The best way to help prevent arthritis from getting worse is to follow your treatment plan. This may include taking medications, doing daily exercises and stretches, practicing meditation, and eating a well-balanced diet. Some ways to help manage arthritis flare-ups may include resting your joints, using heat and ice treatments, and using OTC pain relievers and NSAIDs.

Arthritis refers to a group of conditions that may cause stiffness, inflammation, and pain in your joints. A treatment plan may help provide pain relief, slow disease progression, and improve your quality of life. Speak with a healthcare professional if arthritis is impacting your daily functions.

I broke 3 of my fingers 10 years ago and have been experiencing arthritis pain ever since. The only thing that really works for me is massaging them, thankfully it really only happens when the seasons get cold.

I can't really imagine taking pain meds for it yet since it's just my hands and not terrible. We encourage our readers to share their unique experiences to create a helpful and informative community here on Healthline. Our editors will also review every comment before publishing, ensuring our high level of medical integrity.

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. VIEW ALL HISTORY. Magnesium has become a popular sleep aid. Learn the effects of magnesium on the body, particularly on the processes that promote sleep.

Potassium iodide can protect your thyroid gland in the event of exposure to nuclear radiation. If you're experiencing burnout, you may feel drained both physically and emotionally.

These tips may help. Standard treatment for hypothyroidism includes oral medication, but there are natural therapies too. Read about the pros and cons of five natural…. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Natural Relief from Arthritis Pain.

Medically reviewed by Stella Bard, MD — By Mary Ellen Ellis — Updated on January 24, Weight management Exercise Heat and cold Acupuncture Meditation Diet Turmeric Massage Herbs FAQ Takeaway Comments Staying active, managing your weight, and making changes to your diet are a few natural ways to ease arthritis pain.

Share on Pinterest. Manage your weight. Get enough exercise. Use hot and cold therapy. Try acupuncture. Use meditation to cope with pain.

Follow a healthy diet. Add turmeric to dishes. Get a massage. Consider herbal supplements. Frequently asked questions. How we reviewed this article: Comments.

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Jan 24, Written By Mary Ellen Ellis. Your doctor or physical therapist can help you find stretches and exercises that are appropriate for your unique situation.

See Knee Stretches and Shoulder Stretches. The turmeric root has been shown to have great anti-inflammatory properties and many people add turmeric powder to sauces, smoothies, or tea. For many people, a daily curcumin supplement of mg to 1, mg is okay. Also, keep an eye out for supplements that contain preservatives or other additives, such as gluten, dairy, and soy.

See Turmeric and Curcumin for Arthritis. Getting enough sleep is important for managing pain and promoting healing.

Practice habits that help you get restful, adequate sleep. For example, make your bedroom quiet and dark, ban electronics from the bedroom, and establish a regular schedule for going to bed and getting up. See Therapies for Treating Insomnia. Meditation is a quick, simple, and free way to relax.

One easy method: choose a sound that is pleasing to you but has no particular meaning, sit or lie somewhere comfortable, close your eyes, and repeat the sound in your mind. You can also try guided meditation, which involves a source giving you suggestions to guide your meditative thoughts.

Many phone apps, online videos, and DVDs offer guided meditation. Start with a few minutes of meditation per session. You may gradually lengthen your daily meditation time to 10, 20, or even 30 minutes. It's not well understood how this ancient Chinese healing technique functions, but some people report it helps reduce their chronic pain.

While there is not a lot of high-quality research regarding acupuncture, the studies that do exist suggest acupuncture may work better than a placebo to treat:. Acupuncture is generally regulated by states. A number of states require acupuncturists to pass examinations conducted by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine to become licensed acupuncture practitioners.

As with any health care professional, asking in advance about the practitioner's experience and training is advised. See Acupuncture and Reiki Healing for Arthritis. Therapeutic massage can loosen your tight muscles, get your blood flowing, and calm your mind.

A review of several small medical studies 19 Nelson NL, Churilla JR. Massage therapy for pain and function in patients with arthritis: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Am J Phys Med Rehabil ;— found massage may help reduce pain in people who have osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, though results were mixed.

See Manual Therapies for Arthritis Pain. A natural treatment may reduce pain by a small amount, but when combined with other natural treatments, you may be able to cut your pain dramatically. Consider trying the ideas above, and ask your health care provider for other suggestions.

The best treatments are ones that suit your lifestyle and that you can commit to in the long term. Tai Chi and Yoga for Arthritis. Top 4 Supplements to Treat Arthritis Pain. Susan Blum is a functional medicine practitioner specializing in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease.

She is the Founder and Director of the Blum Center for Health and has nearly two decades of experience practicing functional and integrative medicine. Home Blog 11 Ways to Relieve Pain Naturally. By: Susan Blum, MD, MPH, Functional Medicine Physician.

Stretching and strengthening your joints affected by arthritis can help decrease pain and increase flexibility. See Knee Strengthening Exercises. Get moving Exercise is frequently associated with a decrease in arthritis joint pain.

See Ways to Get Exercise When You Have Arthritis What type of exercise you do depends on your current fitness level and other factors, such as where you live and whether you have access to a gym. See Exercising with Arthritis 2.

Eat more fiber Research suggests that people who eat high-fiber diets have less osteoarthritis pain. Warm-up aching joints Applying heat to painful joints can ease your discomfort.

Try heat therapy using a: Hot water bottle Gel-filled pad that can be heated in the microwave Electric heating pad Hot bath See When and Why to Apply Heat to an Arthritic Joint You can also buy a heat wrap, such as Thermacare, which can provide continuous, low-level heat for several hours while you go about your day.

Watch: Video: How to Make a Homemade Heat Pack 4. Or cool down joints Arthritis typically goes hand-in-hand with painful joint inflammation. Show Transcript. Cultivate relationships People with chronic pain who have social networks tend to rate their pain lower and are less likely to report that pain interferes with their day-to-day activities.

Stretch Your body is designed for movement. See Knee Stretches and Shoulder Stretches 7. Try turmeric The turmeric root has been shown to have great anti-inflammatory properties and many people add turmeric powder to sauces, smoothies, or tea. See Turmeric and Curcumin for Arthritis 8.

Practice good sleep habits Getting enough sleep is important for managing pain and promoting healing. See Therapies for Treating Insomnia 9. Meditate Meditation is a quick, simple, and free way to relax.

Try acupuncture It's not well understood how this ancient Chinese healing technique functions, but some people report it helps reduce their chronic pain.

While there is not a lot of high-quality research regarding acupuncture, the studies that do exist suggest acupuncture may work better than a placebo to treat: Knee and hip arthritis 13 Manheimer E, Cheng K, Linde K, et al.

Acupuncture for peripheral joint osteoarthritis. Acupuncture for hip osteoarthritis. Published May 5. CD Temporomandibular joint disorders TMJ 15 Jung A, Shin BC, Lee MS, Sim H, Ernst E.

Acupuncture for treating temporomandibular joint disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, sham-controlled trials. J Dent. Volume: 15 Issue 2: February 23, Effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders of muscular origin: a systematic review of the last decade.

J Altern Complement Med. Neck pain 17 Fu LM, Li JT, Wu WS. Randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for neck pain: systematic review and meta-analysis. Sciatica related back pain 18 Ji M, Wang X, Chen M, Shen Y, Zhang X, Yang J. The Efficacy of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Sciatica: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. Enjoy a massage Therapeutic massage can loosen your tight muscles, get your blood flowing, and calm your mind. Learn more: Tai Chi and Yoga for Arthritis Top 4 Supplements to Treat Arthritis Pain. References 1 Fransen M, McConnell S, Bell M.