The pain, stiffness, and swelling from arthritis can make even the easiest of daily tasks a major challenge. You may find yourself slowing down and resting often. During your worst arthritis flare-ups, you may find it difficult to get out of bed.

While you can undergo extensive medical care for rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, you might wish to prolong taking medications or undergoing surgery for as long as possible. You may experience fast relief at home by using these do-it-yourself arthritis remedies.

Heat

Applying heat to your joints and bones can be one of the fastest and safest ways to relieve arthritis. Heat reduces inflammation in the affected areas. It also provides soothing relief from pain, stiffness, and swelling.

You can apply heat using a heating pad or a sock full of rice that has been warmed up in a microwave. It is important that you only apply the heat for up to 10 to 15 minutes at a time to avoid burns. You should also keep it at a temperature that you find comfortable and will not irritate or blister your skin.

You can apply the heat every 30 minutes to an hour for as long as you are in pain or experience swelling and stiffness. You can pair this at-home remedy with taking ibuprofen every four to six hours as needed.

Spa Soaks And Aqua Exercises

Another great way to apply heat to your affected joints and bones is to do aqua exercises in a spa. A spa full of warm water can ease pain, stiffness, and swelling while taking weight off your arms, legs, and other affected body areas.

It is important that you keep your spa clean, however, if you want to use it every day or every other day for this purpose. If the water gets dirty, it could cause skin rashes and infections in open wounds. You can keep the water clean and safe in which to soak and exercise by using products like granular chlorine, oxidizing shock, hardness increaser, softeners, and other spa chemicals.

As long as you are in otherwise good health, you can soak in a spa for up to 15 minutes to a half hour once or twice a day. You may notice that your joints and bones feel better and that swelling dissipates.

Weight Lifting

As contrary as it sounds, light weight lifting can actually be good for your joints and bones affected by arthritis. The exercise encourages blood flow to these areas, which itself facilitates healing. The inflammation from the arthritis becomes inundated with healthy blood cells and within weeks starts to disappear as your joints and bones become stronger.

You should consult with your doctor before starting a weight lifting regimen, however. You may need to work out under the supervision of an experienced trainer if you are on certain arthritis medications or have other illnesses like heart disease that could become aggravated from the exercising. You also should stop lifting weights if your pain worsens or you notice limited mobility in your limbs or joints.

Arthritis can quickly take a negative toll on your life. You may find walking, bending, lifting, and other everyday activities difficult or impossible. Even so, you may not want to go through surgery or take medications that can cause upset stomach, fatigue, and other dire side effects. You may want to use safer at-home remedies for this condition. As long as you are in good health and your doctor agrees, you may try these approaches to finding relief from the worst of your arthritis symptoms. You should continue to follow your doctor’s instructions and visit with your physician regularly.