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What has helped arthritis pain

(25 Posts)
Magsymoo Sat 08-May-21 12:18:08

I'm getting increasingly concerned about pain from arthritis, my lower back in particular but also toes, thumbs, wrists etc. I have had private physio and do regular Pilates, stretching etc. I want to avoid pain killers and wondering if anyone else has found things to do or avoid which help. I stopped eating gluten but that made no difference, I take Omega 3 and vit D.

Bluebellwould Sat 08-May-21 12:22:54

Do you have access to Facebook? If so, there is group called turmeric users group. They advocate an edible paste of turmeric, oils and pepper. There are plenty of testimonials of success stories, have a look. Good luck.

biglouis Sat 08-May-21 12:23:45

I have arthritic pain in one of my knees and I find that gentle exercise helps. If you dont want to take pain killers you could try hot or cold compresses. You could also try adding tumeric to your diet. It will take some time (say 1-2 months) to begin to take effect so be patient.

I have found in the past that cortisone injections 2/3 times a year gave me considerable relief but of course I have not had any of those because of covid. Once Ive had my second jab (due any time) I am thinking of going to the hospital to see if I can get one. The effect usually lasts 4-6 months for me.

tanith Sat 08-May-21 13:35:26

I have had Arthritis for 20+ yrs, like you spine, hands,toes, both hips (now replaced) and knees. I took Naproxen for years it was the only thing that gave me relief although I tried all sorts of remedies many do get relief but nothing helped me. I decided to stop a year ago successfully and surprisingly although my joints although now nobbly they are not so painful. I walk a lot and keep active that’s all I can recommend to help.

Allamanda Sat 08-May-21 18:09:16

Hello, my suggestion is to keep a food diary and to follow an anti inflammatory diet. There could be possible factors relating to food allergy, incomplete digestion, (Digestive enzymes may help) . There are a number of supplements I personally would try. I know changing what you eat can be difficult however having studied Naturopathy I believe this will help. I have made changes to my husbands diet and he greatly thanks me. Best wishes x

beautybumble Sat 08-May-21 19:21:05

I swear by turmeric, not only for pain relief but it has many other benefits as well. If you take any meds at all its best to check with your doctor first, but it certainly works for me, so if you can, why not try it? A lady I know told me ages ago about all her pain in joints and I suggested turmeric. She keeps thanking me even now because it helped her a lot. I hope you do find some relief.

Magsymoo Sun 09-May-21 12:26:04

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will try turmeric. I wonder if anyone has cut a food out of their diet and that has made a difference. I'm toying with now cutting out dairy.

merlotgran Sun 09-May-21 12:30:23

Another fan of turmeric here. I take it in capsules with black pepper and ginger.

muse Sun 09-May-21 12:57:17

biglouis I'm almost sure you'd get the injection. I have one in both hands and last September the hospital (consultant) contacted me to say I could have another. I went but just had my left hand done as that was the worst. For the right hand I needed to go into the theatre as she needed to have the xray image up but at the time that couldn't be arranged. She did warn me that the cortisone does lower the immune system. I had no plans to get into contact others so took the risk.

I've just started taking turmeric. Fingers crossed for it helping. I hate taking painkillers and can't take anti inflammatory medication.

Sunnysideup Mon 10-May-21 09:02:35

I too have a lot of painful arthritis, thumb, neck, back, toes, etc and wish I could take turmeric but it upsets my stomach too much.

emilybrown Thu 20-May-21 04:43:15

My mother also suffers from arthritis and there is no way to completely cure the disorder. The only thing that we can do is to take steps that will help with fight the issue of pain and helps lower the severity of pain in people. We are taking both medical help and measures that we can follow at home. The measures at home that we follow are-
using hot and cold therapy
at times we do acupuncture
we ensure that she gets some form of body movement everyday, such as walking
follow a healthy diet
and finally take medication. My doctor has advised the use of Soma, but it is best that you talk to your physician for treatment that suits your condition the best.
hometownpharmacyonline.com/

Whiff Thu 20-May-21 05:48:17

My old English teacher had crippling arthritis . She found when she ate cheese it made it worse. So she cut cheese , cream and real ice cream out of her diet and she didn't suffer so much pain. It was something to do with the build up of lactic acid in her joints. Which caused the pain and deformity of her hands. Don't know if that helps anyone or makes sense.

