Music Therapy

Music therapy is already a well-accepted health treatment similar to occupational therapy and physical therapy. Listening to soothing music has shown positive results to those patients suffering with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and disc problems. Music facilitates pain relief, lessens anxiety, reduces stress, and brings good mood and relaxation.

Water Therapy

Water or Hydrotherapy is an excellent way of cure for arthritis symptoms. This is usually done with warm water exercises that can build up strength, relieve joint pain, ease stiffness and relax sore muscles. Water buoyancy significantly lessens the pressure on joints. There are pools and equipments specially designed for therapy to make pool access easier.

Laughter Therapy

Laughter is the best medicine, they say. Yes, it is true. Humor offers a concise break from the troubles of joint pain and arthritis stress. Laugh it out to provide tension relief and pain reduction. Laughter has shown positive effects for healing as it strengthens the immune system and it also increases one’s threshold of pain.

Magnet Therapy

Magnets are used as a form of therapy since the middle ages. Static magnets are placed to a particular area of the body and are believed to realign the body’s electromagnetic field, thus increasing proper blood circulation. Arthritis patients who have tried this have experienced a notable pain relief.

Pet Therapy

Who would have thought that pets could be form of arthritis treatment? Pets or animals’ companionship are seen to have a positive effect to patients of arthritis as they can help relieve pain and reduce stress. They provide admirable social support, they relax your mood, and they encourage you to get out and exercise.

Whichever the cause is, one of the most common treatments to is drug treatment. However, you must bear in mind that if you are experiencing pains due osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, no drugs can actually cure you for good. The drugs only help to reduce the joint pain and improve your mobility. It restricts your functional impairment and it enables you to go on with your routine as normally as possible. But, this does not mean your arthritis is gone forever.

Here are some of the most common drugs used to relieve joint pains:

• NSAIDs (Non Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs) – These are drugs that give fast relief to pain. They are generally considered safe. Some of these are aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and piroxicam.

• COX 2 inhibitors – COX-2 inhibitors are NSAIDs that selectively block the COX-2 enzyme. When COX 2 enzyme is blocked, the production of chemical messengers (called prostaglandins) is prevented. This prevention relieves the pain and the swelling of the arthritis. COX-2 inhibitors are a relatively newer type of anti-inflammatory drugs and they are growing in popularity.

• Steroids – Steroids may be occasionally required as a joint pain relief. This may be given orally in low doses or injected into the painful joint. Steroids are given for rapid pain relief, inflammation, and swelling around the affected areas. They are prescribed by doctors and should be taken only under close supervision. Abuse of these substances may cause more alarming problems in the future.

• Gout Medications – Some joint pains may be caused by a chronic ailment called gout. It is a painful inflammation of the joints in the hands and feet especially in the great toe due to the excess of uric acid in the body. If your joint pain is caused by this condition, gout medications may be used to alleviate the pain. Probenecid, for instance, is a traditional choice when it comes to promoting uric acid excretion. However, this medication is not advised to patients with a kidney problem because it predisposes a him or her to kidney stones. Another medication for gout is Allopurinol. This one works by reducing the production of uric acid.

• Dietary Supplements – Although they do not really fall under the category of medication since they do not have approved therapeutic claims, a lot of people take them to manage certain painful joint conditions. For example, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are taken by osteoarthritis patients. These supplements are said to replenish depleted connective tissues that cushion the bones. Other supplements that work the same way are niacinamide and S-adenosylmethionine. Ginger and turmeric are also known herbs to act as effectively as the supplements mentioned. They are highky recommended for joint pain relief.