Joint pain caused by conditions like arthritis can affect your ability to perform everyday tasks, thus impacting your quality of life. If not treated on time, the pain can worsen and limit your ability to do even simple tasks. If you are suffering from joint pain this article is for you. We reveal

how to cure joint pain

by using popular medications and effective home remedies.

Side Effects of Medications

To

cure joint pain

, COX-2 inhibitors such as Vioxx and Celebrex are generally used. Other common medications are acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Aleve which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). These drugs give relief immediately, but they also cause unfortunate side effects. In fact, the makers of Vioxx, Merck & Co., were sued by consumers as the drug was believed to cause heart attacks. Tylenol can even cause liver failure. Besides, these drugs treat only the symptoms and not the underlying causes of joint pain.

Glucosamine Sulfate to Cure Joint Pain

Research reveals that glucosamine sulfate treats the infirmity and pain caused by arthritis in people and dogs. Vets commonly use glucosamine to treat arthritis and painful joints which affect most dogs. In humans, glucosamine is naturally produced in young age. But as we grow older its production reduces, causing weakening of cartilage, which leads to osteoarthritis. Many doctors prescribe glucosamine to treat joint stiffness, swelling and pain. Research has also found that glucosamine sulfate slows down osteoarthritis progression.

Chondroitin Sulfate to Cure Joint Pain

Another useful treatment is chondroitin sulfate which works best when combined with glucosamine. Both medications aid the recovery and regeneration of bone tissues in the joints. For osteoarthritis patients, chondroitin sulfate is a boon as it reduces cartilage loss and decreases pain. Besides, its side effects are minor, if any. Researchers have found that chondroitin combined with glucosamine can treat osteoarthritis knee pain as effectively as celecoxib (Celebrex).

MSM for Joint Pain

Another recommended remedy is methyl-sulfonyl methane (MSM) which effectively reduces joint pain, mainly because of its rich sulfur content. In fact, many spas and treatment centers use hot sulfur baths to provide pain relief to patients. In a study on lab animals, MSM reduced degeneration of joints. A research article published in Clinical Drug Investigations journal in June 2004 reveals that MSM and glucsosamine together are effective in reducing swelling and pain in arthritis sufferers.

Home Remedies to Cure Joint Pain

• Warm water bath is great for relieving joint pain.
• Massage the painful joint with oil for relief.
• Use papaya seeds to make tea and consume it regularly to treat joint pain.
• Roast garlic in butter and use it as a remedy to cure joint pain.
• Bananas are great for joint pain as they restore lost nutrients in the affected joints.
• To cure body ache, mix some turmeric powder in warm milk and drink daily.
• Carrot juice is beneficial as it strengthens the ligaments.
• Apple cider vinegar is a great home remedy to
  

  cure joint pain

  .

• Use warm vinegar to massage the affected joints for pain relief.
• There are many yoga poses that can improve your arthritic condition.
• Drink lots of fluids to flush out toxins and keep your joints healthy.
• Do not let your joint pain deter you from exercising. Regular exercising maintains the flexibility of joints and aid their proper functioning.
• You can also use camphor oil and olive oil to massage the painful joints.
• Mix lemon juice in green tea and drink it daily to treat joint pain.
• Eat corn daily as it contains nutrients which reduce swelling and joint pain.
• Fish oil supplements are recommended as they reduce inflammation which eases joint pain.

Summary

Now that you have learnt useful and effective methods to

cure joint pain

, try out some of them and check if they work for you. Do remember that regular exercise and yoga practice can keep your joints healthy and prevent arthritis disability,

yoga poses for knee pain

prevention and cure? Following are 7 yoga poses which will help you in preventing the occurrences of knee pain due to various reasons. Some of them also help you cure your knee pain which already exists. These yoga poses can help you prevent and cure your knee pain naturally without the side effects of any kind of medications. So let us see what these yoga poses for knee pain are.

Yoga postures for knee pain

1. Veerasana (warrior pose)

   How to do this

   :
   - Be in the cat pose to start with (both your knees and hands should be on the ground).
   - With your legs folded inwards, slowly sit back.
   - Bring your hands near to your stomach and keep them folded. Inhale and exhale slowly. Be in this position for some time.
   - Come back to normal and relax.

