Joint pain is rough. It comes with psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and other conditions that have joint soreness as a side effect. Depending on how advanced the condition is, the joint soreness will be either mildly uncomfortable or extremely debilitating. It may even make it challenging to do simple things like walking up the steps and going down the driveway. Thankfully, there are a number of things you can do to reduce joint pain. Here are some self-care tips for joint pain that will reduce the soreness you experience.
Stay Physically Active
Exercising will probably not be the first thing on your mind when you have aching joints. However, there have been a number of studies that have found that staying physically active and exercise will provide helpful relief for your aching joints. For one thing, you will have more energy after exercising. Exercise is also helpful in the process of strengthening muscles and bones while keeping your joints flexible.
Something you may want to try is resistance training to strengthen your muscles. It is important to have strong muscles because they help protect your joints, making them work less than they are right now. You can do some aerobic workouts that will slim you down as well. This leads to losing weight, which is directly related to having less strain on your joints. As long as you are not exercising until you feel pain, you are going to enjoy the benefits of exercising.
Eat Healthily
Studies have found that there are numerous benefits to eating healthily when you want to ease arthritis symptoms. The better you eat, the less pain you have. Foods that are especially loaded with vitamin C, like fruits and vegetables, will reduce joint pain. You can also include foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are plentiful in fish.
A balanced diet should provide you with all of the essential nutrients you need to get joint pain relief. Overall, you can pack your day’s meals with the following:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Dairy products
- Fish
- Lean meats
- Nuts
- Avocados
- Olive oil
- Lose Weight
Self-care for joint pain also involves losing weight that you can afford to lose. The more weight you place on your joints, the more your knees, ankles, and other joints will hurt. Shedding some pounds is a surefire way to reduce joint pain. However, it can be challenging to lose weight without lifestyle habits. That is why we recommend combining losing weight with exercising and eating healthily. Consider making small changes towards your weight-reduction goals. Portion control will be something easy you can do.
Get Better Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep will make it easy for you to deal with the pain and stress that is associated with arthritis. When you get a better night’s rest, you will find some relief from your joint pain. We suggest going to bed around the same time every night. You can also turn off any electronic devices you use, like smartphones and TVs, at least an hour before going to bed. This will help make your bedroom a calm space that promotes more restful sleep and less joint pain.
Something else you can do to get better sleep is to place a pillow under your knees to prevent joint pain. Alternatively, you can get a memory foam mattress that will help your joints have less pressure forced upon them.
Apply Hot/Cold Packs
You can increase the blood flow to your joints by placing a hot pack on them. This will help reduce the stiffness they may have. When you use a cold pack, you will be able to reduce the swelling in your joints. Get both hot and cold packs and see which one works best for you.
Stay Positive
A good mood can make a big difference to how much joint pain you feel. In fact, studies have found that when you are in a better mood and are happier, you will feel far less soreness. In fact, receptors won’t become as activated due to serotonin acting as a reliever. Sometimes, laughter can truly be the best medicine.
Get a Massage or Acupuncture
You may want to look into complementary therapies like acupuncture and massage. Acupuncture has been found to reduce the pain in joints like the knees, while also improving their functioning. While the prospect of getting needles stuck into your joints doesn’t sound like it would relieve the pain you may have, the results speak for themselves. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries and can provide you with the much-needed relief you are looking for.
Another helpful modality is massage. When you get a massage, you increase the blood flow to your aching joints, which delivers nutrients they need to stay in shape. However, you should be careful with how you get a massage. You should only be given one by a practitioner who understands anatomy and joint pain. With research showing that massage can definitely relieve joint pain, this is an excellent modality to consider.
Take a Joint Supplement
A joint supplement is an excellent and effective way to reduce joint pain. A popular and powerful joint supplement is JointFuel360. There are a number of natural ingredients that have been packed into this supplement. Anti-inflammatory ingredients like black pepper extract and turmeric reduce the pain and swelling that occurs in joints when you have a condition like arthritis. There is also type II collagen, which provides much-needed collagen to the cartilage that allows joints to work smoothly and seamlessly.
Wrapping Up
You can now rest easy knowing that you no longer have to live with excruciating joint pain. When you follow these 8 self-care for joint pain tips, you will give yourself the relief that you have been looking for. These tips will make a big difference in your day-to-day life and enjoy it way more than you have before.
