Almost 60 million Americans are dealing with arthritis and the pain that comes with it. Arthritis is a joint disorder that inflames the joints and can causes severe pain. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of degenerative arthritis causing stiffness and pain. Arthritis cannot be cured, but there are steps and exercises anyone can do to treat it.
Treating arthritis can be a long drawn out process after figuring out what medication and treatment work for each individual case. Treatment involves a lot of trial and error, but focusing on rest, a healthy diet and exercise are the best ways to battle it.
Medications
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen can help with pain and swelling. These medications do not require a prescription. Talk to your doctor about different medications that can help manage pain such as acetaminophen or other arthritis drugs. Make sure these drugs are approved by the FDA.
Heat & Cold
Applying either a heating pad or a cold pack on your inflamed joint for 15 minutes at a time can help ease the pain and stiffness. The cold will numb the pain, while the hot can help the stiffness.
Exercise
Try to exercise your joints every day a little at a time and slowly as to not overdo it or cause harm. Focus on range-of-motion exercises and strengthening ones as well to strengthen your joints. Aerobic exercises like riding a bike can lessen the swelling in joints, while keeping your heart healthy.
Creams & Supplements
Some over the counter creams that contain capsaicin, which is the ingredient in chili peppers, can help rid your joints of arthritis pain. The creams will numb the area but it is temporary. There are also supplement that you can take such as glucosamine and chondroitin which help to repair cartilage around joints. Calcium is also an important supplement to take to battle bone loss from arthritis.
Eat Right
While exercising, it is important to make sure to fuel your muscles with an abundance of protein. Make sure to stick to eating healthy proteins such as egg whites, salmon, and chicken.
Before exercising or using any creams, supplements, or medications, it is important to talk to your doctor. Your doctor will make sure you are physically able to take on any of these tips for your arthritis pain in order to not cause any more harm.