Knuckle pain can be experienced in one, several or all fingers. It can be blamed on a medical condition or an injury to the bones, tendons, muscles or any other structure.
No matter the cause, one thing’s for sure: having knuckle pain can make it difficult to carry out everyday tasks, in particular those that entail the use of your hands or fingers such as typing an email, driving to the supermarket, cooking for your loved ones and combing your hair.
If right now you are experiencing knuckle pain, keep on reading — below you will come across some of the most effective home remedies for it that you may give a try.
Before we take a look at the steps that you may take for relief attainment, let’s first discuss some of the usual causes of knuckle pain:
- Injury or trauma
- Tendonitis
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Gout
- Infection
- Scleroderma
Aside from pain, it’s not unlikely for you to also experience swelling, stiffness, redness and warmth — it all depends on the root cause of your knuckle pain.
Without any further ado, let’s take a look at some of the easiest yet highly effective home remedies for knuckle pain:
Rest
One of the most important steps that you need to take if you’re experiencing knuckle pain is to give your hands and fingers some much-needed rest. Do you spend most of your waking hours using your smartphone or typing on a computer keyboard? You should take a rest or considerably reduce the amount of tasks your hands and fingers need to accomplish.
Cold or Heat
Applying an ice pack is a quick way to attain relief from knuckle pain. This is most especially true if the affected finger joints appear swollen or reddish. If your knuckles feel achy and stiff, you may count on a warm compress unless you can notice some swelling or bruising.
Ginger
It’s not just when you are having a bout of indigestion or nausea that you can count on ginger tea — you may also brew and sip a cup of it each time you are experiencing knuckle pain. Ginger tea is very good at dealing with inflammation that can leave your knuckles achy and stiff.
Turmeric
Aside from ginger tea, you may also count on turmeric tea because it also possesses anti-inflammatory properties. You may also grate turmeric and combine it with a little olive oil or coconut oil, and then massage on affected areas.
Epsom Salt
In a bowl of warm water, dissolve about 1/4 cup of epsom salt. Soak the hands with the achy knuckles in it for several minutes until the water is already at room temperature. A lot of individuals who are into sports or working out swear by the effectiveness of epsom salt soaks in dealing with muscles and joints that are painful, stiff and inflamed.
Omega-3s
Make sure that you regularly consume foods that are loaded with healthy fats health authorities refer to as omega-3 fatty acids. That’s because they have the ability to put under control inflammation and ultimately pain. Some of the top food sources of omega-3s include fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, trout, sardines and others), nuts, seeds, avocados and healthy oils like olive oil and flaxseed oil.
Fruits and Veggies
It’s also a wonderful idea for you to have your body supplied with good amounts of antioxidants as they help to reduce inflammation and also encourage repair. You can get loads of antioxidants from the freshest and most colorful fruits and vegetables that you can get your hands on.
WARNING: It’s a good idea for you to report the problem to your doctor ASAP especially if your knuckle pain does not go away after a few days, or it is worsening and also accompanied by some other unusual signs and symptoms such as discoloration, deformation, chills and fever.
