The Problem with Conventional Arthritis Treatment

If you’re on any type of medication for your arthritis, you know what these problems are already. The countless side effects, the dependency, and worst of all, no matter how many pills, there is no long-term improvement. Medications help curb the pain temporarily, but eventually, they always come back. The biggest issue is that your doctor will have your medications on rotation because eventually your body will grow accustomed to the medication and stop working. Then you’re on a new medication with a whole new list of side effects.

Is Natural Arthritis Relief Backed by Science?

Science has come a long way over the years. Before, doctors relied on medications and the pharmaceutical companies to help them practice medicine. However, more and more doctors are seeing the benefits of a holistic approach to medicine for natural arthritis pain relief. Studies find how to relieve arthritis without medication. Talk to your doctor about lifestyle changes for arthritis pain. They’ll tell you that studies find diet and exercise can contribute to your arthritis relief program.

The Keys to Lifestyle Changes that Make a Difference

Gentle movement is one of the most effective ways to relieve arthritis pain naturally. This helps keep blood flowing and your body healthy. Not to mention having extra weight can put a larger burden on your joints and bones. Beginning a fitness routine is the first step for lifestyle changes for arthritis relief.

     🧘🏻‍♀️Stretching and Gentle Exercises

      At first any movement may feel like too much, but eventually, your body will begin to move again. Start with morning and evening stretches. First, do stretches that affect your painful joints, then move up to more challenging exercises. Yoga and Pilates are a great foundation for keeping your body moving.

     🥑 Anti-Inflammatory Foods

The foods you put into your body help create the body you’re in. Diets high in sugar and saturated fat increase inflammation, which means more pain for you. These diets increase tiny crystals in uric acid buildup that forms in your joints. You want to avoid these little crystals. What you do want is whole foods and healthy fats. A Mediterranean diet or the DASH diet has both been linked to helping reduce inflammation and cut your risk of heart attack, gout, and, of course, arthritis pain. The key is to reduce inflammation and swelling in your joints. To get the most from your diet, you want a diverse variety of foods over years.

     💧Daily Movements and Hydration

As well as keeping your weight in check and having a healthy body, an active body is a healthy body. Exercising only once a day and not moving the rest of the day will give your body time to tighten up. You want to constantly be giving your body time to stretch. If you work at an office, take a minute every hour to get up off your chair and stretch. Take a walk after work around the block. Walking with your hands above your heart helps keep blood flowing, and more importantly, that means less swelling.Proper hydration is also key to keeping your body happy. Hydrate that body to hydrate your joints. When you’re dehydrated, your body doesn’t perform at its best. You want to keep your body running optimally. It’s no fun to hear, but people with chronic illnesses like arthritis are already starting the race off behind. The only way to catch up is to give your body the tools it needs to succeed. This means hydrating. Half your body weight in ounces of water a day is enough to keep your body running.

Why Most People Struggle to Get Results

There is no way around this section. This is not easy to do. Everyone wishes there was a miracle pill they could take and all of their problems would go away. This, unfortunately, is never the case. The road to recovery is long. If you’ve tried before and failed, you know that it’s not overnight either. This is years in the making. Years of consistent growth and doing the right things. With so many different things online, it’s hard to know what is safe and what you should do. But that’s why we’re here. We back everything we do with the Arthritis Foundation, doctors and specialists, and years of practice to help you.

That’s why we created the Arthritis-Free Living Program for Natural Arthritis Pain Relief

This simple course is designed to be your springboard into your Arthritis Relief Program. We want to give you the solid foundation of knowledge and science-based facts that have real-world results so you can too. We’re here with you in every step of your arthritis-free journey.

Sign up for our email list, and you’ll get the first step of that journey absolutely free. Our 5-Day Joint Health Challenge gives you a sample of what it takes to become pain-free. No gimmicks, no pills, no expensive equipment. Just proven advice that works. Sign up below today for natural arthritis pain relief.

The post How to Relieve Arthritis Pain Naturally — Without Pills or Surgery appeared first on Arthritis Free Living – Natural Joint Pain Relief by Nicole Brandon.

Approximately 70% of women with Rheumatoid Arthritis report improved symptoms during their second trimester. These improvements can last through the first 6 weeks after delivery. There are many theories as to why this may be the case. It almost sounds counterintuitive. Swelling ankles and hot flashes sound like they would make your symptoms worse. Rheumatoid arthritis gets worse with swelling. However, there are multiple reasons why these improvements occur in the body.

When a woman carries a baby, there are many fascinating effects the human body goes through. One of these effects is an increased level of anti-inflammatory cytokine levels. These levels finally help the body combat Rheumatoid Arthritis. Hormonal changes could create many unexpected changes in the body. With these changes, many women find their RA symptoms decrease, while there are still others who see no change at all in their symptoms.

