Everything You Need to Know about Arthritis
Arthritis is a severe inflammation of one or more joints that can cause significant distress in your life. Although the symptoms of arthritis vary from person to person, the following are a few commonly experienced symptoms by a recent survey:
- Joint stiffness and pain
- Swelling in one or more joints
- Joint inflammation
- Decreased range of motion
- Redness around the infected area
If you happen to have any of the symptoms mentioned above, you may be suffering from arthritis. Therefore, consulting a physician is mandatory.
Types of Arthritis
Unlike other physical ailments, arthritis isn’t as simple as it seems. Yes, that’s right. There are various kinds of arthritis, each brings along a different kind of turmoil. The most common kinds of arthritis include:
#1. Rheumatoid Arthritis
It’s an autoimmune disease in which your body attacks its own joint tissues, causing severe discomfort and pain. According to the Arthritis Foundation, more than 1.5 million Americans have rheumatoid arthritis.
#2. Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis, is another common type of disease in which the cartilage in your joint breaks down.
As mentioned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 32.5 million Americans have osteoarthritis. It’s one of the most prevalent joint disorders in the US.
#3. Juvenile Arthritis
Juvenile arthritis is an umbrella term for different kinds of arthritis that can affect younger adults or children. Other than the given symptoms, it also causes recurrent fever and fatigue.
As per Medscape, more than 300,000 children in the US have juvenile arthritis. Surprisingly, the figure is increasing by the day.
Treatment of Arthritis
Two things that remain common in all types of arthritis are joint pain and discomfort. It is precisely why you’ll see your physician recommending you lots and lots of painkillers along with multivitamins to improve joint health.
Yes, painkillers indeed work well in suppressing joint pain, but it’s going to come back as soon as the effect of medicine wards off. Besides, allopathic painkillers have a number of side effects.
Thus, I recommend sticking to natural supplements and lifestyle changes to manage the symptoms of arthritis. Here I have a list of things that can effectively help you along the way:
#1. Weight Management
It may surprise you, but your weight can have a huge impact on the symptoms of arthritis. It’s simple. Excessive weight puts extra pressure on the joints, especially your feet, legs, hips, knees.
It is precisely why the symptoms of arthritis are worse for overweight and obese people. The American College of Rheumatology also suggests losing weight in both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Check your weight and BMI, and in case you’re overweight or obese, set a proper target to shed those extra pounds. Losing weight means less stress on your joints, something that’s going to help in reducing pain and enhancing mobility. It can also prevent the affected joints from further damage.
#2. Herbal Medicines
Let’s address one of the primary concerns now! How to manage joint pain without allopathic medicines? Well, it is possible. Thankfully, there are several herbs and plants that can help alleviate pain naturally. A few of them are:
- Turmeric
- Indian frankincense
- Purple space cookies
- Feverfew
- Rosemary
The best part being, they’re all-natural; therefore, there are minimal to no chances of side effects. You can use them in a variety of ways. For example, you can make a paste of turmeric and apply it to the affected joint or you can add it to milk and drink a glass before bedtime. The same goes for others, too.
#3. Exercise
Another common symptom of arthritis is decreased range of motion, and exercise can help you with it. That’s right. Regular exercise can help make your body flexible and increase the range of motion.
As I mentioned earlier, lifestyle rehabilitation is essential in order to eliminate the symptoms of arthritis. Thereby, adding exercise to your everyday routine is a must. It can also help you with pain management. Exercise increases blood circulation in the body while decreasing inflammation as well as body aches.
The great thing is that there’s no particular exercise for arthritis. A few minutes of the morning walk would suffice. Oh, and you can also try yoga. Yoga is said to be exceptionally beneficial for increasing range of motion and flexibility.
The Takeaway
Other than the tips mentioned above, make sure to maintain a balanced diet. A healthy diet rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals can help boost your immune system.
It can also provide you with the required antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation in your body. Thus, having a balanced life is crucial if you wish to combat the disease naturally. Oh, and please ensure to cut back on saturated fat, processed foods, and added sugar. Remember that weight management is mandatory in the treatment of arthritis.
It’s a lifelong illness that doesn’t have a permanent cure, but the symptoms can be managed with the tips shared above. I wish you well!
