Arthritis is caused by the wear and tear of cartilage over time, which triggers pain and inflammation in the joints. Your doctor can provide some relief through prescription medications, but Innovative Pain Solutions in Miami, FL, can also recommend several natural actions you can take to reduce arthritis pain. If you find yourself searching the web for “10 tips for self-care at home”, then continue reading to learn ways to self-manage your arthritic pain.
Ways To Self-Manage Your Arthritic Pain
The first action to get natural relief from arthritis pain is to reduce your weight. Due to the natural laws of gravity, the extra weight you are carrying is adding more pressure to your joints. Dropping just 10 pounds could make you feel much better. Part of weight loss includes improving the foods you eat. You will find that healthy, plant-based foods can provide antioxidants, vitamins, and fatty acids that may reduce inflammation.
Another of the proven ways to manage arthritis is to spend more time doing low-impact exercises, such as walking, cycling, and swimming. Avoid high-impact activities that involve running, jumping, or repetitive movements. This increase in activity will help keep your joints flexible and strengthen the muscles around your joints.
Get Hot and Cold
The next method to self-manage arthritis pain is to apply heat, such as taking a hot bath or using an electric blanket. Heat will increase blood flow to the area and help loosen up stiff joints. Also, applying cold, such as an ice pack, will help reduce inflammation. You may need to experiment to see whether hot or cold works better for you.
Just Give These Alternative Treatments A Try
The following four recommendations for how to manage arthritis pain have not been proven by scientific evidence to help with arthritis, but they are considered to be safe, so there is not a lot of downside to just giving it a try.
First on our list of alternative arthritis management strategies is to try acupuncture, the ancient Chinese practice of inserting tiny needles into certain points on the body. It is said that these needles change the energy and balance in your body.
Meditation, such as tai chi and yoga, is also on our list of how to self-manage arthritis. Meditation can help you reduce pain and inflammation by reducing stress in the body.
You should also try getting a massage or learning how to self-massage. Most of us enjoy a nice massage to loosen stiff muscles.
Finally, our last advice on “how do you self-treat arthritis” is to take herbal supplements such as bromelain, ginkgo, or stinging nettle. Also, try adding some turmeric spice to your dishes. This spice has a chemical called curcumin, which carries anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Contact Us
The above article has provided ways to self-manage your arthritic pain without the use of medications. We have listed treatments that are scientifically proven, along with some treatments that are worth just giving a try. If you have further questions, please visit the experts at Innovative Pain Solutions in Miami, FL.
