Month: April 2016

Many people suffer from arthritis pain. It shows up in early age with changes beginning in young adulthood and advances with age. Two most common forms of arthritis that we see today are Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is extremely painful and can be debilitaing. Rheumatoid arthritis effects mostly the fingers, the knee and hip joints.The second most common for of arthritis is Osteoarthritis which affects mostly the vertebrae in the back but can affect any joint in the body.

I will give you tips on how to relieve the pain of arthritis. Many people wake up in the morning with painful and stiff joints from being in one position all night. If the knee joints are affected try to sleep on your side with knees slightly bent and a pillow between the knees to cushion those joints. If the fingers are affected, try running your hands under warm water for a few minutes to loosen up the finger joints.

Other remedies are to dip joints in warm paraffin wax bath. Use caution in this to prevent severe burns to the skin. Paraffin wax can be found at a local grocer or a discount retailer. There are also creams on the market today to relieve arthritis pain. In addition to the creams there are patches that heat up after applied to an area to cut down on the pain.

Doctors sometimes prescribe drugs called NSAIDS, ( Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs ). These medications help but often have unpleasant side effects. Some weaken the immune system and lower the bodys ability to fight off infection. Other side effects include stomach problems and in some cases cause stomach ulcers.

Other treatments include herbal remedies that promise to alleviate arthritis pain. Mild exercise also keep the joints from being stiff after sitting or standing for long periods of time. But remember to consult your physician before beginning any treatment due to the possibility of negative side effects.

I found relief from my arthritis pain, naturally, and you can do it too. I got rid of my arthritis and arthritis pain years ago, once and for all by doing one single thing.

Sometimes arthritis occurs in the wrist, elbows, shoulders, and jaw but you generally don’t find it there. Arthritic joints appear to be larger, are stiff and painful, and usually feel worse the more they are used as the day progresses. The first step when looking for solutions to an arthritis pain problem is to understand how arthritis works.

Cartilage is one of the few tissues that does not have its own blood supply. Collagen is the essential protein in cartilage; it forms a mesh to give support and flexibility to the joint. The ability to make repairs to cartilage becomes limited as cartilage cells age.

An inflammatory response causes cytokines, to gather in injured areas and cause inflammation and damage to body tissue and cells; it’s known to play a role in rheumatoid arthritis and other muscle and joint problems associated with autoimmune diseases. Injuries sometimes can be the start in the arthritic disease process; osteoarthritis can develop years later even after a single traumatic injury to a joint or near a joint.

Genetic factors are thought to be involved in about 50% of osteoarthritis cases in the hands and hips and a somewhat lower percentage of cases in the knee.

Make smoothies with fruit only using a base of two bananas, adding a cup of frozen or fresh blueberries and mango chunks or substitute any other fruit and add an energy boost of two tablespoons of coconut oil; add one or two leaves of kale for another highly nutritional boost — no one will ever know. Some people swear by morning drinks of raw apple cider vinegar and honey for arthritis pain relief. If you really want to get rid of your arthritis pain forever it may take a radical change in your diet and an ongoing commitment.

If you’re not already doing so, make a big effort to watch your diet. One natural treatment method involves avoiding all inflammatory foods. Nutrition experts say it takes a combination of supplements, that no one supplement can relieve arthritis pain, build cartilage, etc.

Gluten may be a culprit in arthritic diseases including fibromyalgia; avoid wheat, barley, rye, spelt, triticale, kamut and oats (although not a gluten grain it gets contaminated at the wheat mills). Try massaging your fingers or other affected joints with coconut oil twice a day.

Some people swear by glucosamine and/or chondroitin and others say it didn’t help at all. A study in Great Britain touted the beneficial effects of cod liver oil on osteoarthritis; relieving pain and stiffness, and reversing the destruction of joint cartilage within 24 hours.

Exercise is good for joints affected by osteoarthritis. If you have pain and swelling in your fingers, try squeezing Thera-putty made for this purpose or exercising with two Chinese Taiji chime balls. For arthritic fingers, a good exercise is to put your finger tips together and press hard and release, then repeat several times. At bedtime you can try putting on a pair of stretch gloves to help reduce the pain and swelling in your fingers for those of you with arthritic hands.

