An Overview of Remedies and Treatment Options That Reduce Arthritis Flare-Ups

An Overview of Remedies and Treatment Options That Reduce Arthritis Flare-Ups

Arthritis is a common term used to refer to diseases that affect the joints. Some common symptoms of arthritis include lasting pain, stiffness, swelling, tenderness, warmth, redness, and difficulty using your joint. In order to effectively manage, treat or prevent arthritis, one needs to know the risk factors and make some lifestyle changes. In addition to monitoring your health and taking arthritis medications, there are several innovations such as the compression gloves for arthritic hands that are aimed at decreasing the harshness of the symptoms.

How Can I Decrease Arthritis Symptoms?

There are millions of people out there who suffer from different types of arthritis. Any type of arthritis is both physically taxing and can limit a person’s daily activities.

While arthritis is commonly believed to be incurable, there are several ways in which you can manage and reduce the symptoms. Substantial evidence shows that the symptoms associated with arthritis can be controlled through the following ways:

  1. Proper Diet and Nutrition

As it is with any other disease, the first essential step is to change your dietary practices. Proper dieting will help the cells in your body to get nutrients and to detoxify. Foods that are high in antioxidants help relieve arthritis symptoms and increase your energy levels making it easy for you to manage daily pain.

Some of the foods that arthritis patients should eat include salmon and other fatty fish that are rich in omega-3, nuts, red wine, blueberries, whole grains, and fresh vegetables. Avoid any processed foods, GMOs, artificial flavorings, chemical additives, preservatives, yeast, gluten, caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol.

You should also add supplements and nutrition powder to your diet. Fish oil, for example, helps ease arthritis stiffness in the mornings. Consult your doctor to ensure that the supplements don’t interfere with your prescribed meds.

  1. Exercise

Exercise is really important and helpful in easing the pain of arthritis. Patients should focus on cardiovascular exercises that don’t put much strain on the muscles and joints. Exercising not only helps with weight loss but also contributes to an improved sense of well-being by reducing joint pain and stiffness, increasing muscle strength and flexibility, and improving cardiac fitness and endurance.

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Physical activity is also necessary to move your lymph fluid. The fluid helps to remove wastes and toxins from the cells.

Before you set out on this journey, you need to have a talk with your physician so that they can recommend the best form of exercise for you. The type of exercise varies depending on the joints involved and the amount of inflammation on the joints.

Movement can be uncomfortable due to inflamed joints. To improve the flexibility of the joints, one has to maintain a consistent exercise routine.

  1. Fighting Stress and Fatigue

Patients are advised to get enough rest to avoid constant fatigue and tiredness which are common symptoms among people living with arthritis. However, they also need to maintain a balance between rest and activity. Too much inactivity would result in more pain at the joints.

The patients also need to have an active lifestyle and reliable support groups that help them deal with the stress associated with chronic arthritis. Family members and healthcare givers ought to be supportive to help the patients maintain a positive mental health.

  1. Surgery

In extreme cases, your doctor may suggest surgery. The most common procedures that are carried out include joint repair, joint replacement, and joint fusion.

Surgery can realign joint surfaces to improve function or remove damaged joints and replace them with artificial ones.

  1. Alternative Treatment

Although there is little reliable evidence showing the effectiveness of alternative remedies for arthritis, there are still a lot of people who go for these services. Some of the most promising alternative remedies for arthritis include:

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1. Massage

Light stroking and kneading of muscles aids with the circulation of both blood and lymph in the muscle tissues. This works magic; it relieves muscle tension and eases the pain.

2. Acupuncture

This type of therapy uses fine needles to reduce pain at specific points. Arthritis is an autoimmune disease arising when WBC don’t recognize the joint as part of the body. Acupuncture enhances the recognition of the joint tissues.

3. Chiropractic Adjustments

This has become a popular treatment for arthritis and has proven to be quite effective. Chiropractic adjustments restore proper movement and get rid of the pain.

  1. Herbal Remedies

In addition to the basic approach of dieting and proper nutrition, herbs also play an important role in providing significant relief of the pain and swelling often associated with arthritis. Some of the most recommended herbs for arthritis include garlic, turmeric, feverfew, ginkgo, valerian, and skullcap.

  1. Assistive Devices

Using compression gloves for arthritic hands, walkers, canes, raised toilet seats, and other assistive devices helps protect your joints and improves your ability to perform daily tasks.

In some cases, braces or sprints may also be recommended.

  1. Prescribed Medication

The type of medication that is prescribed depends majorly on the type of arthritis that you’re suffering from. The most common arthritis medications include analgesics, corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), counterirritants, biological response modifiers, and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.

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