Millions of people all over the world suffer from painful and inflamed joints associated with arthritis. In Australia, arthritis is the major cause of chronic pain and disability. Arthritis can be caused by an underlying illness or infection, but it can also come about from the joints becoming inflamed as a result of a sports injury, otherwise known as ‘traumatic arthritis’. Regardless of the cause, arthritis can not only be a pain in the neck (pun intended, you may substitute your joint of choice here) it can also severely interfere with your quality of life. It can hinder you from doing the simplest of tasks, that most people would say were basic activities in life; from walking, to driving a car or even opening a can of beans.
Most people with arthritis automatically reach for pain medication as a way to manage their condition. But relying solely on pain medication to reduce symptoms isn’t only unhealthy in the long run for your body, it can also be costly because pain medication only fights the symptoms and not the root of the problem. Other solutions which work just as well, or even better for pain management include massage, aromatherapy and other alternative medicine techniques. At the top of the list of these natural ways to eliminate arthritis however is changing your diet, where you can use food as your medicine.
In the past, doctors told patients that dietary changes wouldn’t help them, western medicine however is changing and has begun recognising the important role of proper nutrition and diet in any medical condition. Because arthritis is a disease of inflammation, an anti-inflammatory diet makes sense, it can have an amazing impact in reducing the painful symptoms associated with arthritis.
While there are people who have completely changed their lives by adjusting their diets, many doctors will tell you that food won’t cure arthritis, however they do agree that food can help make the disease less painful. According to the Arthritis Foundation there is no specific diet for arthritis. There are a number of diets geared towards helping people with arthritis, but there is no one size fits all diet. If you find certain foods make your arthritis symptoms worse and others make your symptoms better, try making some adjustments in your diet. It’s best to do this with the guidance of your doctor and/or dietician, to make sure you have a balanced diet.
Studies have shown that if a person is food-sensitive, an elimination diet can help reduce symptoms such as morning stiffness and pain, improve range of motion in the joint and lower inflammatory markers in the blood. Slowly re-introducing foods one at a time, will help point out which foods are causing pain and which ones are helping speed up the healing process. Common major arthritis triggers may include dairy products, nighshades, corn, red meat, gluten, and coffee. The best foods for arthritis may include brown rice, ginger, turmeric, and cooked green, yellow and orange vegetables.
Don’t let the pain of arthritis caused by sports injuries or other underlying conditions hinder you from living your life to the fullest.
You can learn more about how to change your lifestyle and proper eating for arthritis at Joost’s Sports Injury Clinic, where creating a life without pain is attainable. Give Joost a call now or make a reservation.