You can cure mild osteoarthritis pain by having rest, exercise such as swimming, biking or walking, weight loss, application of heat and cold, physiotherapy and by avoiding the stress on your joints. If osteoarthritis pain persists and progresses after this initial treatment, then you should opt for some medications used for the moderate symptoms of osteoarthritis including acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and tramadol. The osteoarthritis treatment for severe symptoms includes stronger painkillers, cortisone shots and visco-supplementation.
As all these drug therapies have some side-effects, more and more people tend to opt for the natural remedies such as acupuncture, hydrotherapy, magnet therapy, physical therapy, nutrition and dietary supplements and herbal remedies. The herbal remedies used for the osteoarthritis treatment are equally effective and without any side-effect. Depending upon the severity of the symptoms and availability of the herbal products, some herbal remedies can be applied for the treatment of this joint disorder. Various herbs are used in the form of juices as fresh juices are easily absorbed in the body to get the healing ingredients locked in the plants.
Boswellia has the anti-inflammatory properties similar to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The benefit of boswellia over NSAIDs is that the long-term use does not cause an irritation and ulceration of stomach. The cayenne cream having the burning substance called capsaicin is another effective herb which is useful to get relief from the pain. In addition, Devils claw is used daily thrice as analgesic and anti-inflammatory. Ginger, which is frequently available, is another useful herb and as it has anti-inflammatory action, ginger tea is advised to take twice in a day.
The silicon content of horsetail has a property of strengthening the connective tissues and it exerts the anti-arthritic action in the traditional medicine. Licorice root and turmeric are also considered as the effective anti-inflammatory medicines. White Willow is another beneficial herb that has long-lasting pain-relieving effects and anti-inflammatory action. Besides this, the hot packs of castor oil are applied to the affected joint while angelica root compress or angelica oil is added in the hot bath tub to reduce the spasm.
Blueberries, hawthorn berries and cherries as well as other dark red-blue berries are the rich sources of proanthocyanidins and anthocyanidins which are the flavonoid molecules having remarkable ability to enhance the matrix and integrity of the collagen matrix.
Avocado/soybean extracts are found to be stimulating the growth of collagen in cartilage cells. The people who received these extract for about 6 months experienced tremendous improvements such as reduction in pain and disability, improvement in mobility and reduced need for NSAIDs.
Theses herbal remedies are found to be beneficial for osteoarthritis treatment without causing any major side-effects.
