“I’ve always been an active person; painful joints are just the price active people pay as they get older.”
Not necessarily so.
There are several reasons why you might be dealing with painful and inflamed joints. While age may play a role in some conditions, keeping your joints happy and pain-free is possible. Take care of your joints and they will keep you active (and healthy) for many years.
Illness, injury, diet and other considerations can all lead to joint pain. Mild to severe pain, stiffness, inflammation and general discomfort are all likely part of the experience.
Thankfully, there are steps you can take and strategies you can employ that can help reduce pain and inflammation and sometimes, even reverse joint pain entirely; better than good as new. Here’s how to do it.
Common Causes of Joint Pain and Inflammation
1. Arthritis
The two most commonly known types of arthritis are Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis. The prefix “arthro or arthr” refers to joints and the suffix “itis” means inflammation.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
RA is an autoimmune condition. In autoimmune conditions, for reasons unknown, the body attacks its own tissue. In this case, its joints. What can be done to prevent the likelihood of contracting this condition or decrease the incidence of flare ups?
- Quit smoking. Smoking increases oxidative stress which can be a burden on the immune system and trigger inflammation.
- Follow an anti-inflammatory diet -It can reduce disease symptoms, progression, and decrease joint damage. Include healthy fats and oils, avoid sugar, processed, and refined foods. Anti-inflammatory foods include healthy choices like salmon and other fatty fish. Supplementing with Omega-3 fish oil capsules is an effective alternative or addition to eating fish. Try new Max Omega-3 for a balanced combination of EPA/DHA that supports reduced pain and provides joint support.
Osteoarthritis (OA)
With OA, cartilage, a connective tissue in your joints, breaks down largely due to wear and tear, resulting in changes to the bone on either side of the cartilage, creating that aching feeling. As with RA, there are lifestyle changes you can make such as following an anti-inflammatory diet, that will benefit your joints, reduce inflammation, and get you back to the activities you love.
- Supplement with curcumin –Curcumin has some of the strongest research behind it for effective, natural, pain solutions. Curcumin + is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant formula designed for optimal bioavailability.† Curcumin + contains a branded form of curcumin, curcuminUP60, which has been shown to be 10x more bioavailable than other curcumin supplements.†
- “The most effective non-drug treatment for reducing pain and improving movement in osteoarthritis is exercise,” says the Arthritis Foundation. This applies to both RA and OA. If your joints didn’t hurt so much, you would be exercising, right? That’s where Your MaxLiving Chiropractor can help. Their knowledge and experience provide expert advice for appropriate exercise, nutrition, and therapeutic interventions that can get you back in action, fast.
2. Injuries
The school’s star volleyball player is out with an ACL injury. Another athlete is out with a meniscus tear. Sound familiar? Soft tissue (and boney tissue) injuries are a common cause of joint pain both in athletes and other physically active people -not to mention those involved in falls or accidents. The inability to play your favorite sport or participate in your favorite activities can lead to weight gain, depression, even loss of libido.
If you’re sidelined with a soft tissue injury or a fracture, here’s how to get back in action as soon as possible:
- Visit your MaxLiving Chiropractor. Chiropractic care can provide highly specialized treatment in this area, minimizing recovery time using therapeutic modalities, fitness programs that help you work around your injury, and nutrition counseling that provides the body with the nutrients it needs to repair and recover in the shortest amount of time.
- Providing the body with the nutrients it needs to repair and recover quickly is key. MaxLiving’s Max Collagen Powder supplies the body with amino acids and peptides it recognizes and can utilize to rebuild its own collagen -an integral component of joint structure and health. Plus, it has the added benefit of promoting healthier hair, skin and nails. It’s also unflavored! Unflavored collagen allows you to build your drink, with your favorite ingredients, but without creating strange tasting concoctions based on flavored powders that don’t “go” with your favorite ingredients.
3. Dietary concerns
Food sensitivities are similar to allergies except they manifest with less severe symptoms that tend to come on days after consuming a reactive food. If you are sensitive to gluten (a protein in wheat that many people cannot tolerate), you may experience aching joints days after you consume a food containing gluten. Eliminating wheat products from your diet can help regain energy, clear up skin rashes and even reverse joint pain and discomfort. Your MaxLiving Chiropractor can help you pinpoint the cause of your joint pain through testing and create a customized program that may reduce or eliminate joint pain and restore quality of life.
4. Weight Management
As little as five pounds of weight gain can contribute to joint pain due to the increased pressure on weight bearing joints like hips, and knees. The force exerted on your joints increases exponentially with weight gain so the extra effort it takes to eat a clean, healthy diet and participate in a fitness program carries benefits beyond how you look in your jeans. You may be able to participate in a more strenuous fitness routine when feeling more comfortable in your body, leading to even faster results. Your MaxLiving Chiropractor can design a program customized to your unique goals and needs.
5. Hydration
Our bodies are 75-80% water yet, dehydration is a common concern, especially during warm weather months. Without proper hydration, joints do not stay properly lubricated which can cause pain, discomfort and dysfunction. Hydration is something most people can and should control.
Eliminating Joint Pain and Inflammation
For active people looking for ways to keep moving and feeling good, joint pain can be disruptive. Whether it stems from incorrect exercise form or the cumulative effect of wear and tear on the joints over the years, a supplement like MaxLiving’s Joint Health could be just the edge needed -to take the edge off of your pain or, to give you the performance edge you’re looking for.
MaxLiving’s Joint Health Bundle
MaxLiving Joint Health Bundle combines four highly effective formulas, Max Omega-3, Curcumin +, Joint Health, and Max Collagen Powder in one convenient bundle. Unique to MaxLiving, these four innovative products can minimize recovery time and support overall health utilizing the most advanced, bioavailable, and nutrient dense formulations available. Free of gluten, dairy, soy, unnecessary fillers and binders, they give the body what it needs to heal itself.
Whether your joint pain can be attributed to a health condition such as osteoarthritis, an auto accident (not your fault of course), or weight gain that crept on over the holidays, help relieve your joint pain, inflammation and stiffness by visiting a MaxLiving Chiropractor for a joint-friendly exercise routine, therapeutic treatments that speed healing, and a targeted supplement program that balances your nutrient needs.
About the Author
Jini Cicero is a Los Angeles-based Strength and Conditioning Specialist with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. With over 20 years experience as a health, fitness, and nutraceutical professional, Jini is passionate about advancing natural medicine and optimal health. Whether she’s working with Hollywood celebrities or cancer patients, Jini uniquely combines exercise science, sports nutrition, and corrective exercise. As a speaker, presenter, and writer, her work has been featured in numerous publications, such as Shape, MindBodyGreen, and The L.A. Daily News.
