Alternative Treatment for Arthritis

Arthritis is a chronic disease that affects the joints, tendons, ligaments or cartilage. There are over 100 forms of arthritis with symptoms that range from stiffness and inflammation to severe, crippling pain. There are several medications used to treat arthritis but alternative treatments provide natural methods to heal the body as well as the symptoms.

Complementary Treatments

There are several non-drug, natural, alternative treatments for arthritis.They include massage, relaxation, herbal supplements, acupuncture and mind-body exercises. Although there is no cure for arthritis these methods can be effective in reducing the pain and inflammation of arthritis without the harmful side effects of conventional medicine. These are complementary therapies which should be used in conjunction with your doctor-prescribed treatments. Patients who use alternative therapies should consult their doctors before beginning such treatments.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture can be used to relieve pain in arthritis patients. According to Spine Universe, the needles used in acupuncture trigger the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkiller. Acupuncture also reduces inflammation in the joints which alleviates pain, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Herbs and Supplements

Herbal remedies such as devils claw, borage seed oil, boswellia and white willow bark can help to reduce the pain in your joints and prevent inflammation. These herbs have not been proven to heal all of the symptoms of arthritis but they provide a natural way to ease some of the symptoms. These herbs can be implemented as an added ingredient to your meals or taken in capsule form as an herbal supplement. Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements can be added to help to reduce pain in the joints. These supplements work together to create healthy cartilage in degenerative joints.Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oil, are a natural anti-inflammatory agent, useful in easing joint pain and inflammation. Ginger root can also help to reduce inflammation. Ginger root has been used to treat arthritis patients in India for many years. These items can all be found at your local health food or nutrition stores.

Massage and Exercise

For chronic pain relief, massage therapy can be helpful in improving flexibility through manipulation of the connective tissues. There are many different forms of massage---your massage therapist or doctors will determine which massages will work best for your symptoms. Mind-body exercise such as Pilates and yoga will help to strengthen your body and promote flexibility.

Other Helpful Treatments

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) can be used to interfere with the pain signals that are sent to the brain. TENS units are devices that create electrical pulses to stimulate nerves that are close to the arthritis pain in your joints. Alternating hot and cold pads on the painful joints may also help to temporarily relieve arthritis pain.