15 Natural Treatments and Foods for Arthritis Pain

Did you know 58.5 million people in the U.S. suffer from arthritis? Many Americans lead a lower quality of life due to arthritis.

The good news is there are steps you can take to deal with arthritis without visiting the hospital. If you need some natural remedies for your arthritis, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, you’ll learn about ways to help reduce the pain you experience from arthritis. You’ll discover natural treatments and foods to consume for arthritis pain.

Read on for expert insight.

What Is Inflammatory Arthritis?

People who have an overactive immune system will sometimes suffer from a form of inflammatory arthritis. Common symptoms you might experience include stiffness or joint pain.

Your joints might feel tender, swollen, or even warm. Inflammatory arthritis will also affect the heart, lungs, eyes, skin, and other tissues in the body.

If you don’t treat your inflammatory arthritis, you could end up with irreversible damage. Try to seek out treatment right away to limit the effects of inflammatory arthritis on your body.

Researchers aren’t sure what causes inflammatory arthritis in people. However, they do know that the immune system’s overactive.

When you become exposed to bacteria or viruses, your immune system will create white blood cells. The immune proteins will attack the invaders.

The immune proteins and white blood cells will end up causing inflammation. In a normal case, the inflammation will resolve after the invader gets defeated.

If you have inflammatory arthritis, however, your immune system doesn’t stop. It will turn on you and attack your tissues. That’s why you’ll experience continued inflammation.

Inflammatory arthritis is known as an autoimmune disease. Let’s look at some natural ways to reduce inflammation in your body. You’ll learn about different foods to consume to improve your symptoms.

1. Start Drinking Green Tea

Green tea has a lot of antioxidants and nutrients that will help lower inflammation in your body.

Try drinking two servings of green tea a day. You could drink either a hot or cold cup of green tea. Use tea bags and avoid powdered tea mixes, which are processed and full of unnatural elements.

2. Start Consuming Fish

Salmon, tuna, and sardines will give you omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids can lower your inflammation levels as well. Try to eat around four ounces of fish twice a week to protect your heart and reduce inflammation.

Fresh fish is expensive, but you could buy canned tuna, salmon, or sardines. Read the nutrition label to ensure you aren’t getting a high-sodium product.

Sodium will increase the inflammation in your body and aggravate your arthritis.

3. Pomegranates and Berries

The Arthritis Foundation recommends people consume berries because they’re filled with antioxidants. Raspberries, strawberries, and cranberries will help with arthritis pains.

You’ll experience benefits whether you consume them fresh, dehydrated, or frozen. If you choose the dry version, make sure there aren’t added sugars.

Pomegranates are also helpful for people with arthritis. These fruits have tannins, which will also fight inflammation. Stir some pomegranate in your bowl of cereal or smoothie.

4. Start Eating More Fresh Vegetables

Start adding anti-inflammatory vegetables to your diet. Consume mushrooms, cauliflower, or Brussel sprouts. Add these vegetables to your salads, throw them in a stir fry or eat them raw.

Making a massive change to your diet isn’t realistic or helpful. Slowly add a few different arthritis-friendly snacks and foods to your diet. Take notes on how you feel. Certain foods to learn more about how your body reacts.

5. What About Olive Oils?

Avoid using vegetable oil and opt for rich olive oil. Olive oil will have a decent amount of omega-6 and omega-3 oils.

There’s a component called oleocanthal in olive oil that has anti-inflammatory properties. This will benefit your heart, as well.

6. Turmeric and Ginger

Ginger and turmeric can get taken as a supplement. Some people will sprinkle these anti-inflammatory ground spices on their drinks or food. You could also take a small amount of ginger if you feel sick.

Ginger can add flavor to your soups, stir-fries, and teas. The ginger will block the production of substances that promote inflammation.

7. Consume More Nuts

Nuts are a source of protein but are low in saturated fats. They don’t contain cholesterol, so try almonds or walnuts if your doctor’s asking you to lower your levels.

Sprinkle nuts over your yogurt or salad, or eat them as a snack. You can replace your meat serving with a quarter cup of almonds. Make sure to pick the unsalted nuts.

8. Start Eating Whole Grains

You can have fun cooking with different types of whole grains. Start exploring recipes for quinoa, bulger, or faro.

Incorporate whole grains in your diet. Experience the benefits from the increased fiber and nutrients. Try to consume between three to six servings of whole grains each day.

You can finish the whole grain as a side dish.

9. What About Salsa?

Here’s a fun treat to enjoy, and you might even experience pain relief from arthritis. Salsa will help you increase your intake of vitamin C and fiber due to the mix of onions, tomatoes, and spices.

Use salsa as a vegetable dip instead of the sodium-filled dressings from the grocer.

10. Don’t Give Up on Chocolate

Did you know dark chocolate can ease inflammation in your body? When shopping for dark chocolate, make sure that you pick a variety that has 70 percent of cocoa content. You want to find one with lower levels of sugar.

11. Pick Up More Broccoli

Broccoli has a high calcium level, and it also has tons of antioxidants and improves inflammation levels. Women who eat cruciferous vegetables will have a lower level of inflammatory markers.

Sulforaphane is a compound in broccoli. It blocks the formation of a cell connected to rheumatoid arthritis development.

When shopping for any kind of fruits or vegetables, try to buy organic. You can consume these foods without worrying about harmful pesticides.

12. Avoid Trans and Saturated Fats

There’s a connection between saturated fats and chronic inflammation. Saturated fats get found in butter, poultry skin, or red meats. You’ll find trans fat in margarine, French fries, and other fried food.

Try to lower your intake of these fats. Instead, use olive oil.

13. What About Vitamin D?

There’s a link between low levels of vitamin D and a higher risk of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Make sure you get the proper amount of vitamin D in your diet.

You could look at taking a supplement. Some foods like orange juice, fortified milk, or oily fish have vitamin D. Most people will supplement their diet by taking a supplement.

You can also get some vitamin D by going for a walk. During the day, get outside for half an hour.

14. Weight Control

If you’re overweight, you will be at a higher risk for osteoarthritis. Losing a few pounds could help lower your discomfort. Weight loss will take off some pressure on your joints.

Maintaining a healthy weight will also reduce the risk of developing other diseases. Keep eating healthy and consider signing up for an aerobic class with a friend.

15. What About Cryotherapy?

Have you heard of cryotherapy? It means cold therapy and refers to the technique where your body gets exposed to super cold temperatures for minutes.

You could choose whole-body cryotherapy or localize it to one area. Some people will place an ice pack or have an ice bath.

Whole-body cryotherapy will immerse the body in cold air for several minutes. You will stand in a small enclosure or chamber. The enclosure can drop to between negative 200-300 degrees.

Some people find that whole-body cryotherapy reduces the pain they experience. Consider seeking out this treatment option for your arthritis. Find a local provider or check out Cryo Innovations.

Don’t Forget These Foods and Other Natural Treatments for Arthritis Pain

Did you find this guide helpful on foods for arthritis? Reduce inflammation in your body by eating certain foods for arthritis pain.

However, be sure to speak with your primary healthcare provider before making drastic diet changes. They’ll assess the foods you want to introduce to your regular diet and advise on the potential side effects or whether they’ll have a negative effect on any drugs you might be taking already.

Need more helpful lifestyle or health tips like this article? We have a wide variety of health resources on our blog, so keep reading.