Today's Health Tip: Natural Arthritis Treatments

This article is courtesy of  naturalhealth365.com

6 ways to treat arthritis naturally

(NaturalHealth365) For those of us who suffer from arthritis and general joint pain, life can quickly become a daily struggle of battling with aching and stiffness, and with there being no known cure (conventionally speaking), it can often seem like a hopeless situation to be in.

But, there is hope, in the form of numerous food items and lifestyle changes you can incorporate into your day-to-day life in order to help reduce inflammation in your body and combat many (if not all) of the symptoms of arthritis.

Let’s take a closer look at a handful of proven methods you can use to help eliminate pain and discomfort caused by this terribly common disease.

Remember, you are what you eat and how you digest

1. Healthy herbs – nature offers us an incredible abundance of healing herbs which can be used to gently alleviate symptoms by reducing stress, inflammation, and acidity within the body. Turmeric, stinging nettle, garlic, ginger, and burdock root are all great examples of items you can incorporate into your diet, offering benefits including anti-inflammatory properties, immune support, detoxification, and protection from free radicals.

2. Supplemental support – most of our nutrients should be consumed through a well-balanced diet; however, it may be beneficial to introduce supplementary forms of nutrients such as Vitamins A, D, and E, curcumin (the active compound in turmeric), omega-3 fish oils, and vitamin C in order to strengthen your joints, reduce inflammation, and help fight against the oxidative damage caused by free radicals.

It should be noted that appropriate doses of these nutrients is highly individual so you should consult a qualified professional to ensure you are taking the correct quantities and make sure you are not using any products which may exacerbate an existing medical condition.

3. Eliminate Inflammatory food – consuming sugar, alcohol, and trans fats can lead to severe levels of inflammation in the body, so as well as introducing foods to heal you, you can also begin to eliminate some of the worst offenders which may be really impinging on your health and worsening your arthritic symptoms.

This also means not consuming an excess of unsaturated fats from refined oils and grain-fed meat, and instead increasing our intake of healthy saturated fats such as virgin coconut oil, eggs, and grass-fed (only) animal products. These high-quality saturated fats help to keep our joints supple and lubricated, thereby reducing irritation and inflammation in the long term.

Highly-effective lifestyle changes to eliminate arthritis

4. Shape Up

According to Roy Altman, MD, a rheumatologist and professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, losing as little as 10-20 pounds can produce a significant reduction of symptoms in sufferers of arthritis, owing largely the a reduced strain being placed on the joints of the lower body such as the hips, knees, and ankles.

5. Exercise

While this goes partly hand-in-hand with losing weight, frequent exercise is a sure fire way of strengthening your joints and the muscles surrounding them, as well as producing an increase in endorphin production which helps to reduce the stress which can exacerbate inflammation and aggravate joint pain.

It should be noted, however, that suffers of extreme joint pain should abstain from heavy impact activities such as running, and would fare better with a combination of cycling, swimming, and even the use of elliptical machines.

6. Reduce the Load

Simply being mindful of the demand your daily activities can place on your joints can be a great way of reducing symptoms. Asking someone to help you carry grocery bags, using electric knives and can openers, and opting for Velcro-strapped shoes and clothing instead of laced items can all go a long way to reducing the load placed on your body.

The bottom line

We are really only scratching the surface of the power of healing foods and lifestyle changes, which can be adopted to improve not just your arthritic symptoms, but also your overall health and wellbeing.

Be sure to try out some of these methods but don’t forget to do a little research and you’re sure to find even more ways of reducing pain and discomfort, and improving your quality of life.

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References:
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20443624_2,00.html
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-arthritis1.htm
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4815/5-Herbs-for-Arthritis-Joint-Pain.html
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_truth_about_saturated_fat