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Alternative arthritis pain relievers can offer safe and natural solutions for those people who seek a more normal way of treating arthritis and avoid the serious side effects of conventional medications and other anti-inflammatory drugs. After proof of complications of the use of Cox-2 inhibitors present in most arthritis pain reliever medications were ascertain, alternative arthritis medicines are becoming more and more popular.

There are many alternative arthritis pain relievers today for arthritic pain. An easy to use alternative arthritis pain reliever is an arthritic diet, exercise programs, relaxation, positive emotion coping techniques, and even acupuncture are considered to be an alternative arthritis pain reliever.

It is always advisable however, to check with your doctor first for medical opinion before using any alternative arthritis pain reliever. Then later on, when time and resources allow, you can test other options for alternative arthritis pain reliever.

Alternative Arthritis Pain Reliever Diet:

Consulting with your doctor before starting any diet is definitely recommended. Overall dietary health is important and it plays a role as an alternative arthritis pain reliever. There are many factors to consider regarding any alternative arthritis pain reliever like diets and nutritional healing and each factor may differ from one individual to the other. The best way is to look at each arthritic condition and adapt an approach to the situation based upon specifics.

When it comes to what food should be avoided to take when suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, a lot of nutritionists suggest keeping away from dairy products as they seem to worsen rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups. One should be discouraged from taking doses of vitamins that are higher than recommended without a physician’s advice, in hopes that vitamins are a more natural alternative way of arthritis relief. Increasing vitamins and minerals through food therapy is a much better way than overdosing on vitamin pills as an alternative arthritis pain reliever because some vitamins and minerals can actually worsen certain arthritis conditions.

Dietary supplements like chondroitin, fish oil and glucosamine. Chondroitin draws fluid into cartilage which improves shock-absorbing ability and weight control; less weight equals less joint pressure. Fish oils helps to control inflammation in the body.

Alternative Arthritis Pain Reliever Exercise:

Exercise as an alternative arthritis pain reliever can be very beneficial; it relieves the stiffness in joints, strengthening thus reducing stress on joints, keeping the bones and cartilage tissue strong and healthy and increases flexibility. Exercise also plays a vital role in your health. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of walking as an alternative pain reliever. At the same time, to improve the arthritic condition, carrying weights as light as one pound and using the arms is a good way to improve the whole body’s health.

Yoga is also a good alternative arthritis pain reliever involving many forms of stretching and pose-oriented exercises, which are extremely advantageous towards accomplishing flexibility and lessening stress physically and mentally.

Alternative Arthritis Pain Reliever Acupuncture and Relaxation:

Acupuncture has been a way for people to get rid of some body illnesses and pains, the insertion of needles into the skin to stimulate targeted places in the body (acupoints), bring about therapeutic results.

Relaxation techniques on the other hand, have a place in healing the body. This alternative way has only recently been recognized throughout the medical industry, and the general public has yet to know and understand its effectiveness. Relaxation that involves meditation showed immense benefits; mental and physical health benefits are realized from such practice, as well.

A new study has made a connection between acupuncture and arthritis. The study said that the combination of acupuncture and arthritis can significantly reduce pain and improve function in those suffering osteoarthritis of the knee.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical procedure wherein hair-thin needles are inserted into points along “energy channels” – meridians, where the life force of the human body flows through. This is thought to help unblock the clogged energy channels and thus, help ease pain as a result of such blockage.

As part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) – a form of alternative medicine based on the belief that an essential life force, qi, flows through the body along channels called meridians – acupuncture is among the oldest form of medical procedure in the world. The first form of acupuncture was started in China more than 2,000 years ago but is now widely practiced in Asia and Europe. With the recent discovery about the connection between acupuncture and arthritis, specifically on its role as a pain reliever, the procedure is increasingly becoming popular in the United States as well.

As opposed to what you may believe, getting stuck with needles for a few minutes is not as torturous as it sounds. In fact, most people who believe in the healing connection between acupuncture and arthritis, say that there is only a slight stinging sensation when the needles prick the skin, but that is all. There is no pain after that. The needles used in acupuncture are very thin, smooth, and solid, unlike hypodermic needles which are hollow with cutting edges. The length of each session may vary, depending on the kind of disorder you wish to be treated. When it comes to acupuncture and arthritis, treatment may require two sessions a week and may last for several months.

Study on Acupuncture and Arthritis:

The study on acupuncture and arthritis was conducted by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Considered as one of the largest and longest clinical trials to show such conclusive effects of acupuncture and arthritis on patients, the study reported a 44 percent average reduction in pain and a 40 percent improvement in mobility.

For purposes of the study, the researchers enrolled 570 patients who are aged from 50 above, with arthritis of the knee, and who had been suffering significant pain in the same the month before the study was conducted. The patients were then randomly assigned three different treatments, and it was found that those who specifically underwent acupuncture and arthritis treatment had a 40 percent decrease in pain and a nearly 40 percent improvement in function.

“We have demonstrated that traditional Chinese acupuncture is an effective complement to conventional arthritis treatment and can be successfully employed as part of a multi-disciplinary approach to treating the symptoms of osteoarthritis,” says Brian Berman of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore.

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In addition to the various pharmaceuticals designed to alleviate pain and modern treatment methods recommended by doctors all over the world, many patients also seek natural remedies for arthritis. The reason for this is varied and may include the following:

• Other medications are not working or cause adverse side effects for the patient seeking natural remedies for arthritis.
• Holistic or organic healing is believed to be more effective than doing it with the aid of chemicals.
• Some prescription medications are so expensive the patient seeking natural remedies for arthritis may not be able to afford it anymore.

Below is a list of some of the most pervasive natural remedies for arthritis in use today. However, before you decide to take any of these natural remedies for arthritis, you are strongly advised to consult with your physician first. Understand that most of these natural remedies for arthritis do not have any scientific proof to prove their medical claims. Some of them may react to the drugs you are already taking or may have undesirable side effects.

Acupuncture:

Acupuncture is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and one of the oldest natural remedies for arthritis. It consists of inserting hair thin needles with smooth edges into certain areas called meridians found in the body which act as channels through which the life force or qi flows.

To treat arthritis, you may have to undergo several sessions of acupuncture – at least 3 sessions per week, depending on the type of arthritis you have. A recent study released by the National Institutes of Health showed that acupuncture may have some positive effects on arthritis pain, particularly on the knee joints.

Oils:

It makes sense that one of the natural remedies for arthritis is oil. After all, one of the common causes of arthritic pain is friction in the joints where the cushioning tissue, called cartilage, is damaged and the realese of the synovial fluid, responsible for lubricating the bone ends, is affected. However, when speaking about oils as natural remedies for arthritis, it does not mean that you are going to end up smearing yourself with messy metal lubricants. What it does mean is to put the right kind of oils inside your body to help with the aches and pains associated with the disease.

Out of the oils used because of their medicinal properties, fish oil supplements occupy the top of the list. Fish oils have omega-3 fatty acids that can ease the painful symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis or RA, help prevent Raynaud’s syndrome spasms, and possibly relieve some symptoms of lupus. Other oil types that can be used as natural remedies for arthritis are borage seed and evening primrose seed oils, both of which have been shown to ease RA inflammation.

Click here to check out Devil’s Claw Root And Other Natural Remedies For Arthritis