Predicting which new mothers experience fewer symptoms is still unclear. It is even more unclear if some women are experiencing fewer symptoms of RA or more symptoms of pregnancy, as some symptoms of pregnancy overlap their symptoms of RA. These include fatigue; swelling of hands, feet, or ankles; joint pain; shortness of breath; and numbness or pain in one or both hands. It’s often difficult to distinguish where these symptoms are coming from.

Talk to a Doctor Before your Pregnancy

Despite these symptoms, there is no evidence that women with RA experience any increased risk to the baby during pregnancy. There are some reports that women who suffer from a very active RA may suffer from premature or smaller infants.

If you have Rheumatoid Arthritis and are looking to become pregnant, it is important to speak to your arthritis specialist and an obstetrician before trying to become pregnant. There are medications you may be on that can cause issues during pregnancy, like some steroid-based medications. There are many alternative medications that can be taken safely during pregnancy.

Methotrexate should not be taken less than a month before your pregnancy. The manufacturer suggests you stop three months before conception. This gives the body enough time to purge the medication from your body. Leflunomide lasts even longer in the body and is recommended not to be taken two years before conception. Medications like this are not uncommon with RA. It is vitally important to discuss your medications with your health care providers.

Rheumatoid Arthritis After Pregnancy

Your body needs time to recover after your pregnancy, and women with RA have more to handle than those without. Approximately 90% of women experience a flare during the postpartum period. Usually, this occurs in the first 3 months after pregnancy. During the postpartum period, it is common to have arthritis flares. This could make breastfeeding difficult. However, there are multiple benefits to breastfeeding for the mother and infant, and your RA should not prevent you from breastfeeding. Many medications are fine to continue two weeks after you give birth to help ease your symptoms. Continue to discuss your medications with your obstetricians to make sure you can breastfeed with them.

Some medications, like low-dose aspirin, are recommended after pregnancy. However, many know that aspirin is not enough. Prednisone can be taken in low doses, below 20 mg a day. Although you still have to pump four hours after ingestion, It has already been discussed that Methotrexate and Luflunomide should be avoided during breastfeeding. Luckily, Azathioprine, Hydroxychloroquine, and Sulfasalazine are compatible with nursing, as are tumor necrosis factor inhibitors such as etanercept and infliximab.

If you do decide to get back on birth control after your pregnancy, you should know that there are many options out there. In fact, most birth control options are safe for women with RA and should not create any added side effects.

Tackling RA Without Medication

Having a baby is a beautiful blessing. Even if you suffer from symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis, there are tons of things you can do to help. If you’re looking for non-medical remedies for your rheumatoid arthritis, there are many answers here at ArthritisFreeLiving.com. With exercise, stretches, and a proper diet, there is no telling how good you can feel.

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Can a Gallbladder Cleanse Really Help Knee Pain?

It sounds strange, but when you look at the body as a whole, links between gallbladder and knee pain make sense. The gallbladder is connected to the liver. When the liver doesn’t function properly, it can cause swelling and inflammation in various parts of the body. Liver problems can affect your entire body, but the most common place is in the knees. Keeping a healthy gallbladder can help keep your liver healthy as well. When your organs work at their optimal level, your whole body benefits.

Foods for Your Gallbladder

There are many ways you can support your gallbladder. However, there are things you should avoid. There are many people who recommend olive oil, lemon juice, and beets. The problem with this is the olive oil. Now, olive oil is fine while you cook with it or splash it on top of a salad. However, drinking olive oil is not good. It can flush out your bile. If your body doesn’t have this important bile to breakdown your foods, it can actually cause gallstones, and you don’t want that.Instead, check out these amazing herbs that can improve the health of your liver and gallbladder. Herbs like barberry, coptis, dandelion, gentian root, milk thistle, and Oregon grape root Either take the extract supplement or, better yet, incorporate it into your everyday cooking. These foods not only support your digestive system—they may also make a gallbladder cleanse for knee pain more effective.

Fresh herbs always yield better results than supplements. Start your day with a barberry jam, toss some freshly washed milk thistle or dandelion leaves into a salad, or roast the dandelion roots for a pick-me-up drink that’s better than coffee. Start your day off right with these healthy herbs and feel the inflammation leave your body. Incorporate these into your diet for one to two weeks at the minimum to feel your body accept the health benefits.

If you’re not the best home cook and fear cooking with anything more than salt and pepper, we understand. There are tons of foods that can still help. Beets are a superfood that can help your liver and gallbladder, and they’re super easy to prepare. Along with apples, pears, lemon juice, garlic, turmeric, artichokes, and bitter greens. These may make it easier. Buy some lemons and squeeze a full lemon into each glass of water you drink. Avoid adding sugar, though. Processed sugar can cause inflammation, and that’s what we’re trying to avoid. You want lemon water, not lemonade.

