Living with any type of arthritis is painful, debilitating, and frustrating. You miss out on a lot of the physical activities you used to love. This condition can even make it harder to keep up with children and grandchildren.
Your long-term health is worth fighting for. When it comes to osteoarthritis pain management treatments, it’s important to know your options. Here are some pain relief methods to try when managing your osteoarthritis over time.
How Osteoarthritis Develops and Becomes So Painful
The joint pain and inflammation alone can keep you off your feet for days. Along with severe pain, osteoarthritis also causes damage to your cartilage and joints, affecting your mobility and activity levels.
Cartilage Breakdown Leads to Joint Pain
If you’ve dealt with osteoarthritis pain, you might wonder what led you to develop this condition. The root cause of osteoarthritis is cartilage degradation. This means that the rubbery cushion between your bones starts to thin and eventually wear away entirely.
When your joints no longer have adequate cushioning or support between them, they start to rub together. This leads to inflammation, irritation, and intense pain. As the bones rub together, they also break down and lose some of their function.
Risk Factors for Developing Osteoarthritis
There is no single universal cause of osteoarthritis. Certain risk factors can increase your chances of developing this condition. If you have multiple risk factors at once, your chances are even higher.
Some risk factors for developing osteoarthritis include:
These risk factors don’t guarantee you will develop osteoarthritis, but they do play large roles in this condition.
Continuous Inflammation and Discomfort
Osteoarthritis can feel like a never-ending cycle. Once your joints start grinding against one another, you develop inflammation, which leads to even more pain and discomfort.
Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications may not resolve your pain, and they certainly don’t treat the root cause of it. In order to experience osteoarthritis relief, you need to prevent the inflammation from occurring in the first place.
At-Home Remedies and Lifestyle Changes
You may be able to control your osteoarthritis pain with lifestyle modifications. This means changing how you move, eat, sleep, and respond to stress in your daily life. Try these at-home therapies and improvements if you want to take the natural pain treatments for osteoarthritis.
Flexibility and Mobility Exercises
You must be careful when exercising with osteoarthritis. Some high-impact activities can make your pain worse. However, strength training, conditioning, and mobility exercises can improve your condition.
Certain stretches and gentle movements can help support your joints and reduce the burden on your bones. This ultimately leads to reduced pain and more mobility over time.
Cold Therapy
Cold temperatures can help reduce inflammation and swelling near your joints. This is because cold conditions trigger a restrictive mechanism in your blood vessels, reducing the blood and fluid supply to the affected areas. If you struggle with inflamed cartilage and joints, cold therapy might be just what you need.
Try applying an ice pack or sitting in an ice bath (with a doctor’s approval) for up to 20 minutes. It’s best to alternate cold and hot applications for the best results.
Heat Therapy
Similar to cold therapy, heat therapy works by changing the blood flow around your inflamed joints and cartilage. Heat opens up your blood vessels, allowing more blood and fluid to reach the affected area. This can supply oxygen, nutrients, and regenerative compounds to your joints.
Alternate applications of hot and cold compresses, using each for up to 20 minutes. You should experience a temporary reduction in swelling and discomfort.
Rest and Sleep
Getting plenty of rest is essential for restoring your joint and cartilage health. Your body needs sleep to rebuild damaged tissues and relieve pain effectively. If your pain is debilitating, try resting the affected area for a few days and catching up on some much-needed shut-eye.
Natural Joint Pain Treatments
From acupuncture to massage, many patients benefit from alternative pain relief therapies. If you want to avoid over-the-counter drugs, these natural pain treatments might be right for you.
Therapeutic Massage
You can perform self-massages at home or go to a licensed professional for these services. Either way, massage has been shown to improve blood circulation to injured areas and relieve some pain and discomfort. You may even notice improvements in your mobility after a restorative massage.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture uses tiny needles to activate trigger points in your body and release tension and pain. Some patients have experienced noticeable improvements in their osteoarthritis pain after regular acupuncture treatments. Contact an acupuncturist to see if this therapy is right for you.
