A huge part of society is unaware of the term Osteoarthritis, even though more than 30 million UK citizens might be affected by it. Osteoarthritis leads to joint pain, stiffness and swelling, which is caused by the wear and tear form of this disease. It can cause severe problems in your ability to go about living your life and perform even the most basic tasks. Running to the grocery store might not be a second through in most people, but if you are suffering from osteoarthritis, normal errands start becoming a huge liability. Even getting up from bed can make you groan and creak.
You might be desperately looking for ways to ease your pain. Osteoarthritis has no cure, but there are a number of options available that can provide you relief from it’s symptoms. Physical therapy, nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and prescription medications, are some of the ways you can combat the symptoms of osteoarthritis. If you’ve already tried these to no avail, we have a few unusual options for you to try.
Tai chi
Tai chi is a form of low impact exercise that includes movements that are very slow, deliberate and gentle. Patients of arthritis that did tai chi found the pain and stiffness ease up immensely. They also had an increase in their physical functionality after the period of 12 weeks. There are studies conducted on the impact of Tai chi on Osteoarthritis. It was observed in these studies that it might be highly beneficial to treat osteoporosis of the knee. In fact it might be just as effective as physical therapy.
Flip flops
A condition affecting the knee would prompt you to start looking for specialised shoes for your daily wear that claim to provide immense and immediate relief to your knees. However, research confirms that wearing flip flops, going barefoot or wearing flat shoes, can help your knee a whole lot more by minimising the stress your knees experience while walking. The secret lies in the fact that they are flat and flexible which is immensely beneficial for your knees. You can have your choice of flip flops or sneakers. You can choose whichever feels more comfortable for you.
Milk
A number of studies conducted in some of the most reputed institutions around the world, including Harvard Medical school, support the fact that introducing milk to your diet can help ease the rate at which knee arthritis seems to progress. Drinking more milk can help decrease the amount of narrowing in the joint space in womens knees. It should be included in your diet in prescribed amounts. Eating an excessive amount of dairy products like cheese can actually backfire and cause loss of joint space.
Bee stings
Yes, bee stings. They have a lot of medicinal properties that can be immensely beneficial for your body. Although if you’re allergic to bee stings, keep away. There are studies conducted that observe a distinct improvement in the patients suffering from arthritis that have been injected with a purified form of bee sting. There is still a lot of research to be conducted but the results so far are positive.
Frankincense
The trees Boswellia genus expel sap, which when dried is called Frankincense and has many beneficial properties. In frankincense the active components include boswellic acids. It is known to have extremely helpful anti-inflammatory properties. It is also known to help manage and provide relief from your pain. It is a wonder treatment for people suffering from osteoarthritis as it provides distinct relief from inflammation.
Chili peppers
Arthritis causes a lot of pain in it’s patients. So a lot of people going through it are looking for pain relieving methods. Being on anti pain meds for the long run might be detrimental for your health. This is where the all natural chilli peppers walk in with the compound called Capsaicin, which helps calm the pain transmitter and provide relief. There are various studies conducted all over the world that can substantiate the benefits of chili peppers for arthritis. It was observed that patients who used a cream with capsaicin felt their pain reduced by half after only 3 weeks.
Lavender
There is evidence that you can treat your knee arthritis with the amazing smelling lavender. Not only does it smell good, it even feels like heaven to all of your senses. Lavender essential oil is a must have if you suffer from arthritis.
CBD oil
A number of studies have found CBD can help relieve joint pain without getting you high. There is still a lot of research being conducted on the amount of CBD oil to be prescribed to get the best benefits for arthritis. It can be used in the form of oil or cream.
Ginger
Ginger is well known for its anti inflammatory properties. In fact the spice is so strong, it’s strength is equal to various NSAIDs medications like Ibuprofen. The pain arthritis patients suffer is caused due to inflammation of the joints. You can opt to include ginger in your diet, or go for ginger supplements readily available in the market. 2 ginger capsules a day for a period of 6 months, is observed to bring down the amount of pain by approximately 40%. Ginger capsules are rank smelling and can give you really horrid breath, but it can help you more than introducing it in your tea. Merely getting it through your diet might not be enough.
Leeches
The word leeches might incite a revolting reflex in you. They are a parasite after all, and aren’t all parasites bad? Well, no. these blood sucking buggers can be really beneficial for your arthritis infected knees. In fact 4 to 6 leeches placed on your aching knee can help relieve your pain better than most of the medications prescribed by your doctor. There is definitely more research to be conducted to understand the extent of the benefits leeches provide, but the results so far are positive.