Supplements for your Gallbladder

Sometimes, when food isn’t enough, you may want to turn to supplements for that added boost of vitamins. If you need supplements, take a look at taurine. This is an important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory amino acid. Taurine really helps promote healthy heart and liver function. It can even lower cholesterol levels and, best of all, promote healthy bile acid balance. So if you did end up taking that olive oil shake, you can restore your bile before it’s too late. Take a capsule of 1000mg three times a day between meals. Additionally, Omega-3 fish oils and Vitamin E supplements support a healthy gallbladder. If you’re looking for a gallbladder cleanse for knee pain, taurine and Omega-3s are excellent supplements to start with.

Taking these for 5-8 days in a row should yield some immediate results. Your body will thank you for including these vitamins and minerals in your diet, and it will thank you with a healthy body.

Now remember, none of these will remove your pain all together. If you truly wish to be pain-free, you need to remember that it’s a process. Cleansing your gallbladder can reduce inflammation, which can help relieve some pain. When you see results and less pain, that may be enough to help you start your exercise and stretching routine. However, with a proper diet, good exercise, and a positive attitude, you can live a pain-free life. Trust the process and know that if you put in the work, eventually you can overcome anything you put your mind to.

The post Can A Gallbladder Cleanse Help Knee Pain? appeared first on Arthritis Free Living – Natural Joint Pain Relief by Nicole Brandon.

What is Mindful Meditation

In its simplest form, mindful meditation is purposefully being aware of the exact moment of life. Through the practice of mindful meditation, a person can help reframe the feelings they are currently having in a more productive and meaningful way. For those suffering from arthritis pain, they can change their body’s response to pain. This alone would not be enough to remove pain entirely, but something interesting happened when researchers watched pain sufferers discover mindful meditations.

Stress causes muscles to tense. Tense muscles are a cause of arthritis flares and muscle inflammation. If you can train your body to no longer feel tense or stressed, you can prevent your body from flaring up with tense muscle spasms. Studies conducted on patients found that although their swollen joints didn’t change, the patients reported less pain and stiffness in those joints. They had more range of motion, and their daily lives were not impacted as much. This included fatigue, stress, and anxiety from their arthritis diagnosis. Patients were able to return to jobs they thought they would never have again, and others claim it saved their marriages.

Our Response to Arthritis Pain

Anyone with arthritis pain can tell you the symptoms. Inflamed joints, redness, stiffness, burning, and more. However, they found that mindful meditation helps reduce levels of cytokines and other proteins that promote inflammation. With less swelling, your body will be less stiff and red, and remove some of the burning sensation. Additionally, meditation helps reduce activity in the part of the brain known as the thalamus. This is the part of the brain that signals pain to the rest of the body. After only four days of mindful meditation, the average patient reported a 40% decrease in pain.

How can I start Mindfully Meditating?

It’s rather simple. The best way to start would be to find a licensed psychologist or pain clinic. There are many community health centers that offer help. They will have the best information for your specific needs, body type, and pain levels. If you’re eager to get into it, you can start by simply focusing on yourself.

Mindful meditations can be anything from an hour-long guided meditation to changing the way your mind works while you’re sitting at your desk or watching TV. Focus on sitting up straight. Is your posture supporting your head properly? Make sure your muscles aren’t compensating for poor form. You could even listen to a guided meditation while you’re sitting or conduct a full-body scan on yourself.

A body scan is simply feeling present enough to go over your entire body to see what feels good and what doesn’t. Someone with arthritis may shy away from this at first. After all, you’re focusing your attention on exactly where the pain is. Shouldn’t that make the pain worse? However, your whole body isn’t in pain, and a body scan allows you to remember that. People typically spend 45 minutes to an hour conducting the body scan. Starting at the top of your head and across your body, down your arms to your fingertips, and eventually ending on your toes. Take time, focus on your breathing, and check in with all aspects of your body. This practice helps people realize that the pain is only a small part of them, and they are not only their pain.

Mindful Meditation is a great start to living pain-free.

Even if mindful meditation doesn’t reduce your swelling entirely, it can help. It’s a great way for people to start their journey. This is because it doesn’t require painful exercises or lateral movements. Instead, it’s just sitting or standing in a quiet room and focusing on yourself. If you had 40% less pain, though, would you be able to start the next part of your journey? Would you be able to begin those stretches and exercises that can reduce your swelling? We know you can. The path to a pain-free life doesn’t have a miracle elixir. There are steps. Pieces of a pie. Once you put them all together, you can see that arthritis pain can truly be a thing of the past.

The post Can Mindful Meditation help Arthritis Pain? appeared first on Arthritis Free Living – Natural Joint Pain Relief by Nicole Brandon.

