Life With Problems

Pain Relief - Arthritis

Arthritis literally means joint inflammation, and can affect joints in any part of the body. Joints are places in the body where two bones meet. Arthritis is often a chronic disease, which means it can affect you over a long period of time. Many forms of arthritis cause swelling, redness, heat and pain.

Evaluate and Describe Your Own Pain
A person suffering from arthritis should remember that an important thing he can do to relieve his pain is to tell his doctor or nurse about it immediately. Evaluating and knowing your own pain can help your doctor understand how you are feeling and the best way to treat you. Keep note of where your pain is located, how would you describe your pain, when does it hurt, how severe is your pain.

Just as there are many different types of arthritis pain, so as the ways to for arthritis pain relief.
Medications
Most common arthritis medications used by patients with arthritis for arthritis pain relief are:

Soma/Vanadom (carisoprodol)
This arthritis pain relief medicine belongs to a group of medicine called muscle relaxants. It blocks nerve impulses that are sent to the brain and is used to treat injuries and other painful muscular conditions. How it exactly works is unknown, but is assumed that the sedative properties of this medicine offers relief of discomfort brought about by acute, painful, musculoskeletal conditions.

Tramadol Hydrochloride (Ultram)
Is a non-narcotic analgesic used to treat severe post surgical pain and chronic pain. This arthritis pain relief medicine appears to do two things: binds with certain opioid receptors, this blocks pain impulses from reaching the brain; and it inhibits reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin, altering the way the brain monitors pain signals.

Acetaminophen; Propoxyphene Napsylate (Darvocet)
Is an opioid analgesic used to treat mild to moderate pain. Propoxyphene an arthritis pain relief medicine is a centrally acting narcotic analgesic agent that works by changing the way your body feels pain.

Ibuprofen
Is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that reduces inflammation and eases mild to moderate pain and reduces fever.

Naproxen
Is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It is indicated for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, juvenile arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, tendinitis and bursitis, and acute gout. It is also indicated in the relief of mild to moderate pain.

Arthrotec
Is a combination of Diclofenac and Misoprostol. Diclofenac reduces the joint pain, stiffness, inflammation, or swelling caused by rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. Misoprostol is a synthetic prostaglandin shown to protect the stomach lining from irritating effects of NSAIDs.

Celecoxib
Is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), used for arthritis pain relief to reduce inflammation and ease mild to moderate pain.

Some arthritis patients try doing without arthritis pain relief medications because they have the fear of being addicted to these drugs. Although most patients use medications as directed, abuse of and addiction to prescription are public health problems, however addiction rarely occurs among those who use medication as prescribed.

Arthritis is one of the oldest diseases known to mankind. It is characterized by an inflammation of the joints, causing swelling and pain which can sometimes lead to immobility and, in severe cases, permanent disability. Occurring in anyone at any age, the exact cause of arthritis is yet unknown, but there are two theories: infection or a flaw in the body’s immune system which causes it to attack its own joints and surrounding tissue.

There are many treatment methods used to help arthritic patients overcome this painful and debilitating disease, some of them as old as the disease itself (which is very old, indeed).

Some types of arthritis require the cooperation between physician, physical therapist, and orthopedic surgeon, as is the case with rheumatoid arthritis, one of the most common forms of arthritis. Others require only frequent rest balanced with exercise and proper diet. The most common arthritis remedies available are over the counter drugs like aspirins, analgesics, and non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs that can relieve the pain associated with arthritis.

However, with recent reports about undesirable side effects caused by some of these drugs, many people are turning to home arthritis remedies to treat arthritic pain. These arthritis remedies are largely unproven by concrete scientific evidence but have been used by people for thousands of years with relatively effective results. With your doctor’s advice, you can try some of these arthritis remedies and see for yourself:

Blackstrap Molasses

To make these arthritis remedies, you need four teaspoons of blackstrap molasses and one quart of cranberry juice. Dissolve the blackstrap molasses in the cranberry juice. One mixture makes one serving. Drink a glass of this old home remedy to experience the results.

Alternatively, you could also try dissolving 100 aspirins in a pint of rubbing alcohol. Rub it on the affected joints three times a day and observe the results.

Mullein, Elm, Lobelia, and Cayenne Poultice

The ingredients you need for these arthritis remedies are: 2 tbsp. mullein, 3 tbsp. granulated slippery elm bark, 1 tbsp. lobelia, and 1 tsp. cayenne. Mix everything in a bowl thoroughly then pour them in boiling water. When the mixture gets that pasty quality, pour everything on a piece of cloth and spread. Let cool for a few minutes before placing the cloth on swollen joints.

Alternatively, you can try these arthritis remedies, following the same procedure: oil of origanum, oil of lobelia, oil of capsicum, and coconut oil.

Herbal Mix

There are many herbs that can be used as natural arthritis remedies. However, the trend with herbal arthritis remedies seems to be that different herbs are mixed together in order to create a synergistic and more effective combination. Below are some of the more common herbal arthritis remedies used:

* Black cohosh, genitian root, angelica, Colombo, skull cap, valerian, buckthorn bark, and rue. Add a teaspoon of the mixture in a cup of boiling water. Let steep for a few minutes before drinking. The recommended daily dosage is three ½ cups a day.
* Wild cherry roots, burdock roots, Oregon grape roots. Wash three roots of each herb and chop them into tiny slices. Afterwards, place them in a gallon of water and let simmer for 30 minutes. Then, strain the liquid into bottle. A half glass of these arthritis remedies every morning before breakfast should garner some results.