As people grow old, they usually have to deal with several physical disorders, arthritis being one of the most common ones. Arthritis can significantly deteriorate a person’s quality of life, and it can cause people a lot of grief and discomfort.
When it comes to dealing with pain, many people resort to painkillers. Some may use off-the-counter painkillers, while some need to use pharmaceutical opioid painkillers, which are even stronger.
These medications have a wide range of side-effects, and people can even develop a tolerance to them. Furthermore, some people may have other medical conditions that can make it difficult to deal with pain.
Many people look for alternative treatments, and here are five that you can use to deal with arthritis.
Try massage therapy
Massage therapy can also be very beneficial for a person dealing with arthritis. Massage helps you relax while increasing blood flow to your joints and muscles. Furthermore, massage can help in relieving pressure from your joints while decreasing inflammation as well.
However, it can be challenging to get massage therapy every day. You can’t go to the spa every day or hire a therapist to come to your home. Therefore, you should consider investing in a massage chair.
Massage can help you get rid of muscle and nerve pain that may be caused by arthritis; therefore, you should give it a try.
Try to exercise regularly
Exercise is quite beneficial for your overall health, and it can help in the management of arthritis as well. Exercise works in several ways; it helps you manage your weight, increases your flexibility, and strengthens your joints and muscles, increasing the overall dexterity of your joints and helping in the treatment of arthritis.
However, if you are trying to exercise with arthritis, you need to hire the services of a professional trainer and consult your doctor. You should opt for low-impact exercises, like swimming, tai chi, walking, and water activities.
Try hot and cold therapy
Hot and cold therapy is another effective way for the treatment of arthritis pain; heat can help you ease stiffness in your muscles, while cold treatments help in relieving inflammation, swelling, and joint pain.
You should alternate between heat and cold by using a hot water bottle and an ice pack. Heated blankets can also be useful for heat therapy.
Add turmeric to your diet
Turmeric is an incredible spice that is popularly used in Indian dishes, but it can have a lot of medical benefits as well. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant; therefore, it can be very helpful in decreasing pain and inflammation.
In a study done on animals at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, experts even proved that turmeric decreased inflammation in rats.
There are several ways in which you can consume turmeric, you can add some of this delicious and healthy spice to your food, or you can even add a spoon to a class of warm milk and drink that.
Try using CBD oil
Cannabis is a very popular substance, and over the past decade, hundreds of studies have proven its incredible medical benefits. Cannabis has been legalized in Canada and several states of the US as well, and one of its most prominent benefits is that it can act as a natural painkiller.
The cannabis plant has two main cannabinoids, THC and CBD, where THC is responsible for most of the euphoric effects, CBD is the element that numbs the pain. Therefore, you should consider using CBD oil topically to deal with pain without getting high or feeling any euphoric effects. You can however buy it in forms like hash online, if you’re after more of a high rather than using cannabis for its numbing effects.
The cannabis plant has two main cannabinoids, THC and CBD, where THC is responsible for most of the euphoric effects, CBD is the element that numbs the pain. Therefore, you should consider using CBD oil topically to deal with pain without getting high or feeling any euphoric effects.
Just apply some oil on the joints, which are aching and massage a little bit; you will feel the soothing effects quite soon.