I’m 32 years old, and I suffer from arthritis pain. I always thought arthritis was something you get when you’re retired. So, imagine my horror at waking up to crippling pain in my knees one day in my twenties… and that was just the beginning.
It started with pain in my knees when I drive… or when the weather is cold/rainy. Living in England means it’s cold/rainy most of the time. I now understand why so many Brits move to warmer countries like Spain for retirement.
But as of late, the pain has extended from my knees to my hands, neck, and lower back. I’m a writer. So, getting pain in my hands is not what I need.
I reached out to my readers. As they say, two heads are better than one. I thought maybe if I reached a wider net of people with all their connections and experiences, I might get some better advice than google. And oh boy, did they deliver!
Out of nearly 5,000 subscribers, over 300 wrote back to me with their experiences and really helpful advice.
In a bid to help YOU, who might be wondering how to deal with arthritis pain, I have compiled the most popular advice with some of my own and put it into this easy-to-read blog post.
There are some affiliate links in this post, this means if you go on to make purchase of products mentioned in this article, I may receive a small contribution at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
It is worth noting I am NOT a healthcare professional. Always talk to your doctor about what treatments are best for you.
Without further ado…
10 Top Tips and Remedies for Arthritis Pain
1. Is your pain really Arthritis?
A few readers pointed out to me that there are lots of other diseases and ailments that give the same symptoms as arthritis. So, if you suffer with joint pain (or any chronic pain) it is best to contact your doctor about getting some blood work done.
2. Heat packs
Many of my readers say that their arthritis pain flares up when they are cold. I find this too! Now, it’s not my experience that heat reduces inflammation, but I do find that heat sacks or hot water bottles do help ease the pain.
I don’t know what I’d do without my heat sack. My mum calls it Cookie Monster. I have no idea why. Maybe because we heat it up in the microwave? I particularly love the ones that are scented. Amazon sell some great ones that smell like lavender and come in different styles.
3. Compression Gloves for Arthritis and Carpal Tunnel
I found these gloves online after a friend recommended them to me. What I like about them is that you can type while wearing them. As I write full-time, I do get a little pain in my wrists and these gloves help with that too. It’s a win-win for me.
4. Paraffin Wax Baths
This was a popular recommendation. I had never even heard of paraffin baths until I got emails about it. Soaking hands/feet in paraffin wax 2-3 times a week is a tried and tested method of soothing arthritic pain…and getting baby soft skin! I spend a couple of hours researching the best bath to get…the best wax…some reviews say the wax is smelly. So if you’re asthmatic like me, be careful.
What I love about this set, is that it would make a wonderful gift. It’s like going to the spa…in your own home. And seeing as we’re currently in a pandemic, any way to bring the spa into the safety of your home is a win for me. I also love the easy step-by-step guide they have.
5. Tiger Balm
I tell you what. This balm looks Grrrrrr-eat! (Okay, that was a lame dad joke.) This baby was recommended to me by more than 30 people. It’s an affordable method of easing those sore joints. BUT a lot of people warned me that it stinks. I guess we can’t have it all.
6. Drinking Tea for pain relief
Chamomile, Green Tea, Goji Berry, are all popular recommendations from fellow arthritis sufferers. I love Chamomile personally. I drink it when I’m stressed because of it’s calming properties. I never though to try it for arthritis too. So, if you’ve got any of these teas in your kitchen cabinet, give them a try and see if they help you too.
7. Glucosamine supplement
Can we just take a moment to appreciate that the man’s scarf in the photo matches the woman’s jacket? That is SO cute!
And wow. This product has nearly 16,000 reviews with a 4.5 star average! This one is really popular with fellow arthritis sufferers. I actually have some in my medicine cupboard. Now…if I could just remember to take them. 🙂
8. Voxxlife Socks
My mum calls these “magic socks.” I have a lot of respect for the Voxxlife company. It was set up by a worried son who couldn’t find anything to help his mother with her MS. I’m a carer to my mum. She has many MS symptoms and suffers with chronic pain and arthritis. Even though I was a bit dubious that a pair of socks do anything more than keeping your feet warm, I did give them a try.
My mum wears hers every day. The amazing bonus, is that she is much more stable on her feet whilst wearing them. According to their company website, you are 8x less-likely to have a fall while wearing their socks.
How? Well, it’s all to do with neuropathy. A special pattern sewn into the sole of the socks send signals to the brain allowing it to reach homeostasis. The results? Well, what do you get when you have a optimally performing brain?
After having a moan about my pains, I decided to put a pair of socks on. To my surprise, when I knelt down to wash my mum’s feet, I didn’t groan like an old man. And I was able to stand up again! It was a miracle.
Now I won’t take them off. haha. I find they help me sleep at night. And I do not suffer with anxiety or depression. They’re pricey, but for me, they’re worth it. Plus, you can give them a go for up to 30 days and if you’re not convinced, send them back for a full no-quibble refund.
P.S. The website is a bit tricky to navigate. If you need any help, send me an email at laura@burtonburchell.co.uk with the subject SOCKS and I’ll help you out.
9. Watch your diet
Here are a list of possible triggers, sent in by arthritis sufferers. It’s worth looking into a little deeper, or maybe keep a food diary and keep an eye on flare ups. Over time, you may find a pattern. My mum for example, has more pain when she has orange juice.
Nightshades, or foods in the nightshade family.
Acidic Food. Dairy. Gluten.
10. Vitamin D
So, it turns out that there is a link between low vitamin D levels and arthritis. As I live in rainy old England, where we get maybe 3 weeks of sunshine a year, it’s no surprise that my Vitamin D levels are low. I combat this with Better’s Vitamin D spray. I love this because it’s much easier to take than swallowing a pill and it works. When I forget to take my spray for a couple of weeks, I start getting symptoms again. (Memory loss, aches and pains, headaches.)
So, there you go. 10 Top Tips and Remedies for Arthritis pain.
I hope you found this useful. A huge thank you to everyone who reached out to me offering their advice. I couldn’t include everything, because it would take me weeks to write out (and this gal has a deadline to hit!)
Until next time…
Keep reading!
Laura
XoXo
P.S. Have a remedy to share? Drop it in the comments below!
