8 Arthritis Therapies at Home

A group of conditions that cause joint pain and inflammation is called arthritis. There are several medical remedies available; however, it is possible to reduce symptoms with lifestyle changes and home remedies. 

Arthritis is a degenerative condition (the symptoms worsen over time). Over one hundred different types of arthritis and related diseases exist. The two most common are Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA is a degenerative disease that wears away the joints’ cushioning, causing swelling, stiffness, and pain. 

RA causes uncontrolled inflammation because the body’s immune system attacks the joints and other parts of the body. 

Arthritis is painful and causes lasting damage to our joints. In this article, we’ll look at therapies at home, which will help combat arthritis without breaking the bank. 

  1. Light Therapy: It is a natural, drug-free, non-invasive therapy where safe amounts of concentrated wavelengths of light (for arthritis, red or near-infrared light) are delivered to the skin and cells. This reduces oxidative stress and stimulates the mitochondria to increase cellular energy production. This helps the body to regenerate and heal faster, which in turn reduces joint pain and inflammation. This is the reason why light therapy is an excellent solution to arthritis. It can cure both RA and OA. Light therapy is much more potent if it is combined with exercise. Light therapy directly affects the root cause of arthritis, making it the best treatment. 
  2. Hot and Cold Therapy: Arthritis pain and inflammation can be countered with hot and cold therapy. A warm, long shower or bath early in the morning can ease the stiffness in your joints. Consequently, a moist heating pad or electric blanket can reduce discomfort overnight. Cold treatments are amazing for relieving joint pains, inflammation, and swelling. A towel-wrapped pack of gel ice or a bag of vegetables can be applied to joints for a quick relief. Never directly apply ice to the skin.
  3. Food:  Capsaicin is a chili pepper, which is often a component of creams and topical components that can be bought over the counter. You can soothe joint pains with the warmth that these products provide. Turmeric is a yellow spice that has the capability to reduce arthritis pain and inflammation. It contains a chemical called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Adding small amounts of turmeric to your food can help out. 
  4. Massage: Massages will give you an overall sense of well being and help manage discomfort and joint pain. Although there’s not enough evidence to support that massage can help with arthritis, It’s unlikely to pose any risk. Furthermore, it can provide indirect benefits like reducing stress. Your doctor can most likely refer to a massage therapist who has experience dealing with arthritis patients. 
  5. Meditation: Lowering stress can help reduce arthritis pain as it’ll enable you to cope with it better. Reducing stress will also lower inflammation and pain. The best way to reduce stress is meditation. Tai chi or yoga is recommended as they combine meditation, low impact exercise, breathing techniques, and relaxation. Depression, anxiety, and stress are all common complications of conditions which involve chronic pain like arthritis. 
  6. Acupuncture: It’s an ancient Chinese medical treatment that is still used today. The process involves putting needles into particular points in your body (don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt!). It functions by rerouting energies and restoring balance in the body. Acupuncture may help with arthritis pain. People often recommend it. Although there isn’t much evidence to its benefits, the risk of harm is substantially low to warrant not to do it. If you’re planning on getting acupuncture, make sure to go to a licensed and certified professional acupuncturist. There are also many different acupuncture techniques you can do at home while getting the same results.
  7. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS): TENS is a pain-relieving method that utilizes sticky pads as electrodes that attach to the skin’s surface to deliver small electrical currents to the body. TENS isn’t recommended for OA, as there is no evidence it can help. 
  8. Vitamin D: It helps to build strong bones and maintain the function of the immune system. People with RA mostly have lower Vitamin D levels compared to people without the condition. People with the lowest levels of vitamin D tend to experience the highest level of disease activity. There is no clear proof however, whether vitamin D supplements reduce disease activity in arthritis patients. Vitamin D supplements are not recommended as a treatment for people with OA. It’s recommended to get vitamin D from exposure to the sun and certain food (mackerel, salmon, mushrooms). Supplements are also available, but we recommend going all-natural. 

These were eight different arthritis therapies you can do from home. We highly recommend going with our first option (light therapy) as it’s the most effective. 

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