Getting Rid Of Arthritic Pain

Millions of people in the world suffer from arthritis, which is categorized by painful inflammation and stiffness of the joins. As such, the disease can interfere with your ability to go about your daily life; however, there are strategies that you can follow that will help you to alleviate the pain you experience from the disorder.

Heat can be applied to the sight of the arthritic pain to help relieve your symptoms. Heat (from a heating pad or heat wraps, for instance) helps to relax the muscles around the joint. When these muscles are relaxed, it allows you to move with much less pain. Applying heat is especially beneficial for those with rheumatoid arthritis.

While heat can be helpful, applying ice is said to be even better. When ice is applied to the location of pain, it helps to alleviate inflammation of the joint. With the inflammation reduced, you can use the joint much more easily and pain free. If you use ice, make sure that you limit contact with the ice by placing a fabric barrier in between and by not icing the joint for more than 10-15 minutes at a time to prevent cell death.

Many over-the-counter (OTC) medications can help with relieving arthiritis pain. Ibuprofen (Motrin) is an anti-inflammatory pain reliever, and it is the most used OTC medication for arthritis. Another anti-inflammatory pain reliever that many find useful is Naproxen (Aleve). Aspirin can also be used, though it tends to have a lot of side effects, especially at higher dosages. There is also Acetaminophen (Tylenol), which targets the pain signals sent to the brain instead of on decreasing inflammation. If you do not wish to use pill medications, there are other things you can use over-the-counter to help, as well. Capsaicin cream is used for arthritis and muscle pain relief which can help to reduce inflammation and override pain messages to the brain. Salicylate creams are absorbed into the skin to reduce inflammation, and they may contain menthol to help alleviate pain further. There are also creams or gels that provide cold and hot treatments. When applied to the skin, these initially chill the area, but it is soon followed by a warming sensation.

If over-the-counter medications aren't doing the trick, you can talk to your doctor for a suitable prescription. There are a lot of medications available behind the counter at a pharmacy which may help. Some prescription medications are a higher dosage than their over-the-counter counterparts, such as ibuprofen (found OTC at 200mg, but available in prescription up to 800mg). Other prescription pain relieving medications may contain an element found over the counter (such as acetominophen) along with another prescription-only element, such as codeine. Corticosteroids (either in pill or topical form), like prednisone or triamcinolone, may also help by reducing inflammation and suppressing the body's immune system (which can be a direct cause for inflammation). For rheumatoid arthritis, medications such as methotrexate can prevent joint damage caused by the disease.

Try different strategies to see what helps you get the most relief from your arthritis pain. You do not have to let your arthritis control what you are able to do in a day.