Living with any sort of painful condition isn’t easy. Arthritis can affect all the joints in your body, causing pain and discomfort. While your doctor will prescribe some medications to help you get relief from this pain, you can buy some over the counter remedies too, to provide some additional arthritis relief.
Arthritis relief
Joint pain conditions can affect the flexibility of your joints, making it difficult to stretch bend or even walk. Arthritic pain in your hand can result in stiff fingers and inability to grasp objects without experiencing pain. However, you can learn to manage the pain and still lead an active and productive life. There are many pain relieving products that you can buy easily in drugstores.
Arthritis relief products
Stock your shelf with some or all of the following pain relief products. They can provide different levels of relief.
Salicylates: Salicylates are derived from Salicylic Acid, a naturally occurring compound found in plants. Salicylates are used in beauty and health products as well as in pain relief and anti-inflammatory products. Salicylate products are available in the form of oral drugs as well as topical applications. Salicylate products fall into the category of mild NSAIDs. Topical Salicylates can provide short-term pain relief from acute pain. Some pain relief creams and patches from Sportscreme and Aspercreme use salicylate as the main ingredient.
Counterirritants: These are topical products that use ingredients like menthol, camphor, etc. They do not directly provide pain relief. Instead, these medications, when applied on the skin, create a sensation of heat or coolness. This actually interrupts with the pain signals sent to the brain and can temporarily distract the brain from receiving and processing pain signals. Products like Icy Hot contain menthol and camphor, as active ingredients. Bengay Ultra Strength Cream Contains both counterirritants and salicylates.
Lidocaine: Lidocaine Topical Applications work in a similar way to counterirritants, they disrupt pain signals to the brain. They are used to cause numbness in the specific areas they are used on. Lidocaine products are available in various forms including creams and patches, like the Aspercreme Lidocaine Patch Odor Free. Lidocaine applications should be used with caution—strictly follow the instructions on the product. You should avoid using a hot or cold compress with a lidocaine topical application as this may result in burn injuries to the skin.
Capsaicin: Capsaicin is derived from chili peppers. This compound is responsible for the hot taste in peppers. Capsaicin inhibits the production of a neurotransmitter called substance P. Substance P aids in sending pain signals to the brain. By reducing the amount of this neurotransmitter, capsaicin topical applications can help reduce the perception of pain. Many pain relief products like Capzasin-P and Zostrix contain Capsaicin. Capsaicin can cause irritation and even harm sensitive skin. Do not apply near your eyes. Try them first on a small patch of skin to see if you can tolerate the burning sensation.
All the above type of topical applications can provide pain relief for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. However, they can all have side effects. Consult with your doctor before buying these OTC remedies.