Musculoskeletal Pain Remedies, Arthritis, Joint Swelling, and Sprains

Pain is a useful sensory perception. Without it, you might continue walking after a tack punctured your foot. Or, you might arise from a skiing accident and continue downhill with a ruptured ligament. Pain alerts you to injury and forces you to lie low until you recover.

Chronic pain is another story. If you have arthritis (joint degeneration), you’re well aware of the problem. Not using the joint can actually further the deterioration. Yet the ache holds you back. In this case, a visual cue— perhaps a change in the color of your fingernails— seems kinder and equally helpful. When it’s time to rest, your fingernails would glow a fire engine red. A number of maladies can cause discomfort in muscles and joints. We’re going to focus on two things: traumatic injuries and osteoarthritis.

Mechanical trauma can hurt all elements of the musculoskeletal system: muscles, the tendons that attach muscle to bone, the ligaments that hold the joints together, the joints, and the bones.

To a lesser extent, overuse can injure the musculoskeletal system. Many people who use a computer keyboard have experienced tendinitis (tendon inflammation). “Weekend warriors”— relatively inactive people who decide to jog 10 miles (16 kilometers) or play three sets of tennis on Saturday—also know the signs and symptoms.

After a rigorous workout, it’s not uncommon to experience muscle soreness the next day. Unless the pain is severe, consider this discomfort a sign of weakness leaving your body. What’s happened is that high-intensity workouts cause microscopic tears in muscle fibers. The muscle then rebuilds and gains bulk. The repair process makes it stronger.

Strains and sprains are ailments that occur at any age. Strains occur when a muscle or the tendon that attaches it to the bone becomes pulled or twisted. They can occur suddenly (such as from shoveling snow) or over a longer period from overuse.

Sprains occur when the ligaments holding a joint in place become stretched or torn. Usually a fall or twisting motion forces the joint out of its normal alignment. Wrists, ankles, thumbs, and knees are common sprain locations.

Both sprains and strains produce pain, swelling, and sometimes bruising. Symptoms can be mild or so severe as to interfere with normal movement. Severe sprains can be difficult to distinguish from a bone fracture. The treatment is different. That’s why getting a physician diagnosis is a good idea.

Arthritis (joint inflammation) is more likely to cause pain and loss of function with age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 50 million adults (one in five) have received a diagnosis. There are more than one hundred types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common. Wear and tear causes it. Being overweight, obesity, and traumatic injuries raise the risk of getting it. Another relatively common arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, is an autoimmune disorder, wherein the body’s immune system attacks the joint. Symptoms of that condition can begin in childhood.

Arthritis symptoms include stiffness, pain, aching, and joint swelling. Symptoms of osteoarthritis often improve with movement. Physical activity improves most kinds of arthritis. Medications and physical therapy can also help.

Recipes to prevent and manage muscle and joint pain

Ice It 
I learned this method from a physical therapist when I had “tennis elbow.” It really helped. ~ LBW Water Small paper cups
Preparation and use:
Pour water into 6 small paper cups and set them on a shelf in the freezer. Once the water has frozen, remove a cup. Starting at the top of the cup, peel away a strip of paper wide enough to expose the ice. The remaining paper protects your fingers from the cold. Briskly massage the inflamed area with the ice for 3 to 5 minutes. (Do not hold the ice stationary on the same spot; doing so can eventually freeze tissue, damaging it.) If it’s a tendon, passing the ice across the fiber (perpendicular to its length) enhances mobility.
Yield: 6 applications
How it works:
The cold reduces inflammation.

Avo-Kale Arthritis Arrester
1½ cups (100 g) washed, chopped kale, divided ¹∕8 teaspoon salt Juice of 1 lime 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into chunks 1 tomato, chopped and seeded 1 carrot, grated ¼ cup (25 g) pitted and chopped green olives 1 garlic clove, minced ¼ cup (36 g) cashews 2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or (2 g) cilantro leaves Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation and use:
In a large bowl, sprinkle 1 cup (67 g) of the kale with the salt and massage the kale leaves for a minute or so until they begin to wilt. Transfer the kale to a colander to rinse off the salt and then return the kale to the bowl. Drizzle in the lime juice and massage again so that the kale is covered with the juice. Add the avocado, gently tossing it with the kale while maintaining the avocado’s chunkiness. Mix in the remaining kale, along with the tomato, carrot, olives, garlic, and cashews. Sprinkle in the parsley, add the pepper, and toss gently. Taste and adjust seasonings or lime juice as needed. Divide between two plates and serve.
Yield: 2 servings
How it works:
Brightly colored fruits and vegetables, such as kale, avocado, tomato, carrot, and green olives, indicate the presence of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory flavonoids and carotenoids. The oil in avocados—called the “unsaponifiable fractions”—has been found to improve pain and disability of osteoarthritis.

RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation
This treatment applies to acute injuries involving tendons and ligaments, such as ankle sprains. This method also works for injuries to arms and legs. A clean cloth An ice pack (a commercial ice pack, bag of frozen peas, or plastic bag of crushed ice all work) Pillows An elastic wrap (optional)
Preparation and use:
Wet a clean cloth under the tap and wring it out. Wrap the cloth around the ice pack and apply it to the injured area. Slide pillows under your arm or leg—enough so that, when you recline, the injured area is above the level of your heart. After 10 minutes, remove the ice pack. Wait 10 minutes. Ice for another 10 minutes. Remove. If you’ve injured an ankle, knee or wrist, stabilize that joint with an elastic wrap. Start below the joint and wind upward until you’re a couple finger widths above that joint. The goal is to provide support without impeding circulation: The bandage should be loose enough that you can insert your index finger under the wrap. In 2 hours, repeat the process. Continue the regimen for three days.
Yield: 1 application
How it works:
Rest allows you to heal. Cold reduces swelling, pain, and inflammation. Elevation encourages fluids that have leaked into the tissues to return to the circulation. Compression stabilizes the ligaments so that, as you move about, you don’t further stretch them. It also eases pain. A 2006 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that the interval method of icing—10 minutes on, 10 minutes off, and 10 minutes on—led to greater improvements in people with ankle sprains than icing for 20 consecutive minutes.

Roll Away Back Pain 
I learned this simple exercise to relieve tight muscles in neck, back, and shoulders from Kristine Whittle, Denver yoga instructor, massage therapist, and assistant director of the dance company Control Group. I now use it almost daily. ~ LBW 2 tennis balls 1 clean athletic sock
Preparation and use:
Stuff a tennis ball, followed by the other, into the sock. Knot the top of the sock as close to the second ball as possible. Lie on your back. Place the sock of balls at the top of your spine, so that one ball rests on either side of your vertebra. Relax your muscles against the pressure of the balls. To create more pressure, try lifting your hips. Very slowly, slide your back upward (or the balls downward), so that the two balls glide along your spine. Whenever you find a tight area, stop, breathe deeply and slowly, and wait for the muscles to relax. Proceed all the way down to your sacrum. If you have neck tightness, try placing the balls at the occiput (the bony back of your neck, just above the spine). You can also turn on your side and position the balls to massage tight gluteal muscles. When I experience tension headaches, I get into the yoga position called “child’s pose” (page 371) and let my forehead rest on the balls.
Yield: 1 session
How it works: 
The balls act in the similar way as a skilled massage therapist’s fingers, compressing and releasing tight muscles to encourage relaxation and improved blood flow.

When simple doesn’t Work
• Over-the-counter analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibu - profen and naproxen, can relieve symptoms. Take with food to minimize stomach irritation. Acetaminophen reduces pain but not inflammation. • Physical therapy effectively manages many musculoskeletal ailments. These professionals have techniques for reducing pain and swelling, improving range of motion, and strengthening muscles.
• Acupuncture has been shown to be ef fective in treating pain associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, low back pain, and sprains.
• Chiropractic manipulation spells relief for many people with back pain.
• A number of studies indicate that two supplements, glucosamine sulfate and SAMe (s-adenosylmethionine), improve symptoms related to osteoarthritis. A 2005 analysis of 20 human trials on glucosamine sulfate showed a collective improvement in pain and function. Most studies focus on people with knee osteoarthritis. SAMe compares favorably relative to placebo treatment. One study found this supplement to be as effective, though slower to take effect, than the anti-inflammatory medicine celecoxib.
• Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is an herb with anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and wound-healing effects. A study involving 203 people with ankle sprains found that a cream containing 10 percent comfrey significantly reduced pain and improved function compared to an inactive cream. Look in your natural food store for creams or ointments containing this plant. Because this herb contains chemicals with the potential to harm the liver, it is not intended for internal use.
• Concentrated extracts of four herbs have pr oved effective in reducing pain and improving function in people with osteoarthritis: boswellia (Boswellia serrata, also called Indian frankincense), devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens), ginger (Zingiber officinale), and turmeric (curcuma longa). As mentioned previously, turmeric contains a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound called curcumin. Taken as a concentrated extract, it can improve symptoms of osteoarthritis. You may find a combination of these herbs in supplement form. Concentrated extracts of willow bark have been shown to reduce back pain.

When to call the doctor 
• You sustain a moderate or serious injury of any kind.
• An injury results in severe pain, limited movement at a joint, or inability to bear weight.
• You may have hurt your head or neck.
• You suspect you broke a bone.
• A mild strain or sprain has not impr oved after three days of home care.
• You habitually have muscle tenderness and fatigue.
• A joint or group of joints is increasingly painful.
• Low back pain has limited your ability to function.
• In addition to pain, the area around the joint(s) is reddened, hot, and swollen.
• Overuse has led to pain whenever you repeat a particular motion.