According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 54 million American adults and 300,000 children have some form of arthritis. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in America.

What is arthritis?

Inflammation of one or more joints, causing pain, stiffness, swelling and often a reduced range of motion. More than 1 in 4 adults with arthritis report severe joint pain. 

A joint is the connection between two bones. Joints allow the movement of your elbows, back, neck, fingers, knees, wrists, and more.

The symptoms of arthritis usually develop over time, but they may appear suddenly due to injury or infection. Arthritis is most common in adults over the age of 65, but it can also develop in children, teens, and younger adults. Arthritis is more common in women than men and in people who are overweight.

How many types of arthritis are there?

There are over 100 types of arthritis and related conditions. The most common being osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis involves wear-and-tear damage to your joint's cartilage. Cartilage is the hard, slippery tissue that covers the ends of bones where they form a joint that allows smooth joint movement. When the cartilage wears down the result can be the bone grinding directly on bone causing restricted movement and pain. 

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder and occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the synovium, the soft tissue in your joints that lubricates your joints and sustains your cartilage.

Severe arthritis can lead to chronic pain that can hinder doing daily tasks with our hands and simple activities like walking or climbing stairs.

5 Natural Pain Relief Remedies for Arthritis

1 Daily exercise

Regular exercise can help keep your joints flexible. Simple stretching and at-home exercises can be extremely beneficial. Low-impact activities like walking, cycling, yoga, tai chi and swimming are also slow and easy on the joints. While staying active is important, it is equally important to avoid overexerting yourself- balance is key. 

2 Weight management 

Maintaining a healthy weight is key for joint health. Weight-bearing joints; knees, hips, and back, supports most, if not all, of your body weight.

Did you know? Every 1 pound of body weight you have puts 4 pounds of pressure on your knees. The more excess weight you have, the more your joints have to carry. 

3 Hot and cold therapies

Many find benefit by using hot and cold therapies to relieve arthritic stiffness and pain. Hot therapy helps boost circulation and can soothe stiff joints, while cold therapy restricts blood vessels, which slows circulation, reduces swelling, and numbs pain.

Cold treatments can include applying gel cold packs or simply wrapping a bag of ice or frozen vegetables in a towel and applying directly over sore joints. 

Hot treatments such as starting the day with a warm bath or shower to help ease stiffness and discomfort or placing a heating pad or hot water bottle on aching joints.

Hot and cold treatments may be alternated however it's important to closely monitor your skin and limit cold treatments to 20 minutes maximum at a time. 

4 Acupuncture

An ancient Chinese medical treatment that involves inserting very thin needles through your skin into strategic points on your body. This technique is used to balance the flow of energy or life force, known as chi or qi, that flows through meridians (pathways) in your body. Acupuncture is most commonly used to treat pain however is gaining popularity for overall wellness, including stress management. Be sure to find a licensed and certified acupuncturist. 

5 Healthy diet

Eating a healthy diet with lots of antioxidants, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs can help reduce inflammation. Nutritious anti-inflammatory foods include berries, turmeric, green tea and yes, noni. 

Noni's anti-inflammatory power

Noni fruit is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Noni Fruit Leather is a whole raw food made from 100% organic noni pulp with no fermentation and absolutely zero additives. While multiple anti-inflammatory compounds have been identified in noni, one in particular is the all-star pain-reliever: scopoletin. Learn more about scopoletin here

Internally: Long-term relief

• One 2x2 inch serving of Noni Fruit Leather to support a healthy response to inflammation
• For persistent inflammation in the body we recommend increasing the daily amount to two to four 2x2 inch servings daily. 

Externally: Immediate relief

• Topically, Our Pain Relief Noni Lotions provide fast-acting relief from pain, stiffness and swelling. Apply as often as needed, we recommend at least 2 to 3 times daily. 

While making healthy food choices and creating healthy eating habits can give your health a big boost, it's equally important to limit your consumption of foods that can promote inflammation. For example, processed foods like fast food, frozen meals, and processed meats, fried foods and partially hydrogenated oils, sugar and refined carbs have all been associated with higher levels of inflammatory markers like CRP (C-reactive protein). 

Obesity is a major contributor to most forms of inflammatory arthritis making food choices and portion control key aspects of managing arthritis. Arthritis is not a condition that should be self-diagnosed. We always recommend visiting your primary care physician for diagnosis and treatment recommendations. While there is no cure for arthritis you can greatly reduce your symptoms. Recommendations of your doctor combined with diet and lifestyle changes can greatly help you manage your arthritis so you can enjoy life.  

Sources:

https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/about-arthritis/understanding-arthritis/what-is-arthritis
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/arthritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350772
https://www.healthline.com/health/arthritis#diet-and-exercise