What does arthritis feel like for you?
For some, they feel constantly stiff and sore. For others, it’s more of a burning sensation that wears them down throughout the day. Either way, the constant pain can make it hard to enjoy life.
Are you wondering how to relieve arthritis pain? Then this article for you. Instead of pushing through your day, you can ease your discomfort with special lotions and sprays.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about topical arthritis pain relief.
What Are Topical Medications?
First, what exactly is a topical medication? When you hear someone is selling a topical arthritis balm, they’re referring to a lotion. It can either be a lotion that you would use to moisturize with or a more oily balm.
The idea is that you’ll be able to apply the topical directly to the area of pain. Next, the healing aspects of the topical absorb through your skin.
Along with lotions and balms, you can also find gels that you can rub over painful joints. In some cases, topicals will also be in the form of a patch or a spray.
What Topical Is Right for You?
How can you choose between getting a topical that you massage into your joints vs. one that you spray on? It all boils down to your personal preference.
Some people don’t like the sensation of massaging the topical into their skin. This is especially true if your joints are tender to the touch. However, others enjoy the increased blood flow you get from massaging the lotion into your skin.
You may find that using a combination of both sprays and lotions works best. You can apply the lotions when you have enough time to generously massage the ointment into your skin. Whereas the sprays are perfect for fast on-the-go applications.
What Makes Topicals Healing?
Now you know that arthritis topical is something that you put directly on your skin. But what is it about these topicals that give them the power to provide relief?
It all has to do with the types of ingredients used. For instance, you could look into getting topicals that are infused with CBD or CRD. Look for topical CBD products that are full or broad spectrum. It’s okay if there are minuscule amounts of THC, such as less than 1%.
However, if the THC amounts are too high, you could wind up feeling a change in your mental state. To keep the focus on changing your physical state, and relieving pain, stick to pure CBD topicals.
Topicals With Essential Oils
Did you know that essential oils could help relieve your pain? Some of the best essential oils include rosemary, eucalyptus, peppermint, and of course, lavender. Lavender is one of our favorite essential oils because it can do so much.
When you buy an arthritis topical that’s infused with lavender, you’ll be helping your body reach a more relaxed state. This is because lavender is a multi-purpose essential oil. In addition to producing states of calm, lavender also has pain-relieving properties.
We suggest using the lavender-infused topical before you go to bed. The calming effect will help you get a better night’s sleep, so you can wake up feeling your best.
When you wake up, try using an arthritis topical that’s infused with peppermint. Peppermint has a fun, energizing effect. All it takes is one good whiff of true peppermint oil, and you’ll instantly feel peppy and ready to go.
Counterirritants Provide Pain Relief for Arthritis
Now you know that CBD and essential oils are commonly found in arthritis topicals. However, not every manufacturer takes the same approach. Instead, some topical arthritis companies prefer to use ingredients such as anesthetics and counterirritants.
Anesthetics include ingredients such as lidocaine. You can find lidocaine arthritis topicals as a gel, cream, spray, and patch. The numbing effect of lidocaine helps your joints move with ease.
Not to mention, you’ll feel a whole lot better since you won’t be feeling constant pain sensations. Another great ingredient to look into is capsaicin. If you’ve ever enjoyed the burn of chili pepper, then you experienced capsaicin.
Capsaicin creams have a special way of communicating with your nerve cells. By depleting your nerve cells of the chemical that sends pain messages, you can finally start to feel relief!
What are counterirritants all about? They’re substances like menthol. Counterirritants create a hot and cold sensation on your skin, and deep within your joints. The mixture of temperatures can help override your body’s mood.
Body Moods
Your body cares so much about letting you know when it doesn’t feel well. When you’re in pain, you get constant reminders that you’re in a state of discomfort. This is your body’s way of trying to tell you it needs help!
The hot and cold sensations of substances like menthol help mix up the signals. Instead of staying in a painful state, your body starts to wonder what’s going on. Before you know it, with the right breathing techniques, you can override the pain signals.
Topical Arthritis Pain Relief Application Tips
How can you be sure you’re using topical arthritis pain relief, the right way? For starters, you’ll want to read the instructions that come on the products label. Each manufacturer will have its own approach for helping you get the best results.
However, as a general rule of thumb, you’ll always want to clean the area you’re about to apply a topical on. Thoroughly clean your skin and make sure it’s well rinsed. The last thing you want is any soap residues getting in the way from the ointment absorbing through your dermal layers.
After cleaning and drying your skin, generously apply the topical. Usually, more is better. Finally, plan on applying the topical more than once a day.
For extreme arthritis pain, you might need to apply it every other hour or more. Again, follow the directions on the product, and you’ll be good to go.
Enjoying the Best Topical Pain Relief
Now you know the ins and outs of what topical arthritis pain relief is all about. There’s plenty of choices out there for you to choose from, so you can customize your experience. We suggest looking for topicals with ingredients such as lavender, topical CBD, or menthol.
Go ahead and start looking online at the different types of topicals, and decide which one would best suit your lifestyle. Remember, if you’re always on the go, a spray might be the most convenient application method. If you like this article, then you’ll love the rest of our blog; take a look.
