Climbing stairs, walking down the street, hiking up a mountain, even standing up from a chair: all of these movements are made possible by your knees. When knees start to ache, it’s crucial to know how to help arthritis is knees. Here are the best tips to get started with.

How to help arthritis in knees: The basics

Your knees are the largest, strongest joint in the body. Knowing a bit about the anatomy can help to appreciate not only their strength but also their unique vulnerabilities.

Knee joints consist of three bones. The femur (thighbone) connects to the tibia and the patella (kneecap). Cartilage wraps around the end of each bone to protect and smooth movement where the three bones meet.

Two wedges of cartilage called the meniscus act as shock absorbers as the femur presses down into the tibia. Synovial fluid lubricates all of the cartilage in the joint and helps with smooth movement.

In addition, stabilizing ligaments and tendons include:

• Lateral and medial collateral ligaments: Stabilize side-to-side movement
• Posterior and anterior cruciate ligament: Frames movement forward and backwards

Knees absorb the impact of your upper body coming down on the lower leg: every day, all day. This means that everything you do—walking, running, hiking up a mountain, or simply standing up from a seat—relies on healthy knees.

When our knees are not healthy, the resulting knee pain can make it challenging to go about our normal daily activities or even get to sleep at night.

Causes of knee arthritis and pain

The most common cause of pain is knee osteoarthritis. Known as a wear-and-tear disease, osteoarthritis occurs as the knee joint gets used over time. The structures that once supported and eased movement (e.g., tendons, cartilage, and synovial fluid) may begin to wear out, causing knee pain with movement.

Other common causes of knee pain include the following:

• Injury: Injury such as torn ligaments and tendons, bone fractures, bursitis, and tendinitis can cause knee pain both at rest and during activity.
• Mechanical problems: Mechanical problems occur when something in the joint fails. This might include dislocated kneecap, iliotibial band syndrome, or a foreign body in the joint (e.g., a broken bit of bone or cartilage).
• Other forms of arthritis: There are over 100 forms of arthritis, many of which can cause knee arthritis pain. In addition to osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and septic arthritis can cause knee pain.

Finally, a less common cause of knee pain is patellofemoral pain syndrome. This pain between the patella and the femur is most often seen in young athletes but can develop as a consequence of arthritis in the kneecap.

Risk factors for knee pain

Anyone with knees can have knee pain, but there are some risk factors that increase your chances. Carrying extra weight is a primary risk factor, as is having a job that places lots of stress on the knees. Professional athletes and enthusiastic amateurs alike are all at risk of knee pain due to wear-and-tear and injury also.

Other risk factors include:

• Age
• Previous injury
• Lack of flexibility or strength in supporting muscles

How to help arthritis in knees

If you are experiencing severe knee arthritis that is impacting your quality of life, it’s important to talk to your doctor first. They can help diagnose any underlying causes and design a treatment plan to improve your daily life.

For mild to moderate pain, here are our tips for how to help arthritis in the knees. As always, talk with your doctor before starting a new treatment.

1. Just add ice

When knee pain flares up, one of the simplest things to do is to ice the inflammation. Yes, extended days of rest can actually increase stiffness and pain, but in the acute phases of knee pain, ice can really help.

Try a 20-minutes-on, 20-minutes-off program of icing for a few hours to see if that relieves pain.

2. Watch your diet

While changes to the diet alone are not enough to completely ease knee arthritis pain, it is a great (and easy) place to start. Not only does maintaining a healthy diet improve overall levels of health and energy, the food you eat can also help treat pain and inflammation.

How? Focusing on anti-inflammatory foods means choosing healthy whole grains, dark leafy greens, and lean proteins as the foundation of your diet. Add in foods and spices with natural anti-inflammatory properties. These foods like include turmeric, tart cherries, avocado, and even dark chocolate.

Finding a great anti-inflammatory cookbook can make eating to ease knee pain a snap.

Avoiding processed food, trans fats, and sugars can also help manage weight, improve health, and ease inflammation in the body.

3. Keep an eye on your BMI

If you are carrying extra weight, know this: every pound above the BMI recommended for your frame adds another two to four pounds of pressure on your knee joint.

Suddenly, being just ten pounds over your target body-mass index can mean an additional forty pounds of pressure with every step!

4. Quit smoking

By now, everyone knows that smoking is dangerous to overall health, but it also increases the risk of knee pain. Smoking increases the chances of cartilage loss, which then increases the chances of developing osteoarthritis knee pain. Smokers are also more likely to be obese and have comorbid health conditions that contribute to poor health outcomes and high mortality rate.

Quitting smoking is arguably the best thing you can do for yourself.

5. Start walking

Even when your joints feel their most stiff and sore, a little movement can go a long way. Walking for knee pain helps you maintain a healthy BMI, builds muscles in the lower body, and provides good overall exercise.

If you have knee pain, choose good shoes for support. Take walks on level, sturdy terrain that is not too hard (or too soft, like sand). Start a walking program slowly, adding either time or increasing the pace as you feel stronger.

Walking with a friend can help keep you motivated, as can incorporating extra walking in your daily life. Park the car farther from the entrance to buildings, walk to pick up a few items at the store, or add another walk to your dog’s schedule. They’ll thank you for it, and so will your knees!

6. Consider meditative exercise

Meditative exercise like yoga or t’ai chi can both help ease knee pain. Why? Focusing on proper alignment, balanced muscular engagement, and conscious breathing have the following research-based benefits:

• Yoga increases the volume of grey matter in the brain, which builds resilience in chronic pain patients
• Yoga triggers a relaxation response, helping to moderate the emotional impact of pain
• Finally, yoga reduces inflammation in the body
• T’ai chi builds muscle strength, improves balance, and increases flexibility

Both yoga and t’ai chi can be adapted for any skill or fitness level, and neither require special equipment. Read more about incorporating yoga for arthritis into your routine here.

7. Keep movement low impact (and full-body)

Maybe yoga or t’ai chi are not for you, but it’s important to move your body. Any full-body, low-impact exercise can help ease knee pain. Try swimming, or look online for low-impact workouts that get you moving, regardless of where you start.

