| Food & Diet

6 Home Remedies for Arthritis in Hands: Relieve Pain in the Wrists and Digits

By Jayton Miller

6 Home Remedies for Arthritis in Hands: Relieve Pain in the Wrists and Digits

Are you feeling the aches in your wrists, knuckles and fingers? Perhaps this is the result of years of typing, texting, finger tutting or whatever. In any case, your hand now aches from even making a fist or holding a pen. Sure, you can find temporary relief in a bottle of ibuprofen, but you need a safe and long-term solution. We recommend home remedies for arthritis in hands. These remedies don’t involve OTC or prescription drugs or costly visits to the chiropractor. We refer to these solutions as home remedies because you can apply them right in the comfort of your living room.

Contents: 

1. Hand Exercises:

Hand Exercise

When there is pain anywhere in the body, the natural reaction is to use that part of the body less. While you certainly don’t want to overexert a sore body part, you still need to give it stimulation and get the blood flowing.

Perform these exercises for about 10 minutes a day. They’re simple activities that you can perform while at the office or engaged in other menial tasks.

  1. Straighten your hand and make a fist. Don’t squeeze.
  2. Straighten your hand and individually curl each finger.
  3. Make an “O” with your hand.
  4. Place your hand palm down flat on the table and individually lift each finger off the surface.
  5. Stretch your wrist by gently pulling it towards the inner part of your forearm.

Perform each exercise for about 10 reps and hold each rep for about five seconds each.

2. Pressure Massage:

Massage

The body contains thousands of pressure points, some of which are located in one location but affect an entirely different area of the body. Pressure massage is one of the best home remedies for arthritis in hands; you don’t need to be a skilled acupuncturist to apply this technique.

To apply pressure massage, start by pinching the tips of each finger and hold for two to three seconds. Repeat the process but this time by squeezing the finger at the sides. Conclude by using your thumb to massage the palm. Start from the center and work your way outwards. When applying pressure, keep the pressure firm but not so much that it hurts.

3. Topical Olive Oil:

Topical Olive Oil

Whenever we do a top food list article for treating ailments X and Y, olive oil frequently makes the list. Studies show olive oil inhibits pro-inflammatory responses. If you’re a long-time UMZU follower, then you know inflammation is a major player in arthritis onset and most diseases for that matter.

READ MORE: Movement is Medicine | A Guide To Moving Better

You can consume olive oil to derive the benefits, but you can also apply it topically as an oil rub. You can use it as is or combine it with a number of herbal oils for inflammation. Apply and rub into your hand. Skin is porous and will absorb the beneficial compounds. You can also massage the oil into your hands using the aforementioned pressure massage technique.

4. Epsom Salt Solution:

Epsom Salt

You may have heard of an Epsom salt bath. What’s so good about this salt? It contains magnesium, a mineral that we have touted in past posts for its amazing testosterone enhancing benefits. Studies also show the mineral attenuates osteoarthritis.

Add Epsom salt into a large bowl of warm water and soak your hand in the solution for 30 minutes every day. This is one of the best natural remedies for inflammation; it loosens stiff muscles and opens up the arteries. You can enhance the solution by adding rock salt or dead sea salt.

5. Hot and Cold Therapy:

Hot And Cold Therapy

We discussed hot and cold therapy as one of the natural remedies for arthritis. However, it bears a second mention because the method especially works well for targeting specific areas. You can alternate between a heat pack and ice pack. Some people, though, find more relief by sticking solely to one method or the other.

LEARN MORE: 14 Hacks To Eliminate Inflammation Naturally

If this is your first time applying any form of hot or cold therapy, then we suggest alternating between the two. This is known as contrast hydrotherapy. The idea is that the constant back and forth adjustment between hot and cold forces the tissue into abrupt metabolic and circulatory activity. In other words, it stimulates the region with minimal stress.

To apply contrast hydrotherapy, alternate between your choice of hot and cold compress. Apply the hot compress for two minutes, followed by one minute of cold. Continue to alternate back and forth for 15 to 20 minutes.

6. Capsaicin Rub:

Capascin

 

We touted the benefits of cayenne peppers in an older post. It turns out this flaming hot spice is also one of the best natural remedies for inflammation. The magic lies in a compound known as capsaicin. This is actually a primary active ingredient in many OTC ointments for external aches. However, we don’t recommend store-bought capsaicin rubs due to unnatural added ingredients. Instead, we suggest making your own, which only requires two ingredients.

Grind a small handful of cayenne peppers until only powder remains. Mix with a teaspoon of olive oil to produce a semi-liquid-solid paste. Apply on your hands and let the solution sit. You may initially feel a slight burn, though your skin will become desensitized in subsequent applications.

Studies show that topical capsaicin is effective for treating neuropathic pain. Another study concluded capsaicin was beneficial for treating arthritis-induced sores.

Explore Home Remedies for Arthritis in Hands:

Hand pain can be crippling; after all, you use your hands daily for the most basic functions. It’s disheartening when a simple activity like using a pair of scissors becomes a monumental task. This is why we advise exploring a number of home remedies; you get pain relief without the risk of side effects. We also recommend natural supplementation like zuRelief for reducing soreness and flare-ups. Whatever your approach, exhaust natural solutions before considering artificial drugs.