These days, it’s easy to take the easy road to pain relief and take increasing amounts of medication in an effort to lessen or entirely relieve back pain. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause severe pain and even result in immobility without strong pain relief, a result of inflammation of the tissue surrounding your joints. While pain medication is often a necessity for sufferers, it is worth noting that there are alternate ways to relieve the pain and discomfort of rheumatoid arthritis, and it is encouraged to try these options to reduce both the amount of toxins entering your body and your possible tolerance build up. Below are five ways to relieve the symptoms and pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
Proper sleep and extra relaxation time
We’re constantly told that eight hours sleep each day is necessary to maintain health, body and brain function. People with rheumatoid arthritis often require more than this – usually 9 10 hours of solid sleep at night and then a 1 – 2 hour nap in the afternoon if sleep was interrupted during the night. By pushing through the day without a rest, sufferers often find that their entire body becomes drained and tired, while their joints ache with every movement. Sufficient rest time and sleep is an important part of rheumatoid arthritis treatment.
Exercise
Mobility is key to keeping your muscles strong and increase your range of motion, preventing your joints from becoming stiff and painful. While high impact exercise like running is certainly out of the question, gentle options like swimming / water aerobics, walking and light stretching or yoga are a fantastic way to fight fatigue and stay active, and also provide pain relief during a flare-up.
Topical treatments
Not to be confused with tropical treatments like lounging on a beach in Fiji, topical creams and gels are a popular and easily accessible option for relieving the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. When applied to the areas surrounding the pain, the lotion absorbs into your skin, often providing temporary pain relief of minor joint pain. Gels, lotions and creams are available from pharmacies, as well as topical relief in spray form or as a patch to stick over the painful joint. The results of these treatments vary depending on your tolerance and the severity of your condition, however as a fast option within easy reach, they are certainly worth a try.
Fish oil supplements and vitamins
Adding a daily dose of salmon oil or krill oil as well as a hit of vitamin D, magnesium and calcium can go a long way towards relieving your pain long term. While not an immediate fix, fish oils in particular have been shown to relieve joint pain and make sufferers feel like their bones are moving more smoothly and not causing inflammation. Vitamins C and D are also known to assist with muscle and tissue tenderness, so taking these supplements and adding foods rich in these nutrients to your diet can help with the pain and inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis.
Tai Chi
This ancient Chinese martial art conjures up images of groups of incredibly calm people making slow, deliberate movements with genuine serenity on their faces. Indeed, that is exactly what Tai Chi can provide for you. Being such a slow, gentle and focused form of exercise, people with rheumatoid arthritis are well suited to Tai Chi, not only for its ability to increase mobility and movement, but also for its calming effects, focusing on centering the mind, body and spirit. Often sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis suffer from depression and anxiety as they become frustrated by their limitations due to their condition. Whether in a group or alone, Tai Chi is guaranteed to provide a calming sanctuary, relief from both pain and anxiety, and keep the body mobile in a safe and gentle way.
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