8. Use a brace

Knee braces bring stability to knees in pain, especially during exercise. Your doctor or physical therapist can suggest the best knee brace for you.

9. Get a gait analysis

Sometimes knee pain is a matter of an improper or imbalanced way of moving. A gait analysis looks at the way you move your body and suggests corrections in alignment (or even footwear) to help.

Talk to your doctor, a physical therapist, or even a high-quality running store for help with this.

10. Visit a physical therapist

Physical therapists work with your doctor to design specific exercises for knee rehabilitation. Many of these will focus on lengthening and strengthening the supporting muscles of the upper and lower legs, such as quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.

Even one visit to learn the proper form for knee arthritis exercises can help support your recovery.

11. Consider medications

Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen sodium provide arthritis pain relief for mild to moderate pain. It’s important to follow the dosage directions carefully, as too much can cause gastrointestinal upset or liver damage. In conjunction with other therapies and exercise, though, NSAIDs can help you move comfortably through your day, even with knee arthritis.

Further, if your knee pain is a result of septic arthritis, your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics to get the infection under control. An infected joint will not allow much movement and can cause serious damage. Antibiotics treat the infection to ease swelling and pain.

12. Explore supplements and natural remedies

Supplements for knee osteoarthritis may increase production of synovial fluid in the knee joint. This helps smooth out rough movement that could be causing knee pain. Talk to your doctor before adding these into your regimen.

Natural remedies for knee pain can also be remarkably effective. These include things like transdermal magnesium, acupuncture, and mindfulness meditation.

13. Try TENS

TENS, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, uses electrodes placed on the skin to deliver a mild electrical current to the nerves. This current replaces the pain signals sent to your brain with a tingling sensation.

TENS is a non-invasive treatment for knee pain that is controlled by the patient (and a good therapy to try before exploring more invasive options).

14. Talk to your doctor about knee joint injections

Knee joint injections should only be explored when more conservative treatments for knee pain have proven ineffective. Before the procedure, your doctor will inject a numbing agent to reduce pain, followed by a corticosteroid to decrease inflammation. They may also discuss options like PRP injections.

While injections may work to decrease pain, knee joint injections do not treat any underlying knee pain causes or halt progressive joint deterioration. Still, when combined with a healthy diet, regular exercise, physical therapy, and other lifestyle changes, they can provide profound relief. Learn more about this option in the following video.

15. Consider surgery

When all other treatment options have failed, knee replacement surgery may be helpful.

It’s important to note that some people still experience pain after knee replacement. Talk to your doctor to assess the potential risks of this option. It should only be used after other less invasive measures have failed and as a last resort.

16. Find a new location

Our final recommendation may not be possible for some people with knee arthritis, but sometimes a change of scenery (and weather) helps ease chronic pain.

Some of the best places to live with knee arthritis include those with steady, temperate weather and low humidity. If you’ve already been considering a move, think about finding a location that could help ease your pain.

How to help arthritis in knees? Find a trusted pain doctor

Finally, the best way find relief is to work with a pain doctor you trust. If you’re in Arizona, we can help. The Arizona Pain team knows how to help arthritis in knees, designing comprehensive, individualized treatment plans to help you get your life back.

Get in touch to schedule an appointment today.

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. While it may not be that simple, changes to your diet can have an impact on arthritis pain and symptoms. Arthritis at its most basic description is inflammation of the joints. Fortunately, healthy eating can help fight inflammation and improve your symptoms. No food is a cure-all of course, but following the best diet for arthritis may improve your day-to-day functions and help ease some symptoms.

What are the basics of arthritis and diet?

When we talk about arthritis, we often refer to inflammation. In theory, inflammation is a natural part of our how immune systems function. It’s the body’s response to injury.

However, inflammation is also at the root of most types of arthritis pain. This is characterized as swollen, painful joints that may even feel warm to the touch. How does food play a role in this? We’ll explain.

Osteoarthritis

Experts agree that food can have an impact on the severity of inflammation we experience. In 2017, researchers from the University of Surrey identified a crucial link between metabolism and osteoarthritis. Metabolic changes caused by poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle can change the genetic reprogramming of cells in the body and joints.

Weight is also often associated with different types of diseases and conditions. When it comes to arthritis, weight loss can reduce excess stress on joints. One study found that a loss of just one pound of body weight reduces the load on knees by four pounds. This is especially true for those suffering from osteoarthritis, which is generally known as a “wear and tear” condition.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

If you have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, the condition stems from your immune system targeting your joint linings on both sides of the body. This may include both hands, wrists, or knees. The symmetry is what makes RA different from osteoarthritis. While this type of condition isn’t related to wear and tear or excessive weight, diet may still play a role.

Just like osteoarthritis, RA causes inflammation that can be extremely painful. By eating the best food for rheumatoid arthritis, such as fruits, vegetables, and cold-water fish, you may notice less inflammation and fewer flare-ups. At the very least, patients should try to limit processed food and sugar to stay in good health and limit the severity of their symptoms.

Tips for arthritis and diet

We understand that every person and diagnosis is different, which is why it’s important to be flexible. Rather than starting an entirely new diet, think of it as a simple lifestyle change. Focus on small, incremental changes that feel easy.

There are so many benefits to eating more nutritious meals. Even if you don’t see a change in your arthritis symptoms at first, you can improve your health which could eventually impact your arthritis symptoms. This is especially true if you suffer from multiple comorbid conditions.

For example, studies confirm that eating certain foods can:

• Lower blood pressure
• Protect against chronic conditions, ranging from cancer to stroke
• Prevent inflammation
• Protect your heart
• Lead to weight loss, which can lessen pressure that leads to joint pain

While there is no miracle diet for arthritis, simple changes can have an impact.  As always, consult with your doctor before starting a new diet or exercise regimen.

12 best foods for arthritis

Now that we’ve established a link between arthritis and diet, it’s time to get specific. As you browse arthritis diet recipes, look for meals that include the following ingredients.

