Easing arthritis pain Easing Arthritis Pain Patients with arthritis may have more options than ever for keeping the pain at bay. Recent studies have found more ways to fight arthritis. One study found that green tea may help ease the suffering of rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers in Cleveland found in a laboratory study that the equivalent of four cups of green tea a day may prevent rheumatoid arthritis from developing, may delay its development or may decrease its severity.
Researchers now have to test green tea in humans.
For patients with osteoarthritis, exercise may help ease the pain. Researchers in the Netherlands reported recently that exercise, whether aerobic or resistance, had significant benefits for patients with arthritis in the knees or hips. They had less pain, better mobility and felt better overall. Sometimes arthritis patients need medical help dealing with the pain, and doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say there are new drugs that may help ease the pain without the side effects of other pain medications. A class of drugs called COX-2 inhibitors appears to stop pain without causing stomach bleeding or ulcers.