Arthritis can be a very painful and uncomfortable condition, causing inflammation in and around your joints. At its worst, arthritis can be debilitating and leave you in a lot of pain and limited to what you can do. It’s a common condition, and although some might associate it more with senior citizens, it can impact people at younger stages in life too. If you or someone you love is suffering from arthritis and you would like to try and help them to become more comfortable, here are a few tips that could be useful in managing this pain.

Look at Lifestyle Choices

How you look after yourself each day and have an impact on your arthritis, so it’s a good idea to start looking at your lifestyle choices first. Maintaining a healthy weight so that you’re not putting additional pressure on your joints is key, and if you do smoke, this could aggravate your tissue and increase arthritic pain. Therefore, it’s worth thinking about quitting smoking for this, if not for all of the other health benefits of doing so. You should also make sure you’re engaging in gentle exercises and keeping your joints moving, but be mindful of your limitations, so you don’t push too far and cause your arthritis to flare up.

Speak to Your Doctor

If you have noticed that your pain is getting worse, you should bring this issue up with your doctor. They may be able to prescribe you something for the pain if it is significant enough or give you some further advice on what you can do at home for some holistic remedies and pain management.

Pain Relief Medications

Your doctor might prescribe you something if the pain is significant enough, but otherwise, you can look at some over-the-counter medications with anti-inflammatory qualities instead. If you are starting to notice you are relying on these medications regularly, however, do speak to your doctor as this could result in other health issues, or you may need something stronger if they aren’t being effective.

Natural Remedies

If you would like to try some natural remedies for pain relief rather than over-the-counter medications, you could try CBD oil or gummies as this has similar anti-inflammatory powers and has been used to treat pain caused by various conditions. See your guide to CBD gummies in the UK for further information on these products. You could also drink more green and ginger tea, take turmeric capsules, or use aloe vera to help soothe your pain. If you are unsure about any of these methods, again, speak to your doctor for further advice.

Hot and Cold Applications

Another way you could try to alleviate some of the pain you experience with arthritis is through the use of hold and cold applications. For example, a hot bath or shower can help ease muscle pain or use heat pads on the affected areas. Just be mindful that you are not using too much heat as this could risk burns. Ice or cold compresses can be useful, too, particularly in helping to reduce inflammation. You might find this more useful after exercise that has caused your arthritis to become aggravated.

If you or someone you know has arthritis, and you would like to manage the pain better for a more comfortable life, consider these suggestions and see how they can help.