For many people, treating osteoarthritis comes with one, if not multiple regular medications. These can lead to side effects and other problems that can leave some seeking natural treatment options instead. There are many different types of treatment for osteoarthritis that do not involve medications, and some are therapy based while others are lifestyle based.
One of the most common and often simplest ways that people try to manage their condition is with an osteoarthritis diet. It may sound a little extreme, but making dietary changes can be a simple and easy way to help manage some of the symptoms of the condition. The key focal points of an osteoarthritis diet are to reduce inflammation, build stronger cartilage, and reduce body weight, all of which can contribute to pain relief for arthritis. Read below to learn which foods are important to include on this type of diet, and which foods should be avoided:
1. Increase whole edibles, especially green leafy vegetables. Not only will replacing less desirable foods with vegetables help reduce weight, but many of them also contain heaping helpings of beneficial antioxidants. Those mighty molecules help the body to fight off free radicals and promote internal healing. Vegetables fall into a category of ingestibles called “plant based foods,” and they’re a very important part of an osteoarthritis diet.
2. Calories should be reduced for anyone who is interested in using anti osteoarthritis diet to help to reduce muscle and joint pain. And, there are studies that point to solid results that are incredibly shocking to back this claim up. One in particular notes that a mere eleven pounds in weight reduction was enough to cut the risk of osteoarthritis of the knee in obese women in half. Calories can be reduced in numerous ways as a part of an osteoarthritis diet, but one of the simplest and easiest ways is to avoid foods that contain a lot of sugar, especially items like soda pop and candy. It is important to remember however that while soda pop and candy are easily identified targets for high sugar content, it’s also hidden in many everyday foods like starches and even cereal, so labels should be read when unsure.
3. Add-on medicine-free therapy treatments used alongside anti osteoarthritis diet can be an exceptional way to both boost overall health and also help to reduce the symptoms associated with the condition. In particular, Whole Body Cryotherapy is thought to be very successful in managing the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Cryotherapy refers to a sauna like room or device that works in just the opposite way of that which most people are familiar with. Instead of hot lava rocks, liquid nitrogen or supercooled compressed air is pumped inside, which cools the skin’s exterior and prompts a wide array of healing physiological processes internally as a result. Today the cold sauna therapy has been popularized by professional athletes (see who uses it in our “In the Media” section) who find it ideal for recovery after an event or workout or speeding injury recovery, however it was designed to be a competitor amongst available natural remedies for rheumatoid arthritis decades ago.
Cryotherapy is thought to work in numerous ways. The external cooling of the skin prompts an immediate release of chemicals, like endorphins, that help provide almost instant pain relief. This perhaps explains its popularity with athletes such as runners seeking immediate knee pain treatment or basketball players in need of rapid elbow care. In addition to sending out chemicals that make the body feel better, external skin chilling also may prompt the initiation of immune responses that occur when physical danger or damage is present. This particular benefit might explain why injuries that are common in sports or as a result of certain health conditions find that cryotherapy provides more swift relief. Lastly, cryotherapy treatments also may help to numb the nerve endings that receive pain signals from certain parts of the body, which could explain its usefulness in conditions like repetitive strain injuries. From multiple fronts, cryotherapy for pain management is commonly successful, but there are other reasons why it might be a better choice than just an anti osteoarthritis diet.
Cryotherapy cold sauna is used in a great many different health conditions. This means that a person who is undergoing the cold therapy for osteoarthritis that also encounters chronic lower back pain from some other condition or as an occupational hazard, will derive further benefit from the treatment. And, there is yet another way that cryotherapy may be indirectly beneficial, and that is in terms of weight loss. Reducing body mass is an important part of an osteoarthritis diet, especially in overweight and obese individuals, and cryotherapy may help sufferers shed some extra pounds.
With such a variety of effective, natural and safe ways to help manage the symptoms of osteoarthritis, there is little excuse not to try one or more. Cryotherapy cold sauna is a cutting edge solution that can provide both immediate and long term pain relief, and an anti osteoarthritis diet can help make the body healthier and stronger while fighting uncomfortable symptoms. But, when combined, the two treatment methods may provide an intriguing and effective way to manage the condition from every angle without the daily use of prescription medications.