Joint pains are little suckers, let me just tell you. They refer to the aching, uneasiness, and soreness in your joints. While typically they may not require a doctor’s appointment, they become a daily nuisance for those who suffer from it.
When something becomes a nuisance, it is quite logical to look for ways to prevent it. Well don’t worry, this article here is to address queries of: What is the cause of joint pain? Or how can I relieve joint pains?
Causes of Joint pains:
Firstly let’s dwell on the causes of this. Joints consist of shoulders, hips, knees, and elbows. Joint pain is typically the result of some illness or past injury. There might be several causes of joint pain hence.
The main cause is arthritis. There are two types of arthritis: osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). OA is usually found in people over 40 and has a slow progression. The main areas affected are wrists, hands, hips, and knees. RA is mostly found in females. It attacks the membranes that line the joints, causing inflammation, pain, and soreness and progresses over time.
Some other causes include injury, infection in bone or joint, chondromalacia (cartilage on the undersurface of the knee cap deteriorates), overusing a joint, bursitis (inflammation of the cushioning pads around joints), osteoporosis (porous bone), sarcoidosis (inflamed tissues form in certain organs), lupus, mumps, influenza, hepatitis, tendinitis (inflammation of the tendon), cancer, and fibromyalgia.
Now that the causes are clear, perhaps it might help you identify what joint pain reason you are suffering from. If the why is understood, let’s get into how part!
Daily routines:
If you are suffering from joint pain, it is essential to make your daily routine healthy and adaptive to your condition. You can learn a range of exercises to help manage the pain. You can learn yoga (very beneficial for the mind too), Pilates, cycling, jogging/walking, basic stretching every day, swimming, and even going for strength exercises.
You can adjust all these in your daily routine, or make your own fitness regime. Exercising is very important. Not only can it help you avoid joint pains, but also prevent future joint pains. But the key is to stick to exercising and finding the routine that fits you best.
Take massages and warm baths in addition to this. These will relieve the pressure your body is in and further provide comfort.
Foods:
If you are suffering someone suffering from joint pains, food is a very important consideration. What foods should you avoid for joint pain? What foods can reduce or prevent joint pain?
First, let’s see what foods to avoid for joint pain:
1) Processed foods
We all have a habit of eating processed food. From those snacks for movies to coming home late and eating frozen ready to eat meals. They cause a range of problems, more important here being inflammation and weight issues.
Reduce such items in your diet, and even if you are eating these then try to include fruits and the greens in meals.
2) Sugars
Most often than not, we tend to go for sweet things which contain loads of sugar. While a low amount of sugar would do you no harm, a huge amount in your regular routines will cause problems. Sugar tends to be correlated with inflammation too.
3) Dairy products
Dairy products have the kind of protein that might lead to arthritis pain by creating soreness and irritation in joint tissues. While there may be some benefits of dairy products, dairy is also known to cause other problems like skin acne, hair issues and more.
Many people have started a vegan diet and seen visible changes in their health. Perhaps if you can’t be vegan right away, you can try to incorporate other protein sources like beans, veggies, etc.
4) Refined carbohydrates
Refined carbs include white flour products like white bread, white pasta, etc., grains, sodas, store-bought chocolates, etc. These all increase inflammation in the body and increase weight and hence it is better to avoid as much as possible.
5) Alcohol and other
Consumption of alcohol has a direct correlation to a higher risk of getting inflammatory arthritis which is very painful to endure. Hence, alcohol is one of those items that need to be minimized in your life. Even if at a party, opt for a healthier alternative like juices perhaps.
Tobacco increases the risk of rheumatoid arthritis which leads to joint pains. It certainly has even other health risks so you need to stop smoking altogether. While quitting an addiction is difficult, it isn’t impossible and many professionals or self-help manuals exist for guidance.
Let’s now see foods to increase in your diet:
1) Fish
Fish is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids that fight inflammation. Research indicates to eat 3-4 ounces twice a week for good results.
2) Vegetables
Vegetable especially the brassica family should be on your food list. These include leafy greens like mustard greens, arugula, kale and purple cabbage.
Other than that, broccoli also makes the list. It is rich in vitamins as well as calcium and helps prevent joint pains.
3) Green Tea
Green tea has antioxidants which lower inflammation as well as reduce cartilage decay. It also has properties that prevent the cause of joint pains, especially rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
4) Fruits
Fruits have antioxidants properties. Blueberries, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, etc. contain anthocyanins that have anti-inflammatory responses. Cherries also prevent gout. Apples have fiber and anti-inflammatory properties as well. Tomatoes contain lycopene which is another strong antioxidant.
Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, etc. contain vitamin C which helps make joints stronger and prevent inflammation. Pineapple contains bromelain which relieves joint pain caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. So go for those fruits!!
Conclusion:
There’s no treatment that will permanently remove the joint pain, especially the one related to arthritis. Some situations of extreme pain or discomfort might lead to medication like anti-inflammatory drugs to extensive surgeries. Hence, managing this condition is essential to get healthy by healthy fitness routines and a good diet.