Stretching and warming up the joints should always be the first step in your exercise routine to make your joints more flexible. Even if you don’t think you can exercise, you can do some movements. A good exercise routine is the key to beating arthritis and arthritis pain.

Once you become more informed about arthritis you’ll be able to plan an arthritis treatment program, natural or conventional or a combination of both. Let your doctor and pharmacist know about any other drugs, herbs or other supplements you’re taking, to ward off any adverse drug reactions that might occur from the combining of different drugs or supplements.

At the very least, understand what the side effects and adverse reactions are for any drug you take.

Arthritis pain relief is the ultimate goal – understanding arthritis is a start on the right direction. Once you understand the facts about arthritis, possible causes and treatment approaches you can take, you’ll be on your way to recovery and pain will disappear. Changing your diet to predominately fruits and raw veggies, like I did, can turn your arthritis pain around almost overnight. As time goes by you can add a few foods back but be careful about eating anything cooked, canned or processed.

Arthritis patients have a difficult time walking. However, they also can have a difficult time sitting as well. When you sit, the chair should be easy to get in and out of. The chair should allow your feet to rest flat on the floor when you are sitting all the way back in the chair. Allow the full length of your thighs to rest comfortably on the seat of your chair.

When sitting in achier, your feet should be supported at all times.

The chair back should give firm support so that your body maintains an erect sitting position. Armrests will help you stand up from the chair.

Avoid sitting in one position for too long since this will aggravate stiffness and pain. Change your position frequently.

At work your desk should be high enough to allow you to sit erect with relaxed shoulders. You should be able to reach your work surface with your forearms without having to lean forward or twist your body.

A computer keyboard should be at the right height that allows you to hold your elbows at right angles. These tips should not take the place of getting up and walking around every hour or so.

If your neck and shoulders get stiff, try a slanted table top that will raise your work surface to eye level.

Even your recliner should have a high back extending to the top of your head to provide neck support. Consider placing a small pillow behind your neck. The pillow should fit comfortably into the curve of your neck and not push your head forward.. Armrests should be at a comfortable height so that you don’t hunch your shoulders or slump to reach the arm rests. The chair should make it easy for you to move and change your position frequently so you don’t sit in one position for a prolonged period of time.

Some people may feel more comfortable with a pillow or other support behind the low back.

Getting out of a chair properly is also important. You should slide forward and place your feet a few inches apart and behind your knees. Place the palms of your hands on the arm rests or one the seat next to your thighs. Push down with your hands and legs, bending your head and upper body forward over your knees. Straighten your knees and back until you are erect. If you have a back problem, you should depend on your knees and not bend as far forward. Do not push with your knuckles. Use your palms and legs. Raising the seat height with cushions may be helpful.

Chair height can be changed using commercially available chair leg extenders.

Contrary to popular beliefs, arthritis is not a product of old age alone. In fact, there are several types of arthritis, which have nothing to do with one’s chronological age. Being afflicted with arthritis can greatly interfere with how you spend your time. The pain associated with it can be so debilitating that you might find yourself with no interest or strength left to do the things you have always enjoyed so much.

However, this does not mean that you have to spend your time wasting away. Here are several suggestions that you can follow to spring back to life and start doing the things you love to do before the disease took over.

. Don’t just sit there, exercise! The best time to exercise is when the inflammation has already calmed down. There are a number of exercises which can benefit arthritis sufferers most. Among these are range-of-motion exercises, isometrics and certain weight bearing exercises. Stretching and warming up the joints should always be incorporated as the first steps in the routine to make the joints more flexible. And as a safety precaution, remember to consult with your family physician first before engaging in these types of activities.

. Every movement counts. The best way to dodge arthritic pains is to keep your joints moving. Maintaining movement in your joints helps them to function properly for longer periods of time. It does not matter if small movements are all that you can manage. Remember that every little bit of movement counts!

. Consider exercising in the pool. Exercising in a heated pool might be a very good idea especially if you feel pain with even the simplest of movements. The natural buoyancy of the water will help reduce the pressure in your joints and the heat coming from it will actually help you loosen those joints. This idea, however, is not recommended for people with high blood pressure.

