Arthritis Home Remedy

Exercise is considered as one of the best home remedies for arthritis, but you should never do it without the consultation of your doctor. Information about exercises that can relief in arthritis condition can be found elsewhere on this website. We feel this is the place to let you know of the ways arthritis pain can be taken care of at home. So here go the methods.

Cold

For occasional flare-ups, cold may dull the sensation of pain in the first day or two. Cold has a numbing effect and decreases muscle spasms. Don't use cold treatments if you have poor circulation or numbness.

Ice packs

Before using an ice pack, apply a thin layer of mineral oil to your skin at the painful joint. Place a damp towel over the mineral oil. Finally, put the ice pack on the wet towel and cover it with several dry towels for insulation.

You may apply cold several times a day, but for no more than 20 or 30 minutes at a time. Check your skin regularly for loss of its underly¬ing redness. This color loss may indicate the onset of frostbite. Stop immediately if this happens.

Helpful Hint:

To make your own ice pack, combine Y3 cup of rubbing alcohol with 7'3 cup of water. Place this mixture inside two sealed freezer bags, and place in the freezer. The pack is ready to use when the con¬tents are slushy. To re-freeze the contents after use, place in the freezer.

Ice massage

This method applies cold directly to your skin. Using a circular motion, move the ice in and around your painful joint for 5 to 7 minutes. Apply mild pressure, and remember to keep the ice moving when it is in contact with your skin.

Again, remember to watch for color changes in your skin. If you notice your skin losing its underlying red tone, stop immediately. If your skin becomes numb during the massage, end the treatment early.

Helpful Hint:

You can make your own ice block by freezing water in a paper cup. Peel back part of the cup to expose enough ice for your massage. Wrap the cup in a small towel to protect your hands.

Heat

Heat can ease your pain, relax tense, painful muscles and increase the regional flow of blood. But if you have poor circulation or numbness in the part you plan to expose, do not apply heat. You won't know if you are getting burned.

A variety of chili peppers called capsicum made into a cream has been tested on people and found to reduce tenderness when applied to hand joints affected by osteoarthritis. A burning sensation was the only negative side effect found by researchers.

Cinnamon, ginger, celery seed, evening primrose, devil's claw, fever¬few, yucca and dandelion are other herbs used in preparations that have received attention for their potential to relieve the symptoms of arthritis.

Hot packs and electric heat pads

Apply several layers of towels over the area to be heated with a hot pack. Lay the hot pack over the towels. Cover the hot pack with several layers of towels for insulation. Add or remove towels between your skin and the hot pack to vary the heat. You may need to add layers of towels over spots where bones project.

Check your skin every 15 minutes. If you see red and white blotches, stop the treatment at once. Your skin has been heated enough. Continued heating could cause a bum or blister.

To protect your skin from burning, do not lie on a hot pack or electric heat pad or apply pressure during treatment. If your skin has poor sen¬sation or if you have poor circulation, don't use heat treatment.

Heat lamps

Use a radiant heat lamp with a 2S0-watt reflector heat bulb. This bulb produces the type of infrared rays that cause a signifi¬cant increase in local circulation of the skin and underlying tissues. Position the lamp 18 to 20 inches from your skin. Apply the heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Use an alarm clock or timer, or ask someone to waken you if you think you might fall asleep.

You can decrease the intensity of the heat by moving the lamp farther away. Direct the lamp at the skin from the side rather than from above.

Water: baths, showers, whirlpools

One of the easiest and most effective ways to apply heat is to take a 15-minute hot shower or bath. You don't need an expensive hot tub. A standard bathtub can be just as effective. However, in any very warm bath or shower, use extra caution-and the grab bars. You could become light-headed or even faint.

Contrast baths

Contrast baths are helpful to many people with rheumatoid osteoarthri¬tis of the hands and feet, and they may provide more relief than hot or cold alone.

Start with two large pans. Fill one pan with warm water (110 F) and the other with cool water (65 F). Place your joint in the warm water first for 10 minutes and then in the cold water for 1 minute. Cycle back to the warm water for 4 minutes and then to the cold for 1 minute, and repeat this process for half an hour. Always end with the warm water. If pans are not handy, twin sinks work just as welL

Helpful Hint:

Use warm, not hot, water. You can measure water tem¬perature with a mercury-type outdoor thermometer.