Regenerative Medicine: Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoarthritis Pain
Stem cell therapy is a drug-free alternative you can use to treat your osteoarthritis pain. The potential healing properties of your body’s “blank cells” may lead your joints and cartilage to strength and health again.
How Stem Cells May Relieve Your Pain
Stem cells can be programmed to develop into almost any kind of cell your body needs. In osteoarthritis patients, this means turning them into cartilage tissue.
Stem cells may be able to regenerate damaged soft tissues around your joints, leading to more comfortable movements. This can help you regain some mobility and experience lower pain levels over time.
Low Risk of Side Effects
When you’re dealing with debilitating joint pain, the last thing you want is painful side effects from the treatment you’ve chosen. Stem cell therapy is known for its high safety profile since it uses human cells to regenerate damaged tissues. This means there’s little to no risk of adverse reactions.
Stem cell treatments are fast, generally safe, and potentially very effective at treating osteoarthritis pain. If you want to try a new avenue for joint pain relief, consider regenerative medicine.
Tackle Your Arthritis Pain Your Way
You have the final say in how you treat your osteoarthritis pain. Whether you opt for natural at-home remedies or test out regenerative medicine, what’s important is that you have choices. Take control of your health and mobility again with these pain management treatments for osteoarthritis.
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 422 million people worldwide have diabetes. Numerous studies have demonstrated that people with diabetes are at an increased risk of developing both acute and chronic pancreatitis, which increases the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
Considering the lack of effective therapeutic options for pancreatitis and the limited treatment options for diabetes, researchers have recently turned to the potential of using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as alternative therapeutic treatment options for these conditions.
In this review, Scuteri and Monfrini evaluate the different uses of MSCs for both the treatment of diabetes and the reduction of diabetes-related disease development.
According to the authors, MSCs offer several advantages, including the ability to be isolated from different tissues in a simple way, the ability to be easily harvested and expanded in vitro, and the absence of ethical problems associated with harvesting and use.
In addition, MSCs demonstrate the ability to differentiate, release soluble factors, and migrate toward lesions and sites of inflammation. Considering that inflammation and apoptosis are significant etiopathological factors of diabetes and pancreatitis, Scuteri and Monfrini indicate that MSCs are excellent candidates for regenerative medicine purposes.
In the case of MSCs and diabetes, research has demonstrated that differentiation of MSCs into insulin-releasing cells has been demonstrated in vitro after direct contact with pancreatic islets; the release of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant factors has improved the engraftment and prolonged the survival of transplanted pancreatic islets; and inhibited the apoptotic pathways triggered by endoplasmic reticulum stress in transplanted pancreatic islets. In analyzing this research, the authors conclude that the potential exists for the safe and effective use of MSCs for treatment of diabetes.
Although there has been growing interest in exploring the potential of MSCs on pancreatitis, there have only been a few studies exploring this therapeutic option. In these studies, the presence of MSCs was observed to reduce fibrosis and parenchymal damage by reducing proinflammatory factor expression.
In regard to MSCs and pancreatic cancer, since diabetes and pancreatitis are risk factors for the development of pancreatic cancer and considering MSCs have been found to hold potential as a therapeutic option for these diseases, using MSCs to interrupt the flow of factors leading to the development of pancreatic cancer should lower the incidence of diabetes-related pancreatic cancers.
The authors conclude that MSCs are a very promising therapeutic option for the treatment of diabetes, pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four million adults in the United States have fibromyalgia. It’s an often-misunderstood condition that leads to systemic joint and muscle pain, along with fatigue, making daily life very difficult. To deal with the pain the condition causes, it’s important to understand why it occurs. Learn more about fibromyalgia and your pain management options.
What Is Fibromyalgia? Symptoms and Causes
Fibromyalgia is a condition that leads to pain and tenderness all over the body. It’s a chronic condition, though symptoms tend to come and go. During flare-ups, the pain can be significant enough to interfere with daily life while also affecting sleep, leading to mental and physical distress.
