The Role of a Nutritional Diet in Easing the Pain of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic condition that causes joint pain. It affects millions of people around the world, and is becoming more and more of a problem as we live longer and do more repeat tasks, like typing. OA can be debilitating and severely reduce your quality of life. It is not so simple as wearing and tearing your joints to the point that they don’t function properly. It has a very powerful inflammatory element to it that is the source of the joint pain.

Typically, people try to treat OA with a regimen of drugs. They will start taking acetaminophen, followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Advil or ibuprofen. Some people will even go so far as to commit to corticosteroid injections. But you don’t actually have to go this far all the time. Before deciding to start a heavy drug regimen, consider changing your diet.

Good nutrition is the source of treating any chronic disease – OA is no exception. One of the biggest causes of increased OA pain, is obesity. If you can lose weight, you will naturally place less stress on your joints and lessen their pain. The fatty tissue that is contained inside your joints is also a source of inflammatory chemicals that increase the speed of cartilage breakdown. Losing weight will mean that you have fewer of those chemicals.

Besides focusing on your weight, you should also try to include anti-inflammatory foods in your diet, like turmeric, ginger, and sesame seeds. Turmeric especially helps to alleviate joint pain and reduce inflammation. You can include it as a natural herb in your food or transform it into a potent tea. The same goes with ginger and sesame seeds. Just make sure to include them in your diet some type of way.