8 Tips & Remedies for Arthritis Pain Relief At Home

Are you experiencing tenderness or pain around your joints? Joint pain is one of the main symptoms of arthritis, along with inflammation, stiffness and swelling in the affected area¹.

With 1 in 4 adults in the United States diagnosed with arthritis², pain relief can be a helpful way to ease these symptoms at home so you can carry on with everyday life.

Not sure where to start? There are a range of home remedies for arthritis that may help relieve joint pain and make your other daily symptoms more manageable. Just make sure you discuss any treatment with a doctor first, to check if they’re right for you.

Here are some of our top arthritis pain relief tips, including exercises, medications and natural remedies you can try in order to help manage your arthritis.

1. Manage Arthritis With Low - Impact Exercises

While achy joints may put you off exercising, they could actually benefit from some light movement. In fact, exercise can be a great way to reduce pain and stiffness caused by arthritis³. Some of the most effective examples of low-impact exercise for arthritis include⁴:

• Walking – a daily walk can get the blood pumping, improve your mobility and enhance your cardiovascular health.

• Cycling – ride your bike through the great outdoors to get your joints moving. Try to stick to a moderately intense pace where you can still hold a conversation.

• Swimming – this can be easier on your joints than walking, especially if you have knee arthritis. But it still offers a full-body workout that increases your range of motion.

• Weight training – strengthen your muscles with simple weighted exercises two or three times a week.

• Stretching – simple exercises for those with hand arthritis involve stretching and flexing hands and wrists to help prevent muscles from weakening. Consider leveling up with a hand arthritis exercise ball, which can help aid grip strength and fine motor skills.

Consistent exercise can also help you manage your weight, which can have a huge impact on your arthritis as it relieves excess stress on your joints.

Speak to a doctor about how or if you can integrate exercise into your routine safely to support your treatment.

2. Destress With Yoga and Mindfulness

• Reduce arthritis pain

• Build strength and balance

• Encourage joint flexibility

• Increase physical activity

• Release stress and tension

• Improve sleep

Yoga, in particular, may be a great home remedy for arthritis as it may help⁵:

You can tailor the type of yoga you practice to suit your needs. You should also consider modifying certain moves or poses to accommodate any pain points, using blocks, straps and chairs where required⁶.

3. Make Healthy Changes to Your Diet

Your diet can also have an impact on your arthritis⁷. Certain foods may trigger inflammation and increase your joint pain. Some common types include⁷:

• Dairy

• Meat

• Eggs

• Citrus fruits

• Nuts

• Wheat

• Caffeine

• Alcohol

Cutting down on these foods or removing them from your diet may help improve your pain. Here are some other ways a healthy diet may offer arthritis relief:

• Vitamin D – adding more vitamin D into your diet can help support bone health and may play a role in reducing inflammation. One of the best food sources of vitamin D is fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna and mackerel⁸.

• Anti-inflammatory foods – try an anti-inflammatory diet by cutting out processed foods and switching to whole foods⁹.

• Switching to a plant-based diet – plant-based diets are often low in fat and high in fiber, which may help with weight management and lowering inflammation¹⁰.

4. Try Acupuncture to Treat Arthritis Pain

Acupuncture is a natural remedy for arthritis¹¹. This ancient Chinese practice uses fine needles, which are inserted at certain trigger points on the body, to restore the flow of energy – known as qi¹¹ (pronounced “chee”). But how can acupuncture potentially provide relief from arthritis pain?

A well-placed needle may stimulate the activity of pain relieving chemicals in the body. A release of hormones such as endorphins may help reduce the sensation of pain, while an increase in cortisol may help control inflammation¹¹.

If you’re interested in trying acupuncture as a natural pain relief for arthritis, you should book a consultation with a licensed and experienced practitioner. Your doctor may also be able to recommend one.

5. Work Massage Therapy Into Your Routine

Learning how to relax your muscles also has its benefits. Massage therapy is a popular form of pain management, with 25% of Americans using massage for pain relief in 2020¹². So, how can this help with arthritis?

Incorporating regular massages into your monthly routine may act as a natural arthritis relief that can¹³:

• Reduce stress

• Ease pain around the joints

• Increase blood flow

• Bring warmth to the surrounding muscles

Before you book a session, you should ask your doctor for further recommendations on how to treat arthritis pain with massage therapy. You can then ensure you choose a style that supports your treatment plan.

6. Find Short-Term Relief With Hot and Cold Therapy

You might have moments where your joints are more painful than usual. If that happens, you could get some short-term pain relief using hot or cold therapy³.

Hot Therapy

You can ease arthritis pain and loosen your joints by applying moist or dry heat to the problem areas. As the joint warms up, your blood vessels get bigger, which means better blood and oxygen circulation¹⁴.

Here are some popular heat therapy methods you can try:

• Soaking in a warm bath

• Taking a steamy shower

• Applying a heated pad or compress to the joint

• Sitting in a sauna

Cold Therapy

Cold therapy may also help reduce arthritis pain and swelling. Unlike it’s heated counterpart, cold therapy reduces your blood flow to minimize inflammation¹⁵.

Here are some simple items you may have at home for cold therapy on your joints:

• Ice or frozen gel pack

• A bag of frozen vegetables

• A damp towel you can freeze

7. Avoid Smoking to Reduce Stress and Pain

One of our top tips for arthritis pain is to quit or avoid smoking. Smoking doesn’t just increase your risk of lung disease and cancer, but it can also cause more damage to your joints and weaken your connective tissue¹⁶.

In fact, smoking is considered a risk factor of rheumatoid arthritis, as this type of arthritis is commonly linked to your environment¹⁷.

A study has also shown that smokers with osteoarthritis have significantly more cartilage loss than non-smokers, possibly due to the toxins and high carbon monoxide levels could limit cartilage repair¹⁶. So, it’s recommended you quit smoking to reduce stress and pain.

8. Use MOTRIN® to Relieve Arthritis Pain

Most treatment plans can also be supported with over the counter arthritis pain relief. Speak to your doctor about which medications you should use, as there are several types available.

If you’re looking for pain relief, a topical arthritis pain relief cream or gel such as MOTRIN® Arthritis Pain Gel can help. MOTRIN® Arthritis Pain is a fragrance-free topical gel made with 1% diclofenac sodium, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), for the temporary relief of arthritis pain. Just apply the topical pain reliever gel into the skin of your elbow, wrist, hand, knee, ankle, or foot. Apply the gel 4 times a day for best results and do not use on more than 2 body areas at once.

You may also want to try MOTRIN® IB Ibuprofen Caplets, which can help temporarily relieve minor aches and pains caused by arthritis and other conditions. Adults and children 12 years and older should take one caplet every four to six hours while symptoms persist.

Speak to your doctor or pharmacist before taking other pain medication when using MOTRIN® Arthritis Pain Gel. Use products only as directed.