During a flare-up, you can experience:
Fatigue
Pain
Headaches
Face and jaw pain
Bladder control issues
Digestive problems
Insomnia
It’s not clear what causes fibromyalgia, but scientists have found that certain conditions, as well as stress, can trigger it. You are also more likely to have this condition if you have a relative who suffers from it. Women are twice as likely as men to develop it.
People living with conditions like arthritis, depression, anxiety disorders, and irritable bowel syndrome are more likely to develop fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia can affect people of all ages, including children, but it’s more common in those who are middle-aged.
Diagnosing Fibromyalgia
If you’re experiencing symptoms, your doctor will likely perform a physical exam and discuss your medical history. There’s no test that can officially diagnose fibromyalgia, so your doctor will do what’s called a differential diagnosis — a kind of investigation that functions via a process of elimination.
Your doctor may order blood work to check hormone levels and look for signs of inflammation to help eliminate other diseases.
During the physical examination, your doctor will likely check for the presence or absence of tender spots by using light pressure.
Most of the time, if you have generalized pain that lasts for three months or more without any other underlying conditions, you’ll receive a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. The pain has to be spread throughout your body to get this diagnosis.
Treating Fibromyalgia: What You Can Expect
There isn’t one treatment that works for everyone. Usually, your doctor will try a number of different options, combining them to offer the most effective results.
Your provider will likely treat the condition depending on the symptoms you’re currently experiencing. There are stages of treatment, though these aren’t treatment plans that can be followed in order because the condition can affect you differently during every flare-up.
Exercise to Loosen Muscles
In some cases, turning to physical exercises, including stretching, can help loosen your muscles and ease some of the discomfort.
Low-impact exercises like walking and swimming help build flexibility that can improve your movement during flare-ups while simultaneously helping manage pain with the release of endorphins they stimulate. Exercise may also help you get better sleep.
Medications for Symptom Management
Over-the-counter medications can help manage pain, as can narcotics, though your doctor will prescribe these with care since they can lead to dependence.
Antidepressants can often also help the process, easing some of the fatigue and pain. For those who have trouble sleeping because of fibromyalgia, sleeping aids are often a good choice.
Heat and Cold Therapy for Milder Pain
In some cases, heat and cold therapy is also effective in managing some symptoms, especially if they’re mild. Alternating hot and cold packs helps the muscles release some of the tension that could be causing pain.
Occupational Therapy for Everyday Tasks
Turning to an occupational therapist is a great way of finding out how to restructure your life when you experience flare-ups. This type of therapist can help make adjustments to your work areas while also helping you find better ways of performing certain tasks so that you experience fewer symptoms.
Massage and Acupuncture to Improve Range of Motion
Massage therapy is a trusted technique. It relies on the manipulation of your muscles and soft tissues, increasing blood flow and improving range of motion while helping reduce pain. For many, it helps relieve stress, too, which can impact the severity of the symptoms.
Acupuncture is also helpful, with the needles affecting blood flow levels and even how certain neurotransmitters in the brain work.
Lifestyle Changes for Flare-Up Reduction
Making changes to your everyday life is an important way of helping minimize the symptoms of flare-ups, so try to incorporate some into your daily life. The right options can depend on your preferences. Some people turn to meditation, while others prefer to do breathing and mindfulness exercises.
The variety of treatments available include platelet-rich plasma therapy and stem cell therapy, which uses mesechymal stem cells to reduce inflammation and help calm the immune system. This makes it possible to better handle symptoms when you do have a flare-up.
Stem cell therapy is easy to combine with other treatment options and doesn’t require a long recovery period or the stress of dealing with side effects. Stem cell therapy and other regenerative medicine options help treat the underlying triggers like inflammation, so you’re not just covering symptoms with medications.
Living With Fibromyalgia
It can seem daunting to live with a chronic condition like fibromyalgia, but with some lifestyle changes and an understanding of what triggers your flare-ups, as well as a combination of treatments, you can better manage the condition.
If you’re dealing with fibromyalgia, ask your doctor whether an option like stem cell therapy and other regenerative medicine treatments can help.
Choosing options that target inflammation and trying to get to the underlying cause of the problem instead of only masking the symptoms can make it possible to live a happy and healthy life with fibromyalgia. To learn more about pain management for Fibromyalgia visit our website or contact us now!