2. Makarasana (crocodile pose)

   How to do this

   :
   - Sit straight. Fold your legs in a lotus form. Hold your toe tips with your hands normally.
   - Staying in this position, slowly lie on the ground keeping your legs in the same position.
   - Lie down such that your head should touch the ground. Hold this position for a about 30 seconds.
   - Now, slowly come back to the original position. Free the posture and relax.

3. Shavasana (The corpse pose)

   How to do this

   :
   - Lie on the floor on your back. Keep your arms by your side with the palms facing the roof. Keep your body straight while breathing slowly.
   - Breath in and out slowly and deeply. While in this position completely relax without thinking about anything.
   - Stay in this position for about 5-10 minutes.
   - Once completed, you can come back to your normal sitting position.

4. The triangle pose

   How to do this

   :
   - Stand straight and spread your legs.
   - Slowly bend down and touch the ground with one hand while raising the other hand in the air.
   - Stay in this position for few seconds.
   - Come back to the normal position and repeat this with the other hand.

5. Gomukhasana (cow-face pose)

   How to do it

   :
   - Sit in the staff position. Bend your knees and place your feet on the ground.
   - Now, slowly slide your right foot under the left knee to the outside of the left hip. Cross your left leg over the right one so that the left knee should be on top the right one. This should result in your left foot to be outside of the right hip.
   - Now, slowly inhale, raise your left arm and bring it over your shoulder. Wrap the right arm behind your back and try grasping the right hand with your left hand from the back. You can try and grasp the hand by the fingers.
   - Remain in this position for about 8-10 breaths.
   - Release the grasp and slowly come back to the original position (staff position).
   - Now, repeat the same exercise in the other direction.

6. Leg raises

   How to do this

   :
   - Lie down with your back on the floor. Keep your arms by your side and be straight.
   - Now raise your right leg as high as possible while inhaling, and then lower it slowly while you exhale.
   - Repeat it with your left leg. Repeat this step for two to three times.
   - Now, when you next raise your right leg, hold it with both your hands and pull it towards you as much as possible.
   - Repeat the step with the left leg and for few times.

7. Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half lord of the fishes)
   

   How to do it

   :
   - For this exercise, begin with the staff pose. Bring the right leg straight in front of you and cross your left leg over the right. The sole of your left leg should be placed on the floor next to your right knee.
   - Now, bend the right leg and bring it to the left such that the right heel is next to your left hip. Sit on both the sit bones evenly.
   - Now, wrap your right hand over your left knee as you place it inwards towards your chest.
   - Next, while inhaling and exhaling, place your left hand towards your left hip with your palm on the ground and fingers facing backward. Keep your arm pressed into the back to keep your back straight. Inhale again, rotate your torso and your head back to look over the left shoulder. Exhale and try to deepen the twist.
   - Hold this position for 5-6 breaths.
   - To release this position, lift your left hand up while inhaling and unwind your torso and face the front while exhaling.
   - Repeat this exercise in the other direction.

Most of these

yoga poses for knee pain

can help you cure your knee ailments while all of them are useful in preventing knee pain.

Natural Remedies for Joint Pain:

Following are some of the natural remedies for joint pain:

Warm Water:

This is very beneficial in treating joint pain. Take a shower with warm water to reduce joint pain. Also, you can soak the affected area in the warm water with some salt added to it. This also gives great relief from the pain.

Eucalyptus Oil:

This is the another effective remedy for relieving joint pain. Apply eucalyptus oil on the affected area to reduce pain. Later, take a towel and dip it in warm water, squeeze excess water and place it on the painful area. This remedy is successful in reducing pain.

Papaya Seed:

Tea with papaya seeds is very helpful in controlling joint pain. You must have a cup of papaya seed tea for about 6 – 7 times regularly for three weeks. This is another effective remedy to get relief from joint pain.

Proper Posture:

Improper posture also causes joint pain. You must maintain proper posture while walking, standing, sitting and lying down. This aids in keeping away the joint pains.

