Joint Pain Relief
As we become older, the cartilage in our joints begins to wear thin. For many people this is a major cause of joint pain. When a joint hurts, there is only one thought in your mind, finding relief. There are several things that you can do that may bring joint pain relief.
Begin with either heat or cold.
Many times an ice pack will bring joint pain relief. Fill a zipper plastic bag with ice and loosely wrap it in a towel. Place this pack on the joint for about fifteen minutes. At first, you may feel additional pain, but in just about a minute, the ice pack will cause the joint to become numb and the pain will be less than it was before. Do not let the ice pack remain in place for more than fifteen minutes.
Heat can also bring joint pain relief. Try a heating pad or even and old fashioned hot water bottle. You can also find heat packs in the adhesive bandage section of the pharmacy aisle.
In addition, you might try a buckwheat pillow that can be warmed in the microwave oven. Since the pillow conforms to your body shape, it is a good source of heat and has the added benefit of not being able to cause a burn unless repeatedly heated and placed back on the joint.
If you have access to a hot tub, a fifteen-minute soak will often relax muscles and also give pain relief. Try both before bedtime and in the morning.
Many people find relief from joint pain through the use of creams that heat up when massaged into the skin. These creams have two advantages. The massaging of the joint helps to relieve swelling and the heat also helps with pain relief.
Keep those joints moving. Even though it may be painful at times, do not allow a joint to become inactive. Moving a joint helps to keep fluids that cause swelling from settling into joints. If you are a member of a gym, see if they offer warm water aerobics. These classes, taught in the therapy pools give your body weight the support of water, so the exercises are lower impact than almost anything that is offered on land. The warmth of the water reduces swelling in the joints and the instructors are generally well taught in helping people like you with exercises that improve joint health.
Some people are finding joint pain relief using Glucosamine. This natural supplement is said to help rebuild damaged cartilage in the affected joints. While not an immediate cure, this treatment may take some time to show any improvement.
Joint pain is not fun. It hurts and can limit your ability to do the things that you love to do. If the above steps do not help with your joint pain, then speak with your doctor. He may have suggestions for other treatments that can give you relief of the pain and help you get back to a normal life.
