There is no one solution for arthritis pain relief, and everyone responds differently to treatment. Therefore, an individualized combination of strategies is often the most effective approach. In the United States, 24% of all adults, or 58.5 million people, have arthritis.
Arthritis pain relief
Many people have eschewed the recipe book for a successful pain relief program that focuses on exercise, dietary changes and smart supplementation with well-studied, natural ingredients.
Are you currently in pain?
If you have chronically painful joints, you are in good company. Every year, millions of Americans are told by their doctors that they have a form of arthritis. It may take a few weeks before you start to feel the benefits of a pain relief program. Get immediate relief by purchasing a flexible gel-style ice pack from a sporting goods store or pharmacy. First place a tea towel on the sensitive area, then the gel pack, then use a wide elastic bandage of 10 to 15 cm for light compression. This is the best acute painkiller. It is safe, inexpensive and should be used before any form of systemic therapy.
Starting a pain relief program
Everyone is different. A pain relief program should be customized based on your needs and your body’s responses to these strategies.
>> GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS. Some people assume that their pain is a symptom of one condition, but that is not the case. Symptoms may overlap. If you self-diagnose, you may be missing something very serious. Or maybe you’re missing something that’s easy to fix. Arthritis and related conditions are actually made up of about 100 different diseases. Work with a medical professional who spends quality time on diagnostics.
>> PREVENT INJURIES. Many people do not realize that chronic, minor injuries, as well as acute, significant injuries, can eventually cause joint problems and arthritis. For example, gardeners are prone to arthritis in their fingers. Swimmers can get shoulder pain. Even if you are not an athlete and not at occupational risk, pay attention to the way you sit and sleep. Something as simple as opening jars without an aid can cause joint problems later in life.
Dietary Considerations:
Your food and herb choices matter because they can help or worsen painful inflammation. There is some evidence that the Mediterranean diet – which is high in fruits and vegetables, and low in meat and sugary sweets – is beneficial. But we’re all busy, so let’s simplify our approach.
>> DEVELOP A HEALTHY MEAL ROTATION. Get really good at making seven or eight meals so you don’t have to worry about how to prepare them. Always keep the ingredients at hand. That way you’ll be less tempted to buy fried fast food chicken instead of cooking it.
>> MAKE SALAD WITH OLIVE OIL ONE OF YOUR STAPLES. Uncooked olive oil, a staple of the Mediterranean diet, has numerous health benefits. But because olive oil starts to break down at higher temperatures, use coconut oil for sautéing. It has a similar fatty acid profile to olive oil.
>> EXPERIMENT WITH VEGETABLE LASAGNA. You get a lot of nutrients from the tomato sauce and you can hide a lot of vegetables in the lasagna.
>> COOK WITH TURMERIC OR GINGER ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK. These are wonderful anti-inflammatory herbs. Cooking the turmeric with oil releases the beneficial curcumin and makes it more bioavailable. As a general rule, it is better to get these beneficial substances through food than through supplements. You only get a small portion of the health benefits of supplemental turmeric. Supplemental ginger works in the same way as aspirin in the body and can cause the same type of stomach upset.
>> RETHINK YOUR BREAKFAST. The typical American breakfast is very high on the glycemic index. Swapping cereal, bread, waffles and muffins for something healthier is often the biggest change people can make. Spread fresh avocado on sourdough bread, add herbs and you’re good to go. It’s very convenient, and as a bonus, sourdough is fermented so it contains a prebiotic component, which supports digestion.
>> CHOOSE HEALTHY PROTEINS. Avoid the preservatives found in processed lunch meat. It is also very clear that red meat is not good for you. Yes, grass-fed beef has fewer anti-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids than grain-fed beef, but most of us don’t really need red meat at all. Better protein sources include beans, tofu, whole grains and eggs. Smoothies made with whey protein powder are also good.
Exercise and weight loss
If you are overweight, staying active is essential for a pain-free life.
>> EVEN SMALL AMOUNTS OF WEIGHT LOSS MATTER. We now know that losing 10 pounds, or losing 10 percent of body weight in people who are heavier, can quickly improve symptoms of arthritis or reduce the chance of developing osteoarthritis. If you only gain 10 pounds, you’ll add 50 to 60 pounds of extra pressure on your knees going up and down the stairs. So it’s easy to see how losing weight is a preventative measure.
>> WALK, IF YOU CAN. Be smart when choosing your shoes and running surface. Marble and steel surfaces are the hardest, followed by concrete and asphalt. Natural surfaces such as dirt or grass are the most forgiving. Try to keep your pace under four miles per hour. When you are faster, the forces on your knees are about the same as when jogging slowly.
>> IF YOU CANNOT PRACTICE ON LAND, GET INTO THE WATER WITH A FLOATATION DEVICE. If your feet aren’t touching the bottom, there are many movements you can do without weight. I have helped top athletes recovering from injuries maintain their fitness by doing interval sprints at the deep end. You can often experience pain relief after just one session.
Symptom relieving
>> DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS
When you’re in pain, it’s tempting to reach for something that promises quick relief. Make smart decisions or risk unintended consequences.
>> WITHOUT PAIN RELIEF such as acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen only mask the symptoms. Even more worrying, there are now studies showing that acetaminophen is ineffective in treating osteoarthritis pain (and often toxic). If you have an acute situation, use these medications in the lowest possible dose and for the shortest possible time.
>> DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS can be a viable part of your pain relief program. It may take a week or two before you start to feel the benefits. Once people find something that works well for them, they usually continue taking these supplements for the long term. So it is important to know what you are taking. Choose products with well-studied active ingredients in dosages known to be effective.
For example, it sounds quite funny that eggshell membrane will help you. It’s something you’ve thrown away your whole life and probably haven’t tried yet as a joint health supplement. Clinical studies show that a single daily dose of 500 mg of natural eggshell membrane, shown as “NEM” on labels, is sufficient to improve joint comfort and flexibility in just 7 to 10 days. Recent studies suggest that NEM works by supporting a healthy anti-inflammatory response.
>> ACTIVE INGREDIENTS Determine the amount of active ingredients you may need. Look for the studies using the active ingredient. If you do not understand the studies, print them out and ask your doctor or pharmacist for help. Determine the dosage used to obtain positive results. This will help you ensure that the product you choose contains the amount of the active ingredient that has been shown to benefit people. If you don’t get the right amount, you may assume the ingredient didn’t work well for you, when in fact you weren’t getting enough of it to be effective.
>> SAFETY FIRST Make sure the product you are considering is generally recognized as safe (GRAS). Despite coming from natural sources, not all dietary supplements are without potential adverse effects. GRAS ingredients have an advantage in terms of safety compared to the (often unknown) safety of other ingredients.
>> MIXTURES Consider your options regarding proprietary blends. Exact ingredient quantities are not always available for proprietary blends. That doesn’t necessarily mean the finished product won’t be effective, but it does mean you’ll want to consider other factors, such as whether the product manufacturer regularly adheres to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP on the label).
The beauty of approaching arthritis pain management from multiple angles and multiple variables is that you don’t have to rely on just one thing to work. Your pain is as unique as you are. Your program should be tailored to your needs and lifestyle.
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