Some home remedies like exercising, wearing a brace, and receiving acupuncture may help ease mild osteoarthritis pain. For more severe pain, you may need medical treatments like steroid injections or surgery.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease.

Over time, it could lead to symptoms that range from mild discomfort to severe pain, loss of mobility, and decreased quality of life.

There’s no cure for osteoarthritis, but a treatment plan could help ease the symptoms of pain. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, this may include lifestyle changes as well as medical treatments.

Keep reading to learn more about how you can relieve osteoarthritis with home remedies and medical treatments.

A variety of home remedies may help provide relief from symptoms of osteoarthritis, such as joint pain, stiffness, and swelling.

A healthcare professional could recommend the best home remedies to target your specific type of osteoarthritis.

Research suggests that maintaining a healthy-for-you weight is a key component in managing osteoarthritis symptoms, especially if you’re living with obesity or overweight.

Losing 1 pound of body weight could help relieve up to six times the amount of pressure on the joints in your lower limbs. This may be especially beneficial for relieving joint pain if you have osteoarthritis of the knee or hips.

A healthcare professional may recommend a combination of exercise and dietary changes to help you manage your weight for osteoarthritis.

Physical activity could help you manage and prevent osteoarthritis pain, as well as:

  • increase joint mobility and strength
  • improve endurance
  • reduce stiffness

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and Arthritis Foundation (AF) suggest the following low impact exercises for osteoarthritis:

A physical therapist could help develop an exercise plan to relieve pain in specific areas, such as your hands, knees, or hips.

Acupuncture is a form of ancient Chinese medicine. Practitioners insert needles into specific pressure points in your body to help relieve pain.

Some research suggests that it’s a safe treatment for osteoarthritis. Similarly, the ACR and AF conditionally recommend it to help relieve pain, as the risk of potential side effects is small.

Using cold and heat compresses could relieve osteoarthritis pain, according to the ACR and AF.

  • Cold: Applying cold compresses for 20 minutes 2–3 times per day could help reduce inflammation, especially after physical activity. You should not apply them directly to the skin.
  • Heat: Applying hot compresses for 20 minutes 2–3 times per day could help loosen stiff joints and make movement easier.

The ACR and AF recommend several orthoses to help relieve osteoarthritis pain:

  • Braces and splints can immobilize affected joints to help take pressure off from them.
  • Kinesiotaping could also help relieve pressure, but it allows the joint to move rather than stay immobilized.
  • Canes could help increase stability and relieve pressure from the affected joint.

Some research suggests shoe inserts may help stabilize your feet to relieve osteoarthritis symptoms in your lower joints. However, the ACR and AF don’t recommend them because there’s not enough research to identify the best type of footwear for osteoarthritis.

It’s important to note these devices don’t treat the underlying causes of osteoarthritis pain, but they may help ease pain.

Some supplements and herbal remedies may help osteoarthritis pain, such as:

  • omega-3 fatty acids
  • fish oil
  • curcumin
  • ginger
  • collagen
  • aloe vera

However, the ACR and AF don’t recommend supplementation, due to the lack of research and standardization available.

As such, it’s best to speak with a healthcare professional about whether supplementation is a good treatment for you.

Learn more about supplements for osteoarthritis.

A healthcare professional may recommend medical treatments to help relieve osteoarthritis pain if home remedies aren’t enough.

The first-line medical treatment for mild to moderate osteoarthritis is over-the-counter (OTC) medication, such as:

It’s important to note that NSAIDs and acetaminophen aren’t long-term solutions due to potential side effects.

The ACR and AF recommend trying topical OTC medications before oral drugs because these target the specific area applied to rather than the whole body.

If OTC medications aren’t effective, speak with a healthcare professional. They may prescribe stronger NSAIDs to help relieve inflammation and reduce pain.

Learn more about OTC medications for osteoarthritis.

If home remedies and OTC medications aren’t successful, a healthcare professional may recommend corticosteroid injections. These may provide short-term pain relief by reducing inflammation.

Some other injections may also help provide short-term pain relief, such as:

However, the ACR and AF don’t recommend these types of injections due to the lack of research available.

Learn more about injection therapies for osteoarthritis.

If other treatment methods aren’t effective at relieving osteoarthritis pain, a healthcare professional may recommend surgery. Some procedures may include:

Learn more about surgery for arthritis.

What causes osteoarthritis to flare up?

According to the Arthritis Foundation, overexertion during physical activity is the most common cause of osteoarthritis flare-ups.

How can I stop osteoarthritis from getting worse?

The best way to slow the progression of osteoarthritis is to follow a treatment plan developed by a healthcare professional. This may include lifestyle changes, medications, and surgery, among others.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint condition that may cause pain, impacting your mobility, function, and quality of life.

Some home remedies and OTC medications may provide pain relief. However, in some cases, you may require further medical treatment, such as injections or surgery.

Speak with a healthcare professional about pain relief for osteoarthritis. They could provide a treatment plan specific to you.