Shaquille O’Neal

Better known as Shaq, this 7-foot, 320-pound beast of a man is considered one of the greatest basketball centers of all time. He won four NBA championships, most notably one championship after he was diagnosed with arthritis in his toe. Before the 2002–2003 NBA season, Shaq had surgery to help his toe. It was considered successful, but through that surgery, the doctors found that he had arthritis in his toe. Despite this, he went on to have a long and lustrous career, finally retiring in 2011. Even though he retired from basketball, he still stays active by playing golf, pickup basketball, and working out.

Kristy McPherson

At the age of 7, Kristy picked up a golf club for the first time and never looked back. However, at the young age of 11, Kristy was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. She found that exercise and movement techniques helped her stay pain-free, and she doesn’t let her diagnosis stop her from being an elite golf pro in the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

Dorothy Hamill

Even Olympic gold medalists get arthritis. Dorothy Hamill may have osteoarthritis in her hips, neck, and knees, but that doesn’t stop her from doing what she loves. She credits her long warm ups and stretching as the reason she can still skate five days a week in her home town of Vail, Colorado.

Sandy Koufax

Sandy Koufax was the youngest player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1964, his career was cut short by an injury to his left elbow, his pitching elbow. He developed arthritis from this injury but battled through it for a time. His fellow Dodger teammates even gave him the new nickname “Atomic Bomb,” from an ointment of red-hot chili peppers he used to dull the pain.

Kristin Armstrong

Only the second American woman to win a gold medal in cycling. A former triathlete, Kristin focused on cycling in 2001 after she was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both her hips. She continued to run and swim recreationally but made it to the Olympics as a cyclist. She says stretching and yoga keep her pain at bay for competitions.

James Braddock

Most might know the name from his nickname, “The Cinderella Man,” made even more famous through Russell Crowe’s portrayal of him in the movie of the same name. Braddock became the heavyweight world champion boxer in 1935. He defended the title in 1937, quietly battling arthritis in his hands. After his boxing career, he went on to serve in the military and train soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. After that, he went on to help with the construction of the double-decker Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in Staten Island. Never once letting his arthritis slow him down.

Kristine Holzer

Some call her the fastest woman on ice. Olympic speed skater Kristine Holzer carried a secret with her all her life. She was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. She claims that experience taught her to never take anything for granted, and obviously, she managed to come out on top.

Gordie Howe

It may be hard to believe, but what some would consider the greatest all-around player in hockey had arthritis. In 1971, he retired because of arthritis in his wrist, but after surgery, he returned to the NFL and won the Most Valuable Player award. Needless to say, he managed to come back from his arthritis diagnosis better than ever.

Jack Nicklaus

Yes, the very same world famous golfer was named “player of the century” and “player of the millennium.” He played with an injured hip for most of his career and still put up those numbers. In 1999, he had surgery to replace his hip. He has an exercise routine he does every day that keeps him playing the game today.

Wayne Gretzky

Some would call him “The Great One”. Others would call him a fighter against osteoarthritis. He was diagnosed with early signs of arthritis caused by years of playing hockey. Today, he is a spokesman for the Osteoarthritis Early Awareness Campaign.

The post Famous Athletes who Overcame Arthritis appeared first on Arthritis Free Living – Natural Joint Pain Relief by Nicole Brandon.

Spend Time with your Grandkids Without the Fear of Arthritis

The first thing to remember is that you’re not alone. Even if you were a single parent without any help, remember that you have help. If you need a break, swap out with the parent, ask another family member for help, or even just switch up the game to something less exerting. Don’t let minor flares turn into debilitating incidents that can last days or even weeks. You want to be ready each and every time. Not to mention, the more people engage with a child, the more social skills and development that child will have.

Find Pain Free Activities to Share

Board Games

Kids don’t like to stay in one place for too long. Chasing them down, lifting them up, and playing their favorite sport is all well and good until it’s not. We mentioned that you can switch the activity to something less exerting. Board games are a great way to keep a child’s attention while simultaneously keeping yourself in a comfy chair. If just imagining manipulating small pieces in your hands brings up flares, remember that there are larger-sized versions of almost every game. Giant Jenga, Big Connect Four, and countless others But even so, teaching your grandchild the thrill of chess or the pain of Monopoly is a lot safer on your joints than chasing them down on their scooter or bicycle.

Outdoor Activities

If your little one is more of the outdoorsy type, there is still plenty you can do with them. Maybe that hike up the mountain is out of the question, but a round of golf is almost like a hike. Plus, kids love riding in golf carts. Swimming is always a fan favorite for everyone. Not only does the water keep weight off your joints, but kids love any size pool on a hot or cold day. Don’t think swimming is your only outdoor activity. Kids love helping in the garden and learning about plants and bugs. Even a simple walk around the block is good enough for them. They may not say it, but they love spending time with you just as much as you love spending time with them. Take your own pace, while maybe they can run up ahead. Let them take the scooter and see how fast they can get a house or two ahead and come back. Just make sure they stay within eyesight of you.

