At Parkside, we're always looking not only to relieve the immediate discomfort a condition may be causing, but also to treat the underlying cause of an issue. When it comes to joint pain, the cause is often inflammation. Let's look at how small changes in your lifestyle, along with visits to your friendly neighborhood massage therapist, can help fight the fire of inflammation.
Joint pain is often due to inflammation
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells us that about 15 million Americans live with severe joint pain. Dr. Saloni Sharma, author of "The Pain Solution: 5 Steps to Relieve and Prevent Back Pain, Muscle Pain and Joint Pain Without Medication," says inflamation is often the underlying cause.
Effects of inflammation
Pain or tenderness
Swelling
Joint pain or stiffness
How to fight inflammation
#1: Stay well hydrated
Cartilage acts as a cushion between the bones of a joint, and is largely made of water.
#2: Eat an anti-inflammatory diet
Vitamins A, C D, and minerals such as zinc may help. Ask your doctor if you should try eating more foods with anti-inflammatory properties, like:
Leafy greens like spinach and kale
Olive oil
Tomatoes
If you have chronic inflammation, you may feel better if you avoid:
Fried foods
Cured meats with nitrates, like hot dogs
Refined oils and trans fats
Refined carbohydrates like sugar, pastries, and white bread
#3: Avoid these lifestyle factors
You may also be more likely to develop chronic inflammation if you:
Smoke
Frequently drink alcohol
Are very overweight
Exercise too intensely, or not enough
Are chronically stressed
Massage can help
The Arthritis Foundation cites two studies on the benefits of massage for joint conditions. They cite research showing that massage can descrease the body’s production of cortisol and and increase production of serotonin.
Study #1: Knee osteoarthritis. Participants who received “a one-hour whole-body massage weekly experienced significant improvement in pain and mobility after eight weeks compared to those receiving light touch or standard care.”
Study #2 Hand arthritis. This study showed that “a 15-minute, moderate pressure massage daily led to reduced pain and anxiety and improved grip strength in 22 adults diagnosed with hand or wrist arthritis,” that “could possibly reduce hand pain up to 57 percent.”
“Our lymph system is our immune system. Relieving any stagnation in our lymph nodes and recirculating that fluid is positive because it helps with inflammation, whether that’s localized inflammation or whole-body inflammation.”
Fight the fire
Here’s a quick summary of inflammation-fighting tips.
Come visit us at Parkside
Come see our expert team at Parkside Clinic where we tailor our care to your specific condition and tap into your body’s natural healing ability. Make an appointment, or if you have any questions, contact us.