Exercises:

Regular exercising aids in relieving joint pains. These exercises may include cycling, swimming, walking and yoga. Further, stretching exercises aid in alleviating joint pain. Apart from these, you can also reduce your weight if you are overweight as this is another factor for joint pain.

Banana:

Among fruits, bananas are considered as the best fruit for strengthening and greasing joints.

Turmeric Powder:

Add half a tablespoon of turmeric powder to a glass of warm water and drink this concoction, thrice a day. This is another effective natural cure to avoid joint pains.

With one or two hands, or with your thumb and fingers, carefully “pick up” muscles and lift them away from the bones. Then roll, wring, and squeeze. This move is called petrissage. Direct pressure with your thumbs may be helpful on people who have thick, well-developed muscle. Massage experts say petrissage increases circulation, which helps speed the removal of toxins like lactic acid.

Now use thumbs and fingertips to trace deep circles near the joints and other bony areas such as the sides of the spine. Also circle the central part of large muscles. This “friction” stroke breaks down knots that result when muscle fibers bind together, giving new flexibility to joints, tendons, and muscles. Follow immediately with effleurage.

The short chopping stroke called tapotement can be done in many ways. You can chop with the edge of your hand or tap with your fingertips. Clap with your palms or the flat surface of your hands and fingers. You can even beat with the edge of a closed fist. Use tapotement for a few seconds to stimulate the muscles or for 10 or more seconds to relieve a cramped muscle.

treatment of neck pain

is our main concern here.

Neck pain can cause a lot of discomfort especially if you are at work or have to do some important work.

Neck pain could be present only in the neck or it can be felt in surrounding areas of the neck such as upper arms or shoulder region.

The person may feel like having cramps in the neck muscles and he experiences a shooting pain in the neck region. The neck becomes stiff and difficult to move.

Treatment of Neck Pain

The following methods can be used for the treatment of neck pain.

Modify your Lifestyle

– If neck pain occurs due to chronic stress on the neck muscles, then your work efficiency and life quality can be affected significantly. Neck pain due to nature of work may require change or modification of equipment or even changing the occupation.
For example, if you work for long hours on a computer and suffer from neck pain, then you should change your sitting posture and get yourself an ergonomic chair. Some exercises and neck movements may also help if you suffer from neck pain due to poor posture.

Acupuncture and Acupressure

– In Acupressure, therapists use acupoints on the neck for relieving the muscular pain. Acupuncture has also gained huge popularity for treatment of neck pain.

Chiropractic

– In chiropractic treatment, firstly it is checked if neck pain is due to some misalignment in the cervical vertebrae. If misalignment is found then it is corrected by applying manual pressure. As a result of this treatment, muscular tension is lowered and stress on joints and spinal nerves is reduced.

Movement Therapy

– Some therapies such as Hatha Yoga and Breema are getting popular for reducing neck pain. These therapies mainly concentrate on reducing psychological stress which is a major cause of neck pain.

Magnetic Therapy

– This method is also gaining popularity for treatment of neck pain. In magnetic therapy, magnetic pulses are applied to the affected region. There is an increased flow of oxygenated blood towards the affected region which decreases pain.

Some common little habits should be avoided that can contribute to TMJ problems.

Avoid the following :

If, despite all precautions, you do fall victim to the pain of TMJ, you can always reach for the aspirin. Aspirin helps with both aches and inflammation. Pain in the TMJ area can also be relieved by applying moist heat (such as a wet wash washcloth) to the jaws. Some people find that ice works as well as or better than heat. You should experiment to see which works best for you.

Both heat and cold bring relief by increasing blood flow to the area. You can achieve the same effect by gently stretching your facial muscles and massaging the sides of your face.

If your pain comes on suddenly, sharply and intensely, though, bursitis is a possibility. It occurs when the bursa become inflamed. These little sacs of fluid are located throughout the body, primarily in the joints. They serve to cushion points where muscles or tendons rub against bones or ligaments.They’re especially important in the shoulders, elbows, hips and knee joints. And that’s where you most often get bursitis.

