Before I google online, talk to me about arthritis.

[BMW]

Please! My joints are aching.

 

My grandmother had arthritis in her finger joints and her knuckles were a bit misshapen during her last several years. I can see one pinky knuckle looking similar to hers, but I figured it was because I had broken in as a child...

 

If I sit in a chair (at the computer, for instance) for a while (think "long" while, ha ha), my hips will ache the next day.

 

Yesterday I crocheted off and on for a couple of hours and today my wrist aches badly.

 

My mother and sister have arthritis.

 

I heard that you tend to get arthritis where you have broken a bone... but, I have not broken my wrist or hips... but, I am hurting.

 

So... what are effective pain relievers when there are flare ups? Are flare ups related to the cold/weather? Does it vary from person to person how long they last? (sounds silly, but I am trying to be hopeful...)

 

Also, my initial response to my wrist aching is to keep it still. My mom said, no, to ignore the pain and take something for the pain and keep it moving. She said that her mom said that you have to keep the joints moving, or they will get worse and you could lose use of it (like, fingers curling up and not being able to be extended). What do you think of that?

 

Thanks... I appreciate it.

[DaffodilDreams]

Arthritis runs in my family, and I have the classic symptoms. However, blood tests don't confirm that I officially have it. Dr. says to proceed as if I do. I'm still young enough for it to not be too bad. I can see what it may be like in the future by looking at my grandmother, though. I also have the aching joints after heavy usage. I cannot sit in one position very long. The more I move, the better I am. Some of my joints ache with increased moisture in the air - similar to growing pains as a child. I have not broken any bones, but I was in a pretty bad car wreck and I wonder if this has sped things up for me. I do much better when I don't forget to lift weights (just light weights work well for me) or do yoga. When life gets busy and those things slide, I notice more pain. I'm not a fan of popping pills, so I tend to not take any meds unless it's just unbearable (then, Aleve or Advil work for me). I am into natural remedies, though, and will use epsom salts in a bath, arnica cream, etc. to help soothe the pain. I think your mom is right. Keep moving, but be gentle.

Edited March 24, 2011 by kimmie38017

[BMW]

All righty... alleve, advil and epsom salts are on my list for the store... (I rarely take a pill, too...) Thanks... gosh, I am hurting... sigh.

[JudoMom]

All righty... alleve, advil and epsom salts are on my list for the store... (I rarely take a pill, too...) Thanks... gosh, I am hurting... sigh.

 

In most cases of RA, the joints are affected symmetrically. I don't believe that is the case in osteoarthritis.

 

If you do suspect an arthritis, go to the doctor. You can take over the counter anti-inflammatories for pain, but there are also drugs that can help slow the progression of some autoimmune disorders.

 

And yes--movement often does help the stiffening. My pain tends to be worse when the weather changes, too.

[~Jo]

My dh has arthritis in his chest wall (ribs) and wrist. It was so bad that he would wake up wondering if he was having a heart attack! He went to the Dr. and they prescribed some meds. They work...but lots of side effects (as always, huh?)

 

So a while back I had read an email from someone else who had eliminated plants from the nightshade family and they were now med and pain free from their arthritis. I told my dh. He was most skeptical but because of the pain started to do some research.

 

He has eliminated tomatoes, potatoes and peppers from his diet (plants from the nightshade family) and has been pain free for over a year (might be over 2) - unless he eats the offending food. ;) He has a rather strong reaction to them - he can eat maybe one serving of potatoes once every two weeks or so, anymore than that and he will start to have pain. Tomatoes never - they kill him with pain and indigestion problems.

 

It has been hard to re-do our menu but so worth it. It is really hard for him at lunch as he eats out and tries to eat healthy also.

[Parrothead]

I have hereditary osteoarthritis. I'm affected in both knees, both hands, and recently my left elbow has started hurting some.

 

I don't take anything unless I'm in some serious pain. I don't want to build up a tolerance too early in my life. I know what my dad has gone through and how he is in such pain every single day of his life. He has had both knees and a toe joint replaced. The docs want to fuse his lower spine but there is too much degeneration of the bone.

 

Exercise and as good a diet you can manage are a must. Glucosamine and Chrondroitin (sp?) supplements help a great deal. Keeping your weight at a healthy weight is a must. I'm 20 pounds over optimal for me and I can feel it in my knees.

 

Heat helps me a great deal. You can try cold. OTC pain meds help on bad days.

 

Good luck. I hope you can find a level of management that works for you.

