Rheumatoid arthritis can seriously interfere with your quality of life. The disorder causes swelling and pain in your hands and feet, which can prevent you from taking part in even simple pleasures, like gardening, sewing or walking. And while there are effective medications that can help control the symptoms and prevent damage to your joints, they may not always be enough. Luckily, there are some drug-free methods of easing rheumatoid arthritis pain that won't interfere with the medication your doctor prescribed. Take a look at a few ways you can safely fight back against rheumatoid arthritis.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

You've probably heard of omega-3 fatty acids – researchers have found that they help improve brain function and development and prevent heart attacks and certain cancers. What you may not know is that adding more omega-3 fatty acids to your diet can also help control the joint pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Omega-3 fatty acids help because they reduce inflammation, which is what causes your joints to swell and your hands and feet to ache.

Fish oil supplements and foods like whole grains, olive oil, seafood, and fresh vegetables all contain omega-3 fatty acids. It also helps to cut back on foods that contain omega-6 fatty acids, like corn oil, mayonnaise, butter, and pork. Unlike omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids increase inflammation.

Meditation

Many people swear by meditation for stress relief and emotional balance. If those reasons aren't enough for you to give it a try, though, you may be more interested when you learn that meditation can also benefit rheumatoid arthritis sufferers in a few different ways.

One study found that rheumatoid arthritis sufferers who were trained in mindfulness meditation experienced less stress and fatigue than those who didn't have the meditation training. Another study showed mindfulness meditation decreased pain levels by more than 50%. It's free to meditate and you don't have to leave your home to do it, so it's worth a try even if you're skeptical.

Chiropractic Care

Because rheumatoid arthritis attacks your joints, the part of your body that a chiropractor manipulates when you go in for an adjustment, traditional wisdom has warned rheumatoid arthritis sufferers to stay away from the chiropractor. Joint manipulation during an arthritis flare-up could actually make your condition worse. However, chiropractors do more than just manipulations, and there are definitely ways that a chiropractor can help ease your arthritis pain.

Instead of an adjustment, ask your chiropractor about ultrasound therapy or magnet therapy, two effective pain relieving treatments. Your chiropractor can also help by working with you to develop rehabilitative exercises that restore and preserve your range of motion. One company that provides this service is Summit Chiropractic.

Rheumatoid arthritis can be manageable. If you need more help managing your symptoms than your medication can provide, one of these strategies might be your answer. 

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