The actual cause of bursitis is usually overuse or injury of the joint. And the usual treatment is rest combined with medication, like ibuprofen or aspirin.This is followed by ice and moist heat. Whatever it is you’ve been doing to aggravate your bursa, stop doing it for at least ten days. Rest does not mean total immobilization,however. Doctor’s caution that complete non use of a joint can cause it to “freeze up”, a condition that can result in permanent impairment.

Inflammation of the bursa can be so intense that the skin surrounding the joint is hot to the touch. This is the time to use an ice pack or gel pack, which also reduces inflammation. Protect your skin with a towel or wash cloth between the pack and the skin. Leave the pack on for 10 minutes, then replace it for 10 more minutes, until the heat is gone.

A moist heating pad comes in handy when the pain isn’t too severe and the joint itself isn’t hot. If that’s the case, alternate cold and heat treatments – 10 minutes of cold, 10 min. of heat, and so on. After a few days the intense pain subsides.

Mushtika Bandhana

1. Sit in a comfortable position on the chair or on the floor.
2. Raise your arm to the shoulder level, parallel to the ground and bring it in front of you.
3. Make a fist by inserting your thumb inside the fingers.
4. Hold the fist with your thumb side up.
5. While inhaling, open your hand and stretch your fingers.
6. Exhale and fold your hand back into a fist.
7. Repeat for at least five times and then do the same exercise with your other hand. After few days of practice, you can practice on both the hands together.

Wrist Bending Exercise

1. Sit in a comfortable position.
2. Raise your arm to the shoulder level, parallel to the ground and bring it in front of you.
3. Turn your palm down keeping your fingers close together.
4. While inhaling bend your hand backward at the wrist.
5. While exhaling bend your hand down at the wrist.
6. Repeat the exercise for at least five times and then do it with the other hand.

These exercises are good for the movement and flexibility of your hands and wrists.

Halasana:

Halasana or the plough pose helps strengthen your spine and abdominal muscles. It increases the flexibility of the spine and nourishes the 31 pairs of spinal nerves.

1. Lie on your back with your legs straight and eyes closed. Let you hands lie on your sides with palms facing the ground.
2. Slowly raise your legs without bending the knees. First raise them to 30 degrees and then further to 90 degrees.
3. Press your hands for support and bring your legs towards your head.
4. Stretch and bend your legs as far as possible and let your toes touch the ground. If you are not able to make your toes touch the ground, then do not force your leg.
5. Stretch them as far as possible.
6. Slowly come back to the initial position.

This pose can cause injury if not performed properly. Those suffering from cervical spondilitis should perform it very carefully. So it is advisable to consult a good yoga instructor before you attempt this pose.

1. Standing poses

These poses are used as warm up or starting point for other poses. Standing poses strengthening your legs and improve your sense of balance.

2. Seated poses

These poses are useful for practicing breathing exercises and relaxation techniques including meditation. These are also used as warm up or starting point for other poses. Seated poses help in improving your posture and concentration.

3. Relaxation and restorative poses

You should always perform relaxation and restorative poses at the end of each yoga session. They are meant for relaxing your body and mind. These poses allow the energy released by other poses to move freely throughout your body.

4. Balancing poses

These poses improve your balance and coordination and develop your ability to remain grounded in a pose. It encourages you to focus and balance your mind.

5. Counter poses

These poses stretch your spine in the opposite direction from a previous pose or return your spine to a neutral position.

6. Inversions

These are the best poses for improving your blood circulation, improve your overall health and calm your mind. It is also believed that inversiond reverse the ageing process and reduce the effect of gravity on your body.

7. Twists

Twists can be performed to stretch and strengthen your back and abdominal muscles. Twists help in increasing the flexibility of your spine and aid in circulation. It also improves the functioning of your internal organs.

8. Forward bends

These poses stretch the entire back of your body. Forward bends release tension, calm your mind and soothe your nervous system. They also keep your spine strong and supple.

9. Back bends

These are one of the most challenging poses in yoga. Bending backwards helps to strengthen your back and keeps your spine strong and supple.