1. Berries

The glory of berries is in the anthocyanins, which have an anti-inflammatory effect.

From strawberries to raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, add them to your yogurt or smoothie for a healthy dose of antioxidants. You’ll get health benefits whether they’re frozen, fresh, or even dehydrated.

2. Nuts

If you need a quick and healthy snack, it doesn’t get much better than a handful of nuts. Grab some almonds, pistachios, or cashews for a quick energy boost. Just 1.5 ounces daily can provide a dose of inflammation-fighting monounsaturated fat.

Nuts are also rich in:

• Protein
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Vitamin E
• Immune-boosting alpha linolenic acid (ALA)

3. Olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a pantry staple, and as it turns out, it’s a pretty good one to have.

EVOO contains heart-healthy fats, as well as oleocanthal, which has anti-inflammatory benefits. According to studies, a diet rich in olive oil can reduce joint swelling and even slow cartilage destruction.

4. Fish

Omega-3 fatty acids are known for protecting your heart and helping your body fight off inflammation.

The American Heart Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommend three to four ounces of fish, twice a week. However, arthritis experts claim more is better! Go for salmon, tuna, or even scallops to reap the benefits. Check Seafood Watch to find options that are kinder to the environment and our seas.

Don’t like seafood? Consider adding a fish oil supplement to your daily routine.

5. Green tea

Studies show an antioxidant in green tea called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) blocks the production of molecules that cause joint damage in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Aim for two serving per day, hot or iced, using traditional tea bags.

6. Broccoli

We all know the importance of eating our greens! Broccoli is rich in vitamins K and C, as well as sulforaphane. This compound may prevent or slow the progression of osteoarthritis.

The boost of calcium from broccoli also offers bone-building benefits.

7. Whole grains

Whole grains are fiber-rich and lower blood levels of CRP, an inflammatory marker. Experts recommend six ounces of whole grains per day, which means there are many opportunities to incorporate them into your diet.

Consider oatmeal, whole grain toast, quinoa, or brown rice.

8. Citrus

Vitamin C is an excellent way to boost your immune system, protect your memory, and lower your risk of heart disease. Research shows that it may also prevent inflammatory arthritis and help you maintain healthy joints.

Sink your teeth into citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and limes to reap the benefits.

9. Beans

Beans pack a punch of fiber and protein, which makes them a healthy part of any diet. For arthritis sufferers, the phytonutrients in beans may help lower CRP, an indicator of inflammation found in the blood.

With so many varieties to choose from, it can be tough to know where to start. Small red beans, red kidney beans, and pinto beans are among the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s list of top antioxidant-containing foods.

10. Garlic

If you’re looking for flavor and health benefits, garlic is your friend. Researchers believe the compound diallyl disulphine found in garlic may limit cartilage-damaging enzymes in human cells.

Studies also show reduced risk for hip osteoarthritis, which is likely due to garlic’s strong anti-inflammatory properties.

11. Ginger

Ginger may reduce inflammation and aid in reducing symptoms of arthritis, whether it’s fresh, powdered, or dried. Plus, it can help settle an upset stomach. A 2001 study looked at the effects of ginger extract in 261 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. After six weeks, 63% of participants experienced improvements in knee pain.

Add a bit of ginger to your tea or soup recipes or make a stir fry to use this anti-inflammatory ingredient!

12. Turmeric

Widely used in Thai and Indian cuisine, turmeric gives curry that burst of yellow color, but it’s more than a culinary benefit.

Curcumin is the strong antioxidant in turmeric that has powerful anti-inflammatory effects. If you don’t enjoy the distinct flavor of turmeric, consider taking it in supplement form.

5 foods to avoid for arthritis

We all know the importance of eating well, not just for arthritis, but for overall wellness. Did you know some types of food that could actually lead to painful flare-ups and worsening symptoms?

Here are arthritis triggers you should try to avoid whenever possible.

1. Processed foods

According to a study at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, decreasing the amount of fried and processed foods eaten can “reduce inflammation and actually help restore the body’s natural defenses.”

With this in mind, try to limit fried or fast food, as well as prepared frozen meals.

2. Alcohol

While everything in moderation is acceptable, excessive alcohol consumption will only lead to worsening symptoms. If you already have arthritis, most medications to relieve sore joints do not mix well with alcohol. Plus, alcohol is particularly problematic if you have gout.

However, according to the Arthritis Foundation, a few studies show that enjoying alcohol in moderation may reduce your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

3. Sugar

Sugar that is processed can prompt the release of cytokines, which are responsible for causing inflammation.

We’re not talking about naturally occurring sugar in fruit, though. This is the type of sugar that is added to soda, candy, and even some types of juice. Take a look at labels and be vigilant about avoiding excess sugar.

4. Refined carbohydrates

Refined carbohydrates can fuel the production of advanced glycation end (AGE) oxidants. AGE oxidants are known to damage certain proteins in your body. Because your body tries to break them apart by using cytokines, inflammation is more likely to occur as a result.

Try to avoid refined carbohydrates when possible, such as those found in potato chips, white bread, and white rice.

5. Saturated fat

Arthritis sufferers are more at risk for heart disease, which means it’s important to pay attention to your cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, saturated fats found in meat, butter, and cheese can raise your total cholesterol level.

Limit saturated fat to 20 grams per day (for a person consuming 2,000 calories).

What are the best places to find arthritis diet recipes?

If you’re ready to get cooking, you’ll need a few simple arthritis diet recipes. Fortunately, there are thousands at your fingertips! From cookbooks to blogs, you’ll find a variety of anti-inflammatory recipes. Here are some of our favorite resources.

Cookbooks

If you love the nostalgia of cracking open a cookbook, you’re in luck. There are many doctors, chefs, and even average arthritis sufferers who have written cookbooks.

The Anti-Inflammation Cookbook is a great place to start. According to reviews, this book is full of practical recipes with flavor in mind. Fill up your bookshelf with even more cookbooks from our own list, 20 Of The Best Anti-Inflammatory Cookbooks.

