Chikungunya joint pain: Try these home remedies for fast relief!

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Chikungunya is a viral infection spread by the bite of infected Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes. It causes fever, severe joint pain and rash on the body. Out of all the symptoms, the joint pain is the most distinguished feature of chikungunya.

As per latest report, chikungunya cases in Delhi have shot up to 560, even as hospitals in the national capital continue to be swamped by patients affected by this vector-borne disease.

Usually, chikungunya joint pain lasts for about a week or two, however, in some cases it can also persist for months or even longer. While there is no specific treatment for joint pain, experts suggest that taking a proper and healthy diet during and after a chikungunya fever can help the patients recover faster.

Here are some home remedies that are considered effective in managing chikungunya symptoms, specially joint pain:

• Eat a healthy diet consisting plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Consume ginger tea, green tea which can help relieve inflammation
• Drink lots of water and other fluids to prevent dehydration
• Make sure that you get sufficient sleep so that the body can relax and recover faster from joint pain
• Perform low-impact aerobic exercise invloving stretching and slow movements to relieve the chronic joint pain
• Light massage of joints with coconut oil may provide relief in joint pain
• Apply an ice pack wrapped in a small hand towel over the joint for a while to reduce inflammation and pain
• For rashes, a combination of olive oil and vitamin E can be applied on the affected areas of the skin.