Joint Pain Stiffness and Inflammation Relief Natural Remedies

One of the common characteristic of arthritis is joint stiffness. This is the condition which is related with inactivity, decreased range or total loss of motion in a joint. If the patient is suffering from osteoarthritis then he or she may suffer from joint stiffness which may last up to 30 minutes after waking up.

In the condition of rheumatoid arthritis or systematic lupus erythematosus, which is of inflammatory types of arthritis, the stiffness typically lasts for more than 45 minutes. One of the causes of the joint pain may be bursitis also. The bursae allow the muscles and the tendons to move freely over the bone as it is a fluid filled sacs which cushion and pad bony prominences.

Some of the important causes of joint stiffness are given below.

Joint stiffness is caused due to the inflammation in the synovium, which is the lining of the joint. The pain in the joint can be caused by different types of injuries or conditions. Whatever may be the cause of the joint, joint pain and stiffness can be bothersome.

Stiffness and the pain in the joint can also be caused by an autoimmune disorder, Rheumatoid arthritis. Due to osteoarthritis, there is a growth of bone spurs and degeneration of cartilage at a joint. This type of joint pain is very common in adults older than 45 which results into the pain of the joint.

Some of the important causes of joint pain are hepatitis, influenza, rheumatic fever, rubella, varicella, infectious disease, bursitis, autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, mumps, injury, tendinitis, osteoarthritis, unusual exertion or overuse, which includes sprains or strains.

For treating the problem of joint stiffness there are many processes. Exercise helps in improving the condition of joint stiffness. Regular doing exercises helps in improving the health and fitness of the patient without hurting the joints. With the help of exercise -

1. Weight is controlled
2. Muscles are strengthened around the joints
3. Maintains the strength in the bone
4. Make it easier to get a good night's sleep
5. Make you feel better.

Cold and heat treatment is also beneficial in lessening the pain and the joint stiffness. With the help of cold treatment, swelling is reduced and it also relaxes the excited nerves and with the help of heat treatment, blood circulation is enhanced. Sometimes pain medicines also reduces the joint stiffness. Now people also prefer to go for herbal medicines to reduce the stiffness in the joint.

Arthritis Knee Pain Treatment and Herbal Remedies - Relieve Pain and Inflammation

Knee is one of the most commonly affected joint by arthritis, severe pain can hinder even the day-to-day activities and can cause lot of problem. Sometimes conditions get so deteriorated that a knee replacement surgery remains the only treatment left. Moving the affected joint at least few times in a day is very important for treating arthritis knee which is only possible when patient get relief for sometime from pain and inflammation. Medicines like steroids, narcotic pain medication and NSAID are recommended by the doctors for arthritis knee pain relief, all of these are effective without any doubt but their side effects are well known, NSAID are treated as having minimum side effects of all the three but its complete effects are still not known.

Herbs are very effective ways to relieve arthritis knee pain and inflammation and of course they are free of side effects. Some herbs are effective when taken orally and some are for topical use. Cayenne cream is very popular herbal remedy for arthritis pain relief including knee due to its properties resembling the effects of NSAID. Cayenne cream's topical application on knee can reduce the signals of pain passing to the brain which makes the patient feel reduced or no pain for sometime. Ginger is an herb which can be used orally as well as externally for knee pain relief. Ginger has rich anti-oxidant properties and promotes blood flow in to the affected part.

Warm mustard oil spread over madar leaf and tied to the knee relieves the pain and inflammation caused due to arthritis effectively. Ashwagandha or withania somnifera is a natural pain reliever and has been recommended in Ayurveda for arthritis pain relief. Some other popular herbs used for arthritis knee pain relief are nettle leaves, in some old medications the sting of nettle thorn was given directly on the knee for immediate relief from pain and inflammation. Massage of warm oregano oil is also helpful in treating the knee pain.

