While arthritis can rob you of your ability to find enjoyment in the things you love doing, there are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Life with this debilitating, incurable condition doesn’t have to be so gloomy. All it takes is to learn what you can do to change, cope with, or even conquer the challenges it presents.
The key to successful arthritis management, onto living a healthy and productive life, lies in working closely with your care team along with making healthy dietary and lifestyle choices.
Albeit no specific food or diet program can cure arthritis, adding the right amount of the right foods into your diet can go a long way toward mitigating your symptoms. Let’s delve into how having a healthy diet can enhance the efficacy of your arthritis treatment and help you feel, move, and live better.
Helping You in Maintaining a Desirable Weight
Having a healthy diet is central to losing excess weight and keeping it off which, in turn, helps reduce the stress on your joints. One study shows that losing just a pound of your weight can help lessen the load on your weight-bearing joints (e.g., your knees) by four pounds.
Providing Effective Symptom Relief
Research shows that incorporating foods that have antioxidant, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties can significantly help alleviate arthritis-related joint pain, inflammation, and stiffness.
The following are the foods experts recommend for people living with arthritis:
- Foods loaded with omega-3 fatty acids (e.g., salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines)
- Fruits that are rich in antioxidants and fiber (e.g., berries, pomegranates, apples, etc.)
- Vegetables – especially from the cruciferous group (e.g., cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, etc.)
- Olive oil
- Ginger and turmeric
- Seeds and nuts
- Whole grains
The Power of Dietary Supplements
Glucosamine, a sugar molecule naturally made by the body, is an important component of proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, and glycoproteins—the building blocks of the supportive structures around your joints: cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and synovial fluid. Glucosamine can help with both slowing cartilage deterioration and alleviating the symptoms of arthritis.
Because glucosamine has no natural food sources, you have to take a dietary supplement. Other dietary supplements that have demonstrated beneficial effects for arthritis include vitamins D and K and curcumin extract. To ensure your safety, ask your doctor about the right dose and whether these will interact with your medications.
Arthritis Pain Management in Melbourne, FL
At Central Florida Spine & Pain, Dr. Nicholas Giordano, our board-certified pain management specialist, has established a solid reputation for the highly effective solutions he provides for arthritis and many other conditions that cause chronic pain. He offers a wide variety of interventional pain management modalities and minimally invasive therapeutic interventions—helping patients live well with or totally free from the pain and movement limitations brought on by their conditions without heavy reliance on medications.
To see Dr. Giordano, call us at (321) 802-5021 or simply fill out this appointment request form. We look forward to serving you!
