Home Remedies for Arthritis

Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints in the body. People will experience pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints, as well as a decreased motions in your body. It's estimated that 52 million adults in the United States suffer from arthritis, affecting approximately four percent of the country's population with a new case diagnosed every 33 seconds.

And you can’t forget the other millions of people that don’t decide to see the doctor. Most people don’t know there are hundreds of different types of arthritis, though most arthritis falls into one of two common categories: Inflammatory arthritis or Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Inflammatory arthritis is a condition disease that affects your immune system. The body tries to defend the immune system, but ends up attacking your own tissues instead of attacking the germs, viruses, and other foreign substances in the body. The effect is caused by pain, stiffness, and joint damage. Inflammatory arthritis is one most common types of arthritis. Inflammatory arthritis is also a form of autoimmune disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis is more complicated because it affects the hands, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, eyes, lungs, and feet. Rheumatoid Arthritis is also an autoimmune disease. Usually, women develop this disease more often than men. The diseased is linked to genetic and hormonal factors. Children can also develop the disease. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a systemic disease that causes symptoms such as weakness and fatigue.

Arthritis can be crippling on the body, but there are things you can do to try and control it. You can do things to help preserve your body, mobility, and quality of life. Most importantly, you want to learn about this disease so you can know all of your treatment options. Today you will be learning 10 tips and home remedies that can be helpful in dealing with arthritis.

1. Eat your vegetables.

Studies from clinical rheumatologists show that people who start a vegetarian diet saw improvements in their conditions within the first month. Vegetarian diets are good because they reduce saturated fat and replace it with more polyunsaturated fat. Foods you would want to cut out are meats, eggs, dairy products, sugar, and foods with gluten (i.e. bread).

2. Eat seafood.

When you eat seafood, it is a great source of polyunsaturated fat. Examples are salmon, sardines, and herring. Seafood is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Seafood helps reduce inflammation in the joints.

3. Ointment

Researcher show that using the ointment Zostrix can reduce pain levels. You would want to use the cream three to four times a day. Please apply to the area that's causing pain. When using the product, use gloves, don’t get it in your eyes, don’t swallow the product, and immediately wash your hands after applying the product. You may experience a burning sensation due to the hot pepper in the cream's ingredients. This feeling usually goes away after a few days.

4. Dehumidifier

A dehumidifier can help keep arthritis calm with the weather changes. During the summer, the increase in humidity and a decrease in air pressure can cause restrictions of blood flow to the arthritic joints. Also, the air pressure becomes increasingly stiff when a storm starts. You want to eliminate humidity by closing windows, turning on a dehumidifier, or running your air condition in warmer weather. This will help you reduce pain caused the weather.

5. Weight Loss

Obese can increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is when the cartilage on the end of your bones has been worn down. Your joint has been damaged in your body. Usually, when this occurs the damage is irreversible. The extra weight can cause damage to your joints. The extra pressure can increase your arthritis. You want to stay active...

6. Stay active.

If you want to improve your condition then exercise daily. You want to build up your muscles and tissues around the joint area. Exercise can also decrease the amount of arthritis pain you will experience. Some exercises you can try are cycling, water therapy, light weightlifting, light aerobic exercises, or dancing. Exercise helps protects your affected joints, reduce stress on you joints, and manage weight loss.

7. Avoid certain foods.

It is important to eat healthily to reduce pain in the body. When you eat unhealthy things, you can get worst, as we will discuss a little bit earlier. You want to eat vegetables, seafood, and fiber regularly. Foods that you would want to avoid include dairy products, alcohol, nuts, and tomatoes.

8. Relaxation

Your pain can increase due to stress. It is important to relax your body. Relaxation can help reduce arthritis pain. I would suggest trying one of the following: Meditation, listen to music, or take a nap. You could also consult a psychologist or therapist.

9. Over the Counter Medicine

Life can be difficult dealing with your daily pain. In living with arthritis, you want to make sure you use the correct pain relievers. Doctors recommend using Tylenol. You should follow the label for proper doses. Don’t use Tylenol for more than three weeks without consulting a licensed physician. I wouldn’t recommend using aspirin or ibuprofen because, instead relief pain, these can cause stomachaches.

10. Cold/Heating Packs

You can use ice to prevent swelling, and/or heating in a small amount to help with muscle relaxation. Also, heat can soothe your pain. I wouldn’t recommend using either for more than 10 minutes.

In Conclusion, there is no cure for arthritis, but the right treatment can reduce the symptoms. Eat healthy, use ointments, dehumidify your air, manage your weight, stay active, relax, take over the counter medicine, and cold/heating packs can all be the key in helping you with your pain management. I would also recommend that you see a healthcare professional for additional treatment. You are the number one advocate for yourself. You are in charge of your health and finding proper care treatment.