How can you reduce your long-term risk of arthritis?

I recommend these 3 things…

1.     Top of the list is how you move:

Think of your joints as the tyres on a car. They provide the interface between the car and the road, in much the same way the cartilage protects and lubricates the joint surfaces. If the wheels are unbalanced, the tyre wears unevenly. If your joint is misaligned, or the forces going through it are uneven, there will be accelerated wear and degenerative change in the cartilage.

For example, if there is a weakness, pain or injury at the hip, the knee may cave inward, creating uneven wear and damage to the inside of the knee joint. Therefore treating and strengthening the hip, as well as protecting and supporting the knee is needed for prevention and recovery.

‘Motion is lotion’ in the case of arthritis, and in particular variety of motion. Aim to build in a large variety of movements into your day.

·      Start the day with a gentle 10mins mobility flow to ease any morning stiffness

·      Go for a lovely 30 minute (minimum) walk after lunch, try to incorporate gradients and uneven terrain

·      In the evening attend a class that you enjoy with friends, such as dancing, fitness or yoga

·      Do a 10 minute breathing or relaxation practice before bed to reduce stress and inflammation

·      Throughout the day be sure to take frequent movement snacks, such as a hang, swing or stretch in a door frame, low squats, floor sitting, kneeling, crawling, heel raises and arm circles

·      Once a month visit your Osteopath for guidance on movement and exercise, and treatment for optimising alignment and joint function

·      Above all things, avoid sitting for long periods

2.     Eat an anti-inflammatory diet:

Inflammation is caused by a reaction in the immune system. Sometimes the immune system reacts inappropriately and ‘attacks’ the body, as in the case of rheumatoid arthritis and other auto-immune conditions.

What is incredible to learn is that 70% of our immune system lies in our gut! Most people with inflammatory conditions have an underlying imbalance (dysbiosis) in their gut microbiome caused by eating a bad diet, stress, environmental toxins, and food sensitivities.

Dysbiosis damages the gut lining so food, bacteria, and toxins can pass through it and end up in places they don’t belong, like the joints, which confuses the immune system and causes it to attack the surrounding tissue.

What does an anti-inflammatory diet look like?

·      Forget your ‘5-a-day’! Eat 30 different fruit and veg per week. This can include herbs, spices, nuts and seeds

·      Look for low sugar fruit such as berries, citrus, cherries, apples and pears

·      Eliminate or radically reduce sugar, refined carbs, ultra-processed food and sources of common food allergies, such as gluten, dairy and nightshade family

·      Eat plenty of mono-unsaturated fat from avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds and oily fish (Think SMASH - Sardine, Mackerel, Anchovies, Salmon and Herring – fish that are high in Omega 3 and low in mercury)

·      Drink bone broth regularly for its high electrolyte and high collagen content

·      Eat plenty of probiotic food. Fermented food such as the 4 K’s – Kimchi, Kombucha, Kefir, Kraut (as in sauerkraut)

3.     Supplements

I think a whole-food approach is best for getting all your nutrients as they always come perfectly packaged together for optimal absorption and bio-availability, but if you think you may need to supplement your diet, here are a few you might try:

·      Vitamin D with K for calcium absorption and bone health and repair

·      Curcumin found in Turmeric helps with inflammation

·      Vitamin C is also supportive of the immune system and anti-inflammatory

·      Glucosamine, Chondroitin and collagen for cartilage health

Once every 6 months visit a registered nutritionist for guidance on diet and supplements, and any investigations for possible food sensitivities and gut dysbiosis.

The ideal is to be proactive with your joint health because joint pain due to alignment issues and poor gut health can gradually build up over time without your awareness.

But if you already have joint issues, there is still much that can be done with a non-invasive approach to reduce pain and inflammation, improve mobility and strength, and help you feel more in control again.

Emma Wightman

www.the-sop.com