[Negin]

Pain is often a loud voice shouting that you have an inflammation that needs to be addressed.

When any condition ends in “itis” it means that inflammation is present.

 

SUPPLEMENTS

Glucosamine sulfate - a safe, natural anti-inflammatory supplement that has no side effects.

Most studies show that 500 mg taken three times a day is sufficient.

Be patient. It could take two or three months before you feel a difference.

Some people take glucosamine sulfate alone; others take it with chondroitin sulfate. These nutrients do help – especially glucosamine sulfate.

 

Cetyl Myristoleate (CM) is a fatty acid, found naturally in our joints, that helps regulate inflammation and pain from arthritis. CM not only prevents arthritis, but relieves its pain and symptoms as well. CM is simply a fatty acid that lubricates joints and reduces inflammation. It’s found in fish oils, coconut oil, and other foods.

CM-Plus from Longevity Science

Myristin fro EHP Products

 

Boswellia – 300-750 mg 3 times daily with food.

Look for a formula standardized to 60 percent boswellic acids.

Boswellia has been clinically proven to have strong anti-inflammatory effects. It’s known to reduce congestion and heat in the joints.

 

Too much calcium and not enough magnesium contributes to arthritis. It causes stiffness, because calcium causes muscles to contract.

Unabsorbed calcium doesn’t just “go away. “ It gets stored in joints and becomes arthritis, or in arteries where it contributes to heart problems. If you have arthritis, don’t overdo calcium either in supplements or in your diet.

If you have arthritis, don’t overdo calcium either in supplements or in your diet.

 

Magnesium, on the other hand, causes muscles to relax. Most supplements already contain more calcium than magnesium. When you take additional calcium supplementation, you upset the calcium/magnesium balance even more. This causes more contraction than relaxation.

Magnesium helps calcium get into your bones.

Take equal amounts of calcium and magnesium, or, ideally, twice as much magnesium as calcium. For most people on a healthy diet, 500 mg of each supplement should be enough. You’ll get more calcium and magnesium in your diet from whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and dark green leafy vegetables.

400-1200 mg daily of Magnesium is helpful but use according to bowel tolerance. Your body knows how much magnesium you can tolerate from bowel tolerance – take as much magnesium as your bowels can tolerate

If you can, add 100 mg of magnesium to your nutritional supplements, and increase it by 100 mg every few days until your stools are soft, but not uncomfortably loose.

Take in divided doses and with meals to ensure optimal absorption – preferably more at night

Some say to not take magnesium with calcium - I think that that is preferable.

Calcium, magnesium, and many other minerals are best absorbed when they are bound to an acidic carrier such as citrate, aspartate, picolinate, or amino acid chelate. Minerals need an acidic base to break down and get used.

The most absorbable forms are magnesium citrate, glycinate taurate, or aspartate, although magnesium bound to Kreb cycle chelates (malate, succinate, fumarate) are also good.

Avoid magnesium carbonate, oxide, sulfate, and gluconate. They are poorly absorbed (and the cheapest and most common forms found in supplements).

Side effects from too much magnesium include diarrhea, which can be avoided if you switch to magnesium glycinate.

People with kidney disease or severe heart disease should take magnesium only under a doctor's supervision.

[Negin]

Vitamin D3 - Vitamin D is necessary for keeping cartilage healthy and strong. A daily dose of at 2000 IU D3 can cut your risk of OA dramatically and slow its progression.

If you're under 60, take 2,000 IU per day.

If you're 60 or over, take 5,000 IU per day of vitamin D3.

If you're under 50, take at least 2,000 IU per day.

If you're 50 or over, take at least 5,000 IU per day of vitamin D3.

Always take your vitamin D with a fat-containing meal to ensure absorption.

Your need for vitamin D3 is affected by age, skin color, and the severity of any deficiency

 

800-1600 mg Sam-e daily – always take on empty stomach (take with large doses of B Vitamins). I read that a 1200 mg daily dose of this amino acid controls pain and improves function as effectively as Celebrex.

 

A good Fish Oil - 10 grams daily – choose a high-quality oil, such as Carlson's that contains at lest 200 mg of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA in every 1-gram capsule.

Diets which are higher in fish oils (omega-3's) result in reduced inflammation

CAVEAT: DO NOT TAKE FISH OILS IF YOU ARE ON ANY BLOOD THINNER. OR WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF ANY PLANNED SURGERY. OR IF YOUR DOCTOR ADVISES YOU NOT TO TAKE.

