There are so many people around the world that suffer from some sort of joint pain. Knee and shoulder pain seem to be the most common. You would think that with so many joint pain sufferers, there would be a definitive way to alleviate it. Unfortunately, there isn’t just ONE way to alleviate joint pain but rather several things you can do for joint health.

It is most important to understand WHY you are experience joint pain. See an experienced Orthopedic doctor to diagnose the reason for the joint pain. Once you have a clear understanding of the cause, you can put together a plan of action. If the cause is due to a tear in a ligament or tendon, surgery may have to be the first course of action depending on the severity of the tear. Again, working with an orthopedic doctor will help you in determining the severity of any tears and a need for surgery.

Another important factor in alleviating joint pain is exercise. It’s important to exercise the muscles around the joint to improve joint health. I have had a total of 6 joint surgeries and I learned something very important from my physical therapists: Building up the muscles around the joint in question and learning the proper technique in exercising and lifting will ease the strain on your joints. Exercising and lifting with wrong techniques will put strain on your joints and ligaments, and may cause injury and inflammation. I would highly suggest seeking the help of a physical therapist to learn the proper way to exercise for alleviating joint pain.

Inflammation tends to be the primary cause for joint pain. So it’s important to ease inflammation. Some ways to do that are to decrease the strain on your joints through proper exercise, alternating ice and heat packs on your joints, as well as proper diet/supplementation. Many natural whole foods have known properties as anti-inflammatories. Salmon oil and other Omega 3 Fatty Acids seem to be the most widely used, yet also tend to be seriously lacking in our diets. Some other natural ingredients that may have some anti-inflammatory properties are Yucca, Boswelia, Ashwaghanda, and Turmeric. Research papers are still inconclusive on how much these ingredients can actually aid in joint health and what the proper dosage should be, however, they are natural ingredients and certainly can’t hurt in supplementation. It’s important to note that some natural supplements may cause interactions with prescribed medications. So be sure to see your pharmacist if you are taking any prescription medications. Do not attempt supplementation on your own for joint pain until you learn about possible interactions with your current prescribed medications and proper dosage amounts.

Finally, there is the discussion of Glucosamine supplementation for joint pain and joint health. There are several forms of Glucosamine that exist including Glucosamine Sulfate, Glucosamine Chondroiton, and N-acetyl Glucosamine (NAG). Which one works best for you will require a trial of the different forms. A combination may work for you, or perhaps a specific form works best to alleviate some of your joint pain. My personal experience has been with a whole food product that contains N-acetyl Glucosamine (NAG) along with some of the natural anti-inflammatories listed above. The results have been astounding for me. I literally went from taking 20 minutes every morning to loosen up my joints before starting my day to hopping out of bed in the morning moving. This form has produced the best results for me as opposed to a combination of Glucosamine Sulfate/Chondroiton. What works for YOU will require a trial of your own.

Another nice treat about all this information is that it can also easily be applied to your dog’s joint health! Many large breed dogs suffer from joint pain due to genetics or injury. You can use many of the methods described here to help alleviate your dog’s joint pain! Be sure to consult with your veterinarian before supplementation and for proper dosages.

By following some of these simple steps and consulting with your pharmacist and orthopedic doctor, you may find that you don’t have to live with the joint pain that you have tolerated for so long!

Tula Rainwater

thepursebandits.com

Skype ID = tula4gsds