Winter joints, aches and pain

Is winter joint pain & stiffness getting you down?  Worried about the effects of anti-inflammatories? Before you reach for that prescription, read our article revealing the health secrets of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Ayurvedic Medicine and learn the TOP FIVE things YOU can do at home to alleviate winter joint pain WITHOUT prescription drugs!

Icy winds, heavy rainfall and freezing temperatures are a definite indication that winter has graced us with her presence. With the weather becoming increasingly colder, your body is often affected in ways you never thought possible!  From colds and flu, arthritis, backache, muscle and joint pain, sinus problems and even sadness, the colder months can trigger various health issues. Visiting the doctor usually results in a prescription for anti-inflammatory drugs, which come with a risk of heart disease – and have been shown to actually deteriorate joints further over time – making the problem worse with every year! Yes, it may sound like winter’s curse, but ancient medicine systems like Chinese & Ayurvedic Medicine have known for centuries that winter aches & pains need to be dealt with by SUPPORTING the health of the joints and not making the problem worse with prescription drugs. Read on to discover the TOP FIVE natural strategies YOU can use  to ease winter joints, aches and pain.   

1. Boost your immune system

From the holistic health point of view, nothing is more important than the body’s own natural defense system. Joint health is not just about joints, but about a whole healthy and active person! Especially if you suffer from winter joint pain & stiffness, start by boosting your self-care & strengthening  your immune system by eating healthily, getting enough sleep, regular exercise and reducing stress. Not only will this benefit your joints, but it will also help to prevent winter colds & flu that are so prevalent during this season!

Natural remedies such as Immunity Plus or KiddieBoost for children can also help to boost the immune system, fight infection and act as a general tonic for the body’s system.  

(Tip: If you have not already done so, take a course of BaniFlu - our homeopathic oral flu vaccine)

2. Keep warm

Traditional Chinese Medicine places great importance on the movement of Chi – or body energies – throughout the body, bringing warmth to the organs and other body systems. Cold weather can cause body energy to ‘stagnate’ causing a host of health problems, including joint pain.  Joints and muscles therefore often become stiff and sore with plummeting temperatures. Stay warm by wearing thin layers of clothing made from natural fibres which will retain your body heat and keep blood circulation flowing throughout the body. Taking warm baths will also help to relieve the pain and stiffness of arthritis. Afterwards, massage stiff muscles and joints with pure essential oils for a soothing and relaxing rub-down.

3. Get Moving

Just as warmth increases circulatory health, so does exercise! When our joints are painful and stiff, we tend to avoid movement – which is the worst possible thing to do! Regular activity and gentle exercise is a must to improve joint health and to prevent the stagnation on energy in the joints! Exercise helps to ease sore muscles and joint pain, and increases flexibility.

To avoid the cycle of exercise avoidance, there is also a naturally occurring mineral that is essential for joint health and is like a miracle pain reliever – often even more effective that prescription anti-inflammatories! Believe it or not MAGNESIUM is a wonderful pain reliever – and one of the principle minerals to be found in healing waters like the Dead Sea!

Lifematrix Magnesium Oil Spray with MSM is easily absorbed transdermally (through the skin). Reduces inflammation, joint & muscle pain and increases mobility!

4.  Eat Healthily

In order to prevent and alleviate winter aches and pain, it is essential to eat nutritious foods. Not only does this keep you healthy, but it has many other benefits as well! Ayurvedic  Medicine – used for thousands of years in India, places great emphasis of the use of certain foods to control disease symptoms and restore health. In fact Hippocrates, the so-called father of modern medicine, learnt this when he visited the East – hence the famous quote ‘Let food be your medicine’! 

Choose whole grain foods such as oats, wheat, corn, pulses, and legumes. Winter is the ideal time to eat foods which generate heat in the body and increase blood circulation. Yummy soups, stews, lean meats and fish as well as keeping the body hydrated will help to maintain body temperature.  Keeping the body hydrated is more important that you think so be sure to drink enough water. Liquid keeps the joints lubricated and healthy and if you do not have enough, then joint pain and stiffness is increased!

5. Supplement with vitamins and natural remedies

Ancient medicine systems like Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda recognise the importance of certain herbs in the maintenance of joint health and the relief of pain.  Sore, stiff and aching joints can also be treated with nutritional supplements such as Glucosamine that helps to maintain healthy joint tissue.  In fact, Glucosamine has been scientifically shown to build up joint cartilage, rather than break it down – which is what happens with continued anti-inflammatory use. 

If the pain of arthritis or other joint conditions is making you immobile, natural remedies such as MobiLive helps relieve inflammation and pain, naturally! Organic CBD Oil is also a well-know anti-inflammatory and pain reliever! It helps to improve vitality, reduce inflammation and joint pain!

You can view our entire collection of natural, herbal and homeopathic products to help remedy aches and pains HERE.

If you have any questions, please contact our team or leave a comment below for FREE health advice. We always love hearing from you!