Healthy Hints – Arthritis:
There are two main forms of arthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage surrounding bones breaks down. Chinese medicine considers Osteoarthritis to be ‘cold arthritis’ because, over time, circulation depletes, leaving joints feeling cold. Rheumatoid arthritis, ‘hot arthritis’, happens when the body’s immune system attacks the lining of the joints. Although there is no real ‘cure’ for the pain of arthritis, acupuncture can help. Plus, I’ve listed a few things below that can be done at home to help lessen arthritis pain between visits to us.
*Be active – exercises that are specific to the pain area are best but, generally speaking, moving is just plain good for joints (it is easier to sit around when sore but it will make the pain worse)
*Swim – not only does the buoyancy of the water ease movements, swimming is very relaxing and will help all the muscles and joints to loosen
*Get creative – beyond just switching to using the side of the arm instead of the hand to push open a door, look for ways to add padding to the handles of items and tie loops to refrigerator door handles (avoid a tight grip)
Household Natural Relief for Arthritis:
*Cayenne Pepper – an ounce mixed into a quart of rubbing alcohol and left standing for three weeks (shaking the mix daily) will form a liniment to apply for 10 to 20 minutes (then wipe off)
*Celery – don’t just eat it, make a tea from a teaspoon of celery seeds in boiled water: cover it and let it stand for 15 minutes before straining and drinking
*Curry Powder – Turmeric in curry powder fights inflammation and blocks pain so try some foods from India. (Caution: it can also enhance the effects of blood-thinners so be careful if taking something like warfarin.)
-some swear by adding a teaspoon each of apple cider vinegar and honey to a glass of water before meals-