. Water workout for the hands. If your hands are in pain, a warm water workout may just do the trick. Try doing hand exercises in a tub of warm water and notice the comfort that it will bring.

. Exercise is good but do not overdo it. Overdoing your routine will not help you and may only bring you more pain. A good indication of how much is too much when it comes to exercising can be determined by observing how you feel a few hours after you have completed your routine. Then again, see how you feel after 24 hours. If you notice any significant increase in pain during that period, you definitely are overdoing it. It is best to cut back on the rate and amount of exercise that you are doing.

. Put on your gloves. Wearing your gloves provides the warmth needed to reduce the pain. Using a pair of stretch gloves might even help reduce the swelling that accompanies arthritis. For best results, keep your gloves on all night while you sleep.

. Go easy on over-the-counter creams. These may provide temporary relief but overusing these preparations can actually activate certain enzymes that can damage the cartilages in the joints.

. The bed issue. Several studies indicate that arthritis sufferers who used to sleep in water beds actually noticed reduced morning stiffness, especially when they used heated water beds. Similarly, patients who used sleeping bags on top of their beds also noticed reduced morning aches and pains.

. Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight, the joints naturally bear a heavier load. Thus, losing excess weight can actually reduce the stress on your joints and help them function better.

Following these suggestions can help you get back on the swing of things and may allow you to spend your days doing the things you want to do.

Millions of people around the world are suffering from arthritis and its pain along with their daily living. The advance in science and medicine has led to many medications for curing Arthritis. But for the arthritis pain, many depend on some alternate methods as drug alone do not give complete relief.

Some tips that can help arthritis pain are as follows-

1. The first and the most helpful tip to relieve pain is belief in wellness. Living a happy life with positive thoughts, balanced food habits, regular exercise, mingling with positive minded people and friends, spending sometime with family and getting involved in activities of one’s choice. This keeps the mind of the person cool and makes him think less of the pain or sickness.

2. Another important aspect that has to be taken care is choosing the correct posture while sitting, standing and lying down. The right posture will reduce the stress that falls on the joints and the spinal chord, thereby giving relief to the pain. This is only one of the remedies and not a cure.

3. Use of high heels among women poses a serious threat to those who have arthritis or has a tendency to develop arthritis. Many researchers have come up with the observation that women who are wearing high heels of at least two inches or above increases the twisting force at the knee thereby, putting strain over the joints. So, those who are looking for pain relief may rethink about their use of high heels.

4. Above all, a good sleep is a medicine to this problem, as it relaxes and gives proper rest to the joints. Those who have trouble sleeping long during nights can go for short naps in the afternoon.

Arthritis treatment: 5 tips for cold weather survival

1. sufficient rest after exercise

2. keep affected areas under wraps

3. plenty of fluids to flush out toxins

4. supplement for arthritis

5. healthy arthritis diet

Now that I have listed the top 5 arthritis treatment tips for cold weather survival let us work in reverse order.

Healthy Arthritis Diet

Arthritis can be a hereditary thing. However, in our country what we eat plays a large role in how our body will respond to certain attacks from outsiders. Because of our lifestyles we can become extremely susceptible to arthritis.

Cold weather and arthritis do not go hand in hand. Foods we eat or don’t eat can play a critical role in how our body will repair itself and fight off arthritis.

These foods should be included on a daily basis for a healthy arthritis diet.

1. fruits

2 vegetables

3. cold water fish

4. unsalted nuts and seeds

5. grains and pulses

Arthritis Supplements

Supplementation with products the target certain areas of rheumatoid arthritis, gout and even osteoarthritis can greatly influence your pain levels. There are key ingredients you should look for in any good arthritis supplement product.

1. Boron

2. MSM

3. Glucosamine

4. Condroitin

5. Devil’s Claw

6. Bromelain

7. Boswellia Serrata Extract

Fluids Flush Out Toxins

In the winter months our water intake usually suffers unless we are consciously thinking about it. Our body is made up of 90% water and we need to make sure and keep those levels up. When we become dehydrated bad things can happen. Therefor any good arthritis treatment strategy will include plenty of liquids including water and juice. Flushing out the toxins as they develop can eliminate pain in your effected arthritic joints.

