The Predictable Path of Arthritis Pain
When arthritis pain reaches a critical level and begins to disrupt your daily activities, a familiar sequence of events typically unfolds. You consult your doctor, explain your symptoms, and are referred to a specialist, likely an orthopedic surgeon. After undergoing x-rays, the specialist confirms the loss of cartilage and the classic symptoms of arthritis in your hips, knees, ankles, or shoulders.
You are then advised to manage the pain as effectively as possible with common pain relievers such as Aleve®, Advil®, or Tylenol®. The prognosis is then delivered: you will eventually require joint replacement surgery.
The Management Phase
At this juncture, many of us enter a “management” phase. If the arthritis pain is in the early stages, we take pain medication, exercise as much as possible, and play a waiting game. We find ourselves in a sort of limbo—aware of the pain and the problem, but still able to muddle through our day. The pain hasn’t escalated to the point where we would consider any measure (including surgery) to alleviate it.
Regrettably, as the pain intensifies, many individuals resort to stronger drugs, including prescription pain relievers. This can lead to a dangerous path towards opioid addiction and the subsequent deterioration of quality of life.
A Potential Solution: Compression Clothing
But what if there was a method to significantly reduce your pain, enabling you to exercise more, strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint, and potentially postpone joint replacement surgery for several years? All without jeopardizing your stomach and GI tract by continuously consuming NSAID pain pills or opioids?
Many arthritis sufferers have found that a tool used by sports stars and endurance athletes can have a significant impact on their joint pain. The solution is compression clothing, also known as “recovery wear.”
How Does Compression Clothing Work?
You may have seen these garments worn by top athletes in the NBA, NFL, and other sports. Compression gear applies pressure to the muscles surrounding a painful joint, providing additional support.
While it may seem odd, this compression action enhances blood flow in and around the joint. The tightness of these stretchy garments also provides extra support and warms up the muscles and joint.
Over 30 clinical studies now demonstrate that these compression garments can reduce joint pain, enhance your exercise performance, decrease post-exercise soreness, and accelerate the healing and recovery of your muscles and joints.
The Benefits of Exercise and Compression Clothing
The best part is that by receiving this additional support and recovery, you may be able to continue exercising. This can significantly improve the health of your joint and potentially help you avoid joint replacement surgery.
In fact, the Arthritis Foundation states that exercise is “the most effective non-drug treatment for reducing pain and improving movement in patients with osteoarthritis.”
Walking for just 20 minutes a day can help maintain your current joint health and improve your overall well-being. Compression shorts or compression knee braces can make that daily walk or trip to the gym much easier and more enjoyable.
Looking Towards the Future
With all the new developments on the horizon for arthritis pain—from stem cell therapies to cartilage transplants—the future looks promising for non-surgical solutions. Imagine if you could postpone that operation for 3-5 years and take advantage of these new developments. Using compression clothing might be just what you need to keep your joints healthy. It’s certainly worth a small investment in this safe, easy, and affordable alternative to pain pills and surgery.