Pinterest

If you’re looking for visual inspiration, Pinterest recipes are only a few clicks away. A quick search for “arthritis diet” yields hundreds of pins with recipes and more.

For example, get started on your journey to healthy living with a simple week-long anti-inflammatory meal plan.

Blogs

Blogs are becoming more and more popular for people who want a creative outlet. Plus, many cookbook authors start out as bloggers. If you find a cookbook author you love, be sure to do a quick internet search to check for more recipes and resources.

Other ways to manage your arthritis

Changing your lifestyle to follow the best diet for arthritis is a great first step. While aches and pains can tempt a person to take it easy, research shows that movement also helps decrease pain, lubricate joints, and increase range of motion. Consider incorporating gentle yoga or morning walks into your daily routine. This will greatly increase your chances of keeping your symptoms under control.

In some cases, basic lifestyle changes still aren’t enough, and that’s okay. A comprehensive approach to treating arthritis pain may involve a number of therapies and treatments. Your healthy diet should be used in conjunction with medical treatments to help relieve your day-to-day symptoms.

At Arizona Pain, we work as a team to develop a plan to tackle your pain from every angle. Your treatment may include many facets from our comprehensive care program, including conventional medical procedures, chiropractic manipulations, and vitamin supplements.

If you live in Arizona and need help managing your arthritis pain, contact the Arizona Pain team or click the button below to get in touch with one of our pain specialists.

By Ted Swing, Ph.D

Herbal medicines have thousands of years of history in cultures around the world. Other types of supplemental medicines make use of naturally occurring chemicals and extracts. Today, these treatments remain widely used for a variety of conditions, including conditions causing chronic pain. These treatments are regarded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as dietary supplements, rather than medical treatments, which can lead people to assume that these treatments have not been studied scientifically. In fact, many types of supplements have been studied as treatments for various medical conditions. Some of these ingredients have demonstrated considerable efficacy, even in the same sort of double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trials that prescription medications are subjected to.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative condition of the joints that can cause chronic pain and impaired function. Osteoarthritis can cause pain and disability in many joints, including the joints of the lower back, called the facet joints. This is one of the most common causes of low back pain, particularly in middle-aged and older adults. Several supplements have been studied for the treatment of osteoarthritis. A combination of glucosamine, a natural substance found in bone marrow, and chondroitin, a component of cartilage, have been tested as a treatment for osteoarthritis in 15 studies. Overall, the results of these studies revealed a moderate to large effect in relieving osteoarthritis symptoms. A double-blind study compared the compound SAM-e to an NSAID medication. This study found that though it took longer for SAM-e to take effect, it proved as effective as the NSAID medication.

At least two herbal supplements have also been studied for relief of osteoarthritis. The extract of a plant called boswellia serrata was also found to provide similar relief to an NSAID medication in a randomized, open-label trial for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Pine bark extract was also found to be more effective than placebo in relieving pain in another randomized, double blind study.

Holistic Pain Spine Supplement Study

Physicians working with Holistic Pain identified supplements associated with relief of osteoarthritis pain in previous research, including those listed above, and developed a formulation that combines them. This year we will begin conducting an open-label, non-randomized study evaluating these medications for low back pain associated with arthritic degeneration of the joints in the spine. Patients suffering from moderate to severe chronic low back pain associated with confirmed facet arthritis may be eligible to take part.

Qualifying patients would receive a free three-month supply of the Holistic Pain Spine supplement. Patients would complete baseline questionnaires assessing pain and daily functioning as well as follow up questionnaires over the Internet at one, two, and three months after beginning the daily supplement.

If you are interested in learning more about this study and whether you might qualify for it, you can discuss this study with your pain management providers. For additional information about this study you can contact me directly at TedS@arizonapain.com.

Ted Swing has more than eleven years of research experience in psychology and pain medicine and four years of teaching experience, has published in top psychology and medical journals, and has presented his research at major conferences. He received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Iowa State University and has been the Research Director at Arizona Pain since May 2012.

People living with knee osteoarthritis often find it painful to move. Eroding cartilage in the knee can make it painful to walk or navigate the stairs. However exercise is one the best non-drug treatments to reduce pain and improve mobility, making it important for osteoarthritis patients to find a way to move despite the pain.

Exercise reduces osteoarthritis pain in several ways. It helps people control their weight, which lessens stress on the joint. Working out is also a wonderful stress reliever, and reducing stress helps to reduce overall inflammation.

Physical activity also helps to lubricate the joint and strengthen surrounding muscles, reducing the likelihood of immobility. Strengthening the muscles that surround the knee offer the joint more support and lessen the risk of injury.

If you have knee osteoarthritis, there are specific types of exercises that are especially good for reducing pain. Keep in mind that talking with your doctor before starting any exercise regimen is critical. Respect your body’s limits and don’t push too hard. You’ll likely feel discomfort, but avoid any activity that results in sharp pain, especially in the joint.

Range-of-motion exercises are beneficial for people with knee osteoarthritis.

One type of exercise beneficial for osteoarthritis patients involves focusing on the entire range of motion. While the knee is not one of the most flexible joints—it moves only one way—exercises that require bending and straightening the leg at the knee are helpful.

Walking or hiking are good examples of exercises that require the knee to move through its entire range of motion. The leg fully straightens when taking a step forward, and then bends before taking the next step. This is opposed to an exercise like biking, which typically doesn’t require the knee to alternatively bend and straighten. That’s not say that biking isn’t a good exercise, only that walking offers specific benefits.

Studies show walking may be one of the most beneficial exercises to help people with knee osteoarthritis reduce the risk of future immobility.

Data published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research found people who walked at least 6,000 steps per day saw a reduced risk of difficulty with basic motions, like climbing the stairs or rising from a chair.

