subject: Helpful Hints For Easing Arthritis Pain [print this page] If you are already familiar with the pain of arthritis, then you're aware of how severe it is. You also know how hard it can be to find relief from the pain. While there is no cure for arthritis, there are some simple things you can do at home to bring you some relief from the constant pain.
One of the best sources for pain relief is moist heat. You can buy a hot pack or heating pad, or you can make a homemade heating pad. A homemade pack would mean you first need to dampen a towel with some warm water. Put it in a microwave for between 10-60 seconds, depending on the power of your microwave, or simply put it in the oven for 5-10 minutes at about 300 degrees. To keep from burning yourself you can do a temperature test of your towel on your inner forearm - the same procedure used to test a baby's bottle.
Many people find their arthritis pain is temporarily eased following a long hot bath. Generally referred to as hydrotherapy, this treatment is often used by physical therapists. Hydrotherapy can be performed at home in a bathtub or a hot tub. A hot tub or bathtub with water jets is very similar to the kind of warm water massage techniques that are performed by professionals. If you don't have an oversized whirlpool tub, then a 15-20 minute dip in a warm bath will do the trick. The heat from the bath exposes your body to the warmth of the water and also allows all of the muscles that carry your weight (such as your knees and hips) to relax.
If you don't like taking a bath, then there's another form of hydrotherapy you can do at home in your shower. Using a shower massage can make this form of hydrotherapy very effective. Just experiment with the temperature and pulse settings to find out what works best for you. When you decide on the perfect settings, you want to hold the massager 4-6 inches away from the joint affected with pain.
Using an ice pack on your aching joints is another way of relieving the pain. Rather than using actual ice in a pack try a gel-filled cold pack, which will give the same results and is less frigid. Cold packs are also available in a variety of different sizes and shapes, inexpensive, and perfect for hard to reach places. Keeping a few in the freezer is recommended so that you can have pain relief at your fingertips whenever you need it.
