Joint pain & Arthritis Management through Exercise and Acupuncture.

-Lauren Demers

Arthritis or join inflammation are blanket terms for as many as 100 conditions and diseases that influence our joint health. People can experience arthritis at different ages, in different joints, and with different causes. It may affect one, or several joints in the body, and severity can range from impacting our extra-curricular physical activities, to debilitating.  Degenerative changes may or may not be visible; it can deform our joints, or only show up on an x-ray. The more common conditions include Gout, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, and Fibromyalgia.  Unfortunately, no curative therapies exist, leaving treatment and management to focus on controlling pain and reducing functional limitations.

So, what can you do?

Every individual is unique in their genetic makeup, making the solution slightly different for everyone. Whether you need exercise, anti-inflammatories, help with healthy eating, or another intervention that makes you feel better depends on your goals, exercise routines, and daily activities that make you unique.  Conservative and non-pharmacological therapy emphasizes multidisciplinary approaches for symptom management including education, social support, physical and occupational therapy, aerobic and resistive exercises, weight loss, as well as other holistic approaches.

Arthritis and exercise

For most individuals, pain is felt daily--getting out of bed, using the stairs, and even weather can impact the severity of symptoms. It might seem difficult, but even though there may be a struggle with pain and functional mobility, it is highly encouraged for individuals to exercise. 

Studies have shown if we mechanically load the body with moderate stress, the integrity of articular cartilage (the tissue that covers the ends of our bones) can be maintained.  Short term effects of physical activity demonstrated decreased pain and fatigue, as well as self-efficacy in management of symptoms.  Long term effects of physical activity continuously improved symptoms of pain and fatigue, as well as improvement in stiffness. 

That being said, knowing your limits is integral in creating an optimal program.  Excessive stress, or even disuse, can result in cartilage degeneration.  By establishing an exercise program, therapeutic effects have been shown to reduce symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. Even if you are in the early stages of arthritis, programs can be made for preventative measures.

Arthritis and Acupuncture

Holistic approaches to treat symptoms associated with western medicine diagnosed diseases are becoming more common as individuals search for a conservative, non-pharmacological solutions. Acupuncture is one of the methods that more individuals are seeking to subside their arthritic related pain.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Acupuncture is based on the theory of the body’s vital energy called Qi (pronounced like chee). This energy flows throughout the body along pathways, or meridians, and can be accessed through specific points, called acupoints. By stimulating acupoints with needles, practitioners can aid in restoring harmony by rebalancing the system and flow of Qi within the body.  In westernized terminology, Acupuncture can modulate pain transmission and the pain response by activating and releasing neurochemicals associated with pain relief.  An example would be the release of endorphins, a hormone secreted in the brain and nervous system, reducing our perception of pain.

Part of TCM is also recognizing the role environmental factors such as lifestyle and diet have been known to play a role in the development of joint inflammation. Our diet can affect inflammation in the body by impacting our how we absorb, what we absorb, and what we stimulate in hormones, and how other gut bacteria help aid in the breakdown of the foods we eat.

Gut bacteria can play a crucial role in regulating the correct immune response and can interfere with the balance of inflammation and tolerance within the body. This means if we disrupt this system by overloading with foods that create an inflammatory response, we can promote the development of unwarranted disease like inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, and arthritis.

Weight loss has also shown to improve pain and function, plus decrease low-grade inflammation, as the pressure in the joints lessens.

What kind of a diet should I be eating for arthritis?

Studies have shown conflicting evidence with which foods are the best for arthritis. As every individual is different, foods that make you feel fantastic can make someone else feel bloated and sore, or might not even affect them at all.  Some research has demonstrated the benefits of eating more vegetarian/vegan diets, eliminating potential foods that cause allergic reactions, and introducing more poly unsaturated fatty acid/oleic acid/synbiotics in their diet plans:

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Foods	Oleic Acid Foods	Synbiotics
·       Walnuts. ·       Sunflower seeds. ·       Flax seeds or flax oil. ·       Fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, albacore tuna, and trout. ·       Corn oil. ·       Soybean oil. ·       Safflower oil.	·       Extra virgin olive oil. ·       Olives. ·       Avocados. ·       Nuts such as almonds, peanuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts, and macadamia nuts. ·       Sesame oil.	Prebiotics Probiotics

Fortunately, these foods are not as expensive as other therapeutic interventions and easier to incorporate into day to day life. Keep in mind, that while diet has been proven to be influential, it can be a longer process to see a beneficial outcome.

 

Other anti-inflammatory foods to consider:

Fruits	Dried plums, grapefruits, grapes, blueberries, pomegranate, mango (seasonal fruit), banana, peaches, apples
Cereals	Whole oatmeal, whole wheat bread, whole flattened rice
Legumes	Black soybean, black gram
Whole grains	Wheat, rice, oats, corn, rye, barley, millets, sorghum, canary seed
Spices	Ginger, turmeric
Herbs	Sallaki, ashwagandha
Oils	Olive oil, fish oil, borage seed oil (in encapsulated form)
Miscellaneous	Yogurt (curd), green tea, basil (tulsi) tea

 Have more questions about treating your arthritis?  Give us a call, or book online.