Share a Hobby

One of the greatest things you can do for them is read to them. The only muscle this requires is your imagination. Find your favorite story you liked when you were their age and share it with them. They’ll remember it for the rest of their lives. Speaking of sharing knowledge, there are tons of hobbies your grandchildren will love just because you do. Cooking, quilting, knitting, and woodworking are all surefire winners. Share your loves with them, and you’ll see how easy it is to work on something together. They may even surprise you with their own skills. After all, they got it from you.

Holding Your Baby With Pain Free Techniques

The most frightening thing we hear from grandparents with arthritis is that they are afraid to pick up their baby. Their muscle flares might make them drop the baby. Don’t ever fear holding your grandchild. Just make sure you have a plan. It may not be the same way you held your child, but with the right technique, you can safely hold your grandchild in a pain-free way.

If you need to pick up a child from the floor, lower yourself to one knee. Then tighten your stomach muscles. You’ll get a lot of strength from your core. Lift with your legs instead of your back. Sure, no more leaning down to pick up your grandchild, but you’ll be surprised how old they can get, and this will still work. To put them back down, take a knee again and make sure they’re balanced properly when you put them down. Your knees aren’t doing the work here. It’s more about removing the strain from your back. Sometimes you need to lean down, like when you put the baby in the crib. Make sure you bend at the waist instead of the shoulders.

Having arthritis doesn’t mean you need to spend less time with your grandchildren. You just may not get to do the same things you did with your child. However, there are now new and perhaps even better things you can do with that time. Your grandchild doesn’t know or care what they’re missing. They just want to spend time with you. Find ways to spend time with your grandkids without the fear of arthritis.

The post Spend Time With Your Grandkids without the Fear of Arthritis appeared first on Arthritis Free Living – Natural Joint Pain Relief by Nicole Brandon.

The Perfect Mineral Bath

It is always important to note that your bath should be warm, not hot. Arthritis can destroy your nerve endings and cause a lack of sensitivity. If your bath is too hot, you may burn yourself and not even know it. To make your mineral bath, dissolve 1 gram of minerals  into each liter of warm water. Most mineral baths contain sulfur and magnesium. Ever since ancient times, people have turned to mineral baths or natural hot springs for relaxation and to ease pain. This practice is called balneotherapy. However, besides smelling good, these standard mineral baths do no more for most than just plain warm water. That is, until people found Epsom Salt.

What is Epsom Salt?

Epsom salt is not like your everyday table salt. It is a compound of magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen. It was found in natural underground springs in the early 17th century in the United Kingdom. Today, you can find it in practically every grocery store and drugstore. When you dissolve Epsom Salt in water, it releases magnesium, sulfate, and many other key ingredients found in most spa-style mineral baths. Many researchers agree, Epsom Salt is the key ingredient to make the best bath to alleviate arthritis pain.

Science behind Mineral Baths

Thousands of people who suffer from arthritis pain swear by the benefits of mineral baths. However, not all of them report the same benefits. Many researchers state that it is impossible for minerals to absorb through the skin. Therefore, any benefits from a mineral bath are strictly placebo. However, this science is still in its infancy, and there are various types of arthritis.

For those with rheumatoid arthritis, studies have proven that people function better with 21 days of mineral baths. These benefits lasted up to six months but unfortunately tapered off after 12 months.

People with knee osteoarthritis also reported greater improvement from mineral baths. However, those with hip osteoarthritis did not report the same benefits. The hip joint is deeper than the knee, which suggests that the mineral bath cannot help. This does suggest that previous science that said minerals could not be absorbed into the skin may be false. They just cannot absorb deep enough to help certain types of joint pain. However, if your joint pain is surface level, and you wish to alleviate your inflammation, then a mineral bath with Epsom Salt may be for you.

The Best Bath to Alleviate Arthritis Pain.

Some people may not have the money or mobility to venture to an expensive spa. A quality mineral bath with Epsom Salt is not a substitute for your regular arthritis medications and treatments. If your pain is severe enough, make sure you have a loved one or trusted friend close by to maintain safety while you’re in your bath. They could also help you draw your bath.

Step 1: Fill your tub with warm water. Make sure it’s not too hot. If you lack sensitivity because of damaged nerves, you may want to use a thermometer to ensure it’s not too hot. The tub should only be a few degrees above your body temperature.

Step 2: Add Espom Salt. For most standard baths, you will not need more than 2 cups of salt. Pour it directly under the running faucet to help it dissolve as the tub fills. If your bath has a whirlpool or jets, check with the manufacturer if minerals like epsom salt can harm your mechanisms.

