Osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints of chronic degenerative nature when the cartilage tissue of their surface is damaged. This term combines a group of diseases, in which the entire joint suffers (not only articular cartilage but also ligaments, capsule, periarticular muscles, synovial membrane, and subchondral bone). Causes of Osteoarthritis The most common cause of this disease is various injuries. Joint dysplasia (congenital changes in

Nutritional Video Guide for Osteoarthritis Patients – Researchers continue to look at the role diet plays in arthritis. While evidence is accumulating, anyone with arthritis can benefit from a diet that provides adequate macronutrients and micronutrients to prevent deficiencies. Some examples of these nutrients include vitamins, minerals, proteins and carbohydrates. Doctors recommend a balanced diet with variety and moderation. View our Nutritional

Magnesium Supplements – Sure, eating bananas is good for osteoarthritis due to the potassium, but did you know magnesium benefits bones, too? One large study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and using subjects from the Framingham Heart Study found people who ate diets high in potassium and magnesium had higher bone density readings and stronger bones than those who didn’t. “Magnesium has been known to help alleviate symptoms

Blueberry Antioxidants – Berries of all types are sweet and delicious. They’re full of fiber, so you’ll feel full faster. Berries also pack a walloping antioxidant punch! Antioxidants protect your body against inflammation and free radicals, molecules that can damage cells and organs. James Joseph, PhD, director of the Neuroscience Lab at the United States Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University,

Eat Your Fish! The Osteoarthritis Diet – Can the foods you eat have an impact on osteoarthritis inflammation? Many experts think so. You’ll need to go on a modified pescetarian diet if you want to try this. Let me go into detail about the diet especially designed for osteoarthritis. Not only can omega-3s found in fish significantly reduce joint pain and shorten the duration of morning stiffness, but studies, such as those reported in the American

Supplements May Help with Moderate-to-Severe Osteoarthritis Pain – The Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT), which was cosponsored by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and NIAMS, assessed the effectiveness and safety of glucosamine and chondroitin when taken together or separately. The trial found that the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate did not provide significant relief

Green Tea Anti-Inflammatory – Many studies have shown that green tea possesses anti-inflammatory properties. One study showed that mice predisposed to a condition similar to human osteoarthritis had mild arthritis and little evidence of cartilage damage and bone erosion when green tea polyphenols were added to their drinking water. Another study showed that when added to human cartilage cell cultures, the active ingredients in green tea inhibited

Little Changes Can Mean Lots of Relief – Did you know weighing just an extra 10-15 extra pounds puts you at high risk of osteoarthritis of the knees, hips or spine? Osteoarthritis often strikes weight bearing joints and higher weight means more wear and tear on those joints. Experts estimate that each extra pound gained is equal to two to three extra pounds stressing the knees. Want to avoid this pain? And if it’s already started, some relief

Vitamin C Prevents Osteoarthritis – Vitamin C is important in the development of normal cartilage. A deficiency of Vitamin C might lead to the development of weak cartilage. In 2010, The Arthritis Research Institute of America, Inc. published an important article in the Journal Public Health Nutrition which suggested that Vitamin C supplementation may indeed be beneficial in preventing new cases of knee osteoarthritis. You can read the article

Soy Protein May Alleviate Osteoarthritis Symptoms – There are a number of studies that suggest serving soy may alleviate osteoarthritis symptoms, here are two with some interesting findings. In early 2002, at the American Pain Society, researchers at John Hopkins University in Baltimore concluded that a diet rich in soy that reduced pain and swelling in rats may one day be used by humans to manage chronic pain. In the study, scientists found that