Natural remedies

Post your Osteoarthritis related questions for our experts here.

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by Guest Posts on Thu Oct 05, 2017 1:45 pm

Natural remedies

I have osteo arthritis in my hands and feet but take nothing for it. Can you recommend any natural remedies as l don’t want steroids. I have an hiatus hernia so anti inflammatories are a no go. Carole
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Institute of Osteopathy
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by Institute of Osteopathy on Tue Oct 10, 2017 3:19 pm

Re: Natural remedies

There is a common misconception that arthritis is just something that you have to put up with as you get older and that there is nothing you can do to help yourself except take medication or undergo surgery. In actual fact, nothing could be further from the truth. There are lots of things that you can do to manage the symptoms and take control, you just need to know where to look.

Research shows that becoming more physically active is extremely beneficial for those with arthritis. Strengthening the muscles in the front of the upper leg (the Quadriceps) has been proven to reduce the pain of knee arthritis in many people. Simple stretching exercises can help to improve the flexibility of the joints. A healthy diet is very important and reducing your body weight (if you are a little over weight) can really help with knee and foot pain. If you want to find out more, the charity Arthritis Action (http://www.arthritisaction.org.uk) provides a number of free, factsheets that you might want to try to start off with.

If you feel that you need support from a medical professional, manual therapies such as osteopathy has also been proven to help in many cases, and an occupational therapist that specialises in hand therapy or a biomechanical podiatrist (referral through your GP) may also be able to help.

Matthew Rogers
Head of Professional Development | Registered Osteopath

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