Living with osteoarthritis pain can be debilitating. You might feel barred from activities you previously enjoyed. With osteoarthritis, everything feels more difficult, including playing with your grandkids, enjoying sports, and walking in nature.
Addressing osteoarthritis pain involves a combination of lifestyle changes, modern scientific therapies, and medications. Here are some of the ways you can get relief from the pain and discomfort osteoarthritis brings to your life.
The Root Cause of Osteoarthritis
Arthritis is an inflammatory joint condition that currently has no cure. If you have osteoarthritis, your body experiences cartilage degeneration. This means the spongy tissue that connects your bones together is starting to break down.
Bone Friction and Damage
When enough cartilage is lost, the friction of your bones rubbing together causes pain, inflammation, and discomfort. Your ligaments start to stretch in painful, unhealthy ways.
Osteoarthritis operates in two ways. Cartilage breakdown causes bone friction, which increases your pain levels. Bone friction also causes serious bone damage that worsens your pain.
Because of these stressors, osteoarthritis pain can be debilitating. This condition can be progressive, getting worse as your joints and ligaments become stressed due to lack of cartilage. If you get proper treatment, however, you may get rid of your symptoms altogether.
There are a few risk factors for developing osteoarthritis. With proper treatment, you can go into remission and experience far fewer painful symptoms.
Who Gets Osteoarthritis?
What causes your cartilage to break down in the first place? The answer is more complex than you might expect. Some people are more susceptible to joint and cartilage damage than others.
Older Adults
Age is a major risk factor for developing osteoarthritis. Patients who are 40 or older are more likely to develop this condition.
Throughout your life, your joints and connective tissues experience “wear and tear,” and the effects accumulate as you age. This can create problems with your cartilage’s structural integrity, eventually leading to osteoarthritis. It makes sense that aging adults experience higher rates of this inflammatory health condition.
People With Sudden Injuries
You may develop osteoarthritis if you’ve experienced a sports injury or sudden joint impact. Injuries can harm the cartilage that connects your joints, increasing your risk of developing this condition.
If you’re an older adult who played sports in your younger years, you may notice symptoms of osteoarthritis popping up as you age. Car crash victims and people with traumatic joint injuries are also vulnerable.
Obese Patients
Obesity raises your risk for this degenerative disorder. The more extra fat you carry, the more stress and pressure your joints experience. Over time, excess body weight can break down connective tissues in your knees, legs, and feet.
Since osteoarthritis is an inflammatory condition, being obese can exacerbate the symptoms. If you eat a poor diet full of processed foods and refined sugars, your body is more vulnerable to inflammation. These conditions make osteoarthritis symptoms even more debilitating.
How to Get Relief from Osteoarthritis Pain
The joint pain and discomfort that come with osteoarthritis can impair your daily life. If you like to be active and move around a lot, this disease may force you to change your lifestyle. Luckily, you have options when it comes to osteoarthritis pain relief.
From over-the-counter pain medications to natural holistic remedies, there’s no shortage of osteoarthritis pain relief. You can choose what works best with your personal preferences and lifestyle.
Pharmaceutical Treatments
Most physicians recommend over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs to manage osteoarthritis pain. If you have debilitating discomfort, some doctors will prescribe stronger pain medication. These treatments are usually intended for short-term use.
While medication covers up the pain you’re experiencing, it doesn’t solve the underlying problem. You likely won’t get long-term relief from medication alone.
Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cell treatments for osteoarthritis may reduce inflammation and pain over time. This evidence-based therapy uses special “blank” cells to regenerate damaged tissues. Since osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition, stem cell therapy is a potentially effective solution to cartilage breakdown.
Stem cells come from the human body. These treatments are completely drug-free and use the natural powers of your body’s wound-healing process. Patients who seek stem cell therapy for osteoarthritis may notice significant improvements in their comfort levels after a few weeks.
Specialized Massage
Massages can help improve blood flow to the affected areas. As a result, massage therapy may be a good supplemental tool for relieving osteoarthritis pain.
