Best Treatment Options for Chronic Arthritis

Thousands of people of suffer from arthritis all over the world. Arthritis afflicts both men and women; however women are three times more susceptible to suffer from it than men.

Arthritis means inflammation of the joints and is usually a result of damage to the joint.  The reasons for arthritis are many, but the most common ones are age, infections, genetics, cold weather, excessive intake of rich food, trauma, deficiency of organic minerals or sodium, physical and mental strain.

Arthritis results in swelling, redness, pain, stiffness and reduced ability to move your joints.  If your stiffness and pain lasts more than two weeks, then you may have the chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis. Rheumatoid Arthritis is an incurable disease; however the inflammation and the pain can be reduced significantly.

Here are some of the best treatment options which can be followed for treating chronic arthritis:

Water Aerobics

You may think that exercise is harmful for arthritic patients, but research has shown otherwise. Studies have revealed that exercise helps in lessening pain and fatigue, increases flexibility and strength and leaves you feeling well overall.Water Aerobics is an excellent choice as an exercise for chronic arthritis patients. Indulging in water aerobics increases the range of motion and endurance while keeping the weight off the joints.

Massage

Get relaxing massages done. Massages done with epsom Salt, or olive Oil or vinegar help in soothing pain and swelling.

Losing Weight

Reducing weight helps you take the stress off joints, thereby soothing pain in the joints. Maintaining a healthy weight also helps in keeping other medical conditions such as diabetes, heart diseases at bay.

Eating Healthy

Have a varied diet. Eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, lean meat and dairy products. Also make sure that you get enough of calcium and vitamin C and E.

Ice Pack

Apply a cold compress or an ice pack whenever you experience joint pain. This will reduce the pain and the swelling.

Heat Therapy

Go in for heat therapy. Take a long warm bath. Apply a warm compress on the affected area or apply warm paraffin wax on the afflicted joints. All this will help in reducing pain and soreness. And if the pain is too severe, then get it treated in the hospital, wherein the doctor will apply heat through ultrasound and microwaves. This has proven to help many chronic arthritic sufferers.

Using Assisting Devices

A splint to support joints is often needed for chronic arthritis. It protects the joints and also helps in improving the position of the joints.

Occupational Therapy

Go for occupational therapy. The therapist will teach you ways to use your body effectively without putting stress on your joints. They will help you to cope with daily life by formulating strategies.

Alternative Medicines

The seeds of evening primrose, black currant and borage have been of great help in treating chronic arthritis. These seeds contain a type of fatty acid that helps with morning stiffness. However, there may be some side effects like gas and vomiting.

If everything fails, then there are always medicines which will help a chronic arthritis patient.  In some cases, surgery may also be done if other treatments don’t work.