 

Willow Bark – 400 mg daily of the herbal cousin of aspirin cuts OA pain dramatically. Twice as effective as Motrin!

 

640 mg Strontium significantly reduces back pain by building bone density and even prevents arthritic progression

 

Evening Primrose Oil (GLA) help relieve arthritis symptoms

Take it on a full stomach in 2 divided doses, equally spaced during the day.

Take up to 500 mg EPO 2-3 times daily or 2000 mg total daily

Avoid doses of GLA greater than 3,000 mg per day. High levels may increase inflammation in the body.

Expect to wait up to 8 weeks to see results.

Don’t use GLA if you take an antiseizure Rx.

People taking blood thinning medications should not take omega-6 fatty acid supplements without consulting a health care provider. Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids may increase the risk of bleeding.

 

Try to avoid iron supplements

 

Take 200-1000 mcg Vitamin K daily

Vitamin K helps build and repair joint tissue. People with K-rich diets are much less likely to develop arthritis in their knees and hands

Vitamin K can be safely taken at doses greater than 1 mg per day

DO NOT TAKE VITAMIN K IF YOU ARE TAKING COUMADIN. ONLY IN THIS SETTING WILL IT CAUSE A PROBLEM AS IT INTERFERES WITH THIS DRUG'S ACTIONS. You do not increase clotting risk with these doses of K unless you are taking Coumadin. Which most of us are not.

High doses of K - 5 mg per day for four years -- has been studied without any increased risk of clotting or toxicity.

[Negin]

Season meals with ginger and turmeric as often as possible

These spices have anti-inflammatory properties.

You can add fresh ginger to soups, salads, veggies, entrees. Be careful if you’re taking blood thinning medications.

 

Get more omega-3s from: wild Alaskan salmon and other cold-water fish; freshly ground flaxseed; omega-3-fortified eggs; and walnuts.

 

5-9 daily servings of fresh fruits and veggies from across the color spectrum

 

Pineapple contains bromelain, an anti-inflammatory compound. Bromelain suppresses inflammation and pain and minimizes swelling.

 

Selenium reduces swelling and helps keep delicate joint tissue healthy. More selenium-rich foods:

Brazil Nuts

Eggs

Fish

Lamb

Oatmeal

Pumpkinseeds

Mushrooms

Salmon

Shrimp

Snapper

Sunflower Seeds

Tuna

Turkey

 

Vitamin K found in lettuce, spinach, chard, cabbage, broccoli, collard greens, turnip greens, parsley, cauliflower, kidney beans

Vitamin K helps build and repair joint tissue. People with K-rich diets are much less likely to develop arthritis in their knees and hands

Because the body cannot store vitamin K for long periods of time or in large doses, benefits are best obtained through food

Try to have 1 cup of spinach at least 3 times a week

Vitamin K is fat-soluble, so eat your greens with a little olive oil to help absorb the nutrient

 

Cloves help arthritis pain. Try to get ½ teaspoon a day. Saute 1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon cloves in 1 tablespoon olive oil. After 3 minutes, add 4 cups shredded leafy greens (rhubarb chard), and fry until soft and tender, about 5 minutes. Serve hot with chicken or fish.

 

Eat:

Asparagus

Brown rice

Cauliflower

Eggs

Fish – particularly all oily fish: salmon, mackerel, sardines (canned sardines) and herring

Fresh vegetables

Garlic

Green leafy vegetables

Liver

Lots of ginger and turmeric

Non-acidic fresh fruits

Oat Bran

Oatmeal

Onions

Whole grains

[Negin]

Olive Oil’s high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids (particularly oleic acid) seem to protect against joint inflammation. In one study, participants who consumed about 3 tbsp of olive oil a day lessened their chance of developing RA by 61%. But be sure to use it as a replacement for less healthy saturated fats like butter, since 3 tbsp can add almost 400 calories to your daily diet.

 

A Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, fish, and olive oil has been found to give great relief to arthritis patients. It contains

less red meat and dairy products than do Western diets.

 

Bone broths are easy to make. Begin with bones from fish, poultry, beef, lamb, or pork. The bones can be raw or cooked, and they can be stripped of meat or still contain meat remnants and skin. You can also add leftover eggshells because the membrane that separates the white from the shell contains four joint-boosting nutrients—hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, chondroitin, and collagen.

Place the bones and eggshells with water in a pot—and add a couple of tablespoons of one of the following per quart of water: apple cider vinegar, red or white wine vinegar, or lemon juice. Gently stir and then let it sit for about 30 minutes to let the acid go to work.

