REMEDIES FOR IMPROVING THE SYMPTOMS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY C. MITRA   Msc Food and Nutrition , B, Sc Food and Nutrition

Osteoarthritis


Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition of joints. It is very common and affects million of people throughout the world. It has seen that in osteoarthritis, cartilages are broken down as a result bones and the joints rub together, which eventually develops severe pain, joint stiffness and various other symptoms. It is very painful and responsible for restricting movements thus it is better to treat the condition effectively, which ultimately helps to provide relief to the patients.

This article will discuss about 15 simple home based remedies, which naturally ease the symptoms of osteoarthritis and also helps to reduce pain –

Include inflammation fighting foods in diet

  • Joint inflammation is considered as one of the leading causes of arthritis thus it is better to prevent inflammation at first for improving the symptoms
  • Diet should contain adequate amount of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fishes, herbs and olive oil as they all exert strong anti-inflammatory activity, which helps in preventing inflammation by decreasing the concentration of inflammatory mediators in body
  • It also helps in preventing joint swelling that subsequently improves joint health

Try turmeric

  • Curcumin is considered as the primary constituent of turmeric that helps in preventing arthritis
  • It is responsible for exerting both antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory activity, which helps to protect the joint from damages

Osteoarthritis

Have chamomile tea

  • Consumption of chamomile tea is thought to be very effective for preventing arthritis as it exerts potent anti-inflammatory activity
  • It helps to improve joint health too and also helps in relieving arthritic pain

Have green tea

  • Green tea is also beneficial for improving the symptoms of arthritis
  • Polyphenols present in green tea are responsible for exhibiting anti-inflammatory activity, which helps to enhance arthritis related immune responses, which ultimately  helps in decreasing cartilage damage hence prevents the consequences of arthritis

Try clove

  • Clove is also composed of an important anti-inflammatory substance called eugenol that plays imperative role in preventing inflammation as a result improves arthritic symptoms
  • It is also associated with interfering with various bodily processes that trigger arthritis
  • It has seen that eugenol present in clove inhibits the release of COX-2, which is a protein responsible for stimulating inflammation thus its consumption is thought to be very much helpful for treating arthritis
  • Whereas its antioxidant activity is also responsible for slowing down the bone and cartilage damages caused by arthritis

Include omega 3 fatty acid in diet

  • Consumption of omega3 fatty acid is extremely helpful for preventing arthritis as it helps in relieving inflammation and also aids in soothing joints
  • Diet should be rich in fishes (like tuna, salmon, sardine, herring and mackerel), nuts and seeds (like chia seed, flaxseed, walnut etc) and plants oil (like olive oil, soybean oil, flaxseed oil, canola oil etc), because they contain significant amount of omega 3 fatty acid

Use ginger

  • Ginger is considered as an important therapeutic substance, used for preventing arthritis
  • It has seen that consumption of ginger or applying crushed ginger to the painful joint significantly reduces pain as ginger helps in depleting substance P, which is a brain chemical responsible for carrying pain messages to the central nervous system
  • It is better to prepare a paste with finely minced ginger and olive oil and its application to the painful joint significantly decreases pain  

Increased intake of fruits and vegetables

  • Diet of an arthritic patient should be abundant in fruits and vegetables as they are loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients
  • We know that vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, which help to protect joints and cartilages from damages as a result helps in improving the symptoms of arthritis

Maintaining a healthy body weight

  • Body weight is considered as one of the most important features that provides a large impact on arthritic symptoms because extra weight is accountable for providing more pressure on joints, especially on feet, knee and hip, which ultimately worsen the condition
  • It is always better to maintain an ideal body weight as it helps to decrease the stress on joints, which significantly decreases joint pain and helps to improve the symptoms of arthritis
  • On the other hand, losing body weight is extremely beneficial for decreasing the severity of arthritis as it helps to improve motility, helps in decreasing pain and also aids in preventing further damage to joints

