5 Naturopathic Tips for Arthritis

Suffering from arthritis? Are your joints achy and stiff? Are your muscles tight and sore?

There are lots of things that can be done for arthritis outside of pain medications that usually cause damage to your intestines such as:

- seeing a physiotherapist, osteopath, RMT, chiropodist and/or chiropractor

- acupuncture

- laser

- injections

- medications

- physical activity

- more

A combination of the above and below will garner the best results, so make sure to incorporate most or all of these modalities into your healthcare!

From a naturopathic perspective, there are many things that can help decrease the pain associated with arthritis as well as the progression of the arthritis. Here are 5 things that can help and all of these things are not damaging to your gut health like most pain medications are.

1. Omega-3 fatty acids

Decreasing inflammation and lubricating your insides is an important component of helping your osteoarthritis, and high doses of omega-3s can definitely help with that.

2. Proper rest, relaxation, and sleep

Allowing the body heal adequately and decreasing the inflammation caused by high stress and lack of sleep is important to help decrease the pain and degeneration accompanying osteoarthritis.

3. Enzymes such as serrapeptase

This is an enzyme that has been proven to decrease inflammation and the pain associated with osteoarthritis.

4. Compounds such as glucosamine, chondroitin, NEM, CBD, and hyaluronic acid

These compounds have different mechanisms of action - they help support the cartilage, provide cushioning, decrease pain perception, and decrease inflammation in the joint space.

5. Herbs such as boswellia, turmeric, and ginger

These herbs are anti-inflammatory and they help relieve pain, so they are great for osteoarthritis, especially when used in combination.

Please consult with a healthcare professional before taking any supplements and/or vitamins to ensure they are an appropriate choice for you and your health.