You may know someone with arthritis or you may be suffering from arthritis yourself. We all know that arthritis is always associated with debilitating pain and inflammation. A pain that’s long-lasting and normally affects the elderly. But in this article, we’ll give you the best alternative treatments for Arthritis and we’ll compare CBD and NSAIDs in relieving pain.
What is arthritis?
Arthritis is a common disorder that affects the joints of the body. It’s so common that the CDC stated that it affects 23% or 54 million adults in the US. When you have arthritis, you feel pain and inflammation mostly on your fingers, hands, hips, knees, and feet. Having this condition makes living and doing daily activities very hard.
Why are our joints important?
Joints serve a very important role in your body. It serves as a way to keep the body mobile. We can’t walk without our joints. Joints are the connection between bones. We have a wide range of motion because of our joints. Once it is affected, it feels like our whole body structure is affected.
Our joints have the articular cartilage which is the connective tissue that keeps our joints running smoothly. We also have the synovial fluid that serves as our joint lubricants. Issues with our articular cartilage or the synovial membrane can cause arthritis.
What are the types and symptoms of arthritis?
Consider the word “arthritis” as a general term blanketing different presentations of symptoms on different parts of your body. Here are some examples:
Osteoarthritis.
This is referred to as the most common form of arthritis. It is attributed to the normal wear and tear of the joints.
Gout.
This is known to be a very painful and common form of inflammatory arthritis that affects one joint at a time, most commonly found on the foot. This is caused when uric acid forms in the joints.
Rheumatoid Arthritis.
It is an autoimmune disease that happens when your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation around the joints.
Ankylosing Spondylitis.
AS is a form of arthritis that mostly affects the spine and sometimes other joints. It causes inflammation of the spinal joints. This leads to chronic pain and discomfort.
Psoriatic Arthritis.
This is a chronic joint inflammation that affects about 30% of psoriasis patients.
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.
Also called JIA, this type of arthritis affects children wherein the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy joint tissues.
What causes arthritis?
We can’t pinpoint arthritis as the sole cause of the problem. Different factors contribute to the flaring up of arthritis. However, you can develop arthritis if:
- You have a family history of arthritis
- Doing activities that stresses a certain joint or group of joints repeatedly
- Autoimmune diseases
- Infections
CBD and NSAIDS
For the longest time, health providers have been prescribing different pain medications like NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) to treat and manage arthritis; and NSAIDs have greatly improved over the years. However, these types of medicine can give you other types of inflammation while masking the pain from arthritis. It ends up not being sustainable or healthy. This is one of the reasons why more people are choosing CBD over NSAIDs. Cannabidiol is natural, with little or no side effects, and it has potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Studies also show its effectiveness against arthritis and you’re less prone to getting side effects if you don’t overdo it. CBD is one of the best alternative treatments for arthritis out there. So, between CBD and NSAIDs, going natural is certainly worth the try.
Here are the possible adverse effects of NSAIDS:
- GI disturbance – Either pain or bleeding
- Indigestion
- Headache
- Allergic Reactions
- Kidney and Liver Issues
Alternative Treatments for Arthritis
Our body is not designed to suffer. Whenever we feel pain, inflammation, or anything that keeps us off balance, we try to find a solution to it. Alternative treatments have become more popular since the side effects of NSAIDs are better understood by medicine and patients. Here are some of the best alternative treatments for arthritis:
Acupuncture.
It is designed to stimulate nerves, muscles, and connective tissue, improve blood flow and activate the body’s natural painkillers.
Massage.
Gentle manipulation with moderate pressure can reduce stiffness and joint pain. Also, it has been shown to improve range of motion.
Weight Loss.
Losing weight is a sure way of relieving the pressure put on the joints especially for the joints of our lower extremities.
Physical Therapy.
Therapists may help you by providing various ways of getting relief from pain. They can also counsel you on better arthritis management. Assistive devices are sometimes allowed to help relieve pressure and pain.
CBD Topical Gels.
It works by attaching to the cannabinoid receptors in the skin providing inflammation and pain relief at a specific area.
Oral CBD Oil.
This is either complementary to CBD topical or an alternative. Cannabidiol works with your Endocannabinoid System regulating and establishing balance in the rest of your body. It also activates immune cells helping against any inflammation in the body.
Conclusion
Arthritis: some people hate it, others despise it. But when hit by it, we’re in for the long haul. So instead of stressing yourself on how to fix it. Let’s use these alternative treatments for arthritis as tools to manage and live happily with it.