Step 3: Soak in your warm bath for anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes. This is the length of time used in most studies, and any longer has little to no added benefit.

Step 4: Rinse off afterward because the Epsom salt can dry out your skin. Apply a skin moisturizer or lotion, especially if you suffer from psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis. If your skin gets too dry, you may need to stop the Epsom Salt baths altogether.

Step 5: Dress warmly after. Dressing warmly will help the relaxing warm bath last longer on the body and reduce inflammation. Continue your routine for two to three weeks, as this is when most of the benefits from your baths will develop.

Get your bag today!

Sources

• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30276474/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29730741/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29327104/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28471579/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31367893/

The post The best Bath to Alleviate Arthritis Pain appeared first on Arthritis Free Living – Natural Joint Pain Relief by Nicole Brandon.

Pop Socket Grip

If you suffer from wrist pain, this product is for you. Every year, it seems like smartphones get bigger and bigger. This makes it increasingly difficult to hold your phone, even when you’re pain-free. When you add the burden of arthritis, your wrists and hands could be screaming long before you’re done scrolling.

The solution is simple. Stick one of these simple pop socket grips to the back of your phone for a simple ergonomic grip. This will help prevent you from having to bend your wrist every time you use your phone.

Pros

• Budget Friendly
• Easier to hold your phone

Cons

• Makes your phone bulky and harder to store in a pocket
• Removing the adhesive backing could prove difficult for some

EZ Grip 360 Degree Rotary Stainless Steel Sharp

Personal care is something that must be maintained. When you take care of yourself, you can find that this improvement spreads to other parts of your life as well. However, if your pain is so bad that you start to neglect certain hygiene habits, you can soon snowball into a heap of depression and pain.
Keep up your hygiene with the right products.

This fingernail clipper has a great ergonomic grip that offers maximum strength with minimal effort. Furthermore, the wide grip handles help keep it firmly in your hand and prevent accidental clippings.

Pros

• Transforms for right- and left-handed users
• Designed to help perform necessary tasks with minimal pain.

Cons

• Still requires some exertion from your joints

Acetaminophen Easy Open Bottle

Sometimes, the pain is so unbearable that you must reach for the pills. Try to avoid anything too strong and talk to your healthcare provider about what works best for you. For instance, many people think ibuprofen is the best as it relieves most pain. However, taking ibuprofen every day is not the best. Medications like Advil use ibuprofen as their main ingredient. Tylenol is safer to take more regularly. The main pain-relieving ingredient is acetaminophen. To help save money, you can buy generic bottles of acetaminophen, which works just like Tylenol, without the expensive brand name attached.

This bottle here has easy handle grips. If you live alone, you know the stress that can come from not being able to open your bottle. If it can’t open, you’re out of luck. Unfortunately, manufacturers don’t offer large quantities of these easy-open bottles. However, you can save these bottles and fill the empties with anything you need to open easily.

Pros

• Available in stores and online
• Easy open lids
• Save the bottles to store other pills that may not come in an easy-to-open container

Cons

• Only available for smaller quantities

IMAK compression Arthritis Gloves

If you suffer from pain in your hands but still need to use them for tasks like writing on your computer, then these gloves can be your lifesaver. The compression glove helps offer an extra layer of strength to your joints while also keeping your hands warm. This helps improve blood flow and decreases inflammation.

The Arthritis Foundation tested compression gloves like these and found they helped improve daily life for the wearer. These gloves are fantastic because they still have open fingers that allow you to feel, grip, and touch.

Pros

• Cotton material is soft and easy to wash
• Good travel companion that can easily store with your socks

Cons

• Some say the material tears easily

Arm Extender

Your hands aren’t the only thing that may be in pain. Performing daily tasks sometimes feels impossible for those with hip and leg pain. If something falls to the floor, some report that they’ll leave it there until a friend or loved one comes along to help them pick it up.

This extender tool is great for those who have difficulty bending over. That’s where this arm extender comes in. Just squeeze the grip, and you can virtually extend your arm up to 2.5 feet away.

Pros

• Portable for shopping or travel
• Adjustable

Cons

• Still requires grip strength
• Some claim it cannot carry much weight

IMAK Compression Knee Sleeve

This is another product recommended by the Arthritis Foundation. This is a great noninvasive arthritis relief solution. Wear it all day for continuous comfort. This, like the hand compression sleeve, provides additional joint strength, warming effects to reduce inflammation, and circulation support.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Breathability vents help all day without increasing sweating

Cons

• One size does not fit all

Non-Slip Grip Jar Opener

If you need help opening jars in the kitchen, this product is for you. This product is specifically designed for arthritis users. It can open anything from a water bottle, soda tops, to jar lids. The full set makes this a multifunctional kitchen tool to open stubborn bottle tops and jar lids.

