In today’s episode I am going to talk about joint pain
I thought about this topic because as we are moving into colder months, our joints start to stiffen and hurt
In today’s episode, I am going to explain:
- Why we experience joint pain
- Why it tends to be worse in colder times
- The role that nutrition plays in improving joint pain
- Other habits that relieve those achy joints
- Why we experience joint pain
An article in LCR Health explains this very well
It lists 7 common causes of joint pain
They are: Ankylosing Spondylitis, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Bone Infection, Bursitis, Fibromyalgia & Sprains and Strains.
Guess what all these have in common?
Excess Inflammation, not just inflammation , but excess
We tend to miss is that pain is a symptom of excess inflammation
In addition, many experts state that the issues mentioned above are are related to autoimmune conditions, which of course is connected to excess inflammation and poor gut health
In fact, that is why when we continue to take pills to deal with the pain, we have to continue taking more and more or increasing the strength
We have to address the sickness, which is inflammation
As we get deeper into the episode, we will get into ways to reduce inflammation related to joint pain
2. Why it tends to be worse in colder times
It is no secret that we experience stiff and achy joints more in colder weather
Cold weather means tighter, more constricted muscles.
Low temperatures may also make joints feel stiffer and more sensitive to pain, by increasing the viscosity or thickness of synovial fluid.
If you did not know, Synovial fluid, also known as joint fluid, is a thick liquid located between your joints.
It is a thick liquid that helps lubricate your joints as they slide against one another. It’s found in all joints in your body. As you age, the amount of synovial fluid in your joints may decrease. As a result, your joint movement becomes stiff.
Another article featured expert insight from Dr. Bryan McNally, an associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Emory, and Dr. Michael B. Gottschalk, a surgeon who specializes in upper extremity at the Emory Sports Medicine Clinic.
Indicates “that pain receptors in the hands and feet are especially sensitive to extremely cold weather, which makes joint pain more pronounced in wintery climates. As blood flows to your core to keep you warm, your hands and feet (especially your fingers and toes) may feel colder and much more sore.”
If you are already experiencing pain going into cold months, then you are already experiencing inflammation before these start to happen.
Yeah, I want to highlight the importance of addressing the entire issue.
3. The role that nutrition plays in improving joint pain
I am going to start here by painting a picture
Let’s go back to the dawn of time
Before we have refrigerators, microwave ovens and fastfood
Imagine you live in the A.D., in the summer months, what food do you think you would have access to mostly?
In warmer climates, fruits grow more, especially sugary fruits.
Most sugary fruits cannot grow in cold weather, because we should not eat them in cold weather.
Our bodies burn carbs, especially simple carbs better in warm weather.
In addition, we tend to be more active in warm weather, which begs to state that we burn better
Now, in cold times, what foods do you think you would have access to?
Fish and plants that can survive cold climates
Well, fish, primarily wild caught fatty fish, are rich in omega3.
So are most plants that can survive colder climates
Especially real nuts like walnuts, almonds, pistachios and so on
Do you see the trend here?
Oh, and less of course you may want to minimize if not, eliminate dairy and red meat this time of year.
The moral of the story is , eat in a way to get more Omega3 to lower inflammation in your joints
You can also supplement with fish oil.
I take fish oil daily , and I am more diligent this time of year.
Others ways to get Omega 3 into your diet-
Use oils like Avocado, Olive and Coconut Oil and it goes without saying to avoid seeds oils like Vegetable Oils and Canola
BTW, the name Vegetable Oil is misleading, they are not actually made with vegetables
Use more turmeric and ginger in your diet
These herbs are great for healing.
A turmeric ginger tea is great for healing while keeping you warm.
4. Other habits that relieve those achy joints
I am going to listen these out:
First- sauna practice, preferably a redlight sauna.
If you do not have access to a gym with a sauna, there are some saunas you can buy from amazon that are not very large and do not cost as much.
Redlight light saunas as more healing than regular saunas
It gives you the benefits of saunas, plus the healing of redlight.
Second- watch your posture
Yeah, sit up straight.
Bad posture puts stress on your lower back and joints.
Especially if you carry excess weight
Third- If you work at a desk, make sure to always type with your arm to elbow resting on a surface.
Never keep your arms held up in the air.
Trust me, you will feel the difference
Especially if you type alot or work in an office, get an ergonomic set up
Mouse, keyboard and chair.
This works like gangbusters
Lastly- Move! Move! Move!
Staying in 1 spot for too long will contribute to stiff achy joints
Get up at least once every hour and generate some heat
Even if it is just for couple minutes
I forgot to add, the other way to generate heat in your joints, you can wear elbow sleeves, especially while training.
CopperFit Compression Sleeves come to mind and I consider them the best compression sleeves on the market .