If you have arthritis, inflammation may be the direct cause. The labeling of arthritis is often a description of inflammation of the joints, even though inflammation may not be the reason you have it. Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and gouty arthritis are examples of arthritis directly caused by inflammation, while the most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, doesn’t come from inflammation but obesity, aging and previous injury or damage to the joint.
What type of inflammation causes inflammatory arthritis?
If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system is attacking the lining of your joints, while psoriatic arthritis the immune system attacks both the skin and healthy joints. Arthritis from lupus comes from the lupus affecting the musculoskeletal system, especially the joints. Axial spondylarthritis affects mostly the spine, primarily the joints that connect the spine to the hipbone. Gout comes from uric acid crystals in the joints that trigger inflammation. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis occurs when the immune system attacks healthy joints by mistake.
For inflammatory arthritis, reduce inflammation.
One thing is certain, the food you eat makes a difference. If you have inflammatory arthritis, you may need to change your diet to include less inflammation causing food, such as red or processed meat, such as bacon or luncheon meat. If you still want red meat, opt for grass-fed, pastured options. A study found that a diet that was gluten free and vegetarian also reduced the number of flare-ups. Cutting out sugar can also help reduce inflammation and by doing so, reduce the flare-ups of arthritis. Choose instead food higher in omega-3 fatty acids, which includes grass-fed beef, but also walnuts, salmon and flaxseed. These changes can improve the ratio of omega-6 fatty acid to omega-3, which may reverse the symptoms of arthritis.
Exercise boosts strong anti-inflammatory properties.
While it may seem counterintuitive, exercise can actually reduce inflammation and help reduce the pain from inflammatory arthritis. It helps boost circulation, causes weight loss that can aggravate arthritis and increases the lubrication of the joints. You need to ensure you do low impact exercises, however. Studies have shown that regular exercise increases interleukin-15 in the muscles, which regulates the accumulation of belly fat, which can cause inflammation.
- Foods that were often blamed for aggravating arthritis included tomato, eggplant, dairy, red meat, salt, sugar, caffeine, eggs, wheat corn and potatoes, among others.
- New ways of treating inflammatory arthritis include exercise. Physical activity is anti-inflammatory and can boost metabolism.
- You can include spices to reduce inflammation that are also good for arthritis. Turmeric, ginger and boswellia are examples. Drinking ginger tea or sprinkling turmeric on dishes can help relieve pain.
- Always check with your health care professionals before you change your diet or start an exercise program to ensure it’s the best route to take. In most cases, your doctor may already have made those suggestions.
For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness