Arthritis is very common, and refers to a group of diseases and related conditions that impact millions of people globally. It typically is linked to joint pain, swelling and stiffness.

What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common chronic joint conditions, caused by natural wear and tear of the connective tissues (or cartilage). These tissues help to lubricate the joint (the point where two bones come together) and so when this gets worn down, it means that the bones start to rub together and cause a lot of inflammation and pain.

This type of arthritis is known as degenerative, meaning that it gets worse over time. If the condition gets worse, range of motion also decreases and joints become more unstable while the muscles weaken. This can increase risk of falling and experiencing additional injuries.

This damage to the joints occurs naturally and so it is frequently seen in those who are older. However, accidents can also cause injury to the joints and cartilage and so younger people can be impacted. Wear and tear also speeds up when you do not look after your health, so risk of wear and tear increases when you are overweight and sedentary.

Treatment plans for Osteoarthritis

Treatment is focused on managing symptoms. It includes changing your lifestyle - making sure you get enough sleep, reducing stress levels, engaging in physical activity every day to strengthen the joints and reduce stiffness, as well as losing weight if that is required. To help with the swelling, many use hot-cold therapies on joints during the day and turn to anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce inflammation. Others add supplements such as omegas and glucosamines to support joint health.

Research has also found that an acidic diet could aggravate osteoarthritis. The body has different ways of keeping our pH balance in check and when the body's pH levels are out of balance, alkaline forming minerals are leached from the bones or acid is displaced into the connective tissues. When we eat lots of acid forming foods (think proteins, fats and sugars) these tend to bind to alkaline minerals in the body which are essential to our skeletal system. When minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium are low, our bones and cartilage become fragile and can easily break. When the acid is displaced into our cartilage, this can also worsen joint inflammation.

Changing your nutrition could be valuable when managing symptoms associated with Osteoarthritis and rebalancing your pH levels - eating lots of fruits and vegetables, drinking lots of water and reducing intake of processed foods and red meats.

To further support your levels of minerals in the body - specifically calcium, magnesium and potassium, there is Multiforce! Our clinical study suggests that taking Multiforce daily can help patients to manage symptoms and reduce pain and inflammation. You can read more about this on our Health Hub or head to our shop to try it for yourself.

References

1. Arthritis Foundation. What is arthritis? Accessed 10/12/2020
2. Healthline Media. Everything you need to know about Osteoarthritis. Accessed 10/12/2020
3. A.Vogel. Arthritis symptoms. Accessed 10/12/2020

Note: Please always consult your doctor before trying anything new to support your disease or condition.