Relieving the Symptoms of Arthritis: Treatment Options

Arthritis Treatment

There are hundreds of arthritis treatments available but there’s no silver bullet that’s going to provide an instantaneous cure for the disease. That’s probably not what you wanted to hear if you have arthritis. You more than likely ended up on this site, looking for that silver bullet and I’m sorry to disappoint you but all arthritis treatments are focused on relieving the symptoms and possibly slowing the progress of the disease. Some may partially reverse the damage caused by arthritis but there is no medically verified cure and no confirmed cause for any of the more than 100 different illnesses classified as arthritis.

Types of Arthritis Treatment

Broadly, there are three types of arthritis treatment – medication, physical therapy and lifestyle (whether the latter is technically a treatment is debatable but it is an important factor in managing the symptoms of arthritis).

Medications for Arthritis Treatment

Included in this category are the pills, potions and creams used to relieve the symptoms of arthritis and include alternative medicines as well as pharmaceutical products. Some are over the counter from your chemist or possibly supermarket. Some need to be prescribed and possibly administered by your doctor or health professional. A number can be ordered over the internet and delivered to your door.

Inevitably, if you suffer from arthritis, treatment will involve medication of one form or another.

Physical Therapies used in Arthritis Treatment

Massage

Massage, acupuncture, exercise and other forms of therapy involving physical rather than medication based interventions can all be used for arthritis treatment. Massage helps relax stiff muscles and tendons and increases blood flow to those parts of the body affected by arthritis. Combined with exercise, massage can play a crucial role in keeping joints and muscles as flexible as possible and assist in reducing inflammation and swelling.

Acupuncture

Once considered an alternative, new age type of therapy, acupuncture has become more accepted as a form of arthritis treatment. It has been shown to be particularly effective as a pain reliever and has been claimed to reduce swelling and joint and muscle stiffness.

Exercise

Exercise is now seen as an essential component in the management of arthritis. It not only keeps affected joints and muscles mobile and flexible but also strengthens the muscles so they can better support affected joints and better act as “shock absorbers” for every day activities such as walking or climbing stairs.

Lifestyle Factors for Arthritis Treatment

Your diet, what you eat, what you drink, what you do and how you do it can all influence the severity of the arthritis symptoms you experience and your ability to cope with those symptoms when they arise.

Increasing certain types of food while reducing or avoiding other types can impact on the amount of inflammation, swelling and stiffness in your joints and muscles. Reducing any excess weight also reduces stress on the joints, connective tissue and supporting muscles. Alcohol in particular can cause inflammation and does affect the working of the liver and other organs of the body. However, soda and other high calorie, sweet soft drinks can also worsen the symptoms of arthritis while other drinks can assist in reducing it.

One of the things often ignored when discussing arthritis treatments is the importance of maintaining social relationships. Friends and family not only provide great support when the symptoms of arthritis are at their worse but they also provide a stimulus to keep you active and mental stimulation to keep you alert and focused on something other than your arthritis.

What are the Best Arthritis Treatments?

While research has shed more light on possible causes of arthritis and has improved and increased the treatment options available there is still a long way to go before arthritis is fully understood. There are still a lot of individual factors at play and they can complicate the design of an effective course of arthritis treatment. What this means is that because a particular treatment option did or didn’t work for someone else doesn’t mean that it will necessarily work or not work for you.

The best test for the effectiveness of an arthritis treatment regime is whether it relieves your symptoms, whatever they may be and allows you to lead a better, less restricted life.

One thing that is known is that the earlier you start on a course of treatment the more effective it will be. It is therefore important to understand the signs and symptoms of arthritis and if you suspect you may have it, get expert advice as soon as possible. Don’t be afraid to ask for second opinions or for referrals to medical specialists. This is your life, not your doctor’s or your friends or relatives. You’re the one that has to cope with this and you owe it to yourself to get the best advice about appropriate arthritis treatments that suit you and make your life better.

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