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Natural arthritis pain relief
strategies that work
If you're considering natural arthritis pain relief methods as an alternative to prescription and over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory medications, you have numerous options. Some are even free! Below are several natural arthritis pain relief strategies from authors, scientists and authorities in the field. Their suggestions include things you can drink and eat, activities you can start, and supplements you can take.
Drink 8 or more glasses of water daily
 Fluid is key to joints working properly. Joints can be negatively affected when a person is not consuming enough water to lubricate joints, flush out toxins and replace fluid loss in cells during the aging process, according to Dr. Katherine Poehlmann, author of Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Infection Connection. Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, who received his formal medical education at St. Mary's Hospital Medical School at London University, has conducted research linking pain to dehydration and concludes that rheumatoid joint pain indicates local chronic dehydration. So drink lots of water-- not drinks that contain water such as tea or coffee-- but plain water. This natural arthritis pain relief strategy is free and can have other benefits to those with arthritis such as more energy, better memory, and weight loss due to fewer hunger pangs.
Click here to review our diet for osteoarthritis.
Get moving: start exercising gently
The American College of Rheumatology recommends physical activity as part of treatment for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Exercising is safe for joints affected by arthritis and will not make them worse, according to several studies published in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In fact, one study from the 1980s found that individuals with arthritis who do NOT exercise have more pain than those who do. And the Fitness Arthritis and Senior Trial that involved 439 seniors in the 1990s found that exercising three times a week led to significant improvements in symptoms and pain levels. Exercise! It may be difficult to get started if you've got painful joints, but this free natural arthritis pain relief strategy should help in the long run. If you'd like information on exercises and stretching routines for people with arthritis, visit this website developed by a health care professional who successfully treats many arthritis patients.
Exercise is an important natural arthritis pain relief strategy because it gets fluid moving in the joint and can increase range of motion and strengthen the muscles supporting the joints. The American College of Sports Medicine has developed recommendations for people with arthritis who want to begin an exercise program.
1. Begin slowly, starting with a few minutes of activity, followed by rest, then a few minutes more of excercise.
2. Avoid rapid or repetitive movements of affected joints. For instance, fast walking speeds puts increased stress on joints. Slower walking speeds or shoe inserts may be used to avoid too much joint strain.
3. Adapt physical activity to your situation.
You will probably want to get suggestions from your doctor on using exercise as a natural arthritis pain relief strategy. However some of the options for exercise include:
- water aerobics (Look for water aerobic programs for people with arthritis conducted in warmer pools taught by knowledgeable instructors)
- Exercise classes geared for seniors or people with arthritis
- Swimming
- Gardening
- Walking
- Beginner or gentle yoga (arrive to the first class early to talk to the instructor about any limitations you might have)
Massage therapy may also bring about arthritis pain relief. Click here to learn more.
Have you ever wondered what causes your arthritis pain? See an easy-to-understand explanation here.
Add Arthritis-Friendly Foods to Your Diet
Numerous studies over the past decades point to certain types of foods being beneficial for arthritis suffers. As part of your natural arthritis pain relief strategy you may want to eat:
- Foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids such as salmon, flax seeds or walnuts
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Foods rich in vitamin C such as broccoli, bell peppers, strawberries and kiwi
- Selenium-rich foods such as brazil nuts, cod and snapper
- Foods with beta-cryptoxanthin (a relative of beta carotent) including red bell pepper, papaya, corn and watermelon
- A diet that regulary includes tart cherries, either dried or tart cherry juice concentrate
See details on foods that can be incorporated into your natural arthritis pain relief strategy.
 Consider herbs and other supplements that help arthritis
During the past two decades, researchers have conducted countless studies looking for alternatives for prescription medicines in the treatment of arthritis. Herbs that have been shown to benefit arthritis sufferers include:
- Pine Bark extract: Pycnogenol
- Bromelain: component of Pineapple
- Ginger and Turmeric: common spices
- Ashwagandha
- Boswellia
- Seaweed extracts
- Aloe vera
Other supplements clinically linked to improved arthritis symptoms:
Click here to review studies and additional information on herbs and supplements for arthritis
Make an effort to lose weight
Everyone realizes that carrying around extra weight is hard on the joints, but scientists have determined that being only 10 pounds overweight increases the force on the knees by 30-60 pounds with every step.  Research from the Nutrition Examination Survey found that obese women were nearly four times more likely to have knee osteoarthritis than non-obese women. And for obese men, the likelihood to have knee arthritis was five times higher. How can you lose weight safely? A number of sensible diet programs can be found at a useful website created by Rosie Peters.
Is weight loss a viable a natural arthritis pain relief strategy? A study from Framingham, MA found that in women every time they dropped 11 pounds (about two BMI points) the risk of knee osteoarthritis fell about 50 percent.
See weight loss tips from a large Consumer Reports magazine study involving 21,000 readers.
Put out those cigarettes
Here's yet another reason to kick the habit. Research shows that smoking aggravates both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. So if you smoke, stopping smoking should be part of your natural athritis pain relief plan.
 The December 2006 issue of the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases highlighted a 30-month study at the Mayo Clinic that found male smokers with knee osteoarthritis had a 2.3 times greater risk for cartilage loss and significantly higher levels of pain than non smokers involved in the study. There were not enough female smokers in the participant pool to study the effect on females.
A three-year German study involving 1,000 individuals, published in June 2008 in Rheumatology, found that heavy smokers with rheumatoid arthritis had the highest pain levels and needed significantly more drugs to manage pain than the non smokers.
 One natural product that can safety help you kick the habit is Smoke Deter, an herb-based homeopathy spray you apply under the tongue. This product also includes membership to an online smoking cessation program. The Smoke Deter Stop Smoking Program helps prepare you to quit smoking and and shows you what you need to do to easily get through the physical and psychologocal withdrawal process. In addition, the system comes with a money back guarantee.
To view other options to help you stop smoking, click here.
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The information on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice or diagnose or treat any health condition. The statements on this site have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
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