Joint pain is a very common health problem that does not discriminate in age, race or spatial location. Commonly caused by damage or injury to the joint, the cartilage between the two bones often becomes scarce leading to inflammation, which then causes a level of discomfort or pain. It is safe to say that joint pain often attacks us when we least expect it. One night we go to bed feeling fine and the next day we wake up in pain. What should we do when this happens – when the pain strikes us unexpectedly? Here are ten home remedies to eliminate, eradicate and destroy joint pain once and for all.

1. Add Epsom Salt to your bath

This home remedy has been used for some years for a duality of purposes. Epsom salt is composed of magnesium and sulfate which as been shown to help the healing process by aiding in the maintenance of creating a steady blood flow and helping to reduce the stiffness of the body, which is a common symptom of joint pain. When added to a bath, Epsom salt is known to alleviate pain and reduce swelling that is often related to joint pain.

Epsom salt also is known to reduce stress, which is shown to be highly beneficial to someone experiencing joint pain. The simple science is that when you are calm and stress-free, you are more likely to allow your muscles and joints to relax, which intern allows them to receive the much-needed rest that they deserve. Research has shown that compared to someone that is always tense and under a lot of stress, the calm person will be less likely to experience excoriating joint pain.

For this home remedy, simply run a warm bath and add 2 cups of Epsom salt. You can then soak in the tub, relax, meditate, breathe and lower the cortisol level in your body for at least 20 minutes to let the magnesium absorb through your skin and work its magic.

2. Add exercise to your daily routine

If you go a couple of days without exercise, you may seem to notice that your joints begin to ache. Your joints may begin to ache because the synovial gel between your joints starts to lump and thicken. When this gel thickens, your body does not move correctly causing the joint pain that you may be experiencing.

I know this is the last thing on the planet earth that you want to do when you are experiencing joint pain, but the long-term benefits will outweigh the short-term pain that you are experiencing. It has been proven that if you are having bad joint pain, one of the worst things you can do is stay static.

Whether the exercise is from walking your dog or going to the gym, it is essential to incorporate into your daily routine to promote blood circulation to the area. When going to the gym make sure you do exercises that specifically target the affected area so that you can see maximum results.

If you do not want to purchase a gym membership or if the gym simply does not appeal to your lifestyle, you can buy resistance bands at your local superstore like Wal-Mart. A resistance band permits you to target the affected joint specifically and stretch it out. Resistance band training can be done in the comfort of your home sitting in front on the TV.

3. Incorporate probiotics into your diet

It is often the case that when thinking about the benefits of probiotics we immediately turn to gut health. But over the course of the last couple of years, it has been shown that probiotics have numerous benefits other than achieving optimal gut health. Research has shown that probiotics have anti-inflammatory properties that have been known to reduce joint pain. The beneficial bacteria found in probiotics have an impact on inflammation, reducing common biomarkers of inflammation.

In studies completed by scientists, they found that people who have a daily dose of probiotics had significantly lower markers of inflammation as compared to those who did not consume probiotics.

A rich source of probiotics includes yogurt, kefir, tempeh and kombucha. If you are finding that you are not receiving enough probiotics from food sources, then there are dietary supplements on the market available. Healthy foods along with the intake of probiotics supplements can work together to keep joints healthy and the rest of the body in tip-top condition.

4. Get more sleep

Just like your iPhone, your body needs to be recharged every night. Sleeping is your body’s way of recharging and repairing for the next day’s work. If you are not getting enough sleep, your body is not getting the rest it needs for optimal performance.

If you are someone who is only getting a limited amount of sleep or not getting enough high-quality deep sleep, then this could be a contributing factor to your joint pain problem. For your body to heal, you need to be receiving a high-quality 8-hour sleep every night.

High-quality sleep entails that you are in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep for a specific number of hours a night. Consider downloading a sleeping tracking app to your smartphone to determine whether you are attaining high-quality sleep during the night.

If your joint pain is impeding you from obtaining the quality sleep you deserve, visit your doctor to get a sleep aid. He/she can prescribe you the right medication tailored towards you to help you achieve a better night’s rest. If you are seeking a more natural sleep remedy, you can try elevating your legs and aligning your spine by propping a pillow in between your legs. Elevating your legs has been proven to ease compression on the joints allowing for a more restful sleep.

5. Omega 3’s

If you naturally want to reduce inflammation and be pain-free incorporate more essential fatty acids like omega 3’s in your diet. When we consume omega-3 fatty acids, we are feeding various prostaglandin pathways that are anti-inflammatory in nature. By feeding these anti-inflammatory pathways, we are fueling the recovery of our overall joint health. Omega 3 also aids the liver in the process of getting rid of toxic inflammation build-up in your body.

From a dietary standpoint, eating wild-caught salmon, mackerel, and other fatty fish is one of your best options for incorporating Omega 3 into your diet. You can also get omega-3 fat from grass-fed beef; pasture-raised dairy, flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts.

If you simply do not like these foods or feel as if you do not eat them enough, you can always supplement omega 3 in the form of fish, krill or cod liver oil. The most usual Omega 3 supplements are fish oil based. By giving your body the raw materials to manufacture its onboard anti-inflammatory chemicals, fish oil fuels your body’s ability to control inflammation and pain anywhere in the body.

Incorporating omega-3 fatty acids into your diet or lifestyle is a simple natural way to throw your body into fighting mode to combat pain.