Baggs Thu 20-May-21 06:14:16

Keeping active is good because it stops you from stiffening up too much but over forty+ years I have found that the only thing that lessens the pain of arthritis is painkillers.

Baggs Thu 20-May-21 06:16:04

I think people worry too much about painkiller addiction. The risk is small if you take care.

Aldom Thu 20-May-21 06:23:30

I don't think it's addiction to pain killers that concerns arthritis sufferers; in my case it's the side effects. My stomach cannot tolerate them.

Baggs Thu 20-May-21 06:26:08

Ah. Those I take don’t cause stomach problems, aldom.

Risk of addiction is often cited as why people want to avoid effective painkillers.

Spice101 Thu 20-May-21 06:36:30

I find the Turmeric paste good. I make it up myself and keep it in the fridge. Taste is OK but I don't much like the texture but I do swallow a spoonful and get it over with. The results particularly in my hands are worth it.

I also find hydrotherapy works. I attend a warm water pool which is heated to about 34-35C.

Aldom Thu 20-May-21 06:56:54

Baggs I would be grateful to know what drugs you are taking for Arthritis as they don't cause problems with your stomach.

Baggs Thu 20-May-21 08:17:06

I’ve sent you a message, Aldom

LullyDully Thu 20-May-21 08:36:27

You could try curcumin,it is a component of turmeric. I have found it has helped, I buy it in Holland and Barrett.

Before I had my hip done those pain killers made me sleep in the afternoon .

toscalily Thu 20-May-21 10:45:58

I have arthritis, have done for years, quite badly in both knees, right hand and my back/hip which is due to degeneration of the spine. I have had various treatments over the years including acupuncture & Physio, my last appointment with the Physio just before first Lockdown and one telephone follow up since. Pre-covid I managed a lot better by doing Yoga & Pilates 2/3 times a week with a swim afterwards sometimes. Definitely think keeping active helps, I have lost my momentum to be honest, online courses have become boring and I miss the company of other class members. I have tried to stay away from painkillers in general as they make me feel spaced out and or upset my stomach, also cannot take Tumeric as that upsets me too. I would also be interested to know what you take Baggs if they don't upset your stomach if you would not mind letting me know.

winterwhite Thu 20-May-21 11:16:01

I too take turmeric - just capsules, no pastes or black pepper. Also glucosamine tho we don't hear so much of that these days.

Before I had my knee replacement the only thing that worked during flare-ups was Naproxen. I wish more work could be done on testing good stomach/kidney protection so it can be allowed again. Meanwhile, Baggs, I do would much like to know what you take if you're willing to tell us.

cornishpatsy Thu 20-May-21 11:20:45

According to arthritis health.com Turmeric should not be used if you are taking blood thinners, diabetes meds or antacids.

It is also better to take supplements as the active component curcumin is only 3-5% of turmeric meaning an awful lot of turmeric to get an active dose.

FionaGerald89 Sun 30-May-21 23:41:00

Ive had arthritis since 8 years and Ive also always hated the drugstore painkillers. I have found a few natural painkillers that work a little. Theyre definitely not as strong as panadol, but at least theyre not harmful to take every now and then. I get this supplement called arthrol made by Vitality Nutritionals. My local shop ran out of these so I found that www.vitaminexpress.org/uk/ also delivers them to a lot of countries. I havent tried the website yet, but Arthrol has definitely been a lifesaver.

travelsafar Tue 01-Jun-21 10:46:29

Baggs i would like to know too what it is you use. I am waiting for hip replacement but dont think it will be a while due to backlog of cases, starting physio on Friday so hoping that may help. I try to keep active but it is so hard and so very painful to walk and bending in the garden to do anything a nightmare. I also have it in both hands and this curbs my knitting which i love to do in the evenings.