Take Control of Your Arthritis & Improve Your Quality of Life

Peter Ballantine
Editor
Joint-Pain-Forum.com

Tip 1: Don’t guess… get a professional diagnosis of what ails you.

It’s amazing but true that many people suffer daily from joint pain but don’t know what the cause is; while others self diagnose and self medicate. This is the wrong approach because there are more than 100 types of arthritis diseases alone – not to mention all of the non-arthritis joint affecting afflictions out there. Some are more serious than others and some are more aggressive in terms of causing permanent damage through their ongoing degenerative effects.

The reason that this is point #1 on this list is that it is absolutely essential that you make sure your diagnosis is correct before you begin wasting money, time and hope on treatments that are not designed to help your specific situation.

Just like anything… You need the right information and tools to attain the desired results.

Tip 2: Don’t accept a diagnosis that results from a cursory examination.

It doesn’t matter what kind of self proclaimed expert your friend is, or whether your doctor has 50+ years of experience… the fact is that there is only one way to know for sure if you have osteoarthritis. That is by having a CT-scan of the affected area.

With confirmation that you do indeed have Osteoarthritis, you have the information you need to now develop a game plan to fight back.

Tip 3: Be wary of using prescription and non-prescription drugs to fight pain.

Doctors are very quick to recommend drugs for your joint pain – NSAIDS (i.e. Advil, Motrin, Aleve); Cox II inhibitors (i.e. Celebrex) and Acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol, Datril) – but are highly unlikely to recommend other less potentially harmful and natural options such as Glucosamine, Chondroitin; Boswellin, MSM, and others..

Pharmaceuticals can definitely have a place in an arthritis fighting regimen; but I urge you to be informed as to the pro’s and con’s prior to embarking on this or any path. The only positive attribute of pharmaceuticals is that they can offer many people immediate relief from pain. However, they also can cause a wide range of undesirable side effects such as ulcers, irregular heart beat, high blood pressure, liver damage and many others.

More important however, is the fact that pharmaceuticals in no way treat the disease itself. Nor do they aid in the rehabilitation of the joint.

Tip 4: Exercise is your best Arthritis Medicine.

Believe it or not... some people who have arthritis or joint pain, limit their activity because they are afraid that moving their joints will make the pain worse. That is the wrong thing to do.

We now know with 100% certainty that joints work better and hurt less when we keep them moving. When we are physically active, the cartilage in our joints remains lubricated which will allow you to move more easily.

If you don't stay active, your body will stop working properly, you'll be more prone to feeling tired and more likely to be depressed. You will lose strength and endurance and eventually be unable to participate in the activities that you enjoy and that make life worth living.

Tip 5: Manage Your Weight to the Best of Your Ability!

Maintaining an ideal body weight is the best way to optimize your overall health but it also helps to minimize the ravages of arthritis because the damage to your load bearing joints is kept to a minimum.

Arthritis is opportunistic in that it will take advantage of the degenerative effects of being overweight to magnify and accelerate the degeneration of your joints (hips, knees, feet and spine).

I say manage your weight “to the best of your ability”, because I understand that arthritis makes it difficult to exercise, but if you don’t exercise you risk putting on weight – so it’s a vicious circle that you have to balance to the best of your ability.

Taking a walk every day is a great way to keep active, get exercise and to burn off calories. Eating a healthy well balanced diet at all times is another great way to manage your weight.

Tip 6: The Right Diet Can Deliver Huge Benefits.

Medical literature contains many documented cases of how diet modification and the adherence to a specialized diet can reduce the symptoms of inflammatory arthritis. In contrast; studies have shown that a high cholesterol and high fat diet may contribute to the problem.

The result is that I can definitively say that there are “Beneficial Foods” and “Foods to Avoid”.

Beneficial Foods:

•  Fruit - In particular those high in Vitamin C, like blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi fruit, peaches, mango, cantaloupe melon and anti-inflammatory fruits like apples.
• Vegetables - In particular vegetables high in Vitamin A (beta-carotene) and Vitamin C. Carrots, squash, sweet potato, spinach, kale, collard greens, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts. 
• Oily Fish - Rich omega-3 essential fatty acids and high in Vitamin E, like salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, tuna and trout.
• Nuts and Seeds - Rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids and high in Vitamin E. Unsalted nuts, like walnuts, brazil nuts and almonds, and seeds like sunflower, linseeds and pumpkin seeds.
• Pulses and Grains - Including lentils, chick peas (garbanzo beans), brown rice, whole wheat bread.
• Anti-Inflammatory Foods - Turmeric, ginger, garlic and apples. 

