Wednesday, March 26, 2008

How to Alleviate the Pain of Arthritis the Natural Way

If you are one of the millions of adults that suffer from
arthritis, then you know how painful it can be. Some days
it takes everything you have just to get out of bed and to
make it through the day. But is doesn't have to be this
way. There are natural treatments for arthritis pain. Keep
reading to discover some of these treatments and how they
can help you.

Omega 3 fatty acids have been proven to reduce
inflammation. This will help with the pain of arthritis.
Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in fish and certain types
of nuts. You can also buy over the counter fish oil
supplements that contain large amounts of Omega 3 fatty
acids. A word of caution if you are taking the fish oil
supplements. Fish oil will thin your blood, so you must be
careful if you are taking aspirin or any other blood
thinning medications. Make sure that your doctor is aware
of any vitamins and supplements that you are taking to
avoid a potentially dangerous interaction.

Another natural remedy for arthritis pain is to make
changes in your diet. Increase your water intake to help
promote cartilage formation. Following a healthy diet will
also help keep your weight under control. This is very
important for those that suffer from arthritis. Being
overweight will put extra stress on the joints and cause
more pain and inflammation. If you have any food
sensitivities, eliminate these foods from your diet as well
as cutting back on sugar and simple carbohydrates.

There are plenty of over the counter supplements that claim
to help relieve arthritis pain. The only way to know if
these work for you is to try them. But make you sure you
only try one remedy at a time. The reason for this is two
fold. One it will decrease your chance for experiencing a
drug interaction. Secondly, you will be able to pinpoint
which supplement works the best for you. A few of these
supplements are glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate,
niacinamide and methyl sulfonyl methane or MSM. Do a trial
and error with these supplements to see which one works for
you. But as stated before, make sure that your doctor is
aware of which supplements you are going to be taking to
avoid an interaction with any prescription medicines you
may be taking. But there is another way to alleviate
arthritis pain if you don't like to take medications.

Exercise can help alleviate joint pain that is associated
with arthritis. One of the best type of exercise you can
do is swimming, preferably in a heated pool. The buoyancy
created by the water will help keep the stress off the
joints while you swim or do water exercises. The heated
water can be soothing and help to decrease inflammation in
the joints.

So if you are an arthritis sufferer, investigate some of
these great natural treatments for your arthritis pain. You
will be glad you did when you are enjoying a pain free life!

About the Author:

How to Alleviate the Pain of Arthritis the Natural Way
http://www.1thinkhealthy.com/

Monday, March 3, 2008

Finding Relief From Osteo Arthritis Pain

Osteo arthritis is a degenerative disease, where the cartilage
which cushions the joints slowly degenerates and the bones begin
to rub together. The pain caused by the damaged cartilage or the
bones rubbing together is one of the leading causes of
disability. Osteo arthritis pain can affect any joint of the
body but occurs especially in the fingers, knees, hips and
shoulders.

Osteo arthritis progresses with age, but can also be caused by
injury or muscle imbalances with in the body. If the osteo
arthritis is caused by an injury or muscle imbalance, early
treatment can slow its onset. Osteo arthritis pain relief may
help with the symptoms but there is currently no product on the
market that will completely reverse the disease.

When a person first finds out about osteo arthritis, lifestyle
changes – such as refraining from activities with aggravate the
condition – may be required.

Strong Muscles Can Help Joint Strength

Doing gentle muscle building exercises can help strengthen the
muscles around the afflicted joint, taking weight off the
grinding bones. Another advantage of weight exercises which many
don't know is that they are also a great way to keep the muscles
flexible, provided you lift the weight through a full range of
movement. This also helps the joint affected by osteo arthritis.
Bear in mind that you should check with your doctor before you
begin any exercise and you should do everything with controlled,
slow movements.

Heat and Cold

You can also apply hot packs or cold packs to your joints
afflicted with osteo arthritis to aid in relieving the pain.
This is especially useful in the early stages of the disease.
However, in later stages you will likely need anti-inflammatory
and pain relieving drugs.

Natural Arthritis Relief

Not everyone is comfortable in taking lots of medication to
relive their osteo arthritis pain due to long term side effects.
There are a number of natural alternatives available which help
provide relief.

One such natural arthritis relief is magnetic therapy. This
therapy dates back thousands of year to China, where magnetic
stones where used to treat health problems. Today, there are
bracelets, earrings, mattress covers and pillows that can help
relieve your arthritis pain by increasing blood flow to your
joints.

There are also a number of herbal products available. These
herbs typically have anti-inflammatory properties and provide
pain relief. A starting point for investigating arthritis pain
relieving herbs would be the herbs Alfalfa, Black Cohosh,
Boswellia and Feverfew.

Glucosamine is an amino sugar which is found in the body and
which stimulates the production of cartilage while protecting
against its degeneration. As it is a natural product, there is
no side effect and can help to protect cartilage and increase
joint mobility.

Finally, a new product is emerging as an effective arthritis
pain treatment. Emu oil has been used for hundreds of years by
Australian Aborigines to treat muscle and joint pain. It is a
highly potent anti-inflammatory oil which contains Omega 9, 3
and 6, and essential fatty oil. Several studies have shown that
emu oil is effective in reducing arthritis pain.

About The Author: You can find more information about natural
arthritis pain relief and arthritis cures at
http://www.secretarthritiscures.com.