Contrary to popular belief, there are more working-age individuals who are affected with arthritis. In fact, this condition even affects children. Though arthritis is an unpleasant yet natural side effect of growing older, there are still natural ways for you to eliminate the joint pain.
What Exactly Is Arthritis?
There are many different types of arthritis. But here are the 2 most common forms:
Rheumatoid Arthritis
An autoimmune disease that causes inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis affects many individuals regardless of age. The inflammation occurs on the joints and the tissues surrounding the joint. The definite cause is unknown but it’s linked to poor health choices and a loss of synovial fluids.
Osteoarthritis
The kind of arthritis that affects older individuals is osteoarthritis. This type of arthritis is caused by the wear and tear of the cartilage in the joints. When this occurs, too much friction happens which results in pain and inflammation.
These 2 common types of arthritis are quite different in nature. But what they have in common is the symptoms of stiffness, inflammation, and joint pain. For some people it is so severe, such as in their feet, that they need to wear an ankle support brace on a regular basis.
How To Treat Arthritis The Natural Way?
The very first thing you can do is to alter your diet. Inflammation is due to many factors, but its main culprit is your health and nutrition. When your immune system goes haywire, your inflammatory response follows. The only way to improve your health is by making proper food choices. Here are some tips to become healthier:
Take probiotics – Probiotics restore the healthy flora in your gut. Since your GI Tract has a bigger responsibility in your immunity that you thought, making sure it’s healthy allows your body to restore its normal inflammatory response.
Omega-3 Diet – You can get omega-3 fatty acids from food like wild salmon, sardines and mackerel. You can also absorb omega-3 by eating nuts, avocados and seeds.
Leafy Vegetables – they are rich in vitamins C, flavonoids, and antioxidants that can prevent cellular damage. Make sure to include vegetables like kale, broccoli, swiss chard and spinach in your diet.
What Kind of Food Should I Avoid?
Processed Foods – food that contains artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors and preservatives should be removed from your kitchen. These ingredients just add stress to your metabolism and immunity mechanism.
Carbohydrates – Arthritis can sometimes lead to a more inactive lifestyle due to the pain. Try to make sure that you don’t gain even a little weight as it adds more stress to your muscles, joints and bones. Stay away from carbohydrates like rice, white bread, pastas, and potatoes.
Coffee and Alcohol – These drinks are diuretics, which means, they eliminate water in your body. Alcohol and coffee are also known to inhibit the absorption of certain water soluble vitamins and minerals which are important for your immune system.
Red Meat – People with arthritis have a more acidic body. Try to stay away from food that can increase the acidity of your body such as eating red meat. This can only aggravate your arthritis more.
Doing these things can also attribute to your recovery:
Exercise – There is a strong link between excessive fat and inflammation in the body. By exercising, you can help eliminate the excess weight you have and reduce the likelihood of inflammation. Also, losing weight will ease the pressure on your joints.
Anti-inflammatory supplements – So far, the best success most individuals with arthritis have found was by taking turmeric supplements. This natural remedy has anti-inflammatory properties that can get rid of pain and treat inflammation efficiently. You can get your therapeutic dose by taking the pure tablet form.
Rest – Make sure to get the right amount of rest every day. Cellular repair is actually at best when you’re sleeping. Make sure to get the right amount of rest and never stress your joints if they get more painful than usual. Avoid extraneous activities and only allow what you can physically take.