September is National Arthritis Awareness Month in Canada. If you are dealing with the pain and inflammation of arthritis, here are some natural options you may wish to consider along with your doctor’s prescribed course of treatment.

• Reach and maintain a healthy body weight. Carrying extra weight can be taxing on your joints, particularly knees, hips and feet. Losing weight can help to reduce this stress while also improving your mobility and preventing further damage to your joints.
• Work out more. In addition to helping you maintain a healthy body weight, there are other ways exercise can help relieve your arthritic discomfort. Moving your body on a regular basis keeps you flexible and prevents joint stiffness. Low-impact exercises such as water aerobics and swimming are gentle on your joints while still providing a good workout.
• Apply heat and ice.  Hot treatments such as a warm bath, a heating pad or an electric blanket can help to ease pain and stiffness. Cold treatments such as gel and ice packs can help to reduce inflammation.
• Treat yourself to a massage. Meet with a massage therapist to see how regular massaging can help ease the pain of inflamed joints, reduce your overall stiffness and increase your range of motion.
• Take supplements. Several supplements can help control your arthritic pain and discomfort. Omega-3 rich fish oil supplements can help reduce joint stiffness and to help target pain and stiffness in your knees, try SISU No. 7 and start seeing results within just seven days.

For more information about National Arthritis Awareness Month, or arthritis in general, visit Arthritis.ca.