Lifestyle Changes

• One of the most important things you can do is take off excess weight. While obesity does not cause arthritis, it can exacerbate it and speed up the degeneration of cartilage. Use diet and exercise to get those extra pounds off. Take the high fats and refined sugars out of your meals and replace them with leafy greens and fresh fruits. Modify red meat intake, and just make a point to live healthier. A healthy body will fight off the affects of arthritis better than an unhealthy one.
  
  

Supplements

• There are many herbal and vitamin supplements that can help improve your arthritis symptoms. Glucosamine and chondroitin are two of the most popular dietary supplements to take when you suffer from arthritis. These have been shown to improve flexibility of the knee joints in some cases. The current dosage, according to HolisticOnline.com, is 500mg three times a day. It is also important to take a multi-vitamin that contains vitamin C, E, selenium, B Complex, niacin and zinc. All of these have been shown to improve bone health.
  
  

Remedies

• Old-fashioned cold and heat are excellent remedies for arthritis. After exercise or activity when the knee flares up, apply an ice pack to the knee for 20 minutes at a time, allowing a 10-minute rest period between icings. This will reduce swelling that may be in the joint. At night, when arthritis pain can make it hard to sleep, keep an extra blanket over your knees. As the body temperature lowers, the cold can "get in the knees" and make them ache. Using a heating pad or a topical analgesic such as Icy Hot also can help.