Many people experience better mobility after a few massage therapy sessions. A massage therapist specializing in osteoarthritis pain relief can help you feel more comfortable and mobile in your daily life.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a holistic solution for joint pain osteoarthritis causes. Patients from different backgrounds and with various health problems have experienced pain relief from acupuncture. This therapy uses tiny needles to relax your muscles and redirect your brain’s pain signals.
Acupuncture should be used as a supplement to other types of therapy. It can provide short-term relief, but much like medication, it doesn’t treat the root cause of your osteoarthritis pain.
Lifestyle Changes
Lifestyle changes offer effective, natural solutions to your daily discomfort. Nutrition, weight, sleep, and stress management all play large roles in osteoarthritis pain relief.
Your body needs the right nutrients to control inflammation and accelerate wound healing. You also need plenty of sleep and stress management to maintain a healthy body. Any or all of these factors can improve or worsen your osteoarthritis pain.
As a rule of thumb, you should prioritize:
Healthy weight management
Good nutrition
Sleep quality and quantity
Stress relief
Gentle daily exercise
These lifestyle factors will all help your body recover from osteoarthritis attacks. You may be able to prevent the inflammation from getting worse by improving these areas of your life.
Experience Osteoarthritis Pain Relief to Enjoy Healthy Movement Again
You’re understandably ready to get back to doing what you love. Managing your osteoarthritis pain doesn’t have to take over your life. Live a healthy lifestyle as you consider different therapies and treatments to take the edge off of your joint pain.
Your body is generally very good at telling what’s a foreign invader, like a virus or bacteria, and what’s not — but sometimes, it gets it wrong.
If you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system has begun to associate parts of your body, like your skin or joints, as foreign. When this occurs, the body releases antibodies that attack those healthy cells.
Essentially, your immune system overreacts. That’s what leads to autoimmune diseases. There are many of these kinds of illnesses, but some are much more common than others.
1. Rheumatoid Arthritis: Attacking Your Joints
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which your immune system attacks the joints throughout your body. It attacks the joints on both sides of your body and leads to uncontrolled inflammation that damages cartilage. The joints can begin to deform, and your bones can even erode.
You can experience symptoms like:
Pain, stiffness, and swelling in joints
Fatigue
Fever
Weakness
With rheumatoid arthritis, you can have periods of remission when you have few to no symptoms, but these are followed by flare-ups.
2. Type One Diabetes: Targeting Insulin-Producing Cells
Your pancreas produces a hormone called insulin, which regulates your blood sugar levels. If you have type one diabetes, your immune system attacks the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin. You can experience symptoms like:
Extreme thirst
Fatigue
Blurred vision
Frequent urination
Weight loss
Vaginal yeast infections
Slow healing of sores and cuts
Type one diabetes has a strong genetic component, and there may be certain environmental factors, like viruses or toxins, that can also trigger the disease if you have a predisposition.
3. Multiple Sclerosis: Damaging Myelin Sheaths
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that damages the coating that surrounds nerve cells. These are called myelin sheaths, and if they’re damaged, the transmission speed of messages between your brain and your spinal cord can be delayed.
You can experience symptoms like:
Muscle weakness
Numbness
Changes to your vision
Loss of balance
Mood changes
Trouble with cognitive function
You can experience remission periods in which you may not have any symptoms.
4. Psoriasis: Leading Skin Cells to Multiple Too Quickly
Usually, skin cells grow and then die off and shed. Psoriasis causes cells to multiply too rapidly, leading to the formation of patches. People who have lighter skin tones can have patches that appear red with white plaque scales, while on darker skin tones, the patches can appear purple or dark brown with gray scales.
It can cause symptoms like:
Raised areas of thick skin
Rashes
Flaky or scaly plaque
There are a few types of psoriasis, with some appearing in your skin folds and some even causing pus-filled bumps.
5. Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Swelling in the Intestinal Wall
Inflammatory bowel disease causes the lining of the intestinal wall to swell. Different parts of your gastrointestinal tract are affected depending on where the inflammation is located.
