5 Tips for Arthritis Pain Relief

5 Tips for Arthritis Pain Relief
John Mancini

For millions of people through out the world arthritis pain is
something that they live with everyday. Most of them are on some
type of prescription drug regimen to control the pain. However,
drugs alone are often times not enough to keep the arthritis
pain at bay. Therefore, there are a growing number of people
that are seeking alternative arthritis pain relief. If you have
considered some non-traditional treatment methods, but are
unsure of how they work, the following tips will help to answer
your questions.

1- There are multiple pain medications available for people who
suffer from arthritis pain. They consist of over the counter
remedies such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen to the stronger
prescription drugs such as Vioxx and Celebrex. The problem with
the stronger drugs is that they often come with undesirable or
even dangerous side effects. While the over the counter
alternatives are safer, they often need to have other remedies
used as well to achieve arthritis pain relief.

2- Exercise is a great option at your disposal when looking for
natural alternatives for your arthritis pain relief. Walking is
especially good; it is easy to do and does not put too much
unneeded pressure on the joints. Other forms of exercises that
are especially good for arthritis sufferers are balancing types
of movements, such as Tia Chi and water walking. While these
activities can help build muscle strength, they may cause some
discomfort in the joints. If this happens, stop the exercise, if
the pain persists more than a couple of days speak with your
physician.

3- Losing weight is another great way to find some relief from
your arthritis pain. This is because it has been found that just
ten extra pounds adds thirty pounds of stress to the knees.
Therefore, losing extra weight will be very effective for
arthritis pain relief.

4- Researching and using any product that will make your daily
life easier, will also indirectly help ease the pain associated
with arthritis. For example, using a shower seat will allow you
to shower without much of the pain that can result from extended
period of time standing.

5- Visit your physician when you first feel that you are having
arthritis pain. Together, the both of you will be able to devise
a treatment regimen that is right for you and for your
particular situation. Be sure to keep in contact with your
doctor, this is the only way to ensure that your treatment
methods will change as the pain becomes stronger.

About the author:
John Mancini has been writing about Rheumatoid Arthritis online
and offline for a long time. Visit http://arthritis-expert.net
or
http://arthritis-central.com to read more about matters like
osteoarthritis and arthritis treatment.

How Do I Relieve Knee Swelling

It doesn’t matter if you recently suffered a knee injury or if you have had a problem knee for a long time; swelling in and around the knee causes a fair amount of pain and discomfort. Chances are that every time it flares up you are asking yourself “how do I relieve knee swelling”. That may seem like a tricky question on the surface, but the truth is that there are effective remedies that can help.

Though it may sound rather obvious, the quickest way to get some relief is to take your weight off your knee. Extra pressure and strain isn’t going to do anything but make the problem worse. Resting your leg doesn’t always cure the swelling, but it doesn’t hurt either. So go ahead and sit or lie down and relax and take a load off your knees. The longer you can stay off your knee the better; a full day would be ideal.

Now that you are resting your knee, you should elevate your legs. Use pillows, the arm of a comfy couch, or even a stack of books to get your legs as high as you comfortably can. This draws blood away from the inflamed area and helps to reduce swelling.

Put an ice pack (or bag of frozen vegetables) on the knee right after swelling begins. Do 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off for 1 to 2 hours. You need to take the ice off for a while to prevent frostbite. The cold will help to reduce swelling and will also numb the area so it’s more comfortable. However, do not apply heat. You may think heat would feel good, but heat is a big no-no because it potentially leads to even worse problems; therefore it’s best to only apply cold to your swollen knee.

Anti-inflammatory medications can help to bring the swelling down. Aspirin and ibuprofen, as well as other products, can be purchased at the store. You can also check with your doctor to see if they are able to prescribe a good medication to reduce the inflammation.

Once you are back on your feet, you should do what you can to support your knee and keep some of your weight off of it. Winding a stretchy fabric bandage around will help. Also, using crutches or a cane, if the swelling and pain are moderate to severe, will put less strain on your knee.

There is a centuries-old answer to the question of how do I relieve knee swelling, and that is Epsom salts. Applying a wet towel that has been soaked in Epsom salts or taking a bath in them can help because they contain a fair amount of magnesium; thereby reducing swelling. Another benefit is that the salts can help to soothe your stress as well.

Regardless of which methods you use, it is very important that you see your doctor if the swelling doesn’t go away, or if it’s a recurring problem. Either way, there are things you can do to relieve knee swelling.

The Effective means of Treating Kidney Stones

Doctors say that are generally not harmful. It only becomes harmful and even life threatening when a person suffering from it feels discomforting pain and presence of blood in their urine. Many experts say that the problem why people who are suffering from kidney stones is that they always tend to be complacent in keeping up with a healthy diet and regular exercise. Theydeliberately or not deliberatelywithout realizing that they will suffer and spend more money once the condition gets worse over time.

Today, the most common types of kidney stones among people are the calcium oxalate stones and uric acid stone, which are caused by too much calcium and sodium intake. These types of stones are not really that harmful unless they increase in size fast and block the uteterthe tube that is connected to the bladder and will cause urination problems.

To avoid further complications, it is but natural for people to seek for treatments to spare them from too much pain and expenses. Today, there are so many types of treatments and medications available for people with kidney stones. These forms of treatments vary depending on the severity of the condition. Experts say that people who have mild kidney stones can sort to medication, which are usually prescribed for certain types.

Medication is considered, as the initial form of treatment especially for symptomatic kidney stones which is common among patients. This is used by people who show early signs of kidney stones such as pain with varying degrees. The most common medication includes the Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs ot NSAIDs like ibuprofen, naproxen, nifedipine, and tamsulosin, which are effective in speeding up the passage of ureteral stones along the uterer. These come in different brands, come in pill form and can be brought over the counter.

For extreme pains, medication can be through the vein to ensure that it will take effect faster. This process of medication is also ideal for people who have low tolerance in taking oral pills. If NSAIDs cannot be administered directly, fluids can also be given to the patient suffering from the pain of kidney stones through the mouth to ensure that there will be enough supply of fluid for the urine.

Other treatments options

Although medication can be administered at home, there will be times that the patient need to be brought to the hospitalized especially if the pain does not subside immediately. Once hospitalized, the patient will be asked to strain urine in order to cover the stone and collected for laboratory analysis. Here, the type of stone will be determined as well as its size and number through an imaging test. If your kidney stones are smaller than 5 millimeters, you’re safe to take medication.

But if the stone is about 10 millimeters, you will need to undergo a procedure such as: “Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL)” which is the most common option of procedure because it can easily remove stones in the renal pelvis and upper ureter.

The “Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PNL),” that is ideal for complex and extremely large kidney stones because it involves invasive surgical procedure in the process of removal which are small telescopic instruments passing through the person’s skin.

And the “Ureteroscopy” which is used for removing stones that are obstructed in the middle and lower portion of the person’s ureter with the aid of a tiny telescopic instrument passes through the urethra and bladder and into the ureter and kidney to remove the kidney stones.