Osteoarthritis

Proper sleeping

  • Proper sleeping is extremely important for arthritic patient as it helps a patient to cope up with the pain as well as the stress of arthritis
  • It is better to going bed at the same time each night 
  • Pillows can be used for taking the pressure off painful joints
  • It is better to take out television and computer from bed room as they may cause sleeping distraction

Using of cold or hot packs

  • Using of cold or hot packs is awfully useful for improving the symptoms of arthritis
  • It has seen that hot compression significantly improves blood flow, which ultimately helps in decreasing pain and stiffness, whereas cold compression is also associated with preventing swelling
  • Individual should try cold versus heat packs to observe what works best for them

Staying positive

  • It is always better to stay positive because mental outlook provides great impact on how individual feel and how well they function
  • Spending time with friends is considered as one of the most effective ways of staying positive
  • Arthritic patients should focus on their abilities rather than focusing on their inabilities. They should try to do something they enjoy
  • They should develop those hobbies, which they can still do with arthritis

Consumption of balance diet

  • Consumption of balance diet is very much important as it plays vital role in decreasing the risk of developing chronic diseases
  • Whereas it is also responsible for boosting up the overall immunological responses of the body, which ultimately helps to prevent inflammation and also decreases the prevalence of autoimmune diseases

Physical activity

  • Physical activity and exercising is considered as one of the most effective remedial action for arthritis as it helps to keep the joint flexible
  • It is also associated with strengthening muscles around joints, which provide more support to joints as a result improves the symptoms of arthritis
  • On the other hand it plays vital role in managing body weight, which is also very effective for decreasing the prevalence of arthritis thus exercising should be done on a regular basis
  • Low impact exercise such as walking, swimming, water activities, cycling and tai chi are recognized as most beneficial option

Complimentary medications as well as supplements

  • One of the most important features of treating arthritis is to keeping the pain under control
  • It is better to consult with health experts regarding supplements and complementary medications because they also help to reduce arthritic pain
  • Glucosamine and SAMe are the most popular supplements used for treating arthritis. Whereas acetaminophen, naproxen sodium, aspirin and ibuprofen are the most common medications used for the treatment of arthritis
  • It is advisable, not to take any pain killer for more than ten days without consulting physician

Individual suffer from arthritis should try all of the above stated measures. They are incredibly beneficial for improving arthritic symptoms and also help to provide quick relief from pain.

Osteoarthritis



Source:

Bachmann, C., Oesch, P. and Bachmann, S., 2018. Recommendations for improving adherence to home-based exercise: a systematic review. Physikalische Medizin, Rehabilitationsmedizin, Kurortmedizin, 28(01), pp.20-31.

Hall, M., Castelein, B., Wittoek, R., Calders, P. and Van Ginckel, A., 2019, April. Diet-induced weight loss alone or combined with exercise in overweight or obese people with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. In Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism (Vol. 48, No. 5, pp. 765-777). WB Saunders.

Liao, C.D., Wu, Y.T., Tsauo, J.Y., Chen, P.R., Tu, Y.K., Chen, H.C. and Liou, T.H., 2020. Effects of protein supplementation combined with exercise training on muscle mass and function in older adults with lower-extremity osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials. Nutrients, 12(8), p.2422.

Maly, M.R., Marriott, K.A. and Chopp-Hurley, J.N., 2020. Osteoarthritis year in review 2019: rehabilitation and outcomes. Osteoarthritis and cartilage, 28(3), pp.249-266.

Messina, O.D., Wilman, M.V. and Neira, L.F.V., 2019. Nutrition, osteoarthritis and cartilage metabolism. Aging clinical and experimental research, 31(6), pp.807-813.

Newberry, S.J., FitzGerald, J., SooHoo, N.F., Booth, M., Marks, J., Motala, A., Apaydin, E., Chen, C., Raaen, L., Shanman, R. and Shekelle, P.G., 2017. Treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: an update review.

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