Arthritis: Five natural ways to help ease painful symptoms

From express.co.uk

ARTHRITIS is when the hard, slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones - where they form a joint - break down causing painful symptoms. These symptoms however can be reduced with these tips from the experts.

The word arthritis is used to describe pain, swelling and stiffness in a joint or joints. Around 10 million people in the UK are thought to have arthritis and it can affect people of all ages – even children and teenagers. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. The experts at Forest Healthcare shared their general preventative tips for all types of arthritis to help reduce painful symptoms.

Maintain a healthy weight

Carrying excess weight on your body puts extra pressure on the hip and knee joints, making them weaker and more likely to become arthritic.

By keeping a healthy weight, doing regular exercise and cutting out refined sugar from the diet, as well as eating smaller portions you can successfully manage your symptoms.

Speak to your doctor to find out more about losing weight if you are concerned about your current weight and eating habits.

Practise hand exercises

Losing hand strength and flexibility in your fingers is a common complaint for people with arthritis.

Fortunately, practicing a few easy hand exercises can be hugely beneficial both for stopping pain and stiffness.

Regular hand exercises will strengthen muscles, relieve tension and stiffness, and help to keep tendons flexible.

                                                                                  (Image: Getty Images)

Experts recommend flexing your fingers, rotating the wrists, and finger touching are small simple exercises that can be done anywhere anytime.

Stop smoking

Smoking is linked to the development of rheumatoid arthritis, particularly for people who have smoked 20 years or longer.

Smokers also have an increased risk of more-severe arthritis.

Inhaling tobacco smoke has been linked to oxidative stress, which is an imbalance between toxic molecules inside our cells and the antioxidants we need to remove them. 

Studies have also found that compared to light smokers, the risk of Alzheimer’s disease was higher among medium and heavy smokers.

Avoid repetitive activities

Many jobs require repetitive activities such as typing or lifting heavy objects.

Such activities can cause injury to the joints and increase the likelihood of developing arthritis.

If you spend a lot of time on the computer working from home, take precautions and invest in a special keyboard to support your wrists.

Supplements and vitamins

A person’s diet contributes significantly to the development of dementia, and some vitamins and supplements can help to relieve the symptoms as well as prevent the disease. 

Fatty acids and omega 3 found in fish oils helps inflammatory arthritis.

Vitamin E can also help to repair cells around the joints, and can be gained from nuts, sunflower seeds, and avocado.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1496255/arthritis-symptoms-weight-hand-exercises-smoking-supplements