Holiday dinners and celebrations with your family are the perfect opportunities to take stock and appreciate our blessings while we consider the challenges faced by others. If you know your host suffers from arthritis, the right present will touch their hearts and ease their pain.
Thanksgiving is a busy time of the year!
Cooking dinner for a house full of guests, washing the dishes, dusting and sweeping away the little bits of pie, and vacuuming up crumbs – these are all simple tasks that can be troublesome for those with arthritis.
This is why any small activities you offer to help with can be so beneficial and appreciated by those who suffer from joint disease or damage.
Maybe surprisingly, almost 23% of adult Americans have arthritis. Whether it’s osteoarthritis (OA), the most common type, or another form of arthritis, such as gout or rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the discomfort can be life-changing.
Let’s talk more about what arthritis pain can feel like and how you can find relief.
What Does Arthritis Pain Feel Like?
Well, there isn’t one answer. It depends on the type and the location of arthritis.
Arthritis literally means inflammation of the joint. It can include symptoms like aching, pain, stiffness and swelling.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that can occur in a single joint or many. It results from previous damage. A fall, motor vehicle accident, or a fracture through a joint during childhood can be sources of an initial injury that progresses slowly over time. Wear and tear can reduce function and even cause enough pain to warrant a joint replacement. Imagine the constant exacerbation of walking on a tender, inflamed joint or constantly using fingers that hurt.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) differs from osteoarthritis in that it is an autoimmune disease. This means that the body attacks its own joints, and sometimes even organs and tissues, and causes inflammation. For RA sufferers, their experience can include flu-like symptoms, body-wide pain, and fatigue.
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What does arthritis pain feel like when comparing OA to RA?
Osteoarthritis is often described as stiffness that is exacerbated by periods of inactivity and relieved by movement, yet too much activity can also increase pain. When waking in the morning it takes a few minutes of motion to loosen the involved joint. Sharp pain can occur on use, like trying to open a jar with an arthritic hand. When this happens, our article, 5 Hand Exercises to Relieve Arthritis Pain, can be helpful.
Rheumatoid arthritis can progress over mere weeks or months and, once established, people will experience flare-ups and periods of ease. The stiffness in the morning in RA often takes an hour or so to relieve. In RA, the joints can feel hot and tender, although the former tends to be more pronounced in rheumatoid arthritis.
All forms of arthritis can cause difficulty performing daily activities and negatively affect quality of life and mental health.
Your help can make a wonderful difference in their life. It’s a Thanksgiving gift that will give more than a bottle of wine or box of sweets. While Thanksgiving provides a dedicated time to consider others, it also enables a starting point that can extend throughout the coming year.
Ways to Relieve Arthritis Pain
There are many ways to ease arthritic pain. Let’s talk about them:
- Gastrodia elata is a pretty perennial herb thought to have healing qualities. It is often used by Chinese medicine practitioners and has been shown to calm flare-ups.
- Turmeric, a member of the ginger plant family, is believed by naturopaths to tantalize the taste buds and help boost your immune system with vital antioxidants and other vitamins and minerals. This can help sustain a healhy internal balance while your body is dealing with the sympotms of a flair up… You can find easy recipes for curry dishes online and bring them along to a potluck dinner! If you are not much of a baker, try our green tea chai recipe or just buy Numi Tea’s Turmeric Chai.
- Massage, with moderate pressure, can also provide relief. Daily self-massage and one session per week with a therapist can bring less pain, greater strength and increased range of motion at the treated joints. A voucher and volunteering to massage a loved one with arthritis will show your love and likely reduce their pain.
- A well-formulated topical product that delivers active ingredients can ease arthritis pain. Menthol-based ointment has been shown to decrease discomfort and offer analgesic effects. Likewise, Camphor has been shown to provide relief by inducing a cooling effect that can distract pain signaling to the brain. Our Arthritis Aches & Pain Deep Joint Rub Ointment combines effective absorption with menthol and camphor to deliver deep and fast relief from painful arthritic symptoms.
Give Thanks to Your Muscles and Joints
What does arthritis pain feel like? It can feel horrible! Holidays and celebrations with family and friends, then, provides the perfect time to pitch in and perform some chores, to discuss how you can help, and to share a gift that truly matters.
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only. It has not been approved by the FDA to diagnose, treat, prevent, cure, or mitigate any diseases or conditions. We use CBD in our products for cosmetic purposes only.
Want to learn more? Check out our page on arthritis pain relief!
