Health & Medical Rheumatoid Arthritis

Tips on How to Relieve Arthritis Pain

If you suffer from arthritis pain, you know how bad it hurts.
You also know how hard it can be to find relief from the pain.
While there is no cure for arthritis, there are some simple things you can do at home to bring you some relief from the constant pain.
One of the best sources for pain relief is moist heat.
You can either buy a heating pad or a hot pack at the store, or you can make your own heating pad at home.
Simply take a hand towel and get it damp with warm water.
You can either heat the towel in a 300 degree F oven for 5-10 minutes, or heat it in the microwave between 10-60 seconds depending on the microwave wattage.
To avoid burning yourself, you should test the temperature of the towel on the inside of your forearm.
Baths are also an excellent way to relieve the pain of arthritis.
Baths, referred to as hydrotherapy, are used by many physical therapists for pain relief.
You can do hydrotherapy at home in either a hot tub or bathtub.
A hot tub or bathtub with water jets is very similar to the kind of warm water massage techniques that are performed by professionals.
But even if you don't have a whirlpool tub, soaking in a warm bath for 15-20 minutes will work just as well.
Hydrotherapy works by allowing the heat from the water to relax the muscles in your body, especially the weight bearing muscles in your hips and knees.
If you're averse to taking baths, you can also do hydrotherapy in the shower.
Using a shower massage can make this form of hydrotherapy very effective.
Just experiment with the temperature and pulse settings to find out what works best for you.
When you find a setting that's comfortable, hold the massager approximately 4-6 inches from the area that's painful.
Ice is another treatment for arthritis that works well for relieving the pain of aching joints.
It's best to use the gel-filled cold packs rather than ice, as ice is too frigid and gel packs can conform to the body better.
Cold packs are available in a variety of different shapes and sizes and are very inexpensive to buy.
If you keep a few cold packs in the freezer at all times, you'll have pain relief available at any time.

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