Researchers studied 1,788 people and found those who walked the most were up to 18% less likely to have trouble with mobility two years later. The magic number of steps they discovered for optimal benefit was 6,000. Study author Dr. Daniel White says:

“Walking is an inexpensive activity and despite the common popular goal of walking 10,000 steps per day, our study finds only 6,000 steps are necessary to realize benefits. We encourage those with or at risk of knee OA to walk at least 3,000 or more steps each day, and ultimately progress to 6,000 steps daily to minimize the risk of developing difficulty with mobility.”

Walking is a good, safe exercise for people with knee osteoarthritis. You can go at your own pace, and it’s easy to find a friend, family member, or even dog to join you so you don’t have to go alone. Many people find exercising with a partner helps them to stay motivated and continue the new habit.

Aerobic exercise is beneficial for people with knee osteoarthritis.

Aerobic exercise elevates the heart rate and leads to a sweat. This intense form of working out not only helps people control their weight, which is important for managing osteoarthritis pain, but has also been found in itself to reduce discomfort.

Research from The Norwegian University of Science and Technology found high-intensity interval training helps patients reduce inflammation, as well as more moderate exercise. Study participants were all women from the ages of 20 to 49. They exercised for just 35 minutes — a ten-minute warm-up followed by four-minute intervals of 85 to 95% of their maximum pulse.

Researchers said the study was too small to influence the current exercise recommendations for arthritis patients, but said it showed promise. The Arthritis Foundation recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week or 75 minutes if the activity is more vigorous.

The type of exercise that works best for you will depend on the level of osteoarthritis present in your knee. If you’re at the beginning stages, engaging in high-intensity activity is probably fine, if it doesn’t hurt and your doctor says it’s okay. Later on in the condition’s progression, however, low-impact exercise may be more beneficial, and in fact, the only exercise that’s possible.

Low-impact exercises include walking, the elliptical machine at the gym, bicycling, rowing, swimming, and the Stairmaster. High-impact activities include running, which research shows is protective against knee osteoarthritis, and many group exercise classes or team sports.

Regardless of how much exercise you can do, any movement is better than no movement. Do what you can and feel good about making a difference in your health.

Build strength to reduce pain from knee osteoarthritis.

Strength-building movements like partial squats and resistance exercises can help reduce knee pain as well, with a few caveats. First, avoid allowing the knees to extend over the feet, which puts too much pressure on the joint and increases the risk for injury, especially for those already experiencing pain.

Beneficial exercises include partial squats, which involve standing in front of a chair and lowering down until you’re hovering a few inches off the seat, recommends Prevention magazine. Engage the core and abdominal muscles while making sure the knees stay behind the toes.

Another easy, gentle way to build muscle strength is to do leg lifts. For the gentlest version, sit on the chair and lift one leg until it’s parallel to the floor. Hold the leg there for about five seconds before resting. Repeat three times and then switch to the other leg. Add ankle weights to increase the difficulty. This exercise strengthens the muscles surrounding the knee to offer support and reduce the load they bear.

What exercises do you find most helpful for reducing pain from knee osteoarthritis?

Image by Kenny Holston via Flickr

The holidays mark the perfect time to gift someone with arthritis a special something that will make their days a little brighter with arthritis gifts.

Arthritis affects more than 50 million people in the U.S., according to the Arthritis Foundation, making the chances good that you know at least one person with the disorder. Many people think of arthritis as inevitable aches and pains that develop with age. However, pain is not an inevitable part of aging and arthritis does not happen to everyone.

Additionally, not everyone with arthritis is a senior citizen. As many as 300,000 children have the disorder, according to the Arthritis Foundation, and many patients are young people under the age of 65.

What is arthritis?

Rather than one, simple condition, arthritis is the blanket term for a variety of disorders affecting the joints and musculoskeletal system. Common conditions include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and juvenile arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of the disorder, and it’s characterized by the degradation of cartilage around the joints, which can eventually lead to bone rubbing against bone during movement. The condition can be very painful. Its causes aren’t fully understood, but risks include obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease that results in painful inflammation and joint damage. It affects about 1.5 million people, mostly women between the ages of 30 and 60.

What is a good gift for someone with arthritis? Although arthritis is not a simple condition, buying a gift for someone with the disorder doesn’t have to be complicated. Consider the person’s interests and contemplate items that may elicit a smile or help them get through the day a little easier.

1. Voice-recognition software

Many people have arthritis that affects their hands, diminishing dexterity and making it difficult to do everyday tasks such as type. Voice-recognition software like Dragon allows people with arthritis to browse the web, compose emails, and create documents without typing or using their hands.

This makes a wonderful gift for budding authors who are perhaps held back by limited mobility in the hands or a businessperson who relies heavily on email for communication.

Computers are ubiquitous and something as simple as voice-recognition software could make a big difference in the life of someone with arthritis.

2. Book rest

For the person with arthritis in your life who loves to read, holding a book can lead to pain in the hands. A book pillow rests in the lap and has a pyramid-shaped, soft top that supports a book. A person can use the pillow while sitting or lying down, making it easy to savor a quiet afternoon absorbed in the words of a favorite author.

Other, hard-surface book holders are available that may work better on a desk or table.

3. Fun, helpful kitchen gadgets

Simplify life for someone with arthritis with automatic kitchen tools. Options range from automatic wine bottle openers to can openers to food processers. Did you know companies also make automatic pepper mills and pot stirrers? These mechanical devices could be a lifesaver for someone with arthritis in the hands.

If the person you know is interested in living a healthy lifestyle, you could purchase a juicer or blender so they can make delicious fruit and vegetables beverages that support an anti-inflammatory diet. A crockpot for slow-cooking meats or making delicious soups and stews could also make an excellent gift.

4. Hot or cold therapy tools

Heat helps people with arthritis find relief from aching joints and muscles. A heating pad makes a wonderful present, perhaps one specially contoured for the neck or with automatic massagers inside. Heated socks could provide cozy warmth during cold winter days.

A cozy blanket might be a welcome present, maybe even a blanket with sleeves that’s wearable and supports optimal warmth when relaxing around the house.

