Joint pain and aches are the last thing anyone wants to cope with because they make it difficult to enjoy life, spend time with loved ones, or exercise without pain. If you have chronic joint pain, you know how difficult and unpleasant even everyday tasks like walking, using a computer, or carrying groceries can be.
In this post, we’ll examine the causes and treatment options for joint pain, including herbal remedies and supplements, dietary modifications, and a more active lifestyle.
What’s Causing the Joint Pain
The good news is that, if you’re one of the 15 million Americans who experience chronic joint pain, you can reclaim your life by learning more about what’s causing it.
Even though arthritis is a common cause of joint pain, it is by no means the only culprit.
Other common causes of joint pain include poor posture, physical injury, inactivity, autoimmune illnesses, and connective tissue disorders, as well as overuse from sports such as running, soccer, and cycling, and joint degeneration with age.
Joint pain is usually always caused by inflammation, regardless of the cause. That’s why reducing inflammation is generally the best way to overcome the pain; you’ll hear doctors refer to this often.
Reduce Joint Pain with Diet
Adopting an anti-inflammatory diet is one of the most effective strategies to alleviate chronic joint pain. Removing foods that cause inflammation could be a huge part of this strategy. Foods to avoid include:
- Gluten and dairy
- Refined and hydrogenated oils
- Corn and soy products
- Processed foods
Instead, adding a slew of anti-inflammatory fruits and vegetables and omega-3-rich avocados, fish and fish oil, walnuts, and chia seeds could benefit you greatly. Your joints can benefit from good connective tissue support by incorporating collagen peptides or collagen-rich animal proteins into your diet.
A good rule of thumb is to ensure you’re getting enough collagen from your diet so that your skin, hair, nails, and joints are well protected as you get older.
The use of anti-inflammatory topical creams, Epsom salt baths, hot and cold packs, and ice packs, in addition to a healthy diet, can all help alleviate pain, relax tense muscles, and reduce swelling.
For example, Wise Woman Herbals Fire and Ice Balm is a cooling and warming blend specifically designed to promote joint and musculoskeletal health and encourage a normal healthy inflammatory response.
Reducing Joint Pain with Turmeric
Additionally, incorporating some supplements and herbal therapies into your daily health regimen might help alleviate joint pain.
For those looking for a natural alternative to over-the-counter pain medications, turmeric is an excellent choice. Turmeric is just as effective as NSAIDs when it comes to decreasing inflammation and joint pain, according to recent studies. It has been used in Eastern civilizations for ages for a variety of medical purposes.
Curcuminoid, a chemical found in turmeric, has anti-inflammatory properties and can help with joint pain, joint mobility, and even digestive health when taken in therapeutic doses.
Sources:
Joint Pain and Arthritis. (2020, May 22). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/pain/index.htm#:~:text=Chronic pain caused by arthritis, joint pain related to arthritis
Sokolove, J., & Lepus, C. M. (2013). Role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis: latest findings and interpretations. Therapeutic advances in musculoskeletal disease, 5(2), 77–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/1759720X12467868
Shep, D., Khanwelkar, C., Gade, P. et al. Safety and efficacy of curcumin versus diclofenac in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized open-label parallel-arm study. Trials 20, 214 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3327-2
Daily, J. W., Yang, M., & Park, S. (2016). Efficacy of Turmeric Extracts and Curcumin for Alleviating the Symptoms of Joint Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. Journal of medicinal food, 19(8), 717–729. https://doi.org/10.1089/jmf.2016.3705