Symptoms include:
Abdominal pain
Anemia
Malnutrition
Weight loss
Rectal bleeding
Fecal incontinence
One type of inflammatory bowel disease is Crohn’s disease, which can cause inflammation anywhere along the tract, from your mouth to your anus. Ulcerative colitis, however, affects the lining of the large intestine and rectum. Microscopic colitis causes inflammation that can only be seen via a microscope.
6. Lupus: Causing Inflammation Throughout Your Body
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes your immune system to attack your entire body. Common symptoms include:
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Swollen glands
Hair loss
Fever
Rashes
Blood clots
Confusion
There are a few types of lupus, including lupus that only affects your skin and medication-induced lupus.
7. Graves’ Disease: Overworking Your Thyroid
This type of immune disease attacks your thyroid gland, leading it to produce too many hormones. This can lead you to experience symptoms like:
Fast heartbeat
Unintentional weight loss
Goiter
Heat intolerance
Some people who have this condition can experience symptoms that affect the skin or eyes.
8. Addison’s Disease: Impacting the Adrenal Glands
Addison’s disease is a chronic condition in which your adrenal glands don’t produce enough cortisol and aldosterone. Cortisol is a hormone that helps your body respond to stress while also helping you maintain blood pressure, heart function, and more. Aldosterone is a hormone that controls your body’s sodium and potassium levels.
You can experience symptoms like:
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Patches of dark skin
Fatigue that gets progressively worse
Loss of appetite
Dehydration
Some people also experience low blood sugar levels with the disease.
9. Sjögren’s Disease: Causing Dry Eyes and Mouth
This illness occurs when your immune system attacks the glands that create moisture in your mouth, eyes, and other parts of your body. There is primary Sjögren’s disease, which occurs on its own, and secondary Sjögren’s disease, which happens when another condition triggers the disease.
You can experience symptoms like:
Dry nose and frequent nosebleeds
Vaginal dryness
Dry and itchy eyes
Dry throat
Some people also experience muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, and even trouble swallowing.
10. Celiac Disease: Attacking the GI Tract
People who have Celiac disease can’t have gluten, which is a protein found in rye, wheat, and other grain products. If you have this disease, your immune system reacts to any gluten it finds in the small intestine, leading to inflammation. You can experience symptoms like:
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Abdominal bleeding
Constipation
Because your immune system attacks your gut if you eat gluten, it doesn’t allow you to receive the nutrients you need. People may experience nutritional deficiencies that can cause many other symptoms.
Managing Autoimmune Diseases with Regenerative Medicine
Most autoimmune conditions can be managed. One of the most promising options, especially when combined with other treatments, is regenerative medicine.
Regenerative medicine options like stem cell therapy harness your body’s natural healing mechanisms. They can help reduce inflammation, which plays a huge role in most autoimmune diseases. With less inflammation, blood circulation improves, bringing more nutrients and oxygen to the affected areas.
To determine whether regenerative medicine is a good choice to help manage your autoimmune conditions, consult with your doctor.
Your muscles contract and relax throughout the day. These natural muscle movements assist in musculoskeletal control, but what happens when there’s too much tension in your muscles? Extreme muscle contractions can lead to neck and shoulder pain, especially if you’re under a lot of stress. If you can feel a hard, inflamed spot in your shoulders, you may be dealing with a painful shoulder knot. Here’s what you can do to relieve that bothersome muscle tension.
Relieve Your Shoulder Knot with a Deep Tissue Massage
Massage therapists are trained in releasing tight muscle knots. If you’re dealing with a persistent shoulder knot, consider getting a deep tissue massage. It can be difficult to reach your shoulders by yourself at the depths you need, so going to a licensed massage therapist is best.
Deep tissue massages relax the deepest layers of your muscles. They may feel uncomfortable in the moment, but afterward, you’ll experience intense muscle relaxation.
Self-Massage Techniques
If you can’t get to a massage therapist, use a hard ball (like a baseball) to work the tension out of your shoulders. You can do this by placing the ball between your shoulders and a wall and pressing into the ball with your body weight.
