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How To Treat Arthritis Symptoms and Pain

Reduce Pain, Inflammation and Swelling

Oct 31, 2009 Noreen Kassem

Arthritis caused by an autoimmune disorder or wear and tear on the joints can cause severe pain. Here are several tips to ease symptoms and reduce damage to the joints.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that can occur at any age, though most commonly after the age of 30 years.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is caused by aging, injury, obesity and general wear and tear to the joints and usually affects adults over the age of 40.

Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

OA, which is the far more common type, commonly affects weight-bearing joints such as the back, knees, neck, hips as well as the toes. It will also worsen with activity throughout the day. RA often causes swelling in pairs of joints, especially in the hands, wrists, knees and ankles. A classic sign of this arthritis is that pain and swelling is usually worse in the morning or after resting.

Both OA and RA cause joint stiffness, pain, swelling, and decreased range of motion; however, individuals affected by RA show more swelling and may also have fever, fatigue, loss of energy and other more complicated symptoms.

Here are five tips to treat arthritis and reduce arthritis pain:

Diet: Eliminate highly processed foods from your diet. These often contain chemicals, food dyes and excess sugar that can cause a sensitivity reaction in the body over time. Add fresh whole foods, nuts, grains and fish which provide the right nutrients for joint health as well as decrease inflammation in the body. In some individuals with RA, certain foods may cause symptoms to flare up; keep a food diary to identify these culprits and avoid them.
Exercise: Being active strengthens joints and keeps you at a healthy weight. However, avoid high impact exercise which can injure joints, causing OA later in life. OA in the knee joint occurs often in joggers who are not aware they may be injuring their joints: wear supportive shoes and avoid running on hard concrete surfaces. Individuals with arthritis can strengthen and reduce damage to joints by low impact exercises such as swimming, walking and yoga.
Keep warm: In some individuals, colder temperatures can also cause arthritis flare ups (you may have heard elderly people predict the weather by the pain in their joints). Keeping warm and soaking in a hot bath can help stiff, painful joints. Adding eucalyptus oil to the bathwater or rubbing it onto joints also provides a warming and healing effect.
Anti-inflammatory properties: Omega 3 from fish oil and flax seed contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) which is very important in reducing inflammation, pain and stiffness. Grape seed extract is also a good antioxidant to soothe inflammation of the joints. It also minimizes allergies and autoimmune responses in the body. Other important supplements that are required for joint health are Glucosamine Sulphate and Methyl Sulfonyl Methane (MSM).
Medications: Discuss your treatment options with your doctor. Though medications work best with other lifestyle changes, they may be needed to reduce pain and damage to the joints for certain lengths of time. Always inform your doctor of any supplements you are taking as well as your exercise and diet plan.

Osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid Arthritis?

The copyright of the article How To Treat Arthritis Symptoms and Pain in General Medicine is owned by Noreen Kassem. Permission to republish How To Treat Arthritis Symptoms and Pain in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Reduce Joint Pain With Natural Anti-inflammatories

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Nov 3, 2009 6:13 PM

Guest :

there are other types of arthritis besides Osteo or rheumatoid. I have Psoriatic which is an autoimmune disease. There is also Ankylosyng Spondylitis (sorry for the spelling).

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