Arthritis concentrates in one or several joints where deterioration occurs. The pain in arthritis can be moderate to severe. As a result of arthritis, the bone beneath the cartilage undergoes changes that lead to bony overgrowth and the tissue that lines the joint can become inflamed, the ligaments can loosen, and the associated muscles can weaken.

The combination of the collagen meshwork and high water content tightly bound by proteoglycans, creates a resilient, slippery pad in the joint, which resists the compression between bones during muscle movement. Cartilage is one of the few tissues that does not have its own blood supply. Damaged joints cause pain and sufferers are constantly looking for ways to relieve the pain.

Possible causes of arthritis include lesser known: bleeding disorders, like hemophilia, that causes bleeding to occur in the joint; disorders such as avascular necrosis, that block the blood supply closest to the joint; and conditions like hemochromatosis, that causes iron build-up in the joints.

Injuries sometimes can be the start in the arthritic disease process; osteoarthritis can develop years later even after a single traumatic injury to a joint or near a joint. It's generally thought that inflammation plays a minor role in osteoarthritis and is more likely to be a result, not a cause, of arthritis.

Gluten may be a culprit in arthritic diseases including fibromyalgia; avoid wheat, barley, rye, spelt, triticale, kamut and oats (although not a gluten grain it gets contaminated at the wheat mills. Natural treatment for arthritis is usually a better choice because it's non-invasive to the body. Nutrition experts say it takes a combination of supplements, that no one supplement can relieve arthritis pain, build cartilage, etc.

Making a ginger tea, by adding a thin slice or two of fresh gingerroot to hot water, is helpful to many people I know.

Make smoothies with fruit only using a base of two bananas, adding a cup of frozen or fresh blueberries and mango chunks or substitute any other fruit and add an energy boost of two tablespoons of coconut oil; add one or two leaves of kale for another highly nutritional boost -- no one will ever know.

Many have told me that going off dairy products and gluten containing foods relieved their arthritis pain entirely.

Some people swear by morning drinks of raw apple cider vinegar and honey for arthritis pain relief. If you're not already doing so, make a big effort to watch your diet.

Some people swear by glucosamine and/or chondroitin and others say it didn't help at all. One natural approach is to consume foods that are known to help relieve arthritis pain or prevent arthritis.

To be on the safe side always seek your doctor's advice before starting or changing your exercise program. Even the lightest exercise can go a long way to maintaining your joint mobility and overall health. There are a number of exercises which can benefit arthritis sufferers regardless of how much restriction of movement there is. Exercise is good for joints affected by osteoarthritis.

Your body has 147 different joints that are in motion every day of your life. Exercise in a heated pool; it will help reduce the pressure on your joints and the heat will help you loosen those joints. Important exercises for arthritis are range-of-motion exercises, isometrics, and some weight bearing exercises.

If you're planning to take any of the non-prescription NSAIDS for arthritis, make sure you understand what bad effects they can have on the stomach, liver and/or kidneys and discuss this with your doctor. Be aware that the use of NSAIDs or Cox-2 inhibitors do not halt the progress of osteoarthritis and may even hasten the onset.

Let your doctor and pharmacist know about any other drugs, herbs or other supplements you're taking, to ward off any adverse drug reactions that might occur from the combining of different drugs or supplements.

Changing your diet to predominately fruits and raw veggies, like I did, can turn your arthritis pain around almost overnight. Arthritis pain relief is the ultimate goal - understanding arthritis is a good way to get there. Knowing more about arthritis and how it works will ultimately help contribute to your relief of arthritis pain.