How to Overcome Joint Pain

There can be many causes of joint pain, from rheumatoid arthritis pain to tennis elbow to housemaid's knee. Joint pain can occur anyplace in the body. Liver problems, food allergies and nutritional deficiencies can be joint pain causes.

Sports injuries cause joint pain. Sometimes dehydration can cause athletes to develop calcium crystals in the joints, which is very painful.

Lyme disease is another cause of joint pain that causes inflammation, swelling and aching pain. Psoriasis can also cause joint pain.

A lot of joint pain is caused by injury, arthritis or wear and tear on your joints. Overuse of the joints can cause inflammation of the ligaments, tendons, muscles and the tiny bursae that lubricate the joints.

Whatever the cause, when you hurt you want joint pain relief. Learn how to improve your joint health and help joint pain with these helpful tips.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ibuprofen
• Hot water bottle or moist heating pad
• medicated balm or salve

1. Rest the joint. Try not to use the joint for a time and let it rest. For example, if you have tennis elbow, lay off the racket sports until your elbow joint pain is better. Avoid using your elbow for other vigorous activities such as using tools or shaking hands. If you suffer from knee joint pain or hip pain, avoid your daily walk or jog. Try to rest that sore joint.

2. One of the best joint pain treatments available is ibuprofen. It is a very effective anti-inflammatory to help joint pain. You will need a prescription to get the amount of ibuprofen you need to get joint pain relief though. The over-the-counter ibuprofen has 200 milligrams per tablet. For joint pain treatment, prescription ibuprofen contains 800 milligrams and is taken three times a day. For this strength, you need a prescription from your doctor.

3. Apply heat to your sore joint. Moist heat is particularly good. This is a good time to use the hot water bottle. Some heating pads also have a special pad for moist heat. This can be more effective for joint pain relief than dry heat.

4. Massage the area. You can use a salve or a medicated balm if desired. Massage relaxes the muscles and increases blood flow to the area, which aids in healing.

Tips & Warnings

• Take strong doses of ibuprofen with food, not on an empty stomach.
• To avoid calcium crystallization building up in the joints, athletes should drink plenty of water before exercise.
• Do not immobilize a painful joint, as it can result in a frozen joint. Continue to move the joint, but avoid stressing the joint.
• See your doctor if your joint pain causes you to have difficulty walking or you experience pain when going up and down stairs.
• See your doctor if you are experiencing pain and swelling in more than one joint.
• See your doctor if your joint pain lasts longer than one week.
• See your doctor if these joint pain remedies do not provide relief.
• If your joint has sustained a hard blow, please see your doctor.

[nancyzee]

on 10/3/2009 Good tips on how to overcome joint pain. 5*