Alternative Treatments for Arthritis Pain

Joint pain is such a personal experience. Not just because you are the only one to feel your own pain, but because each case is slightly unique compared to the next. There are many joint pain causes. In turn, there are so many ways to find arthritis pain relief. For some, physical therapy will do the trick, while others prefer getting injections for arthritis help. More traditional methods include using topical agents for joint pain and taking medications. However, if none of these treatments for arthritis pain get the job done, there is always an alternative. Let’s take a look at some alternative treatments for arthritis pain.

Why Use Alternative Treatments for Arthritis Pain?

Just like someone has their reasons as to why they like topical agents better than medications or physical therapy rather than injections, each reason to use alternative treatments for arthritis pain is unique.

Seeking out traditional methods for arthritis treatment is the easiest, and perhaps the safest. After all, if doctors are specializing in something and recommending that form of treatment, than you can bet a considerable amount of research has been done.

However, studies have found drawbacks to almost every form of arthritis treatment. Medications can be addictive and mask underlying issues. Topical agents can be smelly and made out of synthetic ingredients that bring foreign substances into the system. Physical therapy can be too intense for some people to withstand. Whatever the case may be, we are here to help you find an alternative treatment for arthritis pain.

CBD

CBD is growing in popularity as one of the best natural remedies for arthritis. With medical marijuana becoming legal in more than half the country, even more are starting to legalize CBD oil… including the states (such as Alabama) that don’t allow  medical marijuana. That’s because people are coming to the realization that CBD oil has nothing in it that classifies the medicine as a schedule 1 controlled substance.

CBD oil is strictly cannabidiol, the cannabinoid chemical compound within hemp. It contains less than .03% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the psychoactive cannabinoid chemical compound found in marijuana. Therefore CBD oil can’t get you high. It can only treat pain.

Our skin has cannabinoid receptors. These nerve endings send signals to the endocannabinoid system. This is the area of our body that regulates so many essential functions. One important function is our interpretation of pain sensations.

When cannabinoid receptors are stimulated, they send calming messages to the endocannabinoid system. In turn, pain sensations cease to be signaled by the brain to the affected area. Additionally, CBD is considered to have anti-inflammatory capabilities. Seeing as joint pain stems from inflammation, that makes CBD oil an effective arthritis treatment.

Essential Oils

What gives CBD its power are the cannabinoids, amino acids, and terpenes present in the oil. With essential oils, you get a lot of the same benefits. The scents you smell when you take a whiff of essential oils are terpenes.

In its highest concentrated form (which what essential oils are), terpenes come with a lot of therapeutic properties. When these compounds come into contact with the compounds in our system, positive chemical reactions happens. Many essential oils are considered anti-inflammatory, making them one of the best natural remedies for arthritis.

Just like oranges have more Vitamin C than cucumbers and carrots have more Vitamin A than broccoli, not all essential oils have the same chemical makeups. Therefore some are better suited to use as an arthritis treatment than others.

Here are the best essential oils for arthritis pain:

• Cayenne Pepper
• Frankincense
• Ginger
• Lavender
• Myrrh
• Orange
• Rosemary
• Turmeric

When working with essential oils, it is important to keep in mind that these oils are in their most concentrated form. Therefore, they might be a skin irritant. It is best to mix them with a thicker oil to make a lotion. These are called carrier oils.

The best carrier oils for arthritis pain include:

• Avocado Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Olive Oil
• Jojoba Oil

If you don’t want to make a lotion, another good way to use essential oils as your natural joint pain remedy is to put a few drops in a warm bath. Allow your body to soak. It’ll be a relaxing treat for your mind and your body.

Acupuncture

This Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) staple has finally started to gain some recognition as a viable alternative treatment for arthritis pain. The foundation of acupuncture is that qi (life energy) flows through 20 meridians inside of our body. When the energy flow is blocked, it causes bone and joint pain where the buildups happen.

By placing needles strategically into those points, it helps open up the flow of qi. In turn, your pain should subside. As of right now, there aren’t many studies that prove acupuncture work. The most concise study on acupuncture for arthritis pain does say that 50% of the people who received acupuncture did feel arthritis pain relief. However, 42% of the placebo group reported the same thing. Therefore, acupuncture may just be a placebo effect. However, if the arthritis pain is merely something your brain has manifested, then acupuncture has done its job in treating your arthritis pain.

Tai Chi/Yoga

Instead of being pricked with needles to loosen up your meridians, you can try some ancient exercise techniques. For one, tai chi is a great way to use your brain to and breath to figure out where the pain in your body lies.

With tai chi, you use your internal prana and qi to work out the kinks and unblock the pathways. This is done by using strategic poses to work the energy outside of your body while syncing it up with the energy flowing about inside of you.

Yoga works in many of the same principles. However, it is a bit more physically intensive. In fact, yoga works a lot like a marriage between physical therapy [LINK PAGE 5] and tai chi. By synchronizing breath with movement, yoga allows you to open up tightly compressed areas that can be causing joint pain.

Incorporate an AIP Diet

Truth be told, what we eat might be making us inflamed. Our foods are laden with so many ingredients that we can’t even begin to sound out, let alone name. Due to these synthetic ingredients entering our system, it’s changing the bacteria in our body. In turn, free radicals are able to burrow into the system and cause serious inflammations.

The following staples in our diets may be leading to joint pain and arthritis:

• Artificial Sugars/Sweeteners
• Fast Food
• Food Colorings
• Fried Foods
• GMOs
• Gluten Intolerances
• Hormone Treated Meats
• Produce Grown in Pesticide
• Processed Snacks/Deli Meat/Freezer Foods
• Preservatives

To combat this, you need to apply the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet into your life. By eating anti-inflammatory foods, you can help take stress off of your immune system. In turn, it will strengthen the tissues and cells in your body, and eventually bring joint pain relief. First, you need to get rid of the aforementioned foods.

Then you need to eat these AIP foods for natural arthritis relief:

• Coconut Milk
• Fermented Foods (Pickles, Kimchi, Kraut)
• Fruit (Small Quantities)
• Grass-Fed Lean Protein
• Green Tea
• Healthy Fats (Avocado, Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• Herbs
• Honey
• Sweet Potatoes
• Vegetables of Lighter Colors (Greens, Yellows, Oranges)
• Vinegars (Apple Cider, Balsamic, Red Wine)
• Wild-Caught Fish

As part of the AIP Diet, you also have to take into consideration healthy foods that are known to upset the stomach. The microbiome is pivotal to an overall healthy system. If your gut is unhappy (no matter how good the source is), it is more likely to spark bouts of severe joint pain.

On top of avoiding artificial foods, to follow a true AIP Diet, it’s recommended to skip the following for joint pain relief:

• Beans
• Butter/Ghee
• Dairy
• Dark Vegetables (Eggplant, Tomatoes, Potatoes)
• Eggs
• Nuts
• Grains (Oat, Rice, Wheat)

Changing how you approach your plate can a long way in treating many diseases. Taking a different approach to your everyday life is perhaps the most natural arthritis relief out there.