How Kocoono Weighted Blankets can help treat Osteoarthritis Symptoms

How Kocoono Weighted Blankets can help treat Osteoarthritis Symptoms

What is Osteoarthritis? 

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is commonly known as ”wear and tear” arthritis. There are different forms  ranging from Stage 1 ( Minor wear and tear) to Stage 4 (Severe) where the patient is in a lot of pain.

Osteoarthritis is caused by joint damage, leading causes include joint injury, joint overuse, obesity and heredity. Age can be an important factor in diagnosing Osteoarthritis. Whereas people tend to be diagnosed at a later stage, those who play sports and acquire sport injuries will be at risk of developing early onset osteoarthritis.

What are osteoarthritis symptoms? 

  • Pain
  • Stiffness in the affected joints
  • Tenderness
  • Loss of flexibility
  • Grating sensation
  • Swelling

Sufferers are usually diagnosed over the age of 40 and as a condition, it affects more women than men.

How can you relieve Osteoarthritis pain with lifestyle changes? 

Although it does not have a cure, its treatment focuses on reducing the symptoms. People who suffer from Osteoarthritis can lessen the pain and have better life quality by Including lifestyle changes, such as:

1) Regular exercise

Exercise is one of the most important treatments for people with osteoarthritis, whatever the age or level of fitness. It helps strengthen your muscles, improve your general wellness, and relieve stress. High-impact exercises, such as running and jumping, are not recommended, but moderate activity such as walking, biking, swimming, or yoga are gentle ways to exercise joints and muscles

2) Losing weight

Being overweight makes Osteoarthritis worse, as it puts extra pressure on your knees and joints. If you are overweight, try to lose weight by doing more physical activity and eating a healthier diet.

3) Getting adequate sleep

It is essential to have a restorative sleep to ease the pain. Lack of sleep can worsen the symptoms of arthritis. The pain and stiffness at the same time can prevent you from getting a good quality night's sleep, creating a frustrating cycle of pain and poor sleep. In this case, you should try to take a soothing bath to ease the pain right before sleep and practice sleep hygiene routines. Kocoono Weighted Blankets can help you to have a night of restorative sleep. They act as massage, stimulating pressure points in the body and relaxing the muscles. You will drastically reduce restlessness and the need to move back and forth. Kocoono™ Blankets can also ease the symptoms and reduce the pain and discomfort by releasing serotonin with the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system and reducing the anxiety.
4) Getting regular massages

A massage can help decrease swelling and pain, improve joint mobility helping relieve tension and stress.
Kocoono weighted blanket acts as a massage, stimulating pressure points in the body and relaxing the muscles thanks to the gentle pressure applied by its weight.

5) Applying Cold or Hot therapy

A hot-water bottle applied to the affected area can effectively reduce pain. The heat seems to work best to alleviate pain. However, some people find that cold also helps to dull the pain. If you find relief from cold therapy, then Kocoono Weighted Blanket LUXE can help you! The Kocoono™ LUXE is customisable, and the weighted bands can be extracted and placed in the freezer. You can learn more about how Cold Therapy works with Kocoono in this blog

Supports available in Ireland for Osteoarthritis sufferers 

Support and advice is available in Ireland through the national Arthritis Ireland helpline on 0818252846 or helpline@arthritisireland.ie

They have recently launched online self-management courses to manage pain and feature a podcast series, Inflammation Nation as a resource to help people live well with Osteoarthritis where they speak to a guest speaker on living with arthritis. 

How common is the condition in Ireland and the U.K.?

A 2020 report prepared by the Institute of Public Health set out to study ageing and public health in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The report found 10% of Ireland’s population aged 15+ reported on having arthritis in the past 12 months, making it the most prevalent condition among older people. 39% of those aged 56+ were affected, rising to 53% in the over 75 age cohort. Across the U.K. a third of the population  aged 45+ had sought treatment for Osteoarthritis. It was found to be more prevalent than coronary heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol.


How can Kocoono weighted blankets help relieve symptoms of Osteoarthritis?

  1. Better Sleep. We previously spoke about how Kocoono weighted blankets can aid a great night’s sleep in our sleep blog. With pain and discomfort being a common complaint among sufferers of Osteoarthritis, those with the condition would benefit from a restful night’s sleep which both Kocoono LUXE and Kocoono BASIC blankets can help with. This could be especially welcome to the older cohort who suffer with Osteoarthritis as they tend to rest during the day also (i.e. afternoon nap). By using Kocoono weighted blanket range, sufferers of the condition may rely less on sleep and pain medication as part of a nighttime routine. Deep Touch Pressure Therapy helps relieve the tension in all the muscles, making it easier to wind down before bed. Kocoono™ Blankets can ease the symptoms and reduce pain and discomfort by releasing serotonin with the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. Here is a link where you can learn more about Deep Touch Pressure Therapy and how it works with Kocoono Blankets 👉 https://bit.ly/3srCIFf
  2. Can relieve pain acting as a massage Weighted blankets and gravity blankets can replicate deep pressure therapy which can be effective in relieving pain. Learn more about the benefits of Deep Pressure Therapy in this blog. As joint pain can affect knees, a Kocoono weighted blanket would be a welcome comfort whilst watching TV in the evenings or when there is a sudden onset of pain or discomfort. A 2016 study by Pain Medicine found that deep pressure applied during massage was more effective in treating osteoarthritic knee pain as opposed to light pressure.
  3. Can reduce stiffness. Kocoono Weighted Blanket LUXE can help you relieve the muscle pain and stiffness caused by Osteoarthritis with cold therapy. The Kocoono™ weighted bands can be extracted and placed in the freezer to cool down. Then, you can reinsert them back into the calming blanket and have the cold therapy you need to relieve the pain.  Kocoono LUXE can apply cold therapy by inserting. 
  4. Great gift idea for an older relative. As the older age demographic may not have access to the internet or shop online, this would make a purchase from the  Kocoono range a perfect gift idea just in time for Christmas. You can introduce  an older grandparent/relative to the entire range and speak about the many, natural benefits of Kocoono weighted blankets.

What other conditions can weighted blankets treat?

We have featured detailed blogs in the past on how weighted blankets can be effective in treating the symptoms of sleep disorders, PTSD and anxiety. If you missed those we’ve included the links below to show how Kocoono can treat sleep and mental health conditions, as well as physical conditions such as Osteoarthritis. In the blogs below, we researched and found interesting studies and reports which backed up the benefits of deep pressure therapy on study patients in the U.K. and Ireland.

 


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