Maybe you are on medication or already taken it — either prescription based or over the counter — to ease morning stiffness, acute pain, and inflammation in your joints. Numerous investigations show certain spices, foods, and supplements may deliver a synergistic effect on the result of medicine.

Reasons for joint pain include excess body weight, auto immune disorder, acute injury, wear and tear, hypothyroidism, depression and Mild injuries.

What you consume can help keep your joints and bones strong.

Consuming a balanced diet will support your joints, says sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, writer of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook.



Today by this selected blog, I am informing you about CAM. Have you heard about it before?

CAM stands for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Before you attempt any alternate treatment for joint pain you ought to recognize that: there is limited logical proof that shows that these treatments work to typically reduce local inflammation and relieve symptoms of joint pain.

Nevertheless, CAM treatments may improve your current condition. They may help you cope with your symptoms or just the day-to-day experience of having a chronic illness. The most satisfactory CAM treatment for any sort of joint inflammation is exercise. Studies also proved that exercise is the best way to reduce joint pain.

There are the four main types of exercise that the American College of Rheumatology recommends including in a regular fitness routine:

1) Aerobics

2) Stretching

3) Flexibility

4) Body awareness improves posture, balance, coordination, and relaxation. Yoga is a prime example.

Source: THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL APRIL 2019 NO 7904 VOL.302

For stretching always remember that:Exclusively perform stretching type of exercise after a five to ten minutes warm-up. The warmed-up muscle can stretch and endure more, says Duane Knudson, Ph.D., professor and chair of the department of health, physical education and recreation at Texas State University.

Stretching poses may be held for a long time—often 45 seconds to 2 minutes for beginners. Holding poses for this duration of time can feel good for people who want to stretch soft tissues without inducing too much stress on arthritic joints. (Study)

Let’s talk about food! certain spices and herbs can decrease the pain of rheumatoid joints such as garlic, turmeric/curcumin, basil, oregano, ginger, cinnamon, chili pepper, cloves, omega-3 unsaturated fats, and certain vitamins like C and E. However, it would be good to consult your health care provider before using them.

Mediterranean Diet

A 2002 report found that patients with controlled, yet active, rheumatoid joint inflammation who followed a Mediterranean diet experienced decreased inflammation and improved physical activity.This diet is good to reduce the body weight. Experts advise people with arthritis to maintain a healthy body weight and eat a balanced diet.

Brief description of the Mediterranean diet is given below: (suggested by Arthritis Foundation- Main organization devoted to arthritis support and education).

1) Olive oil: 2-3 tablespoons daily

2) Fruits and vegetables: Nine small meals (green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, lettuce, cabbage as they contain vitamin K and fruits especially citrus fruits like oranges, lime, grapefruits because of a rich source of vitamin C.) Research has shown that cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries contain anthocyanins which have an anti-inflammatory effect.

3) Fish: American Heart Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommend three to four ounces of fish, twice a week. Fish is a rich source of the anti-inflammatory agent that is omega 3 fatty acids.

4) Nuts and seeds.

5) Whole grains: Six ounces of grains per day; one ounce of whole-grain would be equal to ½ cup properly cooked brown rice or one slice of whole-wheat bread. Whole grains have fiber, which can undoubtedly help you to maintain a healthy weight. Some studies have shown that fiber can lower blood levels of CRP, an inflammatory agent.

Medicinal Lentil Soup:

Lentil soup with meat is good to reduce the pain. Add some ginger powder, black pepper powder and chili powder in it. Drink it as soon as possible to strengthen the knee joints.Legumes, including black beans, split peas, and lentils, which contain about eight times more fiber than whole-grain bread.

Topical Preperations:

1) Aloe Vera Gel:

Apply it like lotion on your skin. This will give you temporary relief from joint pain inflammation. If you are not allergic to it, you can continue treating the pain with aloe vera gel as long as you need it. (Study)

Before use, it is recommended to do an allergy patch test by applying a layer of gel inside of your wrist cover it with a bandage and leave it, if no undesirable reaction occurs means it is safe.

2) Fenugreek Seeds Paste:

Soak two tablespoons of fenugreek seeds in water and leave it overnight. Blend these soaked seeds and apply on the affected area and remove it after drying. Clinical trials were conducted between the effects of fenugreek paste and diclofenac gel but its result is not published yet. (Study)

3) Sesame or Mustard Oil with Garlic:

Fry two garlic’s clove in mustard/sesame oil. Massage this lukewarm oil into the skin around the affected part. Leave at least three hours. For good results use this oil two times daily.

What to avoid??

Nutritionist Cassandra Barns suggests cutting down the following food items:

1) Red meat

Avoid eating a large portion of red meat as it contains omega 6 which act as an arachidonic acid and can increase inflammation. Patients with arthritis should take one or two servings per week.

2) Fried Food Items

Avoid eating fried food items especially avoid vegetable oil fried items has it has a high amount of omega 6 fatty acid. Use of olive oil but in small quantity is good.

3) Sugary drinks and Coffee

Both can contribute to raising acidity level, which can exacerbate any inflammation.

4) Avoid tomatoes and white potatoes.

5) Avoid eating that food from which you have an allergy.

6) Corn oil high in omega-6 fatty acids, which may trigger inflammation.

7) Too much salt

Less salt may help you manage your arthritis

Other Supplements for Joint Health:

In addition, you can use other supplements with a change in diet that reduces your joint ache. That include:

1) Omega 3 fatty acids

2) Glucosamine

3) Ginger root

4) Turmeric

5) Green tea

Thanks.....