Simple Ways to Treat Arthritis

Most articles on arthritis try to recommend drug treatments rather than natural ways you can help your body heal. Both Orthodox and Alternative treatments have shown success in treating the symptoms of arthritis. It is crucial to learn how our daily habits affect the inflammatory processes that contribute to arthritis.

The most common treatments for arthritis are those that affect an inflammatory chemical known as Cyclooxygenase or COX. Pharmacological inhibition of COX can provide relief from the symptoms of inflammation and pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) drugs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, exert their effects through inhibition of COX.

Unfortunately NSAIDs drugs used for these treatments were also found to have side effects. NSAIDs can make the overall disease process of arthritis worse, by depleting the very nutrients necessary for joint repair, including iron, folic acid and zinc. COX-2 inhibitors have been found to have serious cardiovascular effects, increasing the risk of atherothrombosis even with short-term use. A 2006 analysis of 138 randomized trials and almost 150 000 participants showed that selective COX-2 inhibitors are associated with a moderately increased risk of vascular events, mainly due to a twofold increased risk of heart attacks, and also that high-dose regimens of some traditional NSAIDs such as diclofenac and ibuprofen are associated with a similar increase in risk of vascular events.

Next: 4 simple ways to reduce inflammation in the body

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Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Gary C.

10:57AM PST on Dec 2, 2011

Thankyou....

send a green star

Michele W.

10:51AM PDT on Aug 17, 2011

Thank you

Joanne P.

3:00PM PDT on Jun 12, 2011

Thank you for this interesting article. I live in France and have found that there are many alternative ways to help reduce arthritic pain and swelling. These ways are becoming more and more popular due to the fact that there are no side effects. In the long run they do a better job than intoxicating allopathic medication.

Jeramie D.

11:08AM PDT on Jun 6, 2011

Thank you.

criss S.

8:56AM PDT on May 31, 2011

Thank you for the article.

Gerald M.

10:30AM PST on Jan 16, 2011

Information worth remembering. Thank you.

Elaine S.

2:24PM PST on Dec 25, 2010

Thanks for this article! My mother has arthritis and that information will be useful for her.