In old age, generally, joint pain causes difficulty in walking, bending, sleeping, and moving around. As you age, you might expect some level of joint pain or ARTHRITIS. More than 50% of people over the age of 65 have some level of joint pain due to arthritis
Arthritis literally means pain and inflammation of joints. ‘Artho’ means joints and ‘itis’ means inflammation. There are many types of arthritis according to causes and symptoms like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, etc. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis especially in old age. It is also known as the wear-and-tear kind of arthritis. The wearing away of the cartilage or the cushion around joints causes the bones to rub against each other. This makes the joints stiff, painful, and difficult to move. Arthritis generally affects the weight-bearing joints of the knees, hips, and spine but can also show up in other joints. It generally starts with a joint pain but worsens with progressive stiffness.
There are many causes responsible for arthritis, including
- Age
- Heredity
- Obesity
- Injury
- Joint overuse
- Bone deformities
- Other diseases like diabetes, underactive thyroid
The traditional approach to joint pain treatment has primarily relied on the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) to control pain. In addition to NSAIDs, steroids like corticosteroids are also used to treat osteoarthritis. However, this chronic condition requires lifelong treatment and these medicines can cause serious health risks, especially in old age. Hence many old people try to find natural ways to deal with joint pain.
Here are some supplements/superfoods that help in the natural management of joint pain;
1 Fibre-Rich Food
The major reason for joint pain is weight gain . Excess body weight puts tremendous pressure on previously compromised joints. Eating a diet rich in foods that contain fibre such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables improves your body weight and maintains optimum body weight.
2 Fresh Vegetables and Fruits
Eat plenty of fresh and green leafy vegetables like cabbage, and sprouts and fruits like all types of berries and oranges that are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They protect bones and cartilage from damage supplement with essential nutrients for cartilage growth and reduce joint inflammation.
3 Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Olive, grapeseed, flax, and canola oils, walnut and walnut oil, pumpkin seeds, and fatty cold-water fish including mackerel, and salmon are rich sources of Omega-3 fatty acids that suppress inflammation of different parts of the joint. These fatty acids are also useful to promote overall health in old age.
4 Ginger
Spices like ginger, are beneficial to combat chronic pain in old age due to their anti-inflammatory effect. Ginger offers relief from chronic lower back pain due to active ingredients such as gingerols, shogaols, and zingerone that reduce pain and inflammation.
5 Turmeric
It has been used as an ayurvedic treatment for joint pain. It relieves pain and inflammation due to the presence of an active compound, curcumin. It protects the body from tissue destruction and joint inflammation and also preserves good nerve cell function.
It has been generally proven that ayurvedic treatment is quite effective in treating joint pain and inflammation. Bosewellia Serrata, Curcuma Longa are proven pain-relieving herbs. Many ayurvedic drugs are available in the market which contain these herbs. But before trying these drugs please do consult some ayurvedic doctor for better results.
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Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
28th November 2023