Gin-soaked raisins? Cayenne pepper? Could these solutions really work as a natural treatment for osteoarthritis?
For eons, arthritis sufferers have been searching for natural treatments to help relieve the joint pain and stiffness the condition leaves in their hands, knees, hips, back or feet.
And many sufferers find strange-sounding treatments – like cherries, cider vinegar, hot peppers and more.
So do they work? And, if so, how?
Here are some of the popular ones:
- Hot peppers. Peppers contain capsaicin, which is a naturally occurring analgesic that may relieve mild to moderate osteoarthritis pain. Though you don’t eat them to relieve the pain – you apply the capsaicin as a gel or cream. (Although eating hot peppers might also work to a degree, if your stomach can take it. The spicy foods encourage the body to release endorphins, which are feel-good hormones and can help alleviate pain.) Traditionally, however, capsaicin is applied topically. You can find gels and lotions with capsaicin in them at your local drug store. There might be a mild burning sensation at first, which is the cream desensitizing the nerve receptors in the painful area.
- Gin-soaked raisins. Raisins contain compounds (three different acids) that are said to be pain relievers, and gin comes from juniper berries, which has an anti-inflammatory compound. Combine them, and you get both the pain relief and anti-inflammatory benefits! Although there isn’t any study or actual research to prove this works, many osteoarthritis patients swear by its effectiveness. Most use golden raisins, soak for about a week in a thin layer of gin (until it evaporates), then eat just 8-9 per day.
Visit Lifescript.com to learn more about how the hot peppers and gin-soaked raisins work for arthritis pain, as well as learning additional popular, natural treatments for osteoarthritis (including cider vinegar and cherries).
Also, be sure to visit Lifescript’s new Osteoarthritis Health Center, where you can find quizzes, recipes, tips, articles and more osteoarthritis information.
The information contained in this article is provided for informational purposes only and is not, nor is it ever intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice or professional recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician(s) or other qualified healthcare provider(s).
Filed under Arthritis, Arthritis Care by on Feb 8th, 2012. Comment. 
It is very widespread for all of us to experience aches and pains as we get older. Our backs begin to hurt. Our knees creak. We find ourselves struggling to do issues we once did with ease. It is easy to often add these to our raising age, and we consider them a rite of passage. However, this is not usually basicly constantly the case. The aches and pains we attribute to old age can Sometimes be caused by arthritis. The technique is to learn the warning signs of arthritis so that we can be better informed of what to look for.
The first and most typical sign to arthritis is joint pain. This is usually characterized as being a very persistent pain that is especially worse in the earlier morning hours or after resting for a long period of time. The pain is aggravated and worsened by simple movements, such as: strolling, getting up from a chair, climbing stairs or creating. The joint pain can be, and is most often, accompanied by swelling, stiffness and tenderness of the joint. These, of course, add to the pain one feels in the joint and can make movement highly uncomfortable.
Because of the swelling and stiffness in the joint, loss of flexibility is expected. One may find themselves not being able to do many of the physical activities they once participated in without a big amount of soreness. Unfortunately, due to the progression of the disease deformity of the joint can occur. The deformities mostly happen in the fingers, fingers and knees, but can occur in other joints as well. This is not normally an issue until the disease turns into more progressed. However, it has been known to develop early on in the disease, especially in the fingers and fingers.
Another common symptom of arthritis is a standard and unexplained experience of malaise and fatigue. One will feel extremely tired and have an inexplicable decrease in their amount of energy. They may experience poor sleeping patterns that can turn into insomnia or they may want to sleep all day. It varies with each human being. An inexplicable fever has also been reported as a sign. This doesn’t happen in all cases, but has been known to occur. Most physicians believe that the fever is caused due to the swelling in the joints and the lack of rest.
If you believe you may have arthritis, the most important issue to do is contact your physician. Write down all of the symptoms you are experiencing. Be sure to consist of what times of day they seem to be at their worst and what you have been performing to treat your indications. Do not try to self medicate. There are many different varieties of arthritis. Before beginning treatment, one should be optimistic that they actually have the disease, and they should also fully grasp the type of arthritis they are treating. This can only be determined by your physician. By having a better recognizeing of your sickness, the physician can prescribe the appropriate drugs to get your disease below control.
Filed under Arthritis, Arthritis Care by on Feb 7th, 2012. Comment.
What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is perhaps the most widely faced sorts of arthritis and affects virtually 27 million People in the US and 151 million individuals worldwide. Osteoarthritis is also referred to as degenerative arthritis or deteriorative joint disorder, and is basically a condition that is the results of the breakdown and decrease of cartilage in joints.
It most generally occurs in the weight-bearing joints of the hips, knees and back and is connected with intense joint pain that may keep individuals from enjoying things they adore doing. Its most commonly faced in people over the age of 65 however it can happen at all ages.
What are the indications of Osteoarthritis?
Signs of Osteoarthritis include stuff like pain, inflammation, stiffness in the joints and consistent aches in joints. Symptoms of this condition range all the way from moderate to extraordinary and frequently deterioriate as time elapses. They can overlap with autoimmune illnesses with other musculoskeletal ailments which makes it difficult to diagnose.
Osteoarthritis routinely includes powerful pain within the joints, especially in the morning hours, following a period of resting as well as after exaggerated movement. Symptoms of Osteoarthritis can also include stiffness in the hands, soreness, obstinate pain and difficulties with gripping physical objects.
Some factors that can cause Osteoarthritis.
Unfortunately like a lot other chronic conditions it’s difficult to pin down a single cause for Osteoarthritis, frequently it can come down to such things as selected way of living, genetics, being overweight, injuries solely to name a few. Family genetics can presumably be a major role in this disease. If your folks have a medical history of arthritis it might be really possible you could develop this condition also.
If you have extra weight it may be a significant factor with regards to your joints that support your weight like your lumbar region, hips, knees and feet. If these joints are impacted you’ll definitely have difficulties with activities such as walking, lifting weights, and step climbing.
Be certain to come back for part 2 of this article or you can read the complete article; What is Osteoarthritis and the way to reduce its impact, on our website dedicated to helping people cut back their pain with massage chairs.
The author of this article is always looking for way to help improve people’s lives, so he is constantly looking to training himself in strategies that help in relieving individual’s pain and discomfort. His expertise is related to massage chairs and how they benefit sufferers of many chronic conditions. He himself suffers from persistent back pain and he has found great relief by employing his Osaki OS-4000 massage chair.
Filed under Arthritis, Arthritis Care by on Feb 6th, 2012. Comment.