Joint pain can affect our ability to perform daily tasks due to the disruption of our joints’ functions. Whether it’s pain that you constantly feel throughout the day or one that just comes and goes away on its own, the feeling is often uncomfortable and one most would not want to experience. If you experience joint pain now and then, knowing the cause of it and how you can relieve it can be useful for pain management.
WHAT IS JOINT PAIN?
Joint pain is commonly experienced in the hands, feet, spine, hips, and knees. Signs and symptoms include joint stiffness, aches, and soreness. Others might even experience a burning, throbbing, or grating sensation. Older adults are more at risk of experiencing these types of joint pains due to the wear and tear of their joints. People with previous injuries and chronic medical conditions, such as arthritis, are also susceptible to joint pains.
THE COMMON CAUSES OF JOINT PAIN
1. OSTEOARTHRITIS
Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis and more likely to develop as we get older. The effects of osteoarthritis in the joints happen slowly over the years. When joints are inflamed or are injured, it results in changes in the bones, and deterioration of the tendons and cartilage. Ultimately, this causes joint pain, swelling, and deformity.
2. RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system doesn’t function properly and attacks the lining of the joints. Symptoms of rheumatism include pain and inflammation, which may manifest in the fingers, hands, wrists, knees, ankles, feet, and toes. Having uncontrolled inflammation in the cartilage can damage it over time, and as a result, your joints may start to deform.
3. INJURIES
Injuries such as sprains and broken bones can also cause joint pain. Severe sprains, in fact, occur when the ligaments tear completely or separate from the bone, which will affect how the joint functions. When this happens, you might feel a tear or pop in your joints. On the other hand, broken bones or fractures can cause post-traumatic arthritis, which is a type of osteoarthritis. This means the injury can cause the joints to become inflamed, resulting in pain and swelling.
4. GOUT
Lastly, there is Gout, which occurs when your body has extra uric acid and produces sharp crystals that form in the big toe or other joints. This is a common form of inflammatory arthritis that results in pain and swelling in one or more joints. The most affected part of the body is the big toe, but it can also be found in other joints, like the ankle, foot, hand, elbow, and wrist.
WAYS TO MANAGE JOINT PAIN BETTER
1. GET ENOUGH EXERCISE
Regular exercise can help with pain management as it keeps your joints flexible and strengthens the muscles around your joints, offering them more support. You don’t have to immediately start with strenuous exercises as they may cause strain in your muscles. Instead, start with low-impact exercises, such as walking, cycling, or Tai Chi.
2. MAINTAIN A HEALTHY DIET
Your diet can also play a significant role in your joint pain. When you regularly consume processed food, saturated fats, and sweets, this may aggravate the inflammation in your joints, increasing pain and swelling. This is because all these foods contain sugar, which triggers the production of free fatty acids in the liver. As the body digests these free fatty acids, the compound it produces can stimulate inflammatory processes.
Instead, it’s recommended that you include more greens in your diet as they provide antioxidants that reduce the inflammation of your joints and eliminate free radicals in your body. Green vegetables like broccoli, for example, are associated with the ability to reduce inflammation. It has components like sulforaphane, which blocks rheumatism development.
3. CONSIDER ACUPUNCTURE
There’s also been promising evidence of use of Acupuncture to relieve joint soreness caused by arthritis. When a professional puts the acupuncture needle into the body, there are several physiological mechanisms happening. It produces a signal that travels along the spinal cord to the brain, which releases neurotransmitters called endorphins and enkephalins that help reduce pain. It can also boost cortisol production, which helps control inflammation. Make sure that when you’re incorporating acupuncture into your pain management plan, you’re getting the help of an experienced professional.
4. PAIN RELIEF MEDICATION & TOPICAL REMEDIES
You can also opt to get over-the-counter pain relief medications to help with your joint pain. The most common medications to relieve sore joints include acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are drugs that help in the treatment of mild to moderate pain that can be caused by arthritis and headaches, among others. They block pain by inhibiting the production of prostaglandin, which is the natural substance in the body that causes inflammation. Make sure that when you opt to take oral medication for your joint pain caused by arthritis, you seek the advice of a health professional.
Another remedy to help with joint pain is topical creams, rubs, and sprays that can be applied to the skin of the affected area. Active ingredients that you should find in your topical remedies include camphor and Capsicum extract, which are known for their pain-relieving properties.
Luckily, you don’t have to look far and wide for topical remedies that have them as active ingredients. You can find them in Tiger Balm products.
WHAT IS TIGER BALM?
Tiger Balm offers a wide range of products designed to help in relieving aches, pains and everyday discomforts. Our aim is to promote health and well-being through the proven practice of oriental wisdom. Tiger Balm products have been in households for over 100 years in almost 100 countries, proving that our renowned ointment has helped many individuals from generation to generation. The signature Tiger Balm ointment has now also expanded to different formulations, such as rubs, ointments and creams, to suit your different needs. Our products have been used to supplement pain relief treatment for arthritis, colds, headaches, and more.
TIGER BALM PRODUCTS THAT RELIEVE SORE JOINTS
In general, Tiger Balm products are great for relieving body aches and pains, but what products are best suited for joint pain? Here are some of the products we recommend:
Tiger Balm Active Muscle Spray – Though typically this is used to soothe pain after strenuous athletic training, you can still use the Tiger Balm Active Muscle Spray for managing joint pain. They’re great for treating hard-to-reach areas and provide optimal relief.
PURCHASE TIGER BALM PRODUCTS FOR BETTER PAIN RELIEF TODAY
For topical products that help relieve joint pain or pain caused by arthritis, get Tiger Balm today. You can now get your favorite rub, ointment, and creams in a retail store near you, or buy them online. If you want more information about our products, feel free to contact us.
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