Alternatively, you can use a vibrating massage tool to work the tension out of your shoulders. Ask a friend or partner for help if you can’t reach the knot with the instrument.
Alternate Hot and Cold to Reduce Inflammation
Tense shoulder knots are usually inflamed, which leads to redness and soreness in the area. To relieve inflammation, alternate between hot and cold exposure. Use a heating pad for 10 to 20 minutes, then replace it with an ice pack for the same amount of time.
Alternating between heat and cold reduces swelling in your body. When you apply heat, your muscles relax, and blood flows to the area. After you apply a cold compress, your blood vessels constrict, which helps relieve painful inflammation in your shoulders.
You may find that this releases the shoulder knot on its own. However, most people must try other therapies to fully get rid of tense muscle knots.
Reduce Stress and Clear Your Mind
It might sound counterproductive to focus on your mental health while you’re experiencing physical pain. However, shoulder knots often form because of stress. If you carry psychological stress in your neck and shoulders, your muscles are more likely to tense up and create knots.
Try different stress relief techniques to reduce tension and allow your muscles to fully relax. You can try a hot bath, journaling, meditation, and yoga.
Stretch Your Shoulders and Neck
As you’re doing yoga to try to relax, opt for some deep neck and shoulder stretches. Always pay attention to your comfort levels as you do this. Stretches shouldn’t hurt, although you may experience mild soreness from the shoulder knot.
Use a yoga block if you need extra support, relax your muscles, and allow the stretches to gently pull your shoulder muscles out of the painful knot.
Trigger Point Therapy
Your body has specific spots that carry muscle tension and tightness. These are called trigger points. Pressing on trigger points may relax the muscles that are creating your shoulder knot. You can visit an acupuncturist or press your trigger points yourself.
Everyone’s body is different, but there are some widely recognized trigger points along your back and neck. Pressing these may relax your shoulder muscles and get rid of the inflamed knot.
The back of your neck and several spots along your spine contain trigger points. Experiment with safe amounts of pressure to see which ones feel relaxing to your shoulder muscles. You may need a friend or partner to help you press these trigger points.
Another way to put pressure on trigger points is to use an acupressure mat. These mats contain small plastic spikes that press into your muscles and relieve tension over time. Laying on an acupressure mat can produce similar benefits to acupuncture and trigger point therapy.
Medication: Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers
If you’ve tried everything and your shoulder knot is still causing you pain, you can try over-the-counter medication. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are affordable and work to reduce inflammation throughout your body. With less inflammation in your shoulders, you could experience blissful pain relief.
The downside to this method is that the pain relief is temporary. Once the over-the-counter medication wears off, you’ll have to take another dose to experience relief. Medication can help for short periods, but it’s best to address the underlying cause of your muscle knots to get rid of them for good.
Reduce Inflammation and Muscular Pain With Stem Cell Treatments
Sports injuries, orthopedic problems, and musculoskeletal conditions can all lead to muscle knots and pain. Stem cell therapy assists in reducing inflammation and relieving discomfort so you can experience a better quality of life.
Stem cells can form into almost any type of specialized body cell. This adaptability means they play a key role in regenerating damaged tissues, which can help people with sports injuries and other muscular problems.
If you experience chronic inflammation and pain, stem cell therapy offers a drug-free alternative for you to try. These treatments often use your own stem cells, so there’s minimal risk of adverse side effects. Alternatively, you may use donor stem cells.
Prevent and Treat Shoulder Knots and Muscle Tension
Your muscles can form knots for many different reasons. What’s important is addressing the root causes of your chronic inflammation and muscle pain.
No matter what path you choose, it’s important to reduce mental stress and keep your body healthy. Gentle physical activity can improve your mobility and reduce your chances of developing muscle knots in the future.
If at-home techniques and treatments aren’t working, you may need a more advanced solution, like regenerative medicine. Consider what works best for you and work toward a pain-free life.
This website and its contents are not intended to treat, cure, diagnose, or prevent any disease. Stemedix, Inc. shall not be held liable for the medical claims made by patient testimonials or videos. They are not to be viewed as a guarantee for each individual. The efficacy for some products presented have not been confirmed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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