Many people with arthritis also find cold therapy useful for treating acute pain. A high-quality ice pack or ointment for soothing painful areas might make a wonderful gift.

5. Exercise equipment

If the person with arthritis you’re shopping for is looking to start an exercise regimen, help out with a gift to support the endeavor. New workout gear can help keep someone motivated. You might buy the person a pass for classes at the local yoga studio or perhaps a gym membership.

Splurging on a treadmill or other piece of home exercise equipment for an extra special loved one would make exercising easy. Free weights, foam rollers, or home workout DVDs also make for affordable, fun presents that support healthy lifestyle goals.

6. Ergonomic gardening tools

For gardening aficionados with arthritis, joint pain can put a damper on a favorite hobby. Save the day with ergonomic garden tools, such as garden trowels with stick-up handles to make for easy grasping or weed pullers with extra long handles to reduce the need for bending. Kneeling pads provide soft spaces to rest the knees when spending time weeding or planting.

You may also opt to purchase garden accessories, such as a bench to provide a place for sitting and enjoying the gardener’s handiwork. Decorations like birdbaths or stone statues can enhance a garden’s aesthetic and add to the atmosphere.

7. Health-food cookbooks

Eating an anti-inflammatory diet is a powerful way to help manage arthritis pain. If the person you’re shopping for likes to cook or is working to eat healthier foods, consider buying a cookbook with recipes targeted for arthritis patients.

The Anti-Arthritis, Anti-Inflammation Cookbook offers a collection of meat-free dishes that are high on health and low on inflammatory sugars and fats. Another option, Eating Well to Fight Arthritis, is geared to the mainstream eater who just wants simple, easy-to-make recipes for living a healthy life.

Other cookbooks/lifestyle books that might support a journey into health include those with recipes for juicing or smoothies. The book Superfood Smoothies offers 100 creative recipes sure to help smoothie chefs sneak greens and other antioxidant-rich ingredients into delicious beverages that support health.

What do you plan to buy for the person on your list with arthritis?

Image by Katherine via Flickr

Extended life expectancies have resulted in a rapidly growing population of people living well into their 80s, 90s, and beyond.

After all those years, the cumulative effects of running, jumping, working, and living can be felt in the bones. And the back. And sometimes the knees. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Although elderly people are more likely to experience pain, it’s not a prerequisite for aging. You can live long and feel good. Telling your doctor is the first step to managing pain.

As many as 85% of elderly people living in nursing homes suffer from chronic pain, according to the National Institutes of Health, as do 50% of those living independently.

Those numbers may be artificially low since people mistakenly believe that chronic pain is an inevitable part of aging and may not tell their doctors, according to a review published in The Ochsner Journal. And for about half of geriatric patients experiencing chronic pain, their doctors were unable to detect their discomfort, according to the review.

Chronic pain isn’t an inevitable part of aging. Seeking treatment and making healthy lifestyle choices helps older people live full lives.

Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, many elderly people do develop conditions leading to chronic pain. As people grow older, their bodies lose muscle mass and flexibility, and body systems begin to slow down.

Common conditions causing chronic pain in the elderly include osteoarthritis, pain from cancer, and angina.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative, inflammatory condition affecting the joints. Experts aren’t sure how or why it develops, but the condition is the most common type of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide.

Commonly affected joints include the hips, knees, lower back, neck, and hands. Pain results from cartilage that wears down in these joints, leaving the bones with little buffer as they move.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis include joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, and loss of flexibility. Although there is no cure, there are medications and non-surgical procedures available to reduce the pain. Healthy lifestyle choices, including gentle exercise and eating a healthy diet full of inflammation-reducing vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats including nuts and olive oil, can also help manage the pain.

Cancer pain

Cancer continues to be a common disease. Despite advances in early detection and treatment, little headway has been made in preventing its development. Pain from cancer affects many elderly people with the disease and may be underreported because patients fear the pangs signal disease advancement, according to the Ochsner Journal review.

Depending on the stage and type of cancer, treatment options for pain can vary, but they include medication, relaxation techniques, and alternative therapies, such as acupuncture.

Angina

Angina is chest pain that is often a symptom of coronary heart disease, which is the most common type of heart problem for adults, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The condition affects about seven million people in the U.S.

Seeking treatment for the underlying heart problem and making lifestyle changes is essential for managing angina.

For the elderly, managing pain is essential for maintaining quality of life well into their later years.

Left untreated, pain may lead to decreased sleep, social isolation, and feelings of depression or anxiety. Treating pain not only lessens the pain itself; it also alleviates the psychological side effects, which could prolong a person’s life by improving overall health.

Greater social awareness about the pain elderly face has initiated efforts to improve lives, regardless of age.

Initiatives such as Healthy Aging Month, held every September, seek to raise awareness that seniors can retain many aspects of their wellness as they age. No matter what medical conditions a person is dealing with, making healthy lifestyle choices such as eating healthy, exercising, and working to reduce stress will help to improve health and overall quality of life.

Elderly people may not want to take up Crossfit, the latest workout craze that involves a culture of people pushing themselves to the brink of exhaustion, but activities such as walking, golf, and gentle yoga are wonderful ways to stay in shape into your later years.

Healthy Aging Month organizers want to inspire elderly people and senior citizens that it’s never too late to re-invent yourself. It’s never to late to take one small step today, right now, to developing a healthier you. Pain isn’t an automatic by-product of being elderly.

Health and wellness involve so much more than simply the absence of pain or disease, and Healthy Aging Month’s goals reflect that all-encompassing definition. Organizers encourage people to focus on mental, social, and financial well-being in addition the physical component.

