The 3 Steps to Managing the Pain of Arthritis - Naturally

Manage the Inflammation – Manage the Pain

The term arthritis literally means inflammation (itis) of the joint (arthr).

There are many types of arthritis that cause inflammation; the most common are: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Conversely, there is only one type of inflammation that causes "itis arthr." The trick to pain relief therefore, is to get the inflammation under control!

While osteoarthritis is caused by joint wear and tear, rheumatoid arthritis is actually an autoimmune disorder. Its cause is not entirely understood, but it tricks the body into attacking its own joints and tissues.

The following 3 STEPS can help to ensure that inflammation does not compromise your body’s health, or if it already has, what you can do to help stop it in its tracks?

STEP 1 - Exercise:
Cytokines are proteins that serve as messengers between cells. C-reactive proteins are produced in the liver and rise in relation to the amount of inflammation in the body. The higher your C-reactive proteins are, the higher your level of inflammation.

Studies have revealed that exercise not only decreases the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and C-reactive protein but also simultaneously enhances the concentrations of anti-inflammatory cytokines. These anti-inflammatory cytokines are not only anti-inflammatory in nature but also suppress the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

STEP 2 - Antioxidants:
(Vitamins ‘C’ and ‘E’): Inflammation produces unstable molecules in the body called “free radicals.” They damage cells by grabbing electrons from healthy molecules in a cell’s outer membrane. Free radicals stimulate inflammation. Antioxidants help stop a free radical free-for-all by offering up their own electrons, thereby directly conteracting the free radical’s proinflammatory effects.

Moreover, alpha-lipoic acid, both a water and fat-soluble based antioxidant, has been shown to extend the life of both vitamin c and e, as well as other antioxidants.

STEP 3 - Consume a proper balance of Essential Fatty Acids:
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are essential because they cannot be manufactured by the body and must be obtained through diet and/or supplementation.

There are two families of essential fatty acids: omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are extremely important for our health, in fact, they are probably the most important of the EFAs, given our modern diet of processed and fast foods.

The major reason for their importance is they tend to suppress inflammation. They do this by countering the proinflammatory effects of omega-6. Omega-6 is also very important; however, the difference is that the typical American diet gets way too much omega-6, and relatively little omega-3. Omega-6 is abundant in many of our common “healthy” vegetable cooking oils: soybean oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, corn oil as well as animal meats. Most of us have a heavily imbalanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. From a biochemical standpoint, this imbalance, sets the stage for powerful and chronic pro-inflammatory reactions. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 should be somewhere between 2:1 and 4:1. Instead, most of us are getting somewhere between 20:1 and 50:1.

If you are on prescription medication, such as blood thinners, please consult with your doctor before incorporating any omega-3s into your daily regimin.

Yours in health!

The Staff at Oakway Health Center, LLC

June 2011

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