Keep Arthritic Joints Warm

As the temperatures drop arthritis has a tendency to flair up. I am the worst when it comes to wearing pants or sweats because I love to wear short pants. In the winter my knees will begin to ache so badly that I have troubles sleeping. What I fail to realize is the fact that warm joints are happy joints.

To assimilate warm weather I need to keep my knees covered with pants, sweats or even neoprene knee wraps. If I can keep that joint warm, then the effects of cold weather and arthritis stay in check.

Arthritis Exercises and Rest

Arthritis exercises do plenty of good things for your body. From a health standpoint anyone who is overweight needs to shed pounds off their body which lowers the stress on the joints. Knees and ankles bear the brunt of your unwillingness to keep your weight under check. Any kind of exercise that increases your heart rate will greatly help your arthritis pain not to mention the function of your heart.

When you can increase your heart rate, it will also increase the blood flow in your body. Any type of exercise that increases blood flow without hurting your arthritic joints must be maintained in the winter months. Just like water, the blood can flush out toxins, bring much needed oxygenated blood to the joints and help decrease inflammation providing the effected joint is not being used.

If you find yourself in a lot of pain after exercise don’t be afraid to ice down the effected area. The ice might dull the pain and with plenty

of rest you should recover nicely. However if you experience a lot of pain from a certain type of exercise, try something different. Remember the key here is to get your blood flowing rapidly for an extended period of time. Do whatever it takes to get your blood flowing.

Also, make sure you get plenty of rest each and every day. I know in our fast paced world, it is hard to stop moving but if you don’t get rest your body will make sure you rest up and usually when your body tells you to get more rest there is a consequence associated with it.

These arthritis treatment tips for cold weather have proven themselves for me and many of my friends who also suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. Give them a try and see how much your body responds and watch your confidence level increase to levels you have not seen since before you had arthritis.

Do you have painful swollen joints? Do you have persistent aching in your hands, knees or shoulders?

 If so, you may have arthritis. What? You’re not that old? Around the world 1 out of 4 people, suffer from some form of this painful joint disease. Because it is so very common, a lot of myths and misconceptions have developed around this disease. This article seeks to explore some of them.

“But what actually is arthritis?”

There are over 100 distinct, incurable diseases, currently grouped under the umbrella term “arthritis”. Arthritis covers a variety of problems effecting the bones, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments.

However it is most readily known for its effects on the joints in the body which allow us to move. Common signs are pain, stiffness, inflammation or swelling in joints and bones. Arthritis can also cause extensive damage to the cartilage, bones and inter parts of your joints.

Arthritis Misconception 1 – “It’s a disease for the old”

Myth! Millions of middle-aged men and women, children and young adults suffer from this painful aching condition. Anyone can have arthritis. Arthritis has no respect for age or gender.

Arthritis Misconception 2 – “It’s a disease caused by damp, cold environments”

Myth! Doctors and well- meaning individuals have encouraged arthritis sufferers to move to warmer climates as a “cure”. Warmer climates do lessen the feeling of pain and discomfort due to arthritis, but only to a point. Doesn’t everyone love being under a warm sun?

Arthritis Misconception 3 – “You get arthritis from eating a bad diet”

Yet another one bites the dust…to date there has been no research that connects poor eating habits to arthritis, with the exception of uric acid and gout. But maintaining as healthy a bodyweight as possible eases joint aches and lessens swelling.

Arthritis Misconception 4 – “Arthritis can be cured”

I wish I could say this was true! However, at this point in time, there is no cure for this painful disease. You need to be aware of the hundreds of quack cures or treatments that drain your wallet but don’t stop the pain. Every year scientific research is being done to find ways to control the damage and ease the pain that arthritis causes. Check with your health provider for the latest in treatments.

Arthritis Misconception 5 – “Arthritis causes only minor aches and pains”

Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Arthritis is a debilitating disease and can change a person’s entire lifestyle. Pain from joint damage can be severe and as the joint destruction and deformities mount, arthritis patients can experience inflammation, chronic pain and fatigue therefore leading to depression and other health problems. You don’t need to suffer in silence when there is help.

Once you know about the five most common misconceptions of arthritis, you can take steps to learn how to treat this painful and troubling disease and regain your zest for life.