Even though we try our best to stay active and healthy, joint pains can strike at any time. We might curse our jobs, blame our lifestyle in the past, or simply just accept it and move on. However, no one should suffer from joint pain and be silent about it. Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong and it needs to be fixed. Persistent joint pains can be debilitating and incredibly stressful to manage, but with a couple of these health care tips, you can easily fight back the effects of old age and wage war against those painful joints.
Physical Therapy
If you’re informed about your health care, then you might have access to physical therapy. The purpose of this is to strengthen the muscles around the joint in order to keep it supported and stabilised. This helps to keep your joints moving and gives them a little more movement. Therapists use a number of different techniques to do this, but it takes several sessions and can be quite costly if it’s not covered by your health insurance. If you have weight issues, then physical therapy might involve losing weight so that your joints aren’t as stressed to hold your bodyweight.
Natural Remedies
If your pain only comes and goes briefly, then you might want to look at some natural remedies to cure joint pain. For instance, Epsom salts are known to have pain-relieving qualities. Simply get a large bowl and fill it with enough water that your painful joint can be submerged into the liquid. Then power half a cup of Epsom salts in and let your joint soak for around 20 minutes. This will allow the minerals in the Epsom salts to penetrate into your skin and relieve the pain. Do this as required, but if you find yourself soaking for long periods of time several times a day, it may be better to consult a doctor.
Taking Supplements
Supplements can be a huge boon in the war against old age. If your diet isn’t particularly balanced, then it’s important to take supplements such as Caruso’s fish oil tablets to ensure you get all the right nutrients and minerals to support your body’s functions. Fish oil is great for helping with joint pains and also has the added effect of reducing your chance of having a heart attack. There are other supplements, such as vitamin D, that are specifically designed to help with joint pains, particularly around the knee and hip area.
Altering the Home
Things can get tough as you grow old, so it’s important to alter your home a little so that it fits your lifestyle. You don’t want to aggravate joints that are painful, which is why it’s useful to install things such as stair lifts or handlebars throughout the home to support your body. This can be expensive (especially if you have a large home) but it will help you remain independent for longer and promotes healthy activity instead of groaning in pain every time you get out of bed.