Even if you don’t have arthritis, this product can come in super handy for those jars that just won’t open.

Pros

• Stores easily
• Multiple sets to allow access to a full array of jar and bottle sizes

Cons

• Still requires some wrist strength

Walking Cane

If your arthritis pain is so unbearable that it affects your mobility, then you may find help with a mobility aid. A cane is an excellent tool for relieving muscle tension and relieving unnecessary pressure on aching joints.

This all-terrain slip-resistant base offers superior stability on uneven surfaces. The ergonomic handle helps reduce hand fatigue to help not only your hips and waist but also your hands. The cane collapses and fits in your bag for on-the-go use.

Pros

• Adjustable for all heights
• supports full-body pain

Cons

• May not adjust high enough for taller individuals

ICEWRAPS reusable Soft Gel Ice Packs

Sometimes, when inflammation rears its ugly head, you have to fight back. Cold ice packs help reduce swelling. These reusable medical-grade packs can be frozen or heated up. Heat and ice can help reduce inflammation and muscle stiffness.

Pros

• Natural pain reliever
• Use for hot and cold
• Non-toxic

Cons

• Doesn’t stay frozen for long

The post Products for Arthritis Pain appeared first on Arthritis Free Living – Natural Joint Pain Relief by Nicole Brandon.

Your hands play a crucial role in everything you do. From shaking hands with a partner or grabbing things off the shelf for yourself. If you feel you may lose that part of your body, you don’t have to believe that’s a permanent change. If you can include these movements in your daily routine, you will soon see improvements in your routine. Once a day or even once a week, you can help reduce hand stiffness and tingling and even remove your pain entirely.

Finger Presses

This is a simple exercise that you can do almost anywhere. Press your thumb and your index finger together. Feel the muscles in your hand and forearm contract. Hold this pressure for a full, deep breath. Repeat this process for your middle finger, ring finger, and then your pinky, changing fingers on every breath. When you get to your pinky, go back through each finger in reverse until you’re back at your index finger. Repeat this process three times, focusing on the breath and feeling the strength in your hands and forearms.

Fist and Extended

This exercise focuses on contracting and extending your hands to feel how much your hands can really do. Start this exercise by making a fist. With your other hand, tightly squeeze your fist, using your fingers to massage your fist. Tightly squeeze your fist for three deep breaths. Then, when you release your fist, open your hand and extend your fingers as wide as they go. Feel your finger muscles stretch for another three deep breaths.

Complete this process of tightly squeezing your fist and stretching your fingers out wide for five repetitions. Then, change hands, make a fist with your other hand, and tightly squeeze with your freshly stretched hand. This will be ten repetitions for both hands.

The Finger V

This one is for the Star Trek enthusiasts out there. Extend your hand out in front of you with a straight arm and your fingers pressed together. It should look like you’re a traffic cop telling people to stop. Now take a deep breath and stretch your pinky as far as it will go. With your next breath, move your ring finger to your pinky. This is where the name “finger V” comes from, as your fingers should look like a V. With your next breath, move your middle finger, and so forth. Then move your fingers the other way, one by one, in each breath, until you’re back at the stop sign. Move to your other hand and repeat this process.

The Wrist Shake

You may require a stretch from your stretching after the Finger V. This is where the wrist shake comes from. Your hands and wrists should be completely loose. Now shake your arms out and shake your hands back and forth, up and down, and any other way they’ll go. This will help them release tension from your fingertips to your arms. It should look like you’re drying your hands when there aren’t any paper towels. This can be done with one hand at a time or with both hands. Try to keep your hands moving for at least 15 seconds.

The Putty Pull

This is a great thing to do with your grandchildren. First, you’ll need some putty. Take a small piece of putty between your fingers. Pull the putty upwards and then back together. Then move the putty to your next finger. Press and pull between each finger gap, and then do the same with the other hand. You’ll soon see the benefits if you can repeat this process three times with each hand.

The Wrist Release

This is like the fist and extend exercise, but it emphasizes the wrist rather than the fingers. Start with one hand in a fist. Wrap your fist with your free hand. First, take two deep breaths while holding your fist. Then push up your fist as far as it goes for another two breaths. Once your fist goes up and down, that is one repetition. Repeat for five repetitions and move over to your other hand. Repeat the process three times in total for the best results.

These exercises are simple and easy to do from anywhere and can greatly improve any pain from Psoriatic Arthritis. Even before you get out of bed in the morning, you can start your day and stretch out your hands and fingers to prepare them for the day, and you could even repeat the process before you go to bed. Even if you start feeling pain in the middle of the day, you can take a break and stretch your hands and wrists. Keep them going, and you’ll see results very soon.

