Psoriasis Care - Arthritis

Aromacaring Fact sheet - Arthritis

Changing the way you eat will change the way you feel. The right foods can keep you free of stiff joints, swelling, and fatigue, while also improving overall health. There are also medications, supplements, and self-help measures that can help minimise your pain and discomfort.

Eat more:
Whole (unprocessed) foods
Vegetables (particularly green)
Fruits (except citrus)
Cut out more meat or choose low fat (chicken etc,.)
Whole foods, Seeds and nuts
Bean products
Fish - particularly oily fish (tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel)
Grains and Pulses

Avoid or eat less:
Saturated fats (animal fats)
Saturated margarines, cooking oils
Coffee
Processed foods
White flour
Salt
Sugar
Red meat
Chemical additives
Yeast and Dairy products
Citrus fruits and squashes
Tomatoes
Vinegar
Alcohol

The Eat less products can increase inflammation and provoke allergies. Eliminate problematic foods and increase your daily intake of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Increase fibre intake and drink more water to compensate for increased fibre moving through the digestive system. Fibre helps move food and wastes through the digestive tract before they have a chance to form toxic substances that can cause inflammation.

Dietary fats The wrong kind of fats can increase inflammation in joints, while the "good" fats will help keep inflammation in check. Whole foods are typically high in healthy fats, including the essential fatty acids, which research has proven help decrease arthritic inflammation.

Acids High acidity increases the potential for developing inflammatory conditions. Reducing your intake of acid-forming foods (sugar, alcohol, vinegar, coffee, meat, citrus and dairy products) can decrease acidity.

Medication Aspirin and Ibuprofen are common anti-inflammatories taken to help during acute attacks of inflammation and pain. Over the long term they will loose their effectiveness and may cause side effects.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) Evening primrose, Borage or Starflower oil, Cod liver oil etc. in sufficient doses all help to boost immunity and reduce inflammation. EFAs are also found in oily fish products.

Steroids Will help to reduce inflammation over the short term but have side effects. After prorogued treatment they will interfere with the body's natural immune response. During acute episodes of pain, you may need stronger conventional pain medication - contact your GP for advice.

Supplements The only supplements PROVEN to help with arthritis inflammation include: Glucosamine sulphate which has been proven to increase lubrication around affected joint areas and has no side effects. For more articles and information, visit the Arthritis Resource Centre.

Zinc Research has shown that acute arthritis sufferers have a zinc deficiency. Zinc is needed to metabolise EFAs. Zinc can be taken as a supplement and is found in meats (which you are trying to avoid!), wholegrain flour, brown rice, pulses, dried fruits, onions, garlic, pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

Massage Light massage over an inflamed area of pain and the stimulation of pressure points can help to interrupt the pain signals to the brain. Local heat treatment (infra-red, wheat packs, hot water bottles) also helps to increase circulation around an affected area to help with ain and healing.

Essential oils Some essential oils have analgesic, anti-inflammatory or muscular warming properties - ask your Therapist for advice.

Other forms of self-help

Exercise helps to increase the mobility of joints, circulation, overall fitness, well-being and natural healing. If weight-bearing exercise is not possible, use passive exercise clenching and relaxing your muscles as you sit or lie in bed. Sitting and lying - look at the way you sit or lie in bed. Does your mattress or chair sufficiently support your back and neck, is your circulation restricted?.

Different back and neck pain requires different sitting or lying positions. Pillows under the neck give good support to arthritic spine and neck pain and take the strain away from the spine

Mobility - plan ahead and avoid excessive twisting, lifting, bending and turning. Minimise discomfort by working out the best way pain-free way to move.

Leisure be aware of how you sit, do you strain or twist to watch the TV? Is reading and writing at the right height to take the strain off particular joints?

This information is provided by: Jane Ellwood Dip(HE) RNLD MIFPA
Emai:l jane@aromacaring.co.uk
Web site: www.aromacaring.co.uk

Page updated: 25 Mat 2008