Are There Home Remedies That Can Help Manage Gout?

Have you woken up in the middle of the night feeling like your toe is in flames? Gout is a form of arthritis that causes common symptoms — pain, stiffness, swelling, and tenderness — usually in the big toe. 

Board-certified physical therapist Dr. Mohamed Hablas with Outreach Manual Physical Therapy in Brooklyn, New York, treats many patients with joint pain and stiffness from arthritis, including attacks of gout. Physical therapy helps ease joint stiffness and increases lost range of motion, especially in your big toe, which helps keep your balance, bear part of your body weight, and stabilize you. 

If you have gout, you likely already have prescription medicine you can take in case of an attack. Dr. Hablas helps you recover with physical therapy. 

You can proactively manage your gout and lessen its severity and frequency. Changing some lifestyle habits can help. Following are lifestyle choices that can diminish gout symptoms. 

Increase your water intake, and use lemon in water 

Be sure to drink eight glasses of water a day — about 64 ounces. Gout is more common in senior adults. As you age, your body doesn’t signal your need for water like when you were younger. Even if you don’t feel thirsty, make sure you're staying hydrated. It helps your kidneys release fluid, which can lessen swelling in your joint. 

There is some evidence that adding juice from two  fresh lemons to two liters of water and drinking it throughout the day helps to calm gout symptoms. The lemon acts to neutralize the excess uric acid causing the gout attack. 

Use a covered ice pack

Use a covered ice pack to ease pain and swelling. Ice helps calm inflammation caused by an accumulation of uric acid crystals that have irritated the lining of your joint. 

Elevate the joint 

As with other cases of swelling and inflammation, you can lessen these symptoms by elevating your foot above your heart. Place your foot on several large pillows to move fluid away from the joint. 

Limit alcohol

Do you drink alcohol daily? Drinking alcohol, including beer, is a risk factor for gout. Drinking alcohol stimulates uric acid production. It also inhibits the acid from being expelled from your urine. Gout is the result of the buildup of uric acid in your body. 

Limit sugar 

Do you love processed baked goods like crackers, cookies, cakes, and pies? You likely know that processed food isn’t good for you. It usually contains high levels of sugar called fructose. When fructose breaks down, it becomes uric acid. Sugar also increases inflammation. 

Limit red meat and certain types of seafood 

Purines are a chemical compound in your body and some foods. Red meat, including organ meats, and some types of seafood, including scallops, cod, herring, and mussels, contain high levels of purines. When you eat these foods often, your body builds up uric acid, which forms during their digestion.  

Eat healthily and consume lots of vegetables, grains, and fruits 

Instead of concentrating on what’s not working when you have gout, focus on buying and eating healthy foods. Take a cooking class to learn and cook delicious recipes that include vegetables. Eat fresh or frozen fruit daily. Purchase whole grains rather than white bread. 

Call Outreach Manual Physical Therapy or book an appointment through our online portal today if you have gout or joint pain and stiffness. We help you regain your quality of life.