The post The Best Exercises to help Psoriatic Arthritis appeared first on Arthritis Free Living – Natural Joint Pain Relief by Nicole Brandon.

The number-one culprit is something called synovial fluid. This fluid surrounds the joints and acts as a lubricant to help them move. It does thicken slightly as a fluid in the cold, which can cause severe pain in people with arthritis. Think of the synovial fluid as motor oil for your engine. Clean and flowing oil helps the engine run smoothly. However, when that oil becomes thick and sludgy, your engine doesn’t perform as well. It’s the same thing that’s happening in your joints. Some people are so sensitive to the cold that they can predict weather patterns. So the next time you hear someone say their knee told them a storm is coming, make sure you pack a jacket because their synovial fluid doesn’t lie.

Now, fluid is only one of the many parts of your joint that can change due to temperature. Cold weather doesn’t cause arthritis, but it makes things worse. The most noticeable thing for most people is that cold weather severely slows down blood circulation. For those who suffer from inflammatory types of arthritis, you know how bad this can get. Poor blood circulation means that inflammation gets worse, as does the pain. Poor circulation can even cause muscle spasms.

It’s not only the cold that makes arthritis get worse in the winter. Even the barometric pressure can negatively affect your body. When the pressure drops, your muscles and tendons expand. This expansion then puts even more stress on your joints. People with arthritis in the hips and legs know this to be especially true.

Fighting Back When Your Arthritis Gets Worse in the Winter

When old Jack Frost blows down on you, don’t sit back and take it. You can fight back and truly live a life of arthritis free living. No one thing can prevent all your pain. For people who suffer from severe pain, it may not be easy to start one or all of these activities. However, if you persevere, take things one day at a time, and get better every day, one day you too can find more pain-free days.

Keep Warm During the Winter

Keeping warm can help blood flow and prevent synovial fluid from funking up your joints. Wear multiple layers and crank the heat. Even if you’re not that cold, your joints are. Get used to staying warm. Take a hot shower in the morning to get your body going and follow it up with a soothing, warm bath at night. If things are getting too bad, heating pads and an electric blanket can do wonders for a good night’s sleep. If you have access to one, a hot tub is a fantastic way to soothe your aching joints.

Keep Your Body Moving

We know what you’re thinking. You can’t bear to move with all this pain. The problem is that you’re in so much pain because your joints can’t move. Slowly building up an exercise routine will surely help you combat arthritis pain. It is recommended that you do 150 minutes of exercise each week. This will get your heart beating and your blood circulating. Not to mention that it will strengthen your muscles, which will help take the strain off your joints. Try to get at least 20 minutes a day. Start slow and start where it’s warm. Perhaps walk through a well-heated mall. Lift small weights in a gym. Swim some laps in a heated pool. Anything you can do to get active.

Stretch Every Morning and Every Night

Most people stretch to “warm up” before exercise. Well, warming up is exactly what you want to do to help prevent arthritis from getting worse in the winter. Stretching does wonders for the body. It increases flexibility, which helps your joints move further and smoother. Even simply rolling your wrists and ankles or doing knee bends can help your painful joints. Stretch your fingers as far as they will go if your arthritis affects your hands. They’ll thank you later.

Take Care of Your Diet

A proper diet is especially helpful for anyone with inflammatory arthritis. Sugars and refined carbohydrates may actually increase inflammation. Focus on omega-3 fatty acids that act as anti-inflammatories. Foods like fish, nuts, and seeds are particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids. If you can, try to switch to a Mediterranean diet and see how well your body performs.

Don’t put too Much Weight on your Joints

Did you look down at the scale and notice it’s not where you want it to be? Carrying too much weight has been linked to a number of health problems. For arthritis sufferers, one of those issues is strain on the joints. Lightening your load will allow your joints to not have to work so hard.

Get Plenty of Vitamin-D

Not only do the barometric pressure and temperature drop in the winter, but the clouds cover up the all-important sun. Even in sunny climates, vitamin D deficiency is actually quite common. If you can’t go outside for a walk and enjoy the sun, you may want to think about drinking more juice or taking a supplement. Check with your doctor if you may need to increase your vitamin D. This is because a lack of vitamin D has been linked to arthritis pain.

Yes, your Arthritis Gets Worse in the Winter, but You Don’t Have to Feel It

Winter is challenging for many people, and it affects everyone differently. Some might just get a little worse, while others may feel completely incapacitated. The important thing to note is that things can get better. Focus on what it means for you to live a life of arthritis free living and know that it can come true. Every day, do a little more exercise, eat a few less processed foods, and keep yourself a little warmer. Soon, you’ll no longer fear the winter months. In fact, you may enjoy them almost as much as you have in the past.

The post Does Arthritis Get Worse in the Winter? appeared first on Arthritis Free Living – Natural Joint Pain Relief by Nicole Brandon.