If you are noticing that you have more joint pain than you have had in the past, there are ways to relieve joint pain naturally.
Determining what is causing the joint pain is the first goal. See your physician for a proper diagnosis as there are many things that can cause joint pain, including the following:
- Sprains
- Strains
- Fractures
- Arthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Cysts
- Tumors
Those are just a few of the things that can cause joint pain in the body so it is important to know exactly what you are dealing with before trying to treat it.
You may be wondering what the natural joint pain relief remedies are-here is a look at the top nine ways to relieve joint pain naturally.
Top 9 ways to relieve joint pain naturally
Many people are considering using or are using natural ways to relieve pain. The reason for this is that many people do not like the side effects that come with pharmaceuticals or the chances of becoming addicted to those pharmaceuticals.
So what are the top 9 ways to relieve joint pain naturally?
- Lose weight. If you are overweight, it can cause more pain from the stress placed on your joints.
- Use hot and cold therapy. Cold reduces inflammation and swelling while heat relaxes tight muscles and aids in circulation in the area.
- Acupuncture. This needs to be done by a professional who maintains a clean and sterile environment.
- Meditation can help relax tight muscles and reduce pain so find your happy place!
- Pay attention to your diet and include more omega 3 fatty acids as they have been shown to reduce joint stiffness and pain. Add turmeric to your diet as it has anti-inflammatory properties.
- Massage therapy relaxes muscles, reduces stress and can elevate your mood as well.
- Essential oils such as nutmeg, peppermint, marjoram, chamomile, and others can reduce inflammation and pain, and encourage circulation. MegRelief is a combination of essential oils and contains Nutmeg.
- Supplements like boswellia, glucosamine, curcumin, ginger, methylsulfonylmethane, and others can help reduce inflammation and pain.
- Exercise. Gentle exercises like walking and swimming can help promote flexibility, strengthen bones and muscles and reduce pain and inflammation.
Several of these top nine can also be used as prevention of joint pain and joint disease.
A few other natural joint pain relief remedies include the following:
- A warm bath with Epsom’s salt
- Washing dishes by hand if the joints in your fingers and hands hurt
- Making yourself a ginger or turmeric poultice
- Getting 8 hours of sleep each night. This will not only help reduce pain, but also helps with your mental mood
- Drinking plenty of water and reducing the amount of caffeine and sugar you take in
Preventative measures
Prevention is the best way to combat joint pain and stiffness. To prevent joint disease, pain, and stiffness you need to pay attention to what you eat and how you exercise, work, and play. When we are in our twenties, and even in our thirties, we all think we are indestructible only to find out as we hit our middle forties and early fifties, that our body was not as indestructible as we thought. The aches and pains and the popping and snapping in the joints begin.
So where does prevention start? It starts with diet and exercise.
When it comes to diet, a well-balanced nutritional diet is always best-it should include carbs, fats, and proteins. Fat should be good fats like a balance of omega 3s and omega 6s and carbs should come from fresh fruit and vegetables. Fresh fruits like blueberries and others contain antioxidants which help remove toxins from the body. Spices like turmeric, ginger, and cayenne pepper have anti-inflammatory properties to reduce swelling.
Exercise should be done a minimum of three times a week. Low impact exercises such as swimming or yoga are best so that exercising does not damage your joints. Cardio training for heart and lung health and use of resistance bands can help build and strengthen muscles, which can help protect joints and bones. Exercise also promotes better circulation which helps remove toxins and provide oxygen to the cells of your body. It also helps keep you flexible and helps maintain and/or improve your range of motion. When you exercise, make sure you are wearing proper fitting and supportive shoes and proper fitting clothing so that they are not too tight or too loose.
If you eat a balanced diet, exercise, and get plenty of sunshine, there should be no need to take vitamins. However, if you feel you may be lacking in certain vitamins, speak with your physician. He or she can run blood work to make sure that you have enough vitamins which will help determine if you need to take a supplement vitamin with your diet or not.
Meditation, like yoga, can help reduce stress. Stress can damage cells and joints and can cause heart and blood pressure issues.
Natural versus traditional joint pain relief
Natural joint pain relief remedies have fewer (if any) side effects that traditional joint pain pharmaceuticals which have side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, vision problems, heart and liver problems; some can be linked to cancer and can be addictive. Also, with some pharmaceuticals, you should not operate heavy machinery or an automobile, where with natural remedies, you can still perform your daily work without interference.
Natural remedies may not work as effectively as pharmaceuticals, but they can relieve the majority of your pain while allowing you a clear mind to carry out your daily life. Natural remedies cost less than pharmaceuticals unless you have a very good insurance plan that has extremely low copays on prescription drugs, but you also have to take into consideration your monthly premium and deductible when comparing the cost of traditional versus natural remedies.
There may be times when you need a combination of both natural and traditional treatments in order to relieve joint pain, so you must be certain of the cause of the joint pain before starting any treatment.
Again, what are the top natural joint pain relief remedies?
- Weight loss
- Hot and cold therapy
- Exercise
- Essential oils
- Massage therapy
- Acupuncture
- Diet
- Meditation
- All natural supplements
These can help relieve joint pain and also prevent joint issues if you start now before joint pain becomes an issue. Doing preventative methods while young can reduce and/or delay the risk of joint pain and can keep you flexible and pain-free for years to come.
