With over 30 million sufferers, osteoarthritis ranks as one of the most common of degenerative diseases. Technically defined as joint inflammation, osteoarthritis, meaning inflammation, the painful and sometimes debilitating condition is caused by the long term inflammation and subsequent wear and tear deterioration of the cartilage that separates the bones and bodily joints.
Occurring most commonly in the hands knees hips and spine, resulting in loss of motion and stiffness, in addition to pain. While there are no medical protocols available for truly addressing osteoarthritis, (the only “dr. strategies” are pharmaceutical suppression of inflammation with steroids and non-steroidal drugs) there are nutritional and lifestyle steps that can be taken to, not only reduce symptoms and pain, but also to reverse tissue breakdown.
For one thing, cartilage building nutrients can help. Vitamin C, glucosamine, hyaluronic acid, collagen peptides, manganese, MSM sulfur, must have vitamin E and omega-3 fats have anti-inflammatory properties that can help. Exercise is important too. While the arthritis patient may not feel like working out, stretching movement and even weight resistance training can improve blood flow to affect the areas and stimulate the growth of new cartilage.
Because acidity can trigger pain and accelerate the deterioration of joint cartilage, raising the pH of the blood with proper breathing and oxygenation techniques can be a helpful way to reduce agonizing arthritic symptoms and help slow down and possibly even reverse degeneration.
