Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, occurs due to the gradual daily wear and tear of our joints. The cartilage that provides a buffer between bones breaks down and wears away, allowing the bones to rub and grind against each other. Doctors have plenty of medications that can help you deal with osteoarthritis pain, and for people in extreme pain there are surgical treatments. But there also are a number of natural remedies you can use, often at home, to treat your pain.
1- Exercise Gets You Moving
Gentle weight training and aerobic exercise is a great osteoarthritis treatment that can strengthen the muscles around the affected joint, providing it with greater support. "This is really important," says Roy Altman, MD, a professor of rheumatology in the department of medicine at UCLA. "Six times your weight goes through your knee every time you stamp down. If you have decent muscles around the knee, they absorb some of that shock." Aquatic exercise is one of the natural remedies that have been shown to help.
2- Get Your Weight Under Control
If you’re overweight, you’re putting tremendous amounts of pressure, stress, and strain on knees and hips, worsening osteoarthritis pain. "Weight control in those who are overweight is one thing you can do to control symptoms and perhaps even slow progression," Dr. Altman says. Losing weight also makes a difference in the success of physical therapy and in surgical outcomes. Eat a balanced diet, count calories, and do as much exercise as you can.
3- Use Ice or Heat Therapies
A lot of people swear by thermotherapy, the osteoarthritis treatment that uses heat or cold to relieve osteoarthritis pain. Heat is believed to work as natural remedy by increasing circulation in the joint and relaxing muscles that have clenched in pain. Cold can numb pain by cooling the nerve impulses to the joint and decrease swelling by constricting the blood vessels there. Ice massage has been shown to increase range of motion and function in knees hampered by osteoarthritis.
4- Consider Supplements
A number of supplements have been identified as osteoarthritis treatments. The combination of glucosamine and chondroitin is believed to help reform and repair worn or torn cartilage. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil or flaxseed oil are anti-inflammatory agents. Studies have found that SAMe (s-adenosyl-L-methionine) can help reduce osteoarthritis pain. Early evidence has shown that the natural vegetable extract called avocado soybean unsaponifiables (ASUs) could be an effective osteoarthritis treatment that might even slow progression of the disease.
5- Eat Up Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Research has identified a number of foods that can reduce inflammation and swelling, which causes much of the pain associated with osteoarthritis. These foods include horseradish, mustard, garlic, onions, watercress, parsley, celery, pickles, lemon, and rose-hip tea. The omega-3 fatty acids in nuts, seeds, and fish also can reduce inflammation. Just eating a well-balanced, healthy diet is one of the natural remedies that can reduce inflammation.
