Your body contains many important parts, all working together to help support whole-body wellness. For instance, the skeletal system includes tendons to help the body move, bones to provide structure and support, and cartilage to hold it all together.
Importantly, cartilage also acts as a shock absorber, protecting bones and joints by reducing friction caused by movement. Unfortunately, it can wear down or stop working properly over time. This could cause joint pain, stiffness, and swelling, otherwise known as arthritis. Those who experience chronic arthritic symptoms may have difficulty moving, sleeping, and engaging in other everyday activities.
Notably, medication for arthritis can certainly help. Even so, many people wish to explore alternative medication for arthritis to avoid the unwanted side effects of some OTC and prescription pain medicines.
Today, we’ll outline some alternative medications for arthritis, including a few herbal remedies and other strategies you can try to relieve arthritis pain fast.
Herbal Remedies and Other Alternative Medications for Arthritis
People have been using herbal medicines for centuries to help relieve pain, stiffness, and swelling in their joints. In fact, plant medicine has been popular since before recorded history, with evidence of Ancient Chinese and Egyptian cultures using it as early as 3,000 B.C. In fact, many of the same plants were used as medicine worldwide despite wildly different cultures, beliefs, and practices.
Well over 700 different plant medicines have been documented throughout time; those listed below are some of the most common.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a great herbal remedy for arthritis pain. The succulent contains polyphenols, which are plant-based compounds thought to reduce inflammation. Aloe may also boost immunity to help minimize the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Notably, aloe works well both orally and topically, and is generally well-tolerated when consumed responsibly.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is another common herbal arthritis pain solution, with its use dating back thousands of years. The leaves of this evergreen tree contain aromatic oils that can minimize pain when inhaled and applied topically. It can also reduce inflammation, blood pressure, and muscle tension, all of which contribute to painful arthritic symptoms. Notably, eucalyptus is a key ingredient in our Comfort Balm Soothing Salve.
Green Tea
Green, white, and black teas are all made from leaves of the same plant, Camellia Sinensis, a.k.a. the Tea plant. The only difference is the length of time the leaves spend oxidizing (browning from oxygen exposure) before packaging. Black teas are fully oxidized, which improves flavor and increases caffeine content. On the other hand, the process also reduces its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential.
Importantly, both green and black teas can reduce arthritis pain and protect against disease progression. Even so, research shows that green tea displays more powerful arthritis relief, likely because it contains more polyphenols.
Ginger
Ginger, when consumed either orally or topically, seems to reduce joint pain and minimize swelling in those who suffer from both RA and OA. Some experts believe that ginger can help reduce arthritis pain by slowing cartilage deterioration and collagen breakdown, which can help minimize swelling and improve joint function. Studies suggest that both raw and heated ginger can help ease joint pain, though heated ginger seems to have more profound effects.
Notably, there are many ways to consume ginger orally. However, capsules tend to produce more powerful results due to their increased potency and more consistent dosing capabilities.
Capsaicin
Capsaicin is the heat-inducing oil found in chili peppers, and works well as an alternative medication for arthritis pain when applied topically. Essentially, the warming substance improves arthritis symptoms by reducing pain transmitters in nerves and minimizing inflammation around joints. What's more, topical capsaicin works immediately, unlike oral arthritis medications that must metabolize first. This is why capsaicin-based topical products like our Pain Away Herbal Lotion work well as a first step to stop joint and muscle pain.
Menthol
Whereas topical capsaicin produces a heating sensation, topical menthol produces a cooling effect. The peppermint extract works well alongside capsaicin to provide arthritis pain relief on contact by dulling sensations in the affected area. While it may not completely address the root issue of restoring cartilage or reducing inflammation, it does indeed enhance joint mobility. This helps make exercise and everyday activities much more accessible to those who experience arthritis and joint pain. You can test the effectiveness of capsaicin and menthol for arthritis pain with our Pain Away Herbal Lotion.
