Traditional Home Remedies for Arthritis

There are a number of home remedies for arthritis that can be used for obtaining relief from inflamed and painful joints. Both patients who only resort to natural treatment and patients who are on arthritis medications can use these simple techniques to treat arthritis. It is, however, believed that these remedies are more effective for patients who do not use prescription drugs. As evidence suggests, arthritis drugs are not effective in the long run and cause serious damage to some organs. Also, some medications may interfere with the functioning of some natural ingredients.

One unanimous choice among popular home remedies for arthritis is heat therapy. Professionals believe that warmth increases blood flow and prevents the joints from becoming stiff by increasing the flexibility of the connective tissues. Patients with osteoarthritis have reportedly benefited from regular warm baths. Using a hot water bag or a heating pad in the winter months in particular is essential, as joint pains tend to increase during this time. Using warm water and two-three tablespoons of salt in a tub and soaking in the water for half an hour is known to work wonders for arthritis patients. For exactly this reason, a holiday to a seaside and bathing in warm saline water is often recommended to arthritis patients by many physicians.

Cayenne pepper also features in the list of home remedies for arthritis. This substance is known to contain capsaicin. Capsaicin is a natural pain-killing agent. Not only does it act as the external stimuli to divert pain signals from the joints, but it also initiates the release of endorphins (natural enzymes present in the body to fight pain). Although capsaicin is available as a cream and a lotion in the market, the most effective method of obtaining the benefits is preparing a home pack. Powdered cayenne pepper can be sprinkled in olive oil, coconut oil or any skin lotion for that matter, and massaged over the inflamed site. Both coconut oil and olive oil are popular among arthritis patients who use alternative medicines. Cayenne pepper is, however, known to cause mild local irritation.

Ginger is one of the most common medicinal herbs today, and arthritis is just one of the many ailments that can be treated with this root. Dietary supplements containing ginger extracts are available in the market, but if patients want to ensure safety and cure, it is best to stick to simple home remedies for arthritis. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis will greatly benefit from a few cups of ginger root tea each day. 4 grams of ginger is the optimum daily dosage for most. Green tea or black tea leaves and peeled and chopped pieces of ginger can be soaked in boiling water till it becomes lukewarm. It is best if no sugar is added. One teaspoon of honey works well. One essential point to be remembered is that ginger has blood thinning effects and should not be used by patients on medications like warfarin.

Curcumin is a naturally occurring compound that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Turmeric is a great source of this compound. While most home remedies for arthritis apply to patients with osteoarthritis, this amazing herb is known to treat rheumatoid arthritis as well. Curcumin has been studied extensively, and scientific data supports that it inhibits the action of NF-KB, a substance necessary for activating the genes that trigger the disease. The optimum dosage of turmeric ranges between 400mg and 600mg. The active compound has blood thinning effects and should not be used along with pharmaceutical blood-thinners.

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