Arthritis is a very painful disease. It can affect every bone in your body and the pain can be excruciating. The alternative most of the time is heavy doses of pain pills which have their own side effects. These side effects can sometimes be just as bad as the pain itself so many arthritis sufferers try hard to find other means of dealing with their affliction. Over the counter medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen have been found to alleviate some of the pain but too much of either one can lead to severe stomach conditions.

One way to assuage arthritis is by using the tried and tested hot and cold method. I know my aunt uses this quite often. She uses a heating pad on her back every day and follows it with a cold compress. She says that helps her a lot. The heat increases blood flow and loosens your joints and the cold relieves pain. This can be done once a day or several times a day. The best thing about this method is you don’t have to worry about side effects. This is not going to prevent your arthritis from flaring up again but it will at least give you some relief.