Joint pain is not something to scoff at, especially if you or a loved one is suffering from it. Pain in the joints can make even the simplest tasks difficult and nearly impossible to complete. Joint pain interferes with a normal life and turns it on its head. Knowing what causes joint pain, the symptoms associated with it and what treatment options are available can help you navigate through the problem and live a life with less discomfort.
Common Causes and Symptoms of Joint Pain
The cause of joint pain ranges from something rather innocent, such as over exertion, to more serious ailments, such as chronic illnesses. Symptoms of joint paint include redness, swelling, tenderness or warmth at the joint location. Locking of the joint, limping, stiffness, weakness and decrease in range of motion of the joint are also signs of joint problems. Joint pain most commonly occurs in the knee, shoulder, elbow, hip, hands and fingers.
Inflammation and joint pain often go hand and hand. This is because some health problems that lead to joint pain also cause inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis, for example, is an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack normal tissue in the joints. This leads to the joint lining becoming inflamed, which in turn results in pain, warmth, swelling, redness and stiffness in the joints.
Treating Joint Pain
There are several different types of joint pain treatments available, and they vary depending on what is causing the pain and how you and your doctor decide to handle the situation. Prescription pain medication and over-the-counter topical cream are two of the most common treatments for individuals coping with chronic joint pain. Unfortunately, these two options are not always the best course of action for every patient. Thankfully, there are several alternative options for joint pain relief that include various natural and herbal treatments.
Natural Joint Pain Remedies
Individuals looking for a more natural treatment for joint pain often turn to organic or all-natural topical relief. Hemp topical products, which are available OTC at brick and mortar stores as well as from online merchants, is one such natural option for patients suffering with chronic joint pain in the knee, elbow, shoulder, hip, hands, fingers or elsewhere.
Another thing to consider is the inflammation that can occur with joint pain. After all, finding relief for the inflammation can go a long way in reducing pain. Thanks to the cannabinoids contained in the plant and its roots, hemp acts as an anti-inflammatory, which means it can serve double duty as a pain and inflammation reliever. Unfortunately, too many people have a hard time getting over the stigma that hemp has been dealing with for many years. Despite what you may have heard, hemp doesn’t give you the “high” feeling associated with the federally illegal drug known as marijuana.
What hemp does do is help provide natural pain relief without unnecessary and potentially dangerous ingredients or side effects that can cause more harm than good.
Aside from hemp, there are other natural chronic joint pain relief options as well. Exercise helps to strength your body, which reduces the chance of re-injuring the area. It also helps to get rid of excess weight, which can put stress on already fragile joints.
Applying hot and cold packs is another simple joint pain remedy that may provide some relief. Thermotherapy (heat treatment) is common among athletes who suffer from joint pain.
According to experts, cayenne pepper makes a wonderful topical ointment to help relief joint pain. It works by causing a mild irritation to the area it comes in contact with, which distracts the nerves and helps to reduce joint pain. A simple paste of ½ cup of cocoa butter and 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper works well as a homemade joint pain cream.
Considerations
Before beginning any joint pain relieving treatment, make sure to discuss it with your doctor. Even natural pain relief remedies can cause unpleasant and unintended consequences when taken in conjunction with certain medications and health problems. It is always best to consult with your physician before beginning any type of treatment or regiment to help reduce joint pain.