Find Ways To Relieve Arthritis Pain
Arthritis is a painful condition that can cause people to become near invalids. There are some ways to reduce the debilitating pain, and allow the return of some functionality. Use the information provided in this article as a guide to bring some relief for your arthritis pain.
Exercise is a good way to keep stiff arthritic joints mobile, but it is sometimes too painful to start moving. Many health clubs and gyms have special water exercise classes for people who suffer from arthritis. Exercising in the water makes movement easier because a lot of weight is taken off the painful joints. Check with your local YMCA for information about these classes, either in their facility or another one in your community.
Warmth can ease the pain in arthritic joints. Gentle heat increases blood flow to the painful area, and the warmth is also comforting. Pain often causes muscles to tighten, and that causes even more pain. The comfort of a warm bath relaxes any tight muscles, and stops the downward spiral of pain causing more pain.
In addition to the vitamins and supplements that are required for good nutrition, there are supplements that help provide some relief for joints that have lost a lot of cartilage. Hyalauronic acid, boswelia and cats claw all provide a measure of relief for arthritis sufferers. Some types of arthritis respond to these supplements better than others, and their effectiveness also depends on the severity of the disease.
Capsaicin cream creates warmth by drawing blood to the area it is applied to, and it can bring reduce the pain of arthritis. Increased blood supply to a stiff joint helps make it easier to move. Swelling of an inflamed joint also causes pain, and some herbal compresses applied with gentle heat can help reduce it.
As painful as it is, arthritic joints should be exercised. Physical therapy can provide guidance about the best methods of doing that exercise. When pain is present it is easy to become too sedentary, and that is not good for arthritic joints or any other part of the body.
Some arthritis sufferers tout the benefits of hot wax dips. This is a process where paraffin wax is melted with gentle heat, and the affected joint is dipped in the wax to coat it. The wax slowly hardens, and the warmth deeply penetrates the painful joint. Once the wax has hardened, it is removed and returned to the well to be heated again.
NSAIDS pain medication not only reduces the amount of pain the person suffering from arthritis feels, but it reduces the inflammation in the joint. This can slow the progression of the disease, and also make movement and exercise more likely. Do not use NSAIDS without the approval of your doctor, since people with heart problems can be adversely affected by them.
Arthritis is a painful disease that can progress to the point of debilitation. It is treatable, and there are ways to slow the progression. Follow the advice in this article to help yourself live more comfortably with arthritis.
