If you're suffering from arthritis or joint inflammation, you're not alone.

With one in three Australians¹ having a musculoskeletal condition like arthritis or joint inflammation, taking care of yourself and your joints is important no matter what your age is.

Throughout this article, we’ll be using the word “arthritis" as an umbrella term to cover a wide range of inflammatory conditions that affect the bones, muscles and joints.

Even if you don’t suffer from arthritis but suffer from pain, stiffness, swelling and redness in your affected joints, these tips may be helpful for you.

Here are three ways to take care of yourself and your joints.

Learn about your condition

With more than 100 types of arthritis, it’s vital that you learn about your specific type of arthritis and the way it can impact your quality of life.

Anyone can get arthritis and it can impact people from all backgrounds, ages and lifestyles.

Children and young adults can get arthritis, so if your loved one is affected, knowing what type of arthritis they have and how they can be helped is highly important.

The most common forms of arthritis are²:

• Osteoarthritis, which affects the whole joint, including bone, cartilage, ligaments and muscles
• Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes pain and swelling of your joints
• Gout, a common and painful condition in where small crystals form in and around the joint causing inflammation
• Ankylosing spondylitis, a condition that mainly impacts the spine where the joints of the neck, back and pelvis become inflamed

Learn ways to manage your pain

This can be one of the hardest parts of having arthritis, but learning how to manage your pain can help you get through it.

Breaking the pain cycle of stress, fatigue, pain and depression, can help you maintain a quality of life.

However, what works for one person may not work for the other, so it’s important to keep trying strategies until you find one that works.

Some strategies you can use include:³

• Massaging your inflamed joints
• Using heat and cold to help relax or numb the affected area
• Asking for help when you need it to conserve your energy

Know which supplements work for you

Taking advantage of some natural remedies that are available to you at your local pharmacy can also help you manage the pain of your arthritis.

However, before you start taking supplements, please let your doctor know which ones you want to start taking and take them as directed. We’ve mentioned some of the supplements you’re likely to see in your local pharmacy.

Curcumin⁴ is the active compound that’s found in turmeric, the yellow spice popularly used in Indian food. It acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent in your body, but it is hard for it to absorb. However, adding in black pepper into the supplement helps your body increase the absorption of curcumin.

Henry Blooms Curcumin 600 Plus 120 capsules⁵ contains both curcumin and black pepper to make sure your body is absorbing as much of the supplement as possible. It can help relieve mild joint aches and pain and mild joint inflammation.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin are two of the most commonly used supplements for arthritis as they contain components of cartilage, which helps cushion your joints⁴.

Henry Blooms Glucosamine and Chondroitin 90 capsules⁶ can help you relieve rheumatic aches and pains as well as relieve symptoms of mild arthritis and mild osteoarthritis.

Any supplement containing fish oil or the omega-3 fatty acid can help reduce inflammation in your body as omega-3 fats cannot be produced in our body and we need to obtain them through food or supplements⁴.

Henry Blooms Green Lipped Mussel 120 capsules (Twin Pack)⁷ includes Green Lipped Mussels, which are an excellent source of essential omega-3 fatty acids that can help promote healthy joint function and relieve mild joint inflammation.

If you’re not sure what type of medicine is best for managing your symptoms, visit your local Blooms The Chemist and our friendly Pharmacists are happy to help.

Disclaimers and references

Always read the label and follow the directions for use.

¹Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Arthritis, accessed 31 January 2023

²Arthritis Australia, Understanding Arthritis, accessed 1 February 2023

³Arthritis Australia, Dealing With Pain, accessed 1 February 2023

⁴Arthritis Foundation, Popular Supplements for Arthritis: What You Need To Know, accessed 1 February 2023

⁵Department of Health and Aged Care Therapeutic Goods Administration, Curcumin 600 Plus, accessed 1 February 2023

⁶Department of Health and Aged Care Therapeutic Goods Administration, Blooms Glucosamine and Chondroitin, accessed 1 February 2023

⁷Department of Health and Aged Care Therapeutic Goods Administration, Blooms Green Lipped Mussel, accessed 1 February 2023