On days like today, when it is damp, wet, and dreary, every bone and joint in my body aches. You need these 9 ways to relieve winter arthritis suffering. It is hard to get up or even walk. I just want to stay under the covers under a heating pad. And the week is forecasted for more of the same! I am already wanting to throw in the towel! Getting old is not for sissies! So, what can you do about it? I have learned to get some relief from achy winter joint pain with these nine key actions. I will share them with you so that you can do more than just muster through the pain!
Choose To Praise The Lord Anyway!
“This is the day that the Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!” is declared in Psalm 118:24. There are days where I change the “We” to “I” and capitalize the word “WILL” to push past the pain. I WILL (my decision) praise the Lord today, even though I am aching all over. Praising the Lord helps me realize that when I am weak, He is strong and I can fully rely on Him. Praising the Lord renews my spiritual strength and puts my mental attitude in order. I prayerfully ask for Him to prioritize my responsibilities for the day. Starting every day with praising the Lord will make even the worst day end on a better note. Choose praise over pain.
Keep Moving
The best thing to keep joints from freezing up is to keep moving. Even if it hurts. Get up and keep moving. Little spurts of movement is better than not moving at all. However, NOT moving will do nothing but weaken you further. Discouragement creeps in and then depression. What you don’t use, you will lose! While you don’t need to run a marathon, you do need to remain active. Get up and stretch. Exercise gently. Walk the dog. Park further out. Climb the stairs. Stretch frequently. Whatever you do, just keep moving!
Apply Ice
Applying ice is the last thing that I really want to hear in the middle of winter. However, it does help to reduce inflammation and pain in the middle of an arthritic flare-up. Reducing the inflammation helps reduce the pain. Apply ice packs for 15 to 20 minutes. Alternate with heat to relax the muscles that are strained due to the flare. Applying ice is inexpensive, relieves pain and inflammation, and does not interfere with other medications. Be brave and apply ice!
Decrease Sugar Intake
After indulging a few days in excessive sweets my whole body was seriously aching, especially my joints and knee in particular. I could barely put any weight on my knee to stand or walk. I blamed it on the weather and my medication. While the weather and medication truly are factors, the amount of sugar that I consumed tipped the scale further in the inflammation direction. After hearing it from my daughter, I looked up the possibility of sugar increasing joint pain. Sure enough, sugar did just that! So I set out to decrease as much sugar as I could over the next few days and my joint pain started easing off. A new lesson learned. I cannot completely delete sugar from my diet but I can surely decrease a hefty portion of sugar daily.
Increase Water Consumption
Increasing water consumption isn’t something that I gravitate to in winter. I usually opt for a hot drink instead of a glass of water. Nonetheless, water is essential for stabilizing blood sugar levels. It can flush out sugar and toxins that cause inflammation thereby reducing joint pain. With zero calories it is a smart choice. Staying hydrated by drinking water brings a host of other health benefits also. If you find yourself with achy joints and arthritic pain then by all means grab a bottle of water and drink it up!
Take Supplements
There is a whole slew of medications that decrease bone strength and affect body joints. Here is a link to read over some of the most common medications that cause loss of bone and joint strength: https://osteoporosis.ca/about-the-disease/what-is-osteoporosis/secondary-osteoporosis/medications-that-can-cause-bone-loss-falls-andor-fractures/. In order to offset some of the effects of these daily medications, it is important to take supplements daily to strengthen bones and joints. Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate have been known to slow joint degeneration and lessen joint pain and stiffness. Turmeric Curcumin, a known anti-inflammatory is another good supplement to take to lessen Arthritic joint pain. These are just two supplements that can bring relief to achy bones and joints.
Add Omega 3 Fatty Acids To Your Diet
Omega 3 Fatty Acids can be found in many foods like Chia seeds, fish, avocados, walnuts, flax seeds, and brussels sprouts. Increasing your food intake of Omega 3 rich foods is the best way to go! While supplements in pill form are helpful, your body absorbs the nutritional benefits quicker when received from a food source. Adding these Omega 3 Fatty Acids to your diet will help your joints receive the lubrication they need.
Choose Your Pain Relief Wisely
Don’t run to pain relievers as the only solution to reduce bone and joint pain. Choose your pain relief wisely! NSAIDs like 800 mg of Ibuprofen will definitely take the edge off but might bring along stomach discomfort in the process. Acetaminophen is not quite as effective but does not distress your stomach. Either can interact with other daily medications.
Opting for topical pain relievers might be a wiser choice. Voltaren, Tiger Balm, Bengay, and Aspercream are some over the counter options. Click here to read more about them from Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/arthritis/creams. Essential oils like Peppermint, Camphor, Wintergreen, and Hemp Oil are also great topical choices. Edens Garden has affordable therapeutic grade essential oils and articles on reducing inflammation that you can read by clicking here: https://www.edensgarden.com/pages/search-results-page?q=arthritis+and+joint+pain. All-natural essential oils are a wise choice to bring pain relief.
Epsom Salt Soak
Epsom salt contains low levels of Magnesium which has been found to reduce inflammation in the body. Bone and joint pain are greatly reduced after soaking in a warm Epsom salt bath. The warmth of the water aids relief by reducing muscle aches as well. A shower just doesn’t give the same benefits as a warm Epsom salt full-body soak. I am more of a shower person, but with all the benefits of a good old fashioned soak in a tub of hot water with Epsom salts, I am sold!
The Windup
The wind up on the topic is this. These 9 home remedies relieve winter arthritis suffering. You may have to utilize more than one of these on the really rough days to get relief. (Be sure to read the labels to avoid any interactions first.) However you find relief, make the effort. Life is worth living! It is worth getting up every day, aches, pains and all! Find someone to bless today or something you enjoy doing to take your mind off your aches. Blessing someone else helps you to get up and move around and will be a blessing to you as well. Share these 9 ways to relieve winter arthritis suffering with a friend who may be experiencing the same problem. I know they will thank you! Be blessed friends!