. Pain is diminished with a positive mental outlook. On the other hand, your body can hurt when you are depressed or stressed.
- Reduce your caffeine consumption as it can cause inflammation and pain in the joints.
If you decide to combine traditional medicine and alternative therapies, first speak with your doctor. Some prescription drugs do not work well when combined with over-the-counter drugs or certain foods. For example, certain antibiotics do not work well or can cause side effects with prolonged sunlight exposure. Certain antibiotics also cause birth control pills to be less potent. With some blood thinners, you should not eat too much broccoli.
Before starting any weight loss or exercise program, you should have a checkup with your doctor to make sure that you are healthy enough to do so.
How can you relieve joint pain? Combining prevention and treatment with both traditional and natural therapies like Meg Relief can relieve joint pain. Good sleep and healthy food go a long way to helping reduce pain.
One of the biggest ways to reduce pain is to get moving. Walking, swimming and yoga are all low-impact exercises that can not only reduce pain and weight, but can help tone and strengthen muscles. Strong muscles help support the joints when you are moving.
