Joint Pain Relief

Joint pain has many causes. Overuse of muscles and acute injuries can lead to short-lived joint pain, while disorders like arthritis and gout can lead to pain that lasts for days, weeks or months at a time. Thankfully, there are several proven ways to relieve pain in one or many joints no matter what the cause.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is just a fancy word for icing the joint. Apply ice for fifteen minutes each hour on the first day you experience pain. On the second and third days, reduce the treatment to once every four hours, but still apply the ice for 15 minutes. If there is still pain after three days, apply the ice for 20 minutes in the morning and afternoon.

Remember, if you think your joint pain may have resulted from a serious injury, make an appointment with your doctor. Broken bones and torn ligaments demand medical attention.

Relax your body and mind

Aromatherapy, when combined with ice therapy, can help relieve the tension in joints by relaxing the muscles that pull on them. Add a couple of drops of lavender oil to a tub of water and relax. The warmth of the water also helps sooth aches and pains.

Massage

Rub the sore joint gently, using a menthol rub like Icy Hot if you like. Always rub towards the heart to push any pooled blood in the correct direction.

Use mild pain killers

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs not only relieve the pain, they also reduce any inflammation in the joint. Naproxen and ibuprofen are the drugs of choice for joint pain. Follow the instructions on the bottle to avoid overdose.

Joint pain can prove debilitating and aggravating when left untreated. As long as you begin to treat the pain as soon as it starts, you can make great strides towards total relief.

Naproxen and ibuprofen are the drugs of choice for joint pain