All You Need To Know About Joint Inflammation

LAST UPDATED: October 20th, 2022 | BY: Stacy Merci

Introduction

Regardless of age or lifestyle, joint inflammation can affect anyone. That’s why it is crucial to understand the signs and symptoms of the condition and how to avoid it. Due to how common joint pain and inflammation can be, many people have unfortunately resorted to living with the condition. In this article, we’re not only going to discuss the basics of joint inflammation but also how it can be avoided and how to best deal with it if it does occur.

What Is Joint Inflammation?

Joints are the structures in our bodies that connect two or more bones to allow movement. They are found in our feet, hands, hips, knees, and many other places. These joints are surrounded by soft tissue. When damaged, it may cause joint inflammation.

The Symptoms:

• Pain or swelling of the joint
• Difficulty moving the joint
• Redness around the joint area

These are the most common symptoms, as stated by Medical News Today. If you suspect that you have similar symptoms, it’s best to act fast. An early diagnosis alongside a vigorous treatment plan is one of the best ways to limit long-lasting pain or damage to your body.

Causes:

• Injury
• Arthritis
• Gout

Inflammation can be painful. So, if you feel that your inflammation is getting worse or impacting your day-to-day life, it would be best to go and speak to a doctor.

How to Avoid It:

Luckily, there are many things you can do to maintain your joint health and reduce your risk of developing inflammation by making some simple changes to your lifestyle, such as:

• Daily exercise
• Maintaining a healthy body weight
• Not smoking

The Harmful Effect Inflammation Has On Joints

When joint inflammation occurs, your immune system or damaged muscle tissue releases chemicals that cause inflammation and swelling in your joints. Sequentially could lead to muscle loss, cartilage and bone damage, or fluid build-up. The nerves within joints will also become activated, causing pain. Due to inflammatory chemicals, other nerves throughout the body may become affected, leading to pain or discomfort in multiple bodily areas.

According to Harvard Health[1], joint inflammation begins once a variety of immune cells are found in the lining and the fluid of the joint. These cells attract other immune cells, which leads to a thickening of the joint lining. Once this happens, new blood vessels are formed that cause joint inflammation.

Foods That Help Fight Inflammation

If you find that your inflammation is recurring or chronic, a powerful tool would be to start incorporating foods that help reduce symptoms and help you lead a healthier life. According to Lifespan, certain types of food can help improve your health, such as:

Omega- 3 Fats –

Healthy omega-3 fats that are found in fish and dietary supplements are considered great anti-inflammatory foods for joints as they are said to reduce stiffness and joint pain. If you’re not a fan of fish, don’t worry, there are plenty of plant-based alternatives such as walnuts and flaxseed oil.

Vitamin D –

The easiest way our bodies get vitamin D is through sunlight. Making sure that you are getting outside once a day and exposing yourself to the sunshine will help improve the functionality of both your bones and muscles. Fortunately, if you are physically unable to go outside, vitamin D is available through different foods such as eggs or even supplements.

Fruits and Vegetables –

You’ve probably heard many times before that fruits and vegetables are good for you. Including them in your diet will help you control your body weight and reduce the risk of obesity. Having reduced body fat will help keep joints healthy and relieve unwanted pressure, particularly in your knees and hips.

On the other hand, there are also foods you should avoid if you’re looking to reduce inflammation:

• Excess Sugar – Consuming excess sugar can trigger inflammation throughout the body. It is because sugar can activate cytokines, which are specific cells that may cause pain and inflammation in joints.
• Saturated Fats – Saturated fats are identified by being solid masses at room temperature. Examples of foods that contain saturates would be red meat, full-fat dairy, and fast food such as pizza. Experts believe that consuming large quantities of these types of fats can trigger inflammation in the muscles that surround joints, which makes them a poor nutritional choice to maintain your joint health.
• Refined Carbohydrates – Unlike regular carbohydrates, refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white rice, cookies, and other deserts, are stripped of all fiber and nutrients. It means that they offer little to no nutritional value when consumed. They have also been linked to health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. So, if you’re looking for anti-inflammatory foods for joints, avoid refined carbohydrates.

5 Simple Solutions To Fix Your Joint Inflammation

Fortunately, there are a lot of treatments available to help improve joint inflammation, according to WebMD[2], that include:

• Medication – The main medications available are pain killers, corticosteroids, and chemotherapy drugs.
• Exercise – Steady exercise such as stretching can massively help reduce stiffness in joints.
• Rest – Giving yourself at least 8 hours of sleep a day will allow your body to heal as well as relieve pressure on your joints.
• Surgery – In cases of chronic inflammation, surgery may be the best solution.
• Supplements – Heal n Soothe offers a great supplement that tackles your symptoms head-on. Committed to defeating joint pain with their highly reviewed pain-relief product, it’s not something that you want to miss out on.

Conclusion

No one deserves to live a life of discomfort. That’s why it’s important to know the symptoms and act quickly before your joint inflammation grows worse. Remember to keep joints healthy, get plenty of exercise, eat nutritious foods, and most importantly, listen to your body. So, start living your life to its fullest and make your health a priority today!