As we get older, we become more vulnerable to certain conditions as our body goes through a natural decline. One of these conditions is arthritis.
Arthritis is caused by inflammation in our joints, which causes them to be very stiff and painful. Depending on what joint arthritis has affected, it can make things such as walking, bending, and even picking things up very difficult.
Over 54 million people suffer from the condition [1], and the older you get, the more likely you are to develop arthritis. Studies have also shown that women are much more likely to get arthritis than men.
There are a few different types of arthritis. The main two are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. They have mostly the same symptoms of causing pain, but the cause of them is what differs.
Osteoarthritis is caused by smooth cartilage wearing away between the joints and usually occurs in one specific location [2].
Rheumatoid arthritis, however, can be all over the body and is an autoimmune disorder [2]. This means that it is caused by the immune system initiating a response when it shouldn't, or one that is too extreme. The body effectively attacks itself and healthy cells rather than attacking invading pathogens.
Arthritis can be caused by a reduction in cartilage (which happens with age), injury, or even infection. The latter two tend to lead to a quicker degradation in cartilage tissue and so increases your risk of getting arthritis.
Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for arthritis. However, there are some things that you can do to prevent yourself from getting arthritis or, if you already have the condition, to help ease the symptoms.
What are these amazing preventative measures? Well, keep reading to find out about some great natural home remedies for arthritis.
1. Ginger
If you’re a cooking connoisseur, you have probably used ginger a lot in some of your dishes. It brings a lovely bit of flavor and also brings lovely festive connotations to people.
Well, ginger isn’t just for spicing up your food. It can also bring some amazing health benefits. One of these benefits is that ginger can help ease some of the joint pain associated with arthritis.
The reason why it can do this is that ginger has impressive anti-inflammatory properties. This means it can reduce some of the inflammation experienced with arthritis, which will, in turn, help to ease some of the stress and pain around the joints.
Furthermore, being anti-inflammatory will help prevent the inflammation from occurring in the first place, which is thought to be an excellent preventative measure of arthritis.
One scientific review looked at how ginger helped to prevent bone degradation and discussed how this ability, alongside it being able to ease inflammation and pain, is bringing a lot of promise that the amazing spice might be able to be made into a treatment for arthritis at some point in the future [3].
BeHerbal has a supplementthat contains this great spice ginger so that you can get your daily dosage to ease your arthritis symptoms (or prevent yourself from developing the condition). It's the perfect home remedy for arthritis, and all the ingredients are gluten-free, organic, and vegan!
2. Aloe Vera
You have probably used aloe vera at some point in your life. It is a fantastic herb that can be used for so many different things. It is found in many different medicinal and dermatological products, and there's a very good reason for this.
Like ginger, aloe vera is anti-inflammatory and can prevent and ease arthritis symptoms by reducing inflammation in joints.
The great thing with aloe vera is there are a lot of different ways you can take it. You can take it as a medication orally, or you can apply it directly to your skin in the form of a gel. It’s such an easy home remedy for arthritis!
However, you must check with your doctor before choosing to take anything orally, especially as some aloe vera pills have been found to interact with and disrupt diabetes medication.
3. Eucalyptus
Another one of the great natural home remedies for arthritis is eucalyptus. It’s a plant that has been shown to bring significant positive effects to people who have arthritis.
Tannin is a biomolecule found in eucalyptus which has been shown to calm swelling and ease joint pain.
Here is a great way to make your natural home remedy for arthritis using eucalyptus:
- Take some eucalyptus essential oil.
- Dilute with some vegetable oil
- The mixture should be 15 drops of eucalyptus with 2 drops of vegetable oil.
- Put this in an oil diffuser.
Aromatherapy (using the recipe above) is an excellent way of easing symptoms relating to rheumatoid arthritis. It is such a calming thing to do, pop your diffuser in your bedroom and relax under the healing oil vapor. It’ll provide joint pain relief and a little bit of mental clarity at the same time!
4. Boswellia
Boswellia is a type of tree that has been used in many medicinal products. You might be more familiar with the alternative name for Boswellia, which is frankincense.
The anti-inflammatory properties have been thought to make frankincense a great natural arthritis remedy, as it can help reduce inflammation and pain in people suffering from arthritis.
Furthermore, there have been a lot of human trials looking into how frankincense can help the condition. One test involved 30 patients with osteoarthritis [4].
They were all either given frankincense tablets or placebos [4]. Results were taken after 8 weeks, and it was found that the group who had the frankincense pills showed improved walking ability and less pain [4].
A trial was also done to see how frankincense compared to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDS) [4]. Both showed improved symptoms; however, the NSAID showed the improvements quicker than those who had frankincense tablets [4]. However, what was noticed was that a little while after the treatment had ended, those who took the frankincense showed better improvements than the NSAID group [4]. This suggests that frankincense is a better long-term treatment option for arthritis [4].
These trials and other studies show what amazing effect frankincense can have on people who have arthritis, so it is such a great natural remedy for arthritis.