Other Alternative Joint Pain Relief Options
Herbs for arthritis pain are only the beginning. In fact, there are many things you can do aside from painkillers and herbal supplements to help ease joint pain both instantly and over time. For example, acupuncture, which involves inserting fine, sterile needles at key locations throughout the body, can improve arthritis symptoms by increasing endorphins to block pain. Even so, the process may take several weeks before you experience lasting results.
For those who seek more immediate relief, Tai Chi or yoga may be a good solution. Importantly, both of these exercises involve slow, strategic movement of the body. This puts less strain on the joints while simultaneously strengthening them, and helps regulate body weight to reduce skeletal system load, as well.
Massage therapy is another strategy to relieve arthritis pain as long as it’s conducted by a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT). Notably, massages can help stimulate blood flow to the muscles, reduce stiffness in the joints, and improve mobility to help stop flair-ups. Even so, some techniques like deep tissue massages or massaging joints during a flair-up can make arthritis symptoms worse. As such, you should always disclose joint pain with your therapist to avoid exacerbating the problem. A qualified RMT will take this into consideration when developing an appropriate treatment plan for your arthritis symptoms.
Is Your Joint Pain Arthritis?
Arthritis is a chronic condition that causes pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints. Notably, most chronic joint pain is technically arthritis. However, other conditions such as injury, Lyme Disease, or bone cancer can also cause joint pain. A qualified practitioner can help determine if your joint pain is arthritis and offer advice regarding the best ways to reduce joint pain and discomfort.
Notably, there are over 100 different types of arthritis, the most common of which are Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA).
RA is an autoimmune disease in which a faulty immune system attacks healthy joints throughout the body, usually starting with the fingers and toes. RA-related joint pain is characterized by intermittent flair-ups rather than consistent joint pain and discomfort.
Notably, RA is a symmetrical disease, which means it affects both sides of the body equally. For example, an inflamed index finger on one hand means that the index finger on the opposite hand will also be swollen. Other common non-joint pain RA symptoms include blurred vision, shortness of breath, chest pain, and more.
Comparatively, osteoarthritis (OA) patients experience relatively consistent joint pain, usually affecting larger, weight-bearing joints like the hips, knees, and lower back. However, it may also affect smaller joints in the neck, fingers, and toes. It generally starts in isolated joints rather than the whole body after cartilage in the joint has worn thin.
Other common types of arthritis include metabolic arthritis like gout and CPPD, inflammatory arthritis like lupus and psoriatic arthritis, and infectious arthritis like fibromyalgia and chronic back pain.
Things That Can Make Arthritis Symptoms Worse
Importantly, some things can make joint pain worse even when using arthritis medication or other herbal remedies for arthritis pain. For example, abrupt changes in the weather can make muscles and tendons expand and contract, which could worsen symptoms. Lower temperatures or high humidity can also worsen arthritis pain by causing joint fluids to thicken, which makes joints feel stiffer and harder to move.
Other things that can make arthritis symptoms worse include stress, inactivity or overactivity, and pro-inflammatory diets. As such, those who experience arthritis pain should monitor their diets and activity levels, and take steps to reduce stress whenever possible. Copoeia’s Serinity Soothing Gummies may help by minimizing mental stress that could cause poor eating habits and motivation loss.
Final Thoughts: How Copoeia Can Help You Explore Alternative Arthritis Relief Options
Your well-being is Copoeia's top priority and the reason we've developed our line of premium herbal remedies. We've spent years researching, developing, and perfecting our products to bring you the best herbal remedies for pain, sleep, and stress. Now you can buy the best herbal wellness products quickly and affordably, with an optional monthly subscription plan to ensure you always have great Copoeia products.
Try our Pain Away Herbal Lotion for fast pain relief or shop our full line of natural wellness products today. Don't worry! Relief is on its way.
Follow us @CopoeiaWellness to learn more wellness tips, including alternative ways to relieve arthritis pain naturally.