Tips for healthy aging

Be mindful of these tips for healthy aging:

1. Be who you want to be! Just because you’re 68, doesn’t mean you need to enclose yourself in the definition of how you think a 68-year-old person should act. Want to wear colorful clothes and go out dancing? Do it.
2. Evaluate your life and see what new goals you’d like to accomplish. Working to achieve things can give your life meaning and make you excited to wake up every day.
3. Stand up tall when you walk, and put some pep in your step. Taking long strides helps keep muscles loose and flexible while good posture helps reduce back and other muscle pain. It also helps you look younger and leaner.
4. Make regular doctors visits, and be honest about any pain or discomfort you’re feeling. It’s much easier to treat problems when caught at an early stage.
5. Get social. Join a club or volunteer to get out into the community, meet people and have fun all while helping others. Isolation is a common problem among the elderly, and retaining social connections can help you stay healthy.
6. Try to stay positive and surround yourself with positive people. Life is full of many setbacks and difficult experiences, but the good often outweighs the bad. Smile at all you’ve seen and experienced, and all the wisdom you have.

What are your tips for healthy aging?

Image via Ashley Campbell via Flickr

If you’re looking for a natural remedy for leg pain, consider capsaicin patches.

Capsaicin is the active component that gives hot peppers, including cayenne and jalapeno peppers, their famous heat. Although powdered forms of this natural remedy are available, many people find patches or creams helpful for leg pain.

Capsaicin patches work best for helping to reduce leg pain after surgery, helping with any pain resulting from neuropathy, which is a tingling or numbness sensation in the extremities, or generic strains and sprains resulting from injuries. Capsaicin may also help alleviate muscle aches, including from overuse or arthritis.

How does capsaicin work?

Pain results from nerves signaling to the brain that tissue has been damaged. Capsaicin interferes with this process by 1st intensifying the signals and then decreasing them, according to WebMD. It does this by affecting with the way nerves communicate with the spinal cord and elsewhere in the body.

Because of the way capsaicin affects the body, people using the patches sometimes experience worse pain before finding relief. The initial increase becomes less over time as the body becomes used to the compound.

How is it used?

Capsaicin patches are easy to use and widely available from drug stores. Stronger doses are also available by prescription. Because of the higher capsaicin concentration, these prescription medications tend to provide longer-lasting pain relief.

To use the drug store version, simply peel off the packaging and place on the affected area. If you’d like to treat a large area, consider buying capsaicin gel and covering with a bandage.

To avoid the ointment coming into contact with your hands, use a cotton ball or swab during application. Because capsaicin irritates skin, avoid covering any cuts, scrapes, or sunburned areas with the product.

Creams can be applied to the skin as frequently as 4 times per day. Side effects include burning or itching the 1st few times the ointment is applied, but the skin gradually grows accustomed to the active ingredient and this effect diminishes over time.

Be sure to wash the hands thoroughly after applying the cream or patch, since any capsaicin that touches the eyes or nose will result in a painful burning sensation. Although some preparations begin working relatively quickly, capsaicin sometimes takes as long as 2 months to offer pain relieving benefit, according to WebMD.

Although the benefits may come on slowly, they tend to be long-lasting. Pain relief can last as long as 8 hours for over-the-counter medications, although some prescription formulas last up to 3 months after a 1-hour application. The compound is generally viewed as safe, but begin with small amounts to avoid any unpleasant side effects.

What’s the proof?

Many studies have shown capsaicin’s pain reducing benefits, although most of those studies have focused on neuropathy.

Researchers at Oxford University reviewed 9 studies evaluating the use of capsaicin in 1,600 patients experiencing peripheral neuropathy disorders, which can be caused from cancer treatment, arthritis, and diabetes, among other conditions.

For the 1,600 patients included in the studies, 4 in 10 patients experienced relief from pain after applying capsaicin cream. In 7 of the studies reviewed, patients applied the cream up to 4 times daily over the course of 12 weeks. In that study, 41% of patients found relief varying from “substantial” to “improvement.”

In the remaining 2 studies reviewed, patients took 1 high dose daily of cream through a patch they left on for anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes. 39% of patients reported pain relief of 33%.

Another review of studies published in the Journal of Pain Research found that 57% of patients with neuropathy experienced “significant” relief with capsaicin, and 38% of those with musculoskeletal pain found relief. Researchers said many people find it difficult to commit to using the therapy because of the initial burning sensation, although that diminished over time.

The compound has also been found to alleviate knee pain resulting from osteoarthritis, according to a paper published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, although researchers also noted the difficulty of conducting studies because of the burning side effects.

Arthritis Research UK gives capsaicin a 5—the highest score possible—for alleviating osteoarthritis pain and a 2 for fibromyalgia, mostly because research in that area is limited, the non-profit says. The organization also gives the compound a green safety rating.

A study evaluating capsaicin’s use in 70 fibromyalgia patients, published in the journal Rheumatology International, found those using the ointment experienced less pain and depression, diminished fatigue, and better scores on a quality-of-life questionnaire than control subjects. The women applied capsaicin ointment 3 times daily for 6 weeks, and were compared to a 60-person control group who continued traditional medical treatment without taking a placebo.

What are considerations for taking capsaicin?

Although capsaicin is generally considered safe, burning sensations are common because the compound is an irritant to humans. Serious burns have been reported, although they’re rare.

Coughing spells ranging from mild to moderate have been reported, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Capsaicin may also interfere with ACE inhibitors, which are medications used to treat hypertension and heart failure.

Other side effects may include sneezing, coughing, or watery eyes. Try not to breathe in the smell of the ointment or patch, since the irritant can affect the nose. Despite the potential side effects, many people use the ointment without problem.

How long has capsaicin been used for?

Capsaicin’s modern chemical history began in 1816, when a chemist known as P.A. Bucholtz discovered the ability to extract the odoriferous compound from chili pepper pods through the use of organic solvents, according to the American Chemical Society.

30 years later, chemist L.T. Thresh named the substance in a paper he published that also reported the ability to remove it in a crystalline state. From the kitchen to the medicine cabinet, capsaicin shows potential for helping people manage leg pain.

Have you tried capsaicin for leg pain?

Image by shankar s. via Flickr

Chronic leg pain–any type of leg pain condition that lasts for 3 months or more–is a serious condition facing many people. At Arizona Pain, we always endeavor to provide the most up-to-date information about any pain condition, while also incorporating holistic lifestyle approaches into treatment plans.