6. Turmeric

Turmeric is loaded with benefits for almost every health problem. The operational ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which is most absorbable to our bodies and has been found to be a natural anti-inflammatory. Through research, it has been shown that turmeric treats joint pain just as well, or even better than ibuprofen. Instead of putting dozens of potentially dangerous chemicals into your body with the use of ibuprofen, turmeric is a natural solution to your joint pain problems. Whether you consume turmeric or apply turmeric, it never fails in giving you the best results.

If you are keen on applying turmeric to the affected area you are experiencing joint pain, you can do so by making a thick paste with part oil, water, and turmeric. You are then ready to apply it to the skin where you will leave it on for about half an hour. After about half an hour you can rinse it off with some water and pat your skin dry with a towel.

If you are interested in consuming turmeric, you can mix in some turmeric and a teaspoon of honey to warm milk to achieve the best results. If you are a tea drinker, you can also add a teaspoon to some tea and enjoy. Any of these methods can be done once a day for the best results.

7. Olive oil

Using olive oil in any way possible can help reduce the effects of joint pain to a visible extent. Olive oil can be used for cooking or massage. Any use of olive oil is extremely useful in healing the after-effects of joint pain as it is full of pro-inflammatory enzymes which help to curb the painful pressures of joint pain.

Studies have shown that just 1 and ½ tablespoons of olive oil are equivalent to just 200mg of ibuprofen. This remedy is suitable for someone seeking a natural way to reduce inflammation in his or her joints.

Olive oil is frequently used in medicinal massages in India. Doctors prescribe olive oil massage for the relief of swelling, muscle pain and sprains. You can use ½ cup of the regular extra virgin olive oil that is available in your local grocery store for a full body massage. To decrease the density and enhance the aroma, mix a few drops of essential oil such as rose or lavender.

If you are not keen on rubbing olive oil on your skin, adding olive oil to your cooking routine is easy as pie. When a recipe calls for oil, simply switch out your normal cooking oil for olive oil. You can also cook all of your meat in olive oil as this is a simple way to add this oil to your diet without even compromising the taste of your food. Another delicious way to incorporate this oil into your diet is to dip bread into a mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

8. Stay hydrated

I know this sounds trivial, but an essential part of eliminating joint pain is hydration. When your body is hydrated, it allows for free-flowing nutrients to move through your bloodstream and into your joints. On the contrary, when you are dehydrated, nutrients cannot easily move through your bloodstream causing a lack of nutrients to reach your joints.

Since your body is made up of 90% water, it is essential to stay hydrated at all times. Some simple tips to tell if you are dehydrated are the following: If your pee is yellow or if you press your finger into your skin on your forearm and your arm stays white for a long period, these are all signs that you are dehydrated and need to drink water as soon as possible.

Although drinking an adequate amount of water may not entirely cure your joint pain, it could be a tool to help your body aid in the combat against your joint pain. Think of it like this; you want more soldiers standing with you rather than fighting against you for you to defeat the battle.

The daily recommended dose of water you should be consuming is at least eight glasses. If you are not someone who drinks water or easily become bored of drinking water, you can add flavor droplets to transform the water into a tasty treat.

9. Incorporating more potassium into your diet

Have you ever experienced joint swelling and wondered why this is happening? When you are experiencing joint and tissue swelling this is because you have too much sodium and not enough potassium in your body. As we all know, sodium brings water and nutrients into your cells, while potassium flushes waste, water, and toxins out of your cells. It has been shown that Americans consume ten times too much sodium and only 1/10th of the potassium, which causes your cells to swell up and hold onto water.

As you start to consume foods or do cleanses that are higher in potassium, your body can flush and get rid of the extra fluids in your joints or even reduce things such as cellulite. A great source of potassium can be added to your diet through the consumption of dark leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and seaweed. If you are simply not a fan of eating a whole bunch of greens, creating a smoothie with spinach, yogurt, banana and avocado is a great way to get the recommended daily dose of potassium. There are also potassium supplements that can be bought at your local supermarket and integrated into your daily supplement routine.

10. Cayenne

This herb is known to have some anti-inflammatory properties that are known to aid the human body in the healing process. Born in South America, it’s the active ingredient of capsicum in cayenne that thins your blood and helps your circulatory system deal with inflammation. Capsicum is also known to interfere with the neurotransmitters that send pain signals to our brain. An analogy can be made that capsicum is like the linebackers of a football team who block the opponent players from doing their job. In essence, the capsicum blocks the pathway usually traveled and did not allow the pain signal to reach the brain, therefore reducing or eliminating the level of pain.

If you like the taste of Cayenne, which is a little bit spicy, you can simply add it to your recipes when cooking. If this is not something that appeals to you, a cream can be created that may be applied to your skin. To create the cayenne cream mix, three tablespoons of cayenne powder with 1 cup of oil and heat on the stovetop for about 10 minutes or until everything is melted and evenly mixed. Remove from stove and transfer to a glass container and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes or until cool. The cream is then ready to be applied to your skin where it should stay on for 30 minutes and then be washed off. But beware that you do need to use this cream with caution and wash your hands throughout after application as it can cause extreme pain and irritation of both the eyes and mouth.

Let it be known that you do not have to do all of these remedies in one day. If you simply incorporate one and then try another, you may find that it will set you on a cascade to the future of better overall joint health. You may find that one day you are looking in the mirror and looking back at a person wondering when you became pain-free. Who knows one day you may find that you are out with friends a year from now, and you are teaching somebody that you love and care about that one remedy you adopted in your life has now impacted them. You may find that you have created a ripple effect, and there is no better satisfaction in life than helping others through their pain and suffering.