If there is not acute inflammation and pain in the knee then moist heat is very effective to alleviate the arthritis pain. Soak a cloth in warm water and cover the knee till the temperature gets normal, repeat these compresses few times and 2-3 times in a day for pain relief. Hot and cold compresses are also effective for arthritis knee pain relief. In case of acute knee pain only cold compresses shall be applied. Exercises like water cycling is also an effective way to promote movement and blood circulation in the knee joint which reduces the frequency and intensity of the flares of pain. Mobilization therapy exercises are also effective in preventing arthritis knee pain and also alleviating it, however any exercise regimen shall not be chosen without medical opinion. Some yoga poses have been found very effective in relieving the knee pain and even preventing arthritis itself.

Sun salutation is a series of seven yoga exercise which is good for musculoskeletal and cardio-vascular system. Some breathing exercises can promote blood flow in the body for arthritis pain relief and promoting endurance.

Yoga Is Fantastic For Joint Pain

Yoga is one of the most popular physical exercises carried out by most people nowadays. Yoga includes exercises carried out to help an individual mentally as well as physically in the Hindu faith. Yoga involves a person carrying out physical exercises as well as meditation. Therefore it creates healing in the mind and the body as a whole. By using meditation, yoga provides spiritual enlightenment and tranquility to the individual.

Yoga has many advantages for the person mentally and physically and you may be asking yourself, "why is doing yoga good for those with joint problems?" Well. yoga is very essential especially to people with joint pains in the following ways.

Yoga is one way for a person to heal the various joint that are in pain.There are certain movements in the exercises involved when doing yoga. These help you to be flexible as well as to balance and stretch the body in a gradual process. In addition to the above, instead of just going to a physician to help you with the joint pains, this could be one of the more effective and natural way to get rid of them as well as being a way of life for you. Secondly yoga will start to lubricate stiff joints. It induces the body to gently secrete fluids that will continuously lubricate joints for example giving lubrication to the knee and shoulder joints alike.

According to a few researchers worldwide, who studied on the health of a person, healing of a person starts with the mind of that person himself/ herself. Yoga is one of those type of exercise that trains not only the body but the mind as well. As such, the best way of healing joint pains is not only by meditating but focusing it on healing the joint problem area. There are many people that have failed to heal because their minds can only think focus on life from a negative aspect and not believe in the miracle of the mind. Yoga is one of the ways used for training the mind to be positive everyday come what may.

Holistic Approach to Health

Holistic or Holism is an approach that emphasizes the whole being, the entire structure, but looks at how each part affects the whole. It deals with life situations with the whole being in mind, while treating the individual parts that are affected and not treating just symptoms. Your problem is not like a car that gets a flat tire and you replace the tire. It is more like a shopping cart that has a bad wheel, which affects and vibrates the entire cart.

Holistic medicine attempts to treat all the systems of the being: the mind, the body, the emotions, and the spirit. The holistic approach brings balance and harmony to the entire structure by paying attention to the specific parts and systems of the body. The symptoms are analyzed to identify the existing problem/s that are affecting the parts and then treated with the whole-being in mind rather than treating only the parts that exhibit the symptoms. The Holistic Approach deals with all of the life force energy available, which includes the physical and the energetic aspects.

The human body as a whole is made up of many parts, each of which is dependent upon the other for a balanced functioning of the system as a whole. Each system is interdependent upon the other. It's called looking at the bigger picture. Something we do that affects the whole is that we absorb, digest, and inhale toxins every day. These toxins develop free radicals (oxidation, which is rust in the body). Unless we offset the free radicals with anti-oxidants, our bodies will rust from the inside out. As we mature, our body continually changes; remove one critical molecule, or let one cancer cell become a rogue, and the entire structure changes.

From a Holistic stand-point the balance that everyone is looking for comes from:
A good diet, plenty of rest, re-learning how to breath effectively, drinking good water every day, learning how to handle stress, having a good exercise program and learning how to turn your life over to a Higher Power.

Natural Treatment for Feline Arthritis Recommended by Veterinarians

Work with your vet to rule out other problems that might cause your cat to limp or be lame. There are tests your vet will use to rule out other complications. Then ask your vet if you can use a natural treatment for feline arthritis.