To take frankincense, you can use essential oil (diluted, of course) and put it in an aromatherapy diffuser like suggested for eucalyptus. Alternatively, you can get frankincense supplements, which work just like vitamins, or you can apply the oil directly to the area in pain.
5. Thunder God Vine
You may not have heard of this herb before, but the thunder god vine has been used in Chinese medicine throughout history.
Its traditional use helps control immune responses to prevent an immune over-reaction (such as excessive inflammation). This thunder god vine's ability makes it a beneficial natural remedy for rheumatoid arthritis, as it's a condition caused by autoimmunity.
The fact the thunder god vine can prevent excessive immune responses means that it can prevent rheumatoid arthritis.
While it shows great promise, there is more concern over thunder god vine than any other herb mentioned in this article. This is because thunder god vine has been found to bring some side effects, and if you take extracts from the wrong part of the plant, it can be toxic and potentially deadly.
If you consider trying thunder god vine, you must talk to a doctor first and make sure the herbs are from a safe source and prepared properly.
6. Cat’s Claw
The cat’s claw (another rather funny-named herb) is a woody vine that can help provide joint pain relief for those who have arthritis, reducing inflammation.
Cat's claw has also been known to boost the immune system, and so is thought to be an excellent natural remedy for rheumatoid arthritis.
One study analyzing the effects of this herb looked at 40 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Some were given cat’s claw and others a placebo [5]. The results found that those who were given cat’s claw had a 50% reduction in swelling and pain after the 52 weeks of the study [5]. This shows how effective cat's claw can be as a home remedy for arthritis.
The reason why the herb works so well is that it suppresses a protein called tumor necrosis factor. This is a pro-inflammatory cytokine, which means it promotes inflammation. So that is why the cat's claw's ability to suppress this protein is so good because it prevents there from being too much inflammation.
7. Green Tea
Green tea is a very popular choice of hot beverage. It not only tastes delicious but also brings some amazing health benefits.
One of the main reasons why so many people love green tea is that it is a great drink to detox the body. This is due to its antioxidant properties. It's this property that is what makes green tea so good for people with arthritis, as antioxidants help to tackle inflammation.
It's the ideal home remedy for arthritis because all you need to do to get your 'dosage' is drink some nice hot tea. However, you mustn't add any sugar or sweeteners to the drink as this can make the drink more harmful than beneficial.
Alternatively, you can get green tea powder, which can be used with food and smoothies, or you can take green tea supplements. These latter two options are considered the best because they contain more pure green tea, so they are more likely to bring about the desired positive impacts on arthritis.
8. Willow Bark
Willow bark has been used throughout history in medicine, and it is an excellent natural remedy for arthritis as it helps to provide joint pain relief. It does this by reducing inflammation between the joints using the herb's anti-inflammatory properties.
You can purchase willow bark products easily online, and you can take it in the form of a tea or as a supplement. However, you must check with your doctor before taking anything with willow bark in. This is because there have been some studies that have shown willow bark to interact with blood thinners. It is also important that you don't use willow bark if you have an allergy to aspirin.
9. Turmeric
Turmeric comes from a plant and contains very beneficial bioactive compounds called curcumin.
Like most of the herbs mentioned in this article, turmeric and curcumin are good for arthritis because of their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This means they can reduce swelling and provide joint pain relief.
It's been concluded that the herb is safe to be used by adults, such as in the form of supplements, tea, or as a powder to add to food for flavor, but that high dosage shouldn't be used.
BeHerbaldoes a great supplement that will allow you to get the perfect turmeric dosage to lower your risk of getting arthritis or ease some of the symptoms if you already have the condition. It's an entirely natural remedy for arthritis, with all the ingredients being organic. They come in the form of capsules and are entirely gluten-free and vegan!
References:
[1] Arthritis foundation (N/A) Arthritis Science. [Online] Available from: https://www.arthritis.org/science [Accessed: 10/11/2020]
[2] Michigan Medicine (N/A) Difference Between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis[Online] Available from: https://www.uofmhealth.org/conditions-treatments/cmc/difference-between-osteoarthritis-and-rheumatoid-arthritis [Accessed: 10/11/2020]
[3] Al-Nahain A, Jahan R, and Rahmatullah M (2014) Zingiber officinale: A Potential Plant Against Rheumatoid Arthritis. Hindawi.Available from: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/arthritis/2014/159089/ [Accessed: 12/11/2020]
[4] Versus Arthritis (N/A) Indian Frankincense: What is it? [Online] Available from: https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/complementary-and-alternative-treatments/types-of-complementary-treatments/indian-frankincense/ [Accessed: 10/11/2020]
[5] Mur E, Hartig F, Eibl G, and Schirmer M (2002) Randomized, a double-blind trial of an extract from the pentacyclic alkaloid - chemotype of Uncaria tomentosa the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Rheumatology, 29(4). Pages, 678-681. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11950006/ [Accessed: 10/11/2020]
