When arthritis attacks, it may do so with full fury. Whatever we may try in order to get rid of it, it may not leave us completely. The treatment options are limited and serious side effects accompany many of them.
However, there are plenty to home remedies to help the arthritis patients cope with their ailment. All the arthritis patients, more so those who have arthritis of the hands, have to constantly struggle for doing each task, the tips that the home remedies provide, come handy for the treatment as well as the management of arthritis of hands.
List of Home Remedies For Arthritis in Hands
Maintain Frequent Hand Movements
It is essential to keep your hand joints to remain involved in some or the other activity. Sometimes we get too concerned and think that it is better to give rest to the hands. That is the first step for making your already rigid joints more stiff.
Warm Water Workout
Your hand exercises are best done in a tub or a bucket filled with warm water. If the pain increases after these exercises, this tells that you may have overdone. In that case, try reducing the frequency and the time spent during each session. This is likely to give positive results.
Compresses
Rheumatoid arthritis of hands responds well if both cold and hot compresses are done alternately. The Arthritis Foundation suggests that contrast bath is beneficial. Keep two tubs ready, one with warm water and the other with cold. Put your hands in cold water for three to four minutes and then in warm water for about 1 minute duration.The warm water temperature should be about 50 degree Celsius and the cold should be about 20 degree Celsius. Do not suddenly resort to this therapy, try it just once or twice, see how you feel. If you do not feel better, try it with a bit of alteration.
Rub Oils
Wintergreen oil is one such oil. Rosemary oil can also be rubbed on the hand joints. Lemon grass oil is considered very beneficial, it has the capability of removing lactic acid which gets accumulated in the joints.This lactic acid makes the joints stiff and painful. Hence, when lemon grass oil is applied, it makes the joints supple.
Use Stretch Gloves
The tight fit of the stretching type of gloves may help your hands. Usually the finger joints respond positively to these gloves.
Heated Gloves
During winters the heated gloves can keep your hands warm. There are battery-operated gloves, they keep the fingers and palms warm. This warmth makes the arthritis of the hands less bothersome.
Give a break
If you need to use your fingers locked in one position for long, they will become stiff, avoid this. The locked position of the fingers needs a break. What more, do the stretch and relax exercises during that break.
Epsom Salt Remedy
Epsom salts can be used in the soaks for your finger joints. Put a tsp of epsom salt in a mug of water, soak your hands in this for 10 minutes.
Avoid Strain
Learn to perform the activities in which fingers are not strained too much. Divide the jobs between hands and palms. Lift the things with the palms and wrists. At times the items need to be taken from one place to the other, you can try to lift the small items on the palm. It is exactly how a football player takes a football using one hand, while running in the field.
Use Arms
Many jobs which are usually done by hands can be done with your arms. Suppose you have to push a door for opening, it can easily be done with an arm.
Modified Handles and Knobs
Many appliances are there in the market where the knobs are different from the conventional hand-operated type to the ones which can be used with palms.A simple example is of the faucets, instead of the conventional knob type, there can be those with the long handle which can be easily rotated with the palm. They do not need grip for operation.
Rearrange Items
Your stuff around the home should be easy for you to take out. The shelves and racks can be adjusted at lower levels so as to minimize the requirement of grip of fingers.
Use Velcro
The clothes should have Velcro instead of buttons. Similarly, the shoes are easily available where one does not have to tie the laces.
Drink Ginger Tea
Grate a tsp ginger and boil it in a cup of water, strain, add honey and drink it everyday to relieve the symptoms of arthritis.