• Red meat - beef, lamb, pork
• Cow’s milk products – milk, cheese and yogurt
• Brown and white wheat flour & bran. Do not use products where wheat starch, edible starch, cereal binder, cereal filler or cereal protein are listed as ingredients. 
• Refined sugar products - Foods containing sugar, syrup, treacle and honey.
• Coffee, decaffeinated coffee, cocoa, tea, alcohol
• Butter and margarine - use as little as possible.
• Nightshades- eggplants, red peppers, etc.
• Salt, pepper, vinegar, Dry roasted nuts, Chocolate, Soft drinks, Tomatoes, White potatoes, Tobacco .

Tip 7: The pro’s and con’s of Surgery.

For arthritis of the hip, knee and shoulder, doctors often recommend joint replacement. Aside from the fact that all surgery carries a risk of complication, joint replacement surgery is especially questionable because it is a short term solution to a long term problem.

Joint replacement surgery is expensive, debilitating and the life span of an artificial hip or knee is typically only a maximum of 10 years. You need to consider how many times you will have to replace the artificial joint during the remainder of your lifespan and what the resultant ramifications would be.

In some cases joint replacement can be a great solution, but in my experience it’s not the best choice for the majority of people suffering from arthritis.

Tip 8: There are proven alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs and surgery.

The numerous and ongoing risks associated with pharmaceutical pain relief products is becoming more and more understood, publicized and accepted. As a result, people are seeking joint pain relief from natural remedies and healthy alternatives.

Natural arthritis treatments offer a proven and safe alternative for those who want to avoid the dangers of surgery, prescription and non-prescription drugs.

As an example, the conclusions drawn from recent scientific research demonstrates conclusively that a number of natural arthritis treatments can be at least as effective as pharmaceutical drugs, without causing any of the side effects associated with conventional medications. The GAIT Study and The GUIDE Trial detail the research findings.

For those looking for arthritis pain relief, these new studies offer facts and choices which need to be taken into consideration when assessing your treatment options.

Tip 9: Go for it all! Strive for a solution that ends the pain and fights the disease.

This could be a combination of pharmaceutical drugs in conjunction with healthy eating and supplementation with a Glucosamine product. It could be exercise and a weight loss plan combined with massage. Or it could be any combination of these options or many others.

The key is to embark on a well rounded, well researched, multi-pronged approach to fighting your arthritis – not just fighting pain. Give it some time to work – typically 8 to 12 weeks – and tweak as required.

The benefit of this type of comprehensive plan of attack is that you can address the pain issues as well as stopping further joint damage while rehabilitating damaged cartilage.

Tip 10: Give Glucosamine some serious consideration.

My personal experience with arthritis of the shoulder and knee is that Glucosamine supplementation can have fantastic results.

Unfortunately the medical world is not incented to learn about or recommend natural products, so positive press for Glucosamine from doctors is hard to find.

That said, the clinical evidence that Glucosamine works is now a matter of public record (see point 8 above), widely publicized and generally accepted, On top of that, consumer testimonial evidence of its effectiveness is widespread and you probably have acquaintances that are having success with Glucosamine supplementation. If so, ask them what they are using.

If you are considering a Glucosamine product, be sure to purchase a liquid product (to ensure maximum bioavailability) that delivers at least 1500mg per day.

Based on the exhaustive joint supplement product studies we’ve completed for 2007 – our #1 recommendation (and the product that I personally use) is Syn-Flex.

Click here to learn more about the 2007 Joint Supplement Product Review.

Click here to learn more about Syn-Flex the premier Glucosamine supllement.

Tip 11: Be an informed consumer.

At the end of the day, you are ultimately responsible for the actions you take or do not take to combat your arthritis.

You should seek advice and council from others, but always keep in mind that their own self interests may be at play and they may be unknowingly providing incorrect and/or biased information.

Explore all of your options, put in place a regimen that addresses both the pain and the degenerative aspects of arthritis and learn from others by seeking customer testimonials of long term success.

This is the best way to ensure your long term success and to maximize your quality of life.

This article was written by Peter Ballantine; Editor of the Joint-Pain-Forum website. Joint-Pain-Forum.com is a leading internet Arthritis resource covering all aspects of arthritis and joint pain. If you think that you may have arthritis, or if you suffer from any kind of ongoing joint pain… be sure to add Joint-Pain-Forum to your research resource list for valuable insights and information.

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