There are several kinds of treatment that can be prescribed. The overall goal is to make sure your cat's arthritis symptoms are managed or even almost eliminated. Having your cat return to top shape makes you feel better too. Your kitty returns love more easily when he isn't hurting. While you don't mind picking up the cat, you would rather have him jumping into your lap on his own.

There are two substances that are naturally produced in your cat's body which are glucosamine and chondroitin. These combine to form major components of your cat's joint cartilage. Your cat's body produces less of this as he ages. There are different supplements that can be used to help rejuvenate your cat's joints, and some cats will even completely regain all of their mobility.

When Omega-3 fatty acids are used, it will help relieve stiffness and pain, as well as lubricate your cat's joints. Corticosteroids are prescribed to help provide relief for a cat's arthritis pain. Some people will even try natural remedies, but you have to be careful. Some treatments like tea tree oil or cayenne may work for humans, but your cat can't tolerate certain natural substances. If you go the natural path look for products specifically formulated for cats and dogs, not for human consumption.

Whatever treatment for feline arthritis you follow, whether it's pain-relieving drugs or a natural supplements, there are some things that are necessary to relieve your cat's pain and suffering. For one, if you are dealing with an overweight cat, he's going to have to undergo a weight loss program. The excess weight puts extra pressure on the inflamed joints. Exercise is difficult for fat cats. However, the fatter he is the more lethargic he'll be.

This leads to more stiffness and pain. As he limbers up, your cat will resume his former antics and play. Of course, don't ask your fatty to do too much at first. He's going to have limitations, but cats love to play. He's going to love the fact that you are spending more time with him too. Cats love warm spots in the house. Cats with arthritis need more warmth to minimize joint pain too. If you have a electric blanket on your bed, leave it on low so he can benefit from the warmth. A heating pad can help too, just make sure there is a towel or blanket in between your cat and the pad. Keep this on low too.

What could be better than a gentle massage? Massage helps keep the blood flowing to muscles and joints. Use your fingertips to gently massage your cat's muscles all over, but be careful when you get to the sore areas. The last thing you want is to be bitten. Exercise is an effective treatment for feline arthritis. Also consider using natural treatments that you can use long term to minimize your cat's pain from osteoarthritis. You can use these on a daily basis without bad side effects or causing problems with other vital organ functions.

5 Powerful Juice Recipes for Arthritis Sufferers

Juicing can be a powerful way to combat the inflammation and pain caused by arthritic conditions. A variety of delicious juice recipes are available to help you manage your arthritis pain.

Arthritis is a painful, inflammatory condition of the joints that afflicts men and women of all ages. It involves the breakdown of cartilage, which normally acts as a cushion for your joints. In the absence of cushioning cartilage, bones rub together in a way they were not intended to, which can cause pain.

There are as many as one hundred types of arthritis, ranging from autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis to the more common osteoarthritis which affects most people as they age. Some forms of arthritis can even affect children. Most arthritis is associated with stiff joints that may also be swollen, creaky, and painful.

Joints affected by arthritis may have limited movement and in severe cases may become deformed in appearance. In rheumatoid arthritis joints may be red and warm to the touch and are typically equally affected on both sides of the body. All forms of arthritis can range from very mild to quite debilitating.

Many plants contain powerful anti-inflammatory compounds that can help dramatically reduce symptoms. The standard "Western" diet, which includes a lot of pro-inflammatory foods such as red meat, dairy, refined and processed grains, and refined sugar, is believed to promote conditions such as arthritis. A diet built around fruits and vegetables helps to prevent chronic disease, including certain arthritic conditions.

