3 Arthritis Treatment Tips For Living Your Best Life Naturally With Osteoarthritis

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calls arthritis the nation’s most common cause of disability. Nearly 21 million U.S. adults report activity limitations because of arthritis each year. Among all U.S. adults of working age (18–64 years), 5.3% (6.9 million people) reported that they have arthritis that limits their work. Of the 23 million adults with arthritis in this age group, arthritis-attributable work limitations affect about 1 in 3 people.

Arthritis Background
It’s important to realize that “arthritis” is divided into two primary types: osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease (DJD); the wear-and-tear form of arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. These two types are completely different, even though they have some similarities. They both affect the joints and can be connected with joint stiffness, pain, inflammation and swelling. However, their underlying causes are distinctly different.

Osteoarthritis (a degenerative joint disease) and rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease) are two entirely different diseases, but they can be treated in much the same way. This is because certain principles will start a cascade of healing in your body, no matter what the problem is. So even though osteoarthritis is commonly said to be caused by wear-and-tear on your joints due to lifestyle, diet and aging, and rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which your body starts destroying itself, you can gain relief in much the same way: by addressing your diet and exercise habits.

Arthritis Treatment Tip #1: You Have Arthritis, But Arthritis Doesn’t Have You

Arthritis Treatment Tip #1: You Have Arthritis, But Arthritis Doesn’t Have You. The most important of the 3 Natural Arthritis Treatment Tips For Living Your Best Life With Osteoarthritis is simply this – you are in control of this disease. In other words, you have arthritis, but arthritis doesn’t have you. By making changes to your eating and exercise habits you truly can live your best life now with arthritis.

Arthritis Treatment Tip #2: Medication Is Not The Solution

Many people with arthritis automatically reach for pain medication, but it is not always necessary to do so. There are other solutions that work just as well, or even better, for both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. When they reach for medication, most reach for non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) come with well-known side effects like stomach irritation and ulcers, but also have some not-so-well-know side effects like causing swelling, increased blood pressure, and the potential for liver and kidney damage. This is why when you are taking these prescriptions, your doctor typically requires periodic blood tests to check for liver damage.

 

There are many natural anti-inflammatory supplements, here are a few that are helpful for reducing the pain of arthritis:
1. Fish Oil
Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which decrease the body’s production of a long list of pro-inflammatory biochemicals, including the same ones targeted by most NSAIDs — cyclooxygenase (COX 1 and 2). It also helps to reduce levels of inflammatory interleukins, specifically interleukin-1, a marker of chronic inflammation. In studies, people with rheumatoid arthritis who took fish oil were able to reduce their dosage of anti-inflammatory drugs. They also reported less pain and stiffness.
Fish oil has a synergistic effect with aspirin on inhibiting synthesis of thromboxane A2 and the highly inflammatory leukotriene B4. It’s reported to help asthma, cystitis, hepatitis, pancreatitis, prostatitis and dermatitis.
2. Antioxidants
Immune cells cause oxidative damage as they fight infection, and ongoing oxidative damage drives chronic inflammation. Reducing oxidative damage can help control inflammation. Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium all help to control oxidative damage by neutralizing “free radicals,” the molecular renegades that cause oxidative damage and can start a chain reaction that keeps it going.
3. Quercetin
The anti-inflammatory effects of quercetin seem to come from its ability to dampen the production and activity of pro-inflammatory biochemicals such as leukotrienes and prostaglandins, and to block the release of histamine, the biochemical that causes allergic symptoms like runny nose and itchy eyes. Quercetin also seems to help symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and chronic, nonbacterial prostatitis.

Arthritis Treatment With Glucosamine: Help or Hype?
Last year the prestigious British medical journal Lancet published a ground-breaking study regarding the long-term effects of glucosamine sulfate. This was a clinical trial, in which 212 patients with OA of the knee were randomly assigned to take 1500 mg of oral glucosamine sulfate or placebo (a pill with no active ingredients) once daily for 3 years.
The study revealed the following results.

Pain Levels. The patients taking glucosamine sulfate had decreased pain compared to the group not taking glucosamine.
Cartilage Balance. The glucosamine group experienced no significant loss of cartilage, and in fact some patients actually experienced a growth in cartilage. This effect was reported as due to glucosamine’s stimulus of building up cartilage while depressing the tearing down of cartilage.
Safety. There were no differences in safety between the glucosamine and placebo groups.

Conclusions. The long-term combined joint structure-modifying and symptom-modifying effects of glucosamine sulfate suggest that it could be a disease modifying agent in osteoarthritis. In plain English, glucosamine is safe and effective in preventing the progression of osteoarthritis!

Arthritis Treatment Tip #3: Movement Is A Must

Arthritis can be extremely painful, and you may think it is next to impossible to exercise when your joints are inflamed. However, if you stop moving, your joints will become more stiff and painful, and you will gradually lose your independence. If you have arthritis, it is essential to keep your body moving, but it does take some creativity to do so in a way that minimizes stress to your joints.

Gentler exercises like Tai Chi and yoga are recommended, as are swimming, power walking, stretching and lifting weights. You should generally avoid high-impact exercises like running, as they can cause permanent joint damage due to the excessive amount of inflammation present. A simple key to follow is that if you have pain two hours after exercise that specific exercise was likely too aggressive for your joints in their current state of inflammation. Exercises, including activities that engage the full body, are also recommended for individuals with arthritis.

Can Your Chiropractor Help?

Doctors of chiropractic, by the nature of their work, can detect the earliest degenerative changes in the joints. They see the impact of degenerative changes in the spine, as well as in the hips, knees, and other weight-bearing joints. Doctors of chiropractic are also trained to relieve the pain and improve joint function through natural therapies, such as chiropractic manipulation, trigger-point therapy, or some massage techniques.

Doctors of chiropractic can provide exercise counseling, helping you choose exercises that are best for you. If a sore or swollen joint prevents you from exercising, talk to your doctor of chiropractic about other drug-free pain-relief options, such as applying heat or cold to the affected area. In addition, your doctor of chiropractic can help you choose proper supplements that play important roles in arthritis treatment and prevention.