Arthritis sufferers today are continually seeking relief from their arthritis pain.
Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease of the joint cartilage and bone, often thought to result from "wear and tear" on a joint, although there are other causes of arthritis such as congenital defects, trauma and metabolic disorders. Unlike some other types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis is not systemic - it does not spread through the entire body. The pain in arthritis can be moderate to severe.
Damaged joints cause pain and sufferers are constantly looking for ways to relieve the pain. Cartilage contains chondrocytes, water, proteoglycans and collagen; chondrocytes are the basic cartilage cells and are necessary for balance and function. The ability to make repairs to cartilage becomes limited as cartilage cells age.
One possible cause of arthritis is the inflammatory response due to the over-reaction of the immune system to an injury or other assault in the body, like an infection. Although osteoarthritis generally accompanies aging, osteoarthritic cartilage is chemically different from normal aged cartilage. As chondrocytes (the cells that make up cartilage) age, they lose their ability to make repairs and produce more cartilage; this process may play an important role in the development and progression of osteoarthritis.
Nutrition experts say it takes a combination of supplements, that no one supplement can relieve arthritis pain, build cartilage, etc. One natural approach is to consume foods that are known to help relieve arthritis pain or prevent arthritis. One natural treatment method involves avoiding all inflammatory foods.
If you're not already doing so, make a big effort to watch your diet. Try avoiding the eight most allergic foods, wheat being the most allergenic; they are wheat, corn, eggs, milk, peanuts, fish, shellfish and some nuts, not all. Natural treatment for arthritis is usually a better choice because it's non-invasive to the body.
Some foods and beverages to avoid that are inflammatory are: caffeine, salt, sugar, meat, dairy products, additives, soft drinks, white flour, white rice, alcoholic beverages, fast food, processed vegetable oils, refined, packaged and processed food. 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).
The first step in managing your arthritis is to change your diet; I think all experts would agree on this. With natural treatments there will be fewer, if any, side effects or adverse reactions.
Whatever you do, keep moving; don't sit when you can stand, don't stand when you can walk. Exercise is good for joints affected by osteoarthritis. Keep a bedside basket of arthritic aids for arthritic hands (Thera-putty, hand grips, Taiji chime balls, etc.) to be used at bedtime or while watching television. A good exercise routine is the key to beating arthritis and arthritis pain.
Use Taiji health balls, with the chimes, to strengthen the finger joints: hold two balls, move in a clockwise circle with your fingers to rotate them, then try counterclockwise and do throughout the day. To be on the safe side always seek your doctor's advice before starting or changing your exercise program. Fight arthritis through proper exercise!
If you're going to go the conventional treatment route and take medications, ask your pharmacist for drug inserts so you can read up on the drugs and understand any side effects or adverse reactions, before taking them. At the very least, understand what the side effects and adverse reactions are for any drug you take. 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.
Changing your diet to predominately fruits, raw veggies, nuts, and seeds like I did, can turn your arthritis pain around almost overnight. More and more doctors are investigating the benefits of alternative therapies and most don't object to patients trying them. One should not only search for relief of arthritis pain but work on preventing it.
Although we don't like pain, there is a good reason for it as it is the body's way of telling us that something is wrong and to stop us from making a situation worse. It can be caused by anything from a dental cavity to a broken bone to a disease but once we determine where the pain is coming from, we can diagnose and address the health problem, thus relieving the pain.
Normally once the cause of the pain is treated, the pain will gradually disappear but not always.
Many of us have experienced this to a degree when we suffer a headache or a migraine but it also refers to conditions like arthritis and back pain. There is no preventative action you can take to stop chronic pain and it can affect someone at anytime during their life from almost any situation from accident, injury or disease.
The pain may still exist due to the fact that there may be a faulty nerve connection still sending the signal for pain to the brain, hence causing you to feel chronic pain.
Natural pain relief treatments are becoming more popular as many people have decided that prescription medication taken over prolonged periods is not only harmful through adverse side effects, but to maintain the effectiveness of the drugs, increase dosages must be consumed.
One very old practice providing natural pain relief is acupuncture which many people who suffer with chronic illness tend to favor. This method of pain relief has been used successfully in China and the East for many thousands of years.
Many people swear by its effectiveness claiming it can help with migraine, depression, arthritis and of course back pain. Herbal remedies are another time-tested alternative to conventional therapies, providing natural pain relief to sufferers without many of the unwanted side effects of conventional medicines. There are usually several herbal treatments used in natural pain relief for a particular conditions; popular herbal remedies include Emu oil, which can alleviate the pain of arthritis, and good old Vitamin E, which helps minimize scarring.
Some people do not like using these herbal remedies, not because they do not provide enough relief but because they take longer to work; the plus side is that nothing synthetic is entering the system that can harm it. If the truth be known then one way of even having to avoid natural pain relief is to change the way you life by eating healthier which means cutting back on processed foods but increasing your intake of fruit and vegetables.
Take care to get enough sleep each night, and take time out of each day for exercise as even simple activities like taking the stairs at work or a walk around the block go a long way towards improving your health.
Both Helen Hecker & Yolanda Adey are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Helen Hecker has sinced written about articles on various topics from Mortgage, Free Credit Report Score and Pimple. For more information on and arthritis treatments go to. Helen Hecker's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.
Yolanda Adey has sinced written about articles on various topics from Arthritis Signs. Taking Prescription drugs? Can't deal with the nasty side effects ? Well, its time to return to nature with . Find out more sec. Yolanda Adey's top article generates over 720 views. to your Favourites.