After 30 minutes, bring the pot to a boil, then cover and simmer for 4 to 6 hours for fish, 6 to 8 hours for poultry, and 12 to 18 hours for beef, lamb, or pork. Keep a lid on the pot, and add water when necessary. Once it’s done, you can strain it immediately and sip it as a soup (but don’t reheat the broth in a microwave—certain amino acids may become toxic if microwaved).

 

Juicing

“Live” juices help rebuild the body and the joints—and all you need is a juicer to make them. Alternate between these two combinations: carrot & celery juice one day (8 oz of each), followed the next day by 10 oz carrot and 6 oz spinach juice. Make them fresh every day and consume immediately.

Carrot juice is loaded with zinc, vitamin E, copper, and beta carotene. Celery provides potassium and sodium, and it has an alkalinizing effect on the body. An alkaline diet supports joint healing.

 

Eat cherries as often as possible. Consuming 20 a day (about 2000 mg of cherry fruit extract) has been proven to provide more pain relief than aspirin and other painkillers.

[Negin]

Limit or avoid:

Nightshade foods:

Cayenne Pepper

Eggplant

Paprika

Peppers – sweet and hot peppers

Potatoes

Tabasco Sauce

Tomatoes

74-90% of people with ache from any cause have a nightshade sensitivity.

Temporarily avoid all foods with any amount of nightshades. Read labels carefully. Spend a day or two getting ready for this experiment. Then eliminate all nightshades entirely – 100% - for 2 full weeks. Did your pain subside or disappear during this time? If so, nightshades are a problem for you.

At the end of 2 weeks, eat one food from the nightshade family by itself – like a tomato or bell pepper, and watch for any reactions. You may feel tired, agitated, your heart may race, you could have more pain, or you could have other undesirable side effects.

If you react, continue to avoid the entire nightshade family for 3 months or more.

If not, bring them back into your diet.

Some people with arthritis who have a nightshade sensitivity can eventually add small amounts of them back into their diet – like the amount found in salad dressing. Others can’t. But if they trigger your arthritis pain, you’ll need to avoid them completely for at least 2-3 months.

Even tiny quantities of nightshades hidden in other foods can contribute to excruciating arthritis pain, and nightshades are everywhere.

Potato starch is disguised in many frozen and processed foods in the form of modified food starch, modified vegetable protein, modified vegetable starch, and hydrolyzed vegetable protein. Look for it meatballs, mock crab, sausages, and deep-fried foods that have been cooked in the same vegetable oils as French fried potatoes.

Some Rx and OTC medications use potato starch as their fillers. You need to find out.

Tomatoes are an ingredient in brown meat sauces like Worcestershire sauce and steak sauce, as well as salad dressings, some luncheon meats, gravies, and baked beans, so read labels carefully. Green olives may be stuffed with pimentos, a sweet red pepper, and dried pepper flakes are often sprinkled over pasta dishes.

Avoid sauces, especially Thai, barbecue, Cajun, Mexican, Southern, and Jamaican dishes, as well as Tabasco sauce, prepared mustards, and Cayenne pepper.

Safe foods you might think are unsafe include sweet potatoes, yams, and black pepper.

You may not react to vegetables in the nightshade family, but if you do, you need to stop eating them. You can test yourself at home.

 

Limit or avoid the following:

Corn Oil

Soy Oil

Sunflower oil

Safflower oil

Margarine

Vegetable shortenings

Processed foods that contain these fats

Fewer animal products

Inflammation and pain go hand-in-hand, and food sensitivities cause inflammation.

Limit milk, red meat, sugar, citrus fruits, and salt for a few weeks and see if your symptoms improve. These foods all affect cartilage.

[Negin]

To stay fully functional, joint cartilage has to be fully hydrated. As children, our cartilage was made up of almost 85 percent water, but as we get older that usually drops to 75 percent—and even lower if we don’t drink enough water. Lots of water translates into more resilient joints.

Drink at least eight, 8-ounce glasses of pure, clean water. And avoid sodas and other carbonated beverages that can leach minerals from your bones.

 

Acupuncture reduces pain in 90% of patients

 

EXERCISE – Begin with a daily 10-minute walk, take up a gentle yoga class, or try the slow movement of Tai Chi. Water aerobics and swimming help also.

Keep moving: even though pain and stiffness can make you feel like skipping your exercise routine, research shows that staying active can help keep arthritis symptoms under control.

Try to swim as often as possible.

