Arm Yourself Against the Crippling Disease of Arthritis
by Darra McMullen,
Women’s Health Network
Writer/Researcher
There are many forms of arthritis, but one thing they all
have in common is their ability to produce debilitating pain, stiffness, and inflammation
in the body’s joints and connective tissues.
Just as there are common threads of symptoms among the many forms of
arthritis, there are also common threads of remedies to help treat the
misery-inducing ailment, which afflicts millions of Americans every year.
Let’s look
at some factors that can both help prevent (or delay onset of) arthritis and
also help treat the condition.
• To begin, limit intake of pro-inflammatory
diet influences, such as simple sugars and carbohydrates.
• Next, increase intake of fish and flax seeds
and fish and flax oils for their inflammation reducing Omega-3 fatty acids.
• Thirdly, keep moving. Any sort of “exercise” can help improve blood
circulation, strengthen muscles, bones, and connective tissues and relieve
stress to some degree. Although a formal
fitness plan including the “trifecta” of strength training, aerobic activity,
and flexibility/balance work would be an ideal solution, any sort of regular
movement is better than sitting still.
Dancing, gardening, housework, running errands, or simple walking all
have health benefits and specifically, can help prevent, delay, or treat
arthritis.
Both yoga
and tai chi are well recognized for helping to treat arthritic symptoms. If already suffering from arthritic symptoms,
approach exercise gently, so as not to aggravate tender joints.
A study
co-authored by Paul Lam, M.D. and featured in the Journal of Rheumatology showed that tai chi could decrease joint
pain by as much as 33% in three months as well as significantly increase
strength, flexibility, and balance during that same time period. Tai chi is well known for its ability to
improve blood circulation throughout the body, including the joints, and the
flowing, gentle exercise is “low-impact” to “no-impact”, thereby sparing
connective tissue from additional strain.
• Boston University studies show that the more
leafy greens you eat, the lower your risk of ever developing arthritis. Also, if you already suffer from arthritic
symptoms, consumption of leafy greens will slow progression of the
disease. The nutrients copper,
manganese, and vitamin K are found generously in leafy greens; these nutrients
are particularly helpful to the process of strengthening and healing cartilage. Research indicates eating one heaping cup of
leafy greens daily could improve joint strength and flexibility by about 30% in
a two-month period.
• Be sure to add avocados to those leafy green
salads! British studies suggest eating
three avocados weekly could make your joints feel about 40% more limber. Avocados are naturally rich in oleic acid, a
type of fat thought to be responsible for tamping down the production of
certain joint stiffening hormones.
• Enjoy tropical fruits year-round to assist
with arthritis related issues. Mangoes,
papayas, and pineapples are your “go to” fruits. Mangoes and papayas feature an orange-colored
pigment called beta-cryptoxanthin, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory that
also speeds up the healing of damaged cartilage. British research indicates eating three cups
of mango and/or papaya weekly can significantly reduce arthritis symptoms. Fresh or frozen fruit will work.
Pineapples
are naturally rich in the enzyme, bromelain.
This enzyme is an excellent anti-inflammatory, known to aid with arthritis
related issues. Fresh pineapple is best
because the extreme temperatures of freezing or canning can break down the
pineapple’s enzymes.
Bromelain
is also available in pill form as a dietary supplement and can be purchased
from health food stores.
• Don’t forget about herbal remedies as
potential aids to combating arthritis.
Boswellia (also known as Indian frankincense) has recently been in the
news for working as well as aspirin for reducing joint pain. Boswellia blocks the formation of cytokines,
which are substances that trigger inflammation and pain in the body. These study results were published in the
journal, Phytomedicine. Another perk of boswellia is its
immune-boosting properties, which can help reduce the time to kick a virus by
as much as four days, according to earlier study results on boswellia.
• Another promising herbal helper in the fight
against arthritis symptoms is devil’s claw.
Devil’s claw is a desert plant whose active ingredient, harpogoside, has
been shown to relax muscle spasms and calm irritated pain nerves. British research indicates that taking 1,200
mg. of devil’s claw reduced joint and muscle pain in 75% of study participants
within four weeks of regular use.
• Holy basil, an age old remedy in Ayurvedic
medicine, has been in three studies, all of which point to drastic reductions
in pain, swelling, and stiffness among study subjects with 30 days of
consistent use. Studies suggest a 300
mg. to 500 mg. daily dose is effective.
Holy basil features two pain-killing compounds, called rosmarinic acid
and eugenol, which are believed to be the active ingredients in promoting
relief from arthritic symptoms.
• Turmeric, whose active ingredient is
curcumin, is a well-known and well-respected anti-inflammatory agent, as well
as a popular seasoning for food.
Turmeric is well tolerated by most people and is available in pill form
as well as a powered seasoning variety.
Concentrated types of the active ingredient, curcumin, are also
available as pills from health food stores.
Turmeric is
widely regarded for its ability to help with many forms of chronic pain and
inflammation, including arthritic conditions.
• Before trying any of the aforementioned
herbs, talk to your doctor about any possible contraindications resulting from
your prescription medicines or personal health conditions. If you get the “Okay,” from your doctor,
always start with a small amount of the herb – just to be sure it agrees with
your system – before taking an “effective dose”.
• Three other substances which are widely
available and have a good track record of assisting with arthritic problems are
glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, and “MSM”, or
methylsulfonylmethane. These substances
are important for joint and connective tissue strengthening and repair. MSM also helps to reduce inflammation in
arthritic tissues.
The above
three substances are generally well tolerated by most people; however, they can
have toxic effects for certain people with particular conditions. Therefore, check with your doctor before
taking them.
Also, there
are mixed results for the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfates
and MSM. Some arthritis sufferers and
medical studies describe excellent results from these three substances. Other study results and individual types of
patients claim little to no benefit. For
example, patients with hip osteoarthritis in various studies did not seem to
benefit from taking these substances.
• When considering how to improve joint and
connective tissue health, don’t forget the importance of vitamin D, which is
critical to bone formation in general and vitamin D also improves the function
of the immune system, so that it is less likely to malfunction and attack the
body’s joint tissue. Research results
described in the journal, Therapeutic
Advances in Endocrinology, show that 20 minutes of “non-sunscreen” sunshine
on the skin can relieve joint pain and stiffness by about half or a little
more. Indoor types or the “high risk”
skin cancer person may prefer to take vitamin D supplements and/or eat vitamin
D rich foods. However you choose to get
vitamin D, be sure to “bone up” on the nutrient. It can help bone and joint health in so many ways.
Arthritis
is a multi-faceted disease that takes many forms. Hopefully, you’re now armed
with enough lifestyle, diet, and supplement tips to get you started on a better
and more pain free future. There are
many weapons to use against the crippling pain and stiffness of arthritis. Let’s go forth well armed against this devastating
disease.
