Need Help With Arthritis? Here’s 15 Tips Anyone Can Use For Arthritis Treatment

Osteoarthritis typically attacks two types of joints; those that bear weight (such as the lower back, hips, and knees), and those involved in repetitive motions (such as the hands, wrists, and shoulders).

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis – about 70% of people over 40 have at least x-ray evidence of OA somewhere in their body. Osteoarthritis typically attacks two types of joints; those that bear weight (such as the lower back, hips, and knees), and those involved in repetitive motions (such as the hands, wrists, and shoulders). Osteoarthritis can also develop in injured joints, for example in the vertebrae of the neck after a whiplash injury or in football players’ knees.

Here are 17 Natural Arthritis Treatment Tips:

Natural Arthritis Treatment Tip #1: Move to Help Prevent Joint Pain
Keep joints healthy by keeping them moving. The more you move, the less stiffness you’ll have. Whether you’re reading, working, or watching TV, change positions often. Take breaks from your desk or your chair and move around.

Natural Arthritis Treatment Tip #2: Protect Your Body and Your Joints
Injury can damage joints. So protecting your joints your whole life is important. Wear protective gear like elbow and knee pads when taking part in high-risk activities like skating. If your joints are already aching, consider wearing braces when playing tennis or golf.

Natural Arthritis Treatment Tip #3: Healthy Weight for Healthy Joints

Arthritis Treatment and Health Weight: An effective way to protect your joints is to maintain a healthy weight

Joints hurting? Lose just a few pounds and you’ll take some strain off your hips, knees, and back. Extra pounds add to the load placed on these joints, increasing the risk of cartilage breakdown. Even a little weight loss can help. Every pound you lose takes four pounds of pressure off your knees.

Natural Arthritis Treatment Tip #4: Low-Impact Exercise for Joints
What exercise is good? To protect your joints, your best choices are low-impact options like walking, bicycling and swimming. That’s because high-impact, pounding, and jarring exercise can increase your risk of joint injuries and may slowly cause cartilage damage. Light weight-lifting exercises should also be included. But if you already have arthritis, first speak with your doctor.

Natural Arthritis Treatment Tip #5: Strengthen Muscles Around Joints
Stronger muscles around joints mean less stress on those joints. Research shows that having weak thigh muscles increases your risk of knee osteoarthritis, for example. Even small increases in muscle strength can reduce that risk. Avoid rapid and repetitive motions of affected joints.

Natural Arthritis Treatment Tip #6: Full Range of Motion is Key
Move joints through their full range of motion to reduce stiffness and keep them flexible. Range of motion refers to the normal extent joints can be moved in certain directions. If you have arthritis, your doctor or physical therapist can recommend daily range-of-motion exercises.

Natural Arthritis Treatment Tip #7: Strengthen Your Core
How can strong abs help protect joints? Stronger abs and back muscles help with balance. The more balanced you are, the less likely you are to damage your joints with falls or other injuries. So include core (abdominal, back, and hips) strengthening exercises in your routine.

Natural Arthritis Treatment Tip #8: Know Your Joints’ Limits
It’s normal to have some aching muscles after exercising. But if your pain lasts longer than 48 hours, you may have overstressed your joints. Don’t exercise so hard next time. Working through the pain may lead to injury or damage.

Natural Arthritis Treatment Tip #9: Eat Fish to Reduce Inflammation
If you have joint pain from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), eat more fish. Fatty coldwater fish like salmon and mackerel are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s may help keep your joints healthy, as well as reduce inflammation, a cause of joint pain and tenderness in people with RA. Don’t like fish? Try fish oil capsules instead.

Natural Arthritis Treatment Tip #10: Protect Joints With Good Posture
Stand and sit up straight. Good posture protects your joints all the way from your neck down to your knees. One easy way to improve posture is by walking. The faster you walk, the harder your muscles work to keep you upright. Swimming can also improve posture.

Natural Arthritis Treatment Tip #11: Be Careful Lifting and Carrying
Consider your joints when lifting and carrying. Carry bags on your arms instead of with your hands to let your bigger muscles and joints support the weight.

Natural Arthritis Treatment Tip #12: Use Ice for Joint Pain

Ice is an effective natural arthritis treatment

Ice is a natural — and free — pain reliever. It numbs pain and helps relieve swelling. If you have a sore joint, apply a cold pack or ice wrapped in a towel. Leave it on for up to 20 minutes at a time. Don’t have ice or a cold pack? Try a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel. Never apply ice directly to the skin.

Natural Arthritis Treatment Tip #13: Glucosamine for Knee OA
Glucosamine is a natural chemical compound found in healthy joint cartilage. Some studies have shown glucosamine — combined with chondroitin — may provide some relief for moderate to severe pain caused by knee OA. Yet the results of other studies have been mixed.

Natural Arthritis Treatment Tip #14: Other Supplements for Joint Pain?
Health food stores are filled with supplements promising to relieve joint pain. In addition to glucosamine, the best scientific evidence is for SAMe. Some studies have even shown it to work better than anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, naproxen) for osteoarthritis pain. Acupuncture is another complementary therapy that may also help. Talk to your doctor if you want to give supplements a try as they may interact with other medicines.

Natural Arthritis Treatment Tip #15: Treat Joint Injuries

Arthritis Treatment Tip: If you injure a joint, see your doctor right away for treatment. Then take steps to avoid more damage.

Physical trauma can contribute to cartilage breakdown and OA. If you injure a joint, see your doctor right away for treatment. Then take steps to avoid more damage. You may need to avoid activities that overstress the joint or use a brace to stabilize it.

Can Your Chiropractor Help With Arthritis Treatment?

Doctors of chiropractic, by the nature of their work, can detect the earliest degenerative changes in the joints. They see the impact of degenerative changes in the spine, as well as in the hips, knees, and other weight-bearing joints. Doctors of chiropractic are also trained to relieve the pain and improve joint function through natural therapies, such as chiropractic manipulation, trigger-point therapy, or some massage techniques.

Doctors of chiropractic can provide exercise counseling, helping you choose exercises that are best for you. If a sore or swollen joint prevents you from exercising, talk to your doctor of chiropractic about other drug-free pain-relief options, such as applying heat or cold to the affected area. In addition, your doctor of chiropractic can help you choose proper supplements that play important roles in arthritis treatment and prevention.