Fruits and vegetables believed to be effective for those with arthritis pain include:

• ginger


• pineapple


• papaya


• blueberries


• grapefruit


• spinach


• grapes


• plums


• collard greens


• kale


• pears


• bok choy


• sour cherries


• pomegranate


• cauliflower


• raspberries


• strawberries


• onions


• apples


• carrots


• beets


• garlic


• lettuce

Juicing concentrates the healthful compounds in these plants, allowing you to benefit from them more effectively than by eating small amounts of the whole fruit or vegetable. By harnessing the powerful antioxidants and enzymes of raw fruits and vegetables, using these juice recipes for arthritis may increase your joint mobility and comfort and reduce swelling.

You can also increase the anti-inflammatory effectiveness of your juice recipe by mixing it with green tea, raw cold-pressed flax seed oil or liquid fish oil. These all have additional properties that make them healthful elements in an anti-inflammatory diet.

Green tea contains epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) which has been shown to be helpful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Flax and fish oils contain omega 3 fatty acids which are useful for a variety of conditions including various forms of arthritis. These can also be mixed with fresh juices.

The following juice recipes for arthritis can all be easily made using most electric juicers.

Pineapple, Carrot & Celery Juice

5 carrots

2 stalks of celery

4 oz pineapple

1 tsp lemon juice

Papaya Orange Juice

翹 papaya, peeled

1 large orange, peeled

Papaya Blueberry Juice

2 cups blueberries

翹 papaya, peeled

Broccoli Carrot Juice

1/2 cup fresh broccoli, cut in pieces

3 medium carrots, roots only

1 apple, core removed

1/2 lemon, peeled

Sour Cherry-Pomegranate Juice

2 cups sour cherries

1 pomegranate, skin removed

1 apples, core removed

For each recipe, simply juice the listed ingredients in an electric juicer.

You can find other juicing remedies for arthritis on the internet or in books about juicing. However, many of the most successful recipes come from experimentation, so don't be afraid to use the list of fruits and vegetables above to come up with ideas for new juice combinations. You just might invent a juice that tastes fantastic while providing great relief for your achy, stiff joints!

How You Can Help Your Body Heal Itself

Time to take a different look at modern medicine. Everyday a new TV commercial for a new medication, I'm starting to think they create the medication first and then the disease or ailment for it to work on.

I was recently introduced to a supplement called StemEnhance which promotes your bone marrow to produce three to five million more of your own stem cells within sixty minutes. This is a great thing because as we age our body produces less stemcells. Notice how older folks take longer to heal from simple cuts and bruises.

These stem cells are then called to the part of your body that needs the most help first. Upon traveling through your blood stream and arriving at the troubled area in your body these Stem Cells will migrate into the tissue to become the cells of tissue in need of repair.

A Time Magazine cover story tells us that Stem Cells may offer diabetes help, heart trouble, and parkinsons disease. National Geography cover story tells of benefits of stemcell and how it is expected to increase life expectancy. LIFE magazine has no less positive remarks to share. With stem cell research being constantly in the news these days, and for good reason. When one's own body can repair itself it is a wonderful thing.

Though Stemtech makes no claims to cure any disease, ailment, or make all your pain go away there are numerous testimonials all over the internet that you can read. Reduced arthritis pain, hip and joint pain to a minimal level, improved mental clarity, increased energy level, nightly leg cramps gone and overall feeling of well being are just some of the benefits I have enjoyed myself. Others have claimed to have regained use of limbs that did not work at all, constant back pain disappearing, decrease in stress and tension, getting diabetes under control, improved eyesight, decrease in sleepless nights. These are just some of the many benefits I have read as I researched Stemtech products.

This is not the fountain of youth by a long shot but may help in slowing down the aging process and keep us feeling better for a longer period of time during our lifespan.

Stemtech also produces StemPets which I have also used on my lab Bo suffering with arthritis in his rear hips. Results are simply amazing! After about two weeks on StemPets Bo is like a new dog, now active again, up and running rather than just being able to lay around all day only forcing himself up to go out as needed due to the pain he was suffering.

My take on Stemtech products is most definitely a positive one as Bo and I will continue using these supplements daily. I feel more comfortable using a over the counter type supplement rather than prescriptions with to many side effects to mention. Now my 80 year old mother has started on Stemtech as well.