Acute Solutions. How to Calm Your Arthritis Pain Down.

Arthritis hurts. We all want the pain to go away as quickly as possible. Doctors usually offer pills, but there are natural solutions which can reduce or even eliminate the frustrating ache. The solutions often depend on the type of arthritis we are dealing with. After all, there are at least 100 variations. Causes vary; so do treatments.

Most of us have osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). I have OA, which causes pain in cartilage and bones, especially hips, knees, and thumbs.  It’s pretty common for anyone who is middle age or older. 50% of baby boomers over 65 have osteoarthritis. RA is a disease where the body defenses attack the body’s joints, including hands, feet, wrists, elbows, knees, and ankles.

For me, the best short-term solution is heat, soaking with Therapeutic Dead Sea Salt and cold, after exercising. When my arthritis is particularly bad in the morning, I’ll start with a long, hot shower. Some folks like baths. The effect is the same: to ease stiffness. I find a heating pad at night helps, and I also have a white athletic sock stuffed with rice that I place in the microwave for 1 minute and can wrap it around my wrist, thumbs, knees and even use on my golfers elbow when things are really bad.

During the day, ice packs are a great way to reduce swelling. I have even resorted to wrapping a bag of frozen peas or corn in a towel and applying it for immediate relief when an ice pack wasn’t available.

Acupuncture also has been proven to help in many circumstances. That’s the Chinese system using little needles at key junctures in the body. The results have been encouraging.

My best results come from taking supplements for arthritis. To learn more about how natural supplements can reduce joint inflammation check out The Arthritis Health System’s core products. Just be sure you tell your doctor since some medicines and natural supplements may have interactions.

As a last resort, and part of your long-term strategy, when you have acute pain and extreme flare-ups, you may want to take your RX or OTC meds for a day or two to help calm down the pain. 

Even with these steps, I am not arthritis free and never will be. However, when it flares up, I know what to do.  The regimen will work for you, too.