Natural Remedies for Arthritis

Arthritis is a very painful, debilitating disease that could occur to anyone, regardless of sex, age, and other biological factors. The exact cause is not yet known. Neither is its cure, though medical science is continually searching for it. In the mean time, patients suffering from arthritis are seeking relief for their pain.

In addition to the various pharmaceuticals designed to alleviate pain and modern treatment methods recommended by doctors all over the world, many patients also seek natural remedies for arthritis. The reason for this is varied and may include the following:

* Other medications are not working or cause adverse side effects for the patient seeking natural remedies for arthritis.
* Holistic or organic healing is believed to be more effective than doing it with the aid of chemicals.
* Some prescription medications are so expensive the patient seeking natural remedies for arthritis may not be able to afford it anymore.

Below is a list of some of the most pervasive natural remedies for arthritis in use today. However, before you decide to take any of these natural remedies for arthritis, you are strongly advised to consult with your physician first. Understand that most of these natural remedies for arthritis do not have any scientific proof to prove their medical claims. Some of them may react to the drugs you are already taking or may have undesirable side effects.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and one of the oldest natural remedies for arthritis. It consists of inserting hair thin needles with smooth edges into certain areas called meridians found in the body which act as channels through which the life force or qi flows.

To treat arthritis, you may have to undergo several sessions of acupuncture – at least 3 sessions per week, depending on the type of arthritis you have. A recent study released by the National Institutes of Health showed that acupuncture may have some positive effects on arthritis pain, particularly on the knee joints.

Oils

It makes sense that one of the natural remedies for arthritis is oil. After all, one of the common causes of arthritic pain is friction in the joints where the cushioning tissue, called cartilage, is damaged and the realese of the synovial fluid, responsible for lubricating the bone ends, is affected. However, when speaking about oils as natural remedies for arthritis, it does not mean that you are going to end up smearing yourself with messy metal lubricants. What it does mean is to put the right kind of oils inside your body to help with the aches and pains associated with the disease.

Out of the oils used because of their medicinal properties, fish oil supplements occupy the top of the list. Fish oils have omega-3 fatty acids that can ease the painful symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis or RA, help prevent Raynaud’s syndrome spasms, and possibly relieve some symptoms of lupus. Other oil types that can be used as natural remedies for arthritis are borage seed and evening primrose seed oils, both of which have been shown to ease RA inflammation.