Arthritis means joint inflammation but the term concerns about 200 other inflammatory conditions which directly affects the muscle and tissue. The symptoms usually include muscle stiffness, swelling, pain and discomfort while performing daily tasks such as climbing the stairs or even walking. With the passage of time, these symptoms can get more severe and can debilitate a person.
Understanding arthritis is key when we want to discuss remedies or medicines because if we understand our ailment it can lead to a swift counteraction against the disease in perhaps curing it.
Now there are mainly two types of arthritis which affect the human body.
Degenerative arthritis
Degenerative arthritis is commonly referred to as osteoarthritis which causes bone cartilage to wither away with the passage of time and causes the bone to bone abrasion causing pain and swelling the joint. This condition can also worsen when it becomes chronic.
Inflammatory arthritis
Inflammatory arthritis is an autoimmune type of arthritis where the faulty immune system of a person attacks the joint causing inflammation which is originally done to counteract infections but in case the immune system is mistaken.
The inflammation causes joint erosion to occur and the uncontrolled inflammation can lead to other organs being harmed as well. Rheumatoid arthritis is a form of inflammatory arthritis.
Now that we’ve come to a clear understanding of what arthritis is, a significant approach can be made towards learning what are the alternative remedies which have proven to be helpful in combating this condition.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for the human body to maintain optimum health to ensure a stable lifestyle. The fatty acids help with arthritis as they reduce inflammation in the joints.
Fish oil supplements which are also rich in the omega 3 fatty acids are known to be very helpful in causing a significant reduction in stiffness and pain in the arthritis affected joints.
Fish Meat is a regular and usual source of these fatty acids but for people who are vegetarians, omega 3 fatty acids can be found in spinach, kale, walnuts, chia seeds, brussels sprouts and salad green flaxseeds.
- Hot and Cold Therapy
Heat therapy works in a way to improve blood circulation in a certain area of the body due to the increase in temperature. Heat therapy can help the muscles to relax and cause a significant reduction in muscle stiffness/discomfort.
Moreover, it can help the damaged muscles to heal and increase muscle flexibility soon afterwards. There are two types of heat therapies.
Dry heat in which heating pads and saunas are used. The other component is moist heat which deals with the application of steamed towels, moist heating packs or hot baths. You can choose to apply this therapy regionally or isolated to a specific area.
Cold therapy which is also known as cryotherapy and involves reducing blood flow to reduce inflammation which can help in combating the inflammatory types of arthritis.
- Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a 2000-year-old Chinese treatment in which small needles are inserted in specific areas to stimulate the release of pain-relieving hormones such as endorphins and it helps to also relax the shortened and spasmed packs of muscles.
The main aim is to redirect the energies of the body which have fallen out of order which in turn cause pain and discomfort in the body generally. Besides arthritis acupuncture being the most researched complementary therapy is known as a treatment for over 100 conditions and is recommended by the World Health Organization.
But please make sure to utilize the services of a licensed acupuncture specialist
- Turmeric
Turmeric is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties which enable it to be a successful remedy against arthritis. It is a plant which is native to the South Asian part of the world and is common in Indian dishes.
Turmeric mainly contains curcumin which is the anti-inflammatory agent which reduces the pain in swelling of the joints by blocking certain enzymes. Studies show that turmeric supplements can work in the long term to reduce the pain and improve mobility in patients with arthritis
- Black Seed Oil
Black seed oil comes from the seeds of the Nigella Sativa plant which grows in Eastern Europe, Southwest Asia and parts of Africa as well. It is also known as black cumin oil and possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which garner it useful against a debilitating condition like arthritis.
The black seed oil can lessen the inflammation of patients having rheumatoid arthritis. For patients with osteoarthritis a 3-4-week application course of the oil to the affected body part can result in better mobility and less pain in the joints.
The oil can be consumed orally as well or can be incorporated into your daily meals and diet as well. It can be added on biscuits or on bagels, also can be added to soups or curries as an additional seasoning alongside other seasonings such as fennel or mustard.
Conclusively it needs to be stated that the other black seed benefits should be taken into account as well and moreover black seed in the diet comes with no known or unknown side effects which is a major plus point going in favour of the black seed oil.
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