Topical Medications
Cycling
Glucosamine
Glucosamine is not just another pain reliever. It does its best to help your joints regenerate and stay strong instead of only providing temporary pain relief. In the long run, glucosamine supplements are a great way to deal with your arthritis. Don’t take glucosamine if you have glaucoma, intraocular hypertension, or a shellfish allergy.
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The Right Shoes
Despite what the packaging of your expensive sneakers says, a pair of flip flops is actually better for your arthritis. The flatter your shoe is, the less stress you’ll put on your feet, knees, and back. Stay away from those “special walking shoes” and get a pair of flat shoes if you want to have fewer aches and pains.
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Tai Chi
Tai Chi is universally recognized as a great way to deal with arthritis. It will improve your range of motion while increasing your strength and flexibility. If you practice Tai Chi, your balance, mobility, and stamina will all go up while reducing the ailments in your joints. As an added bonus, joining a Tai Chi class will give you a community of people who are also trying to be healthy.
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Neoprene Sleeves and Braces
Neoprene braces are great for anyone with arthritis. In fact, some companies have designed sleeves that also help keep in warmth while increasing circulation. IMAK Compression Arthritis Elbow Sleeve is one of the brands that’s suggested by the Arthritis Foundation.
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Ginger
Ginger is one of those overlooked spices that can do a lot of good for you. It’s an anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving spice that will help you be as healthy as possible. Although drinking ginger tea is good for you, there’s no better way to get the health benefits of ginger than taking a ginger supplement.
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Chondroitin Sulfate
Chondroitin Sulfate is a safe way to relieve arthritis pain, cut down on inflammation, and strengthen your cartilage. It’s better for osteoarthritis than rheumatoid arthritis, but the benefits are still there for both conditions.
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Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 Fatty Acids are nutrients that are great for just about everybody, but they can be extremely beneficial for people with arthritis. Rich in vitamins A and D, they provide your body with fats it needs but cannot produce. Omega-3 Fatty Acids work to reduce swelling in your joints while preventing your body from attacking your own cartilage. To get Omega-3 Fatty Acids, you can take supplements or eat cold-water fish and tuna.
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Turmeric
Turmeric is a miracle supplement that is beneficial to many people, especially those with arthritis. It relieves pain, reduces inflammation, and helps with joint stiffness. However, it shouldn’t be taken with blood thinners.
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Hot & Cold Pads
Hot and Cold pads are one of the best, cheapest ways to deal with your arthritis. Hot pads will help loosen up and regenerate your muscles while cold pads will reduce swelling and dull your pain. You can buy hot and cold pads at the store or use common household items like hot washcloths and bags of frozen vegetables instead.
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Acupuncture
Strength Training
Strength training, or using weights at the gym, is one of the best ways for anybody to stay healthy. It has even more benefits for people with arthritis than it does for people without. It will strengthen the muscles around your joints, keep your range of mobility high, and prevent swelling. You don’t have to become a bodybuilder but using weights a few times a week is a great idea.
Anti-inflammatory Foods
Anti-inflammatory foods like beets, nuts, and berries should be regularly consumed by anyone with arthritis. Because arthritis causes your joints to become inflamed, reducing inflammation is a crucial part of being healthy and pain-free.
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Massage
Losing Weight
Excess weight can cause significant issues for anyone that suffers from arthritis, especially if it’s in their knees or other weight-impacting joints. Losing a few pounds could help decrease the amount of pain felt, especially if the sufferer is overweight. A doctor should be able to determine if losing weight could help.
Vitamin D
Yoga
Chiropractor
TENS Units
Capsaicin
Capsaicin is the ingredient that makes someone’s mouth feel like it’s on fire when eating a chili pepper. That same ingredient can provide heat to the body through a cream. The ingredient is also available in a pill form, but it works much better when applied topically.
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Gamma-Linolenic Acid
Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) is a type of omega-6 fatty acid that’s found in primrose, black currant, and borage oil. Studies have shown that it’s effective at reducing inflammation when taken orally. It has no effect when rubbed onto the skin.
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Avocado Soybean Unsaponifiables
Avocado Soybean Unsaponifiables (ASU) has been shown to block the inflammatory chemicals that cause pain and deterioration. This means that taking around 300mg daily could make a huge difference in symptoms.
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Biofeedback
Tylenol Arthritis Pain
Tylenol makes a special medication called “Tylenol Arthritis Pain.” It contains 650mg of acetaminophen, which can help relieve pain. It’s possible to take the regular Tylenol and get the same amount of acetaminophen, but it would require more pills.
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Aleve
Typically, Aleve is one of the best options for those that have joint pain. This wouldn’t be a regular treatment, but rather one to be used when the pain is a little too much, or if there’s pain that isn’t commonly felt.
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Celebrex
Celebrex is a well-known prescription medicine that has been used to effectively treat people that have arthritis—specifically osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. This medication is designed to treat pain by decreasing swelling and stiffness.
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DMARDs
Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) were designed for diseases that cause deterioration, like arthritis. They don’t cure the disease but can preserve joints by blocking inflammation. This slows down the deterioration and prolongs the joint’s life.
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Thunder God Vine
Thunder God’s Vine is a plant that shows strong promise. Studies have shown that the plant, when taken orally in capsule form, can improve some arthritis symptoms, specifically rheumatoid arthritis. That being said, when it isn’t prepared correctly, the plant can be poisonous.
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Swimming
Swimming is one of the best ways to get in shape because it works the whole body without harming your joints. For people with arthritis, it’s a great way to stretch out and strengthen your joints in a non-stressful way. Better yet, there are so many different ways to swim that it’s approachable by almost anybody.
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