How to treat severe osteoarthritis pain?

Are you tired of being in pain all day, every day? Does your osteoarthritis pain make you feel like an 80-year-old trapped in a 30-year-old’s body? Fear not, my friend. In this article, we’ll provide 16 expert tips on how to treat severe osteoarthritis pain so you can get back to living your best life—without crying like a baby.

Let’s Get Started: What is Osteoarthritis?

First things first, let’s define the problem at hand. Osteoarthritis is not just what happens when grandma gets older and her joints start creaking more than usual. It’s actually the most common form of arthritis and impacts tens of millions across the globe each year.

Osteoarthritis affects people of all ages and genders but it typically develops later in life around age 50 or over time after years of wear and tear on your bones — which sounds pretty terrible if you ask me! But have no fear; there are simple steps you can take to help manage severe osteoarthritis pain.

Tip #1: Manage Your Weight

Maintaining a healthy weight isn’t just good for overall health – it also puts less strain on your joints! Studies show that maintaining even a modest weight loss (5-10%) could reduce symptoms associated with knee osteoarthritis by up to half!

And who doesn’t want to lose some sweet quarantine pounds anyways?

Tip #2: Ice Baby…

Ice packs aren’t just for ACL tears from playing pick-up basketball at home. Applying ice directly onto sore areas for about fifteen minutes regularly throughout the day will help reduce inflammation caused by arthritis as well as effectively numb the affected area making it easier bearable (for once)!

With lower inflammation and numbness, you’ll be surprised how much better your day can go.

Tip #3: Exercise In Moderation

Working out is key to a healthy lifestyle, but excessive or poorly executed work outs can actually cause more harm than good! Ease into regular exercise routines like water aerobics, swimming laps or even playing pickleball as all of these are low impact exercises.

Noticed the theme? Low-impact workouts will help to reduce pressure on your joints allowing them to recover from previous year’s damage. Whew, it’s almost like watching Planet Earth for the 78th time counts as cardio!

Tip #4: Check Your Diet

There are several types of food that contribute inflammatory effects which can exasterbate osteoarthritis symptoms such as bloating and joint pain — AKA living hell. Otherwise known as an arthritis sufferer’s worst nightmare, eating sugary processed foods could increase inflammation levels throughout their body making recovery extremely difficult.. Not exactly a sweet situation if you catch my drift….

Instead opt-in with veggies rich in beta-carotene such as carrots and pumpkin, nuts full of omega fatty acids or fish oils through consumption (think sushi love) – all scientifically proven remedies to reduce inflammation caused by arthritis. As tempting stuffing bowls of ice cream down our throats may sound– we need some resistance here people!

Tip #5: Supplements

So what happens when anti-inflammatory dieting becomes boring (or leaves us emotionally unstable) ? Luckily there are simple supplements which aid supplement daily nutrients too! Filled with natural elements within each tablet lays essential vitamins reducing inflammation while also potentially helping regrow cartilage lost over years (similar to youth minerals) – making this one worth checking-out.

If long-term sympton reduction sounds like music to your ears then supplements might just serve up solace.

Over-The Counter Medication Relief

At first mention, reaching for over-the-counter medication from your local supermarket may not sound as enticing, but hear us out… These types of medications are relatively safe and easily accessible; ibuprofen, acetaminophen amongst others (consult with doctor before use) will act fast at reducing severe chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis (finally..)

Here’s A Handy Chart

Pain Type Medication
Mild Acetaminophen
Moderate Naproxen Sodium
Severe Meloxicam or Ibuprofen SR (highly recommend)

Rhetorical question incoming: Sure preferred method may involve more water aerobics sessions than grabbing pills –— but the reality is sometimes you need a quick fix.

In-Office Treatments

If medication relief hasn’t become cutting it (pause for laughter) there’s still hope! Consulting with doctors who specialize in degenerative diseases like arthritis can provide effective treatment options. Professionals may suggest injections such as corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid treatments. Both have proven to tackle inflammation and reduce bone-on-bone friction caused by cartilage loss within hours!

Don’t hesitate any longer — consult a professional today whom understand what you’re going through so that they can lead to improvement.

Surgeries – A Last Resort?

We’ll we’ve gotten this far and if nothing seems promising one could go under the knife though risking — unless really needed! Surgeries include joint replacement surgery representing last resort treatment option due recovery times anywhere between six-twelve weeks depending on intensity levels. Rehabilitation post-surgery includes physical therapy along-with lifestyle changes which heavily influences success rate in recovery.

With everything said & done here popular surgical treatment methods sound suitable for those suffering most acute forms of osteoarthritis carrying significant symptoms hindering their daily routine..

However surgeries should always be considered only as a final step — and after all other safer options have, unfortunately, failed.

Conclusion

After scrolling through the tips you might think it’s impossible to remember them all or determine which will work best within each personal circumstance.

But do not despair! Just pick a few that resonate most (mental note – “more SUSHI”) and take small steps towards managing chronic osteoarthritis pain with techniques such as maintaining healthy weight management habits or routinely applying ice packs throughout day when experiencing flare-ups.

We hope this guide was equally informative & entertaining leaving you feeling empowered enough to overcome your physical barriers ⛰️. Remember ‘baby-steps’ is key winning these battles – just don’t forget those sushi rolls…

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