Going to the pool—better yet, the indoor heated pool—is an excellent way to exercise your joints. The buoyancy of the water takes pressure off your joints. If you don’t like swimming try water walking, and don’t forget to move your arms too.

 

Joints and muscles tend to wake up stiff, and the warmth of the shower helps to make your whole body easier to move.

 

Arthritis is one of the many symptoms of a congested lymphatic system. Things that help to clear up the lymphatic system:

• Daily Rebounding (if possible, although there is a company that makes lovely chairs for those who can't stand or prefer not to)

• Deep Breathing

• Daily Dry Body Brushing

• Massage and/or Reflexology

• Swinging (yes, sitting on a swing!)

 

Aim to lose weight if necessary.

 

Hot or ice cold compresses for 15 minutes

 

Epsom Salts Soak: Mix 2 cups Epsom salts in gallon of warm water. Wet a towel with the solution and hold it against the painful joints for 15 to 25 minutes. Then remove the towel and massage in castor oil.

Can take an Epsom Salt bath a few times a week

 

Topical capsaicin cream – 0.025% or 0.075% cream 1-4 times daily

 

Healthy joints need movement. In fact, they thrive on it!

Joint health is a clear case of “use it or lose it”—and here are some easy ways to get moving.

 

One of the more common areas for joint problems is the shoulder. As people become more sedentary, they often don’t perform the motions that require raising the hands and arms above the head. This lack of movement means that these joints won’t get the opportunity to receive needed nutrients, and release waste, like they should.

Each morning do some neck and shoulder exercises. Turn your head from left to right, side to side (ear to shoulder), chin up, chin down.

Then, continue down into the shoulders, pushing them as far back as possible, then as far forward, and then rotating them in circles. Also stretch your arms up above your head—as far as you can without discomfort. These exercises help to keep your shoulder joints flexible and healthy.

 

Knees are often our "weak links" when it comes to joints because they carry much of the weight and do so much of the work! "Knee strengthening" is really quadriceps strengthening—that's the large muscle group that runs down the front of your thigh. Remember, your joints are no stronger than the muscles and ligaments that support them.

 

Tiger Balm - especially effective with plastic wrap

 

Oil of Oregano

Rub a few drops of Oil of Oregano into the skin covering the affected area. You can apply it as many times a day as you like. Oregano oil has the ability to penetrate through the skin right into the synovial fluid of the joint where its anti-inflammatory and pain-killing properties will provide relief.

 

Lidocaine patches are as effective as Rx pills.

 

Get enough sleep. Your body needs a full night of quality sleep to fight pain.

 

CHIROPRACTIC/MASSAGE – both help immensely with pain

Be aware that you should wait for any inflammation to subside before starting either.

 

Hydrotherapy has been proven to help with arthritis. No medicine on the market can rival the physiological effects of water. Warm to hot water eases joint pain by reducing swelling and increasing blood flow to fight inflammation.

[KayT]

I have arthritis in my rib cage and my upper neck. I am going to try eliminating nightshade and see if it helps!

 

Negin great post as always. Am I the only person who has a Negin file on her computer? LOL! I copy all of your posts! Thank you!

[Onceuponatime]

I have osteo arthritis in my back and right foot. I agree with these things:

 

Keep moving, but not strenuously. Don't over use the offending joints. You might have to adjust how you move or sit to put less strain on the parts that tend to hurt. If you are sitting for a long period of time, get up and move around at least every half hour. The kind of chair you sit in might make a difference. Reduce the amount of time a day that you crochet, or break it up into small amounts of time spread out over the day.

 

Continuous pain, means inflammation, take ibuprofen or some other anti inflammatory, if pain is intense. Nightshade vegetables and caffeine can contribute to inflammation. Cherry juice did nothing for me, but it does taste good. :-)

 

Unabsorbed calcium can cause joint stiffness. I stopped taking things that had extra calcium in them and what I thought was arthritis in my wrists went away.

 

With some adjustments life can be fairly normal. Sometimes getting older is the pits. I'm putting up with having to be careful how my shoes fit, giving up dairy, changing my skin and hair products, but I am fighting giving up chocolate for all it's worth.

[BMW]

Wow!!!! Thanks, Negin. Thanks to everyone else, too. I now have a plan to put into place... and hope that I can avoid pain meds, too. I have a fairly high pain tolerance, but I use my wrist all the time and it sure is hurting badly. Now I can't wait to try out these plans.

[DaffodilDreams]

Negin, I appreciate all of the info you posted. Thanks so much!