Medical professionals are slowly coming around to the fact that drugs aren’t always the best option for treating pain. This shift in mindset has led to many changes. One of these is that more natural remedies are being prescribed for arthritis patients. 

In part, this shift is the result of the opioid epidemic going on in America. The Department of Health and Human Services reports that more than 10 million Americans misused opioids in 2019. Unfortunately, many of these people likely include the 15% of osteoarthritis patients who one study reports use opioids daily. 

Physical therapists can help osteoarthritis sufferers find natural remedies that can help reduce and manage their pain. 

Physical therapists often recommend these three natural remedies for arthritis:

1. Walking — Most people don’t understand how beneficial walking can be to people who have arthritis. For one thing, walking moves the leg joints through their natural range of motion. 

It also helps encourage the body to make more lubricating fluid in the painful joints. Additionally, a research study shows that every 1,000 steps knee osteoarthritis patients walk led to a 16% decrease in their functional limitation. 

2. Strength training — Another organic remedy that physical therapists often use for arthritis is strengthening exercises. The exercises used to help you can be targeted to the specific muscles that support your painful joints. Increasing the strength of these muscles helps reduce the stress they endure, which can decrease your pain. 

3. Morning stretching — An arthritic joint that doesn’t move for a while tends to be stiffer and more painful. Unfortunately, most people don’t move their joints while they’re sleeping. 

This means arthritic joints can be more painful and stiff when you first get up in the morning. Physical therapists can help you address this morning stiffness and pain naturally with personalized morning stretching routines. 

Continuum Wellness offers proven, natural remedies for arthritis

Are you looking for research-backed, natural remedies for your arthritis? Our team at Continuum Wellness can help you find just what you’re searching for. 

We can start by doing a free screening to determine how advanced your arthritis is. Then, our physical therapists will build you an individualized therapy plan. This plan will be designed to reduce pain using natural treatments like: 

• Therapeutic exercise
• Manual therapy
• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)
• Dry needling
• At-home care
• Virtual therapy

Contact our team today for more information about how we can help you treat arthritis naturally or to schedule an initial appointment to begin treating your arthritis.