Top 6 Natural Remedies For Arthritis

Learn the natural ways to treat arthritic pain. Check out the article we found over at Common Sense Homesteading.

Both my mother and my grandmother dealt with arthritis pain.  When I was a little girl, my grandmother Catherine held up her gnarled hand with crooked fingers and told me, “This is what happens when you crack your knuckles.  Never crack your knuckles.”  While most studies seem to have found no correlation between knuckle cracking and arthritis, the image of grandma’s hand has stuck with me, and I know arthritis caused her pain.  Mom never said much about it, but I’d see her rubbing her joints, and she always wore copper bracelets for the last several decades of her life.  Just recently, I was talking to my neighbor, Betty.  She told me that a friend of hers was on arthritis medication that knocked out her immune system so badly that she couldn’t kick a simple cold.  Her story inspired me to write this post and assemble a list of home remedies for arthritis to provide her with some natural treatment alternatives.

Home Remedy for Arthritis #1 – Exercise

There’s an old saying, “If you rest, you rust.”  Although moving may be painful, it is critical to promote circulation and prevent muscle atrophy.  Good circulation stimulate healing, and strong muscles help you to maintain good posture and move correctly so you don’t cause additional damage.  Try low impact exercise like swimming, water aerobics, walking or gardening (get help for heavy lifting if needed).  Gardening can also help reduce stress, which reduces inflammation, heal your mind, and improve your diet.

Home Remedy for Arthritis #2 – Heat

There’s more than one reason people move south when they get older, but I bet pain relief is a motivator for many.  I know even my husband feels pain in his hand joints when the temperature drops.  He got frostbite in one hand back when he was in the Air Force National Guard, and it’s bugged him ever since.  (He keeps trying to talk me into moving to Texas.)  This winter was pretty uncomfortable.

Use a hot tub or a sauna (IR saunas are great therapy for detoxing and have been recommended for treatment of many auto-immune conditions), soak in a warm pool or bath tub, wash your dishes in a nice sink of warm water, try a heating pad, hot pack or arthritic therapy gloves on the affected area.  Just don’t go to sleep with an atomic heating pad that doesn’t have a timer on it.  I don’t want to see anyone burn their house down.

Home Remedy for Arthritis #3 – Tart Cherries

We live near Door County, WI, one of the biggest tart cherry producing areas in the U.S., so I have to give a shout out to tart cherries for arthritis.  The Arthritis Foundation notes that cherries, cherry juice concentrate and cherry pills have been tested and found to be effective for treating gout-related arthritis and osteoarthritis.  Volunteers consumed at least 10 tart cherries per day, one tablespoon of tart cherry concentrate twice a day, two eight ounce bottles of tart cherry juice per day, or one cherry capsule per day.  It is likely the pain relief is linked to anthocyanins, which are antioxidants found in red and purple fruits.

Home Remedy for Arthritis # 4 – Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is the most popular recommended arthritis home remedy.  Folks take between 2 teaspoons to 1/4 cup daily, usually mixed into a glass of water, and sometimes with a little honey for sweetening.  Dosing morning and night seems most common.  I wouldn’t advise sipping it all day, as the acid could wear at your teeth just like acidic soda.

Home Remedy for Arthritis #5 – Alfalfa

Alfalfa, Medicago sativa, is high in vitamins A, C, E and K4 and the minerals calcium, potassium, phosphorous and iron.  It has been used to treat a variety of conditions, including arthritis (both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis).  The herb is taken as a tea or tincture.  To make alfalfa tea, simply steep a teaspoon of the dried herb in boiling water for about ten minutes.  Strain and serve.  Note:  Alfalfa may interact with blood thinners, birth control pills, estrogens, immunosuppressants, and medications that increase sensitivity to sunlight.  Read more about alfalfa interactions at WebMD.

Home Remedy for Arthritis #6 – Turmeric

Dr. Mercola is a big advocate for the use of turmeric for arthritis pain.  In the article “Curcumin:  The Spice that is Better than Drugs for Rheumatoid Arthritis“, he explains how curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, acts as an anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic.  He has developed a drug free protocol that yields a 60-90 percent improvement rate in RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) patients, which is discussed in detail in the article.  For general use, you can take turmeric in capsule form, or incorporate it into your cooking.  You have to use a fair amount to see results, 250 to 300 mg, three times daily.

Next article: Treat Arthritis & Joint Pain Naturally With Apple Cider Vinegar

Read full article: 16 Home Remedies for Arthritis