Remedies for Arthritis

Home Remedies

1. Foods rich in omega-3 oils are recommended for persons with arthritis. Omega-3 can be obtained from salmon, sardines or other oily/fatty fish. Cod liver oil is also good and should be taken with a teaspoon daily.
2. Beta carotene, vitamin C, and other antioxidants reduce cell damage. Fresh green and yellow vegetables are rich in these substances.
3. Grapefruit and other fresh fruits for citrus flavonoids, substances that are thought to increase the antioxidant effects of vitamin C; may have an anti-inflammatory effect. Eat daily.
4. Apply cream containing capsaicin to painful joints. Capsaicin is absorbed through the skin and reduces inflammation.
5. Maintain a healthy weight to avoid stress on the body’s joints and bones.
6. Ease pain and increase circulation to the joints with a heating pad or hot bath. Heat will also help joints that are hot.
7. Reduce swollen joints by soaking them in cold water or applying an ice pack. Add ice immediately to an overworked joint to avoid swelling and leave on for twenty minutes or more.
8. Research links rheumatoid arthritis to vitamin C deficiency. Take a total of 500 mg. of vitamin C spread out in small doses throughout the day.

Holistic Remedies

1. Acupressure – Acupressure improves blood circulation for rheumatic conditions. To soothe discomfort in the neck and lessen the general irritability that arthritis pain can cause, use your thumbs to press what is known as the GB 20 points. These points are situated below the base of the skull, two inches out from the middle of your neck. Press for one minute. Work on these points regularly, several times each day, in combination with other therapies. The GB 20 point is a good overall pain-relieving point and is one of the several anti-inflammatory points.
2. Aromatherapy – Add six drops each of rosemary and chamomile essential oils to four ounces of oil such as almond, avocado, soybean or sesame. Massage the oil combination into sore joints. For extra relief, add ten drops each of rosemary and chamomile to a warm bath and soak for ten minutes.
3. Yoga - Yoga works with the body’s energy. It encompasses a lot of breathing techniques and stretching. Stretching can make the muscles around the knees strong and would help to ease arthritis pain in the affected area. Patients would eventually feel more comfortable with the use of the legs thereby building their strength and resistance to injury.

Having hyperuricemia doesn’t mean that gout will occur, however if uric acid crystals form, a painful gout attack can occur at any time. Gout is associated with arthritis as it can cause an attack of sudden burning pain, stiffness, and swelling in a joint. The attacks are usually recurring if treatment isn’t administered. Chronic gout can also lead to deposits of hard lumps of uric acid in and around the joints and may cause joint destruction, decreased kidney function, and kidney stones.

The most common symptom of gout is a nighttime attack of swelling, tenderness, redness, warmth, and sharp pain in the joint of the big toe. Gout attacks can also occur in the ankles, knees, instep, wrists, fingers, and elbows. Rarely, the shoulders, hips, or spine may be affected. The disease is more common in men than women, usually occurring just after puberty; in women gout is more likely to develop after menopause.

Home and Natural Remedies for Gout

1. Persons that have gout attacks should ensure they get plenty of bed rest when they are experiencing attack, up to a day afterward.
2. An easy but effective home remedy is to apply ice pack to the affected joints.
3. Incorporate a low-purine diet by avoiding foods that are high in purines to help in managing uric acid levels in the body. Avoid alcohol, coffee, fried foods, ice-cream and rich desserts. Eat foods that are high in potassium and fiber. A high fiber diet aids in removing uric acid by absorbing bile acids formed in the liver.
4. A study done in Spain in 2003 revealed that orange juice is an effective remedy in lowering uric acid levels. Two glasses of orange juice resulting in at least 250mg of vitamin C per day is the recommended dosage. Lemon juice prevents gout attacks by stimulating the formation of calcium carbonate in the body. Calcium carbonate neutralizes acids in the body, including uric acid that triggers gout attacks. Drink lemon juice with a glass of water after each meal.
5. Vitamin C is said to lower uric acid levels by stimulating the kidneys to excrete more uric acid.
6. Take 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda with meals to prevent gout attacks. Bicarbonate of soda is an alkalizing agent that works by making uric acids more soluble and thus easier to remove from the body. As baking soda is high in sodium consult with a medical professional before trying this gout remedy.
7. Celery is a diuretic, which means it elevates the rate of urination and by extension helps in removing uric acid from the body. Celery can be consumed by eating the stalks or seed extracts.
8. Research done in 1950 showed that cherries are one of the most popular natural remedies for gout. They contain a sub class of flavonoids called anthocyanidins that are high in antioxidant and are anti-inflammatory which can both block pain and reduce levels of uric acid. This is possible because their anthocyanidins inhibit xanthine oxidase, an enzyme involved in the production of uric acid.