If you suffer from chronic leg pain, you can find out more about your pain condition by reading many of our Inside Pain posts from July. 

Knowing more about a pain condition starts with identifying its root causes and risk factors. If you suffer from knee pain, you may already know its cause, but did you know the factors that put you more at risk for the condition? These include everything from age to extra weight to smoking habits.

We also broke down many of the causes of hip pain in our post on the subject. In-depth coverage was given to conditions, such as:

• Osteoarthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Hip bursitis
• Labral tears
• Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)

We also discussed many of the innovative new chronic leg pain research topics and treatment methods being developed. Pain research is a rapidly expanding field with new information coming from everywhere–from our understanding of cutting edge therapies to unlikely revelations we learned from squid. Our own Dr. Paul Lynch also discussed his knowledge on treating chronic knee pain conditions with a comprehensive treatment plan in a paper published in Pain Medicine News. 

Finally, many chronic leg pain conditions are best treated with a combination of interventional medicine with lifestyle changes.

We know that exercise can be difficult when you suffer from a chronic leg pain condition, but we also know that appropriate exercise is a crucial component to getting back to yourself and relieving your pain. Because of this, we introduced many different exercise options for chronic pain patients in the hope that some of these methods will fit with your lifestyle and pain condition.

We discussed the following topics for chronic leg pain patients:

• Guidelines for exercising with knee pain
• 5-minute yoga breaks that can help ease stress and tension
• The benefits of high-intensity interval training for those people short on time
• Ergonomics and exercise options for those suffering from hip pain
• Health benefits of the lower-impact exercises Pilates and Tai Chi
• Risks and precautions for the higher-intensity CrossFit exercises 

All pain is different and all pain patients will respond differently to treatment methods and lifestyle changes. Through our Inside Pain blog, we hope to introduce you to multiple new options for treatment and prevention in order to help you find the pain treatment plan that works best for you. If you want to learn even more from other people who are living with chronic pain every day, join our Chronic Pain Support Group over on Facebook. In that community, you’ll find advice and support from over 30,000 other people also living with chronic pain.

Do you suffer from chronic leg pain? What treatment options have worked best for you? 

Image by marksontok via Flickr

By Ted Swing, Ph.D.

Herbal medicines have thousands of years of history in cultures around the world. Other types of supplemental medicines make use of naturally occurring chemicals and extracts. Today, these treatments re main widely used for a variety of conditions, including conditions causing chronic pain. These treatments are regarded by the US Food and Drug Administration as dietary supplements, rather than medical treatments, which can lead people to assume that these treatments have not been studied scientifically. In fact, many types of supplements have been studied as treatments for various medical conditions. Some of these ingredients have demonstrated considerable efficacy, even in the same sort of double-­‐blinded, randomized, placebo-­‐controlled trials that prescription medications are subjected to.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a condition of the central nervous system characterized by widespread pain and other symptoms such as fatigue and sleep disturbance. Fibromyalgia is frequently treated with antidepressant medications, as these have been found to reduce the severity of the pain. St. John’s Wort, a herbal supplement, has been found to act on similar receptors to antidepressant medications and have similar efficacy in treating depression, leading some doctors to believe this could be useful in treating pain conditions such as fibromyalgia as well.

As one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia is sleep disturbance, melatonin, a sleep-­‐regulating hormone found in humans and other animals, has been considered as a possible treatment the condition. A double-­‐blind placebo controlled trial of patients taking antidepressant medication for fibromyalgia assigned some patients to also take melatonin. Patients taking melatonin experienced a greater reduction in their fibromyalgia symptoms than those patients taking antidepressant medication alone.

One of chemicals that the body uses in the process of generating energy through metabolism, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), tends to be lower in patients with fibromyalgia. An open label study found that supplementing patients with CoQ10 and Ginkgo biloba reduced their fibromyalgia symptoms. Another natural body compound, s-­‐adenosylmethionine (SAM-­‐e), was also found to have beneficial effects on fibromyalgia in a Danish randomized placebo-­‐controlled trial.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative condition of the joints that can cause chronic pain and impaired function. Several supplements have been studied for the treatment of osteoarthritis. A combination of glucosamine, found in bone marrow, and chondroitin, a component of cartilage, has been tested as a treatment for osteoarthritis in 15 studies. Overall, the results of these studies revealed a moderate to large effect i n relieving osteoarthritis symptoms. A double-­‐blind study compared the compound SAM-­‐e to an NSAID medication. This study found that, though it took longer for SAM-­‐e to take effect, it proved as effective as the NSAID medication.

At least two herbal supplements have also been studied for relief of osteoarthritis. The extract of a plant called boswellia serrata was also found to provide similar relief to an NSAID medication in a randomized, open label trial for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Pine bark extract was also found to be more effective than placebo in relieving pain in another randomized, double-­‐blind study.

Migraine

Migraines are moderate to severe recurrent headaches often accompanied by other autonomic nervous system symptoms. A randomized, double-­‐blind, placebo controlled trial found that six months of supplementation with folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 decreased both the frequency and severity of migraines. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a chemical naturally found in human cells, was found to reduce the frequency of headaches and nausea in another randomized, double-­‐blinded placebo controlled trial. The extract of petasites, commonly known as butterbur, was found to be more effective than placebo in preventing migraine in a randomized clinical trial.

Holistic Medicine

Holistic medicine is an approach to medicine that involves the use of conventional medications and procedures as well as alternative treatments. For example, alternative treatments might include herbal and supplemental treatments. The efficacy of some of these treatments has not been demonstrated, but as the studies mentioned here show, others have scientifically demonstrated value in treating certain medical conditions. If you are interested in learning more about supplements for pain conditions, you can speak with your health care provider or visit Holistic Pain (Holisticpain.com/) to learn more about this research.

Ted Swing has more than nine years of research experience and four years of teaching experience in psychology, has published in top psychology and medical journals, and has presented his research at major conferences. He received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Iowa State University and has been the Research Director at Arizona Pain since May 2012.