Arthritis, arthrosis and other joint diseases require diet. The patient should avoid salty foods and carbonated water. At the same time, a number of products should be introduced into the patient’s diet that help strengthen cartilage tissue and act as a natural pain reliever.
When answering the question of which foods help restore joints, a person suffering from arthritis or arthrosis should pay attention to fatty fish, legumes, olive oil, oranges, cherries, pomegranates, dairy products, green tea, whole grains, brown rice, broccoli, Brussels sprouts cabbage and garlic.
Legumes
To restore normal joint function, inflammation must be eliminated. This is usually the cause of collagen damage and subsequent cartilage destruction. Legumes have excellent anti-inflammatory properties. They contain protein that replenishes collagen reserves. Thanks to this product, cartilage tissue is restored. In addition, legumes contain amino acids that promote cartilage regeneration. It remains to be recalled that legumes include beans, peanuts and peas.
Diagnosis of de Quervain's disease
The leading symptom is pain in the area of the styloid process of the radius (along the lateral surface of the wrist joint on the side of the thumb). The pain is more pronounced with movements of the hand and thumb. In some cases, the pain continues at night and radiates to the hand and forearm. Palpation of the area of the styloid process of the radius is painful. The Finkelstein symptom is important: the patient presses the thumb to the palm, and presses it on top with the other fingers (the hand is clenched into a fist, but the first finger is not above, but below the others). In this position, the patient moves the hand to the elbow side, which, if the symptom is positive, is accompanied by severe pain.
Treatment of de Quervain's disease: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Voltaren, Nimesil, etc.) are used orally and locally, physiotherapy, rest. Blockades with diprospan or Kenalog have a good effect.
Brown rice
Brown rice contains a large amount of hyaluronic acid, which is used in the development of injections to treat joint diseases. Hyaluronic acid is a kind of lubricant for joints. It acts as a shock absorber. It is often used to treat minor cartilage injuries. Therefore, foods high in this substance should always be in the diet of a person who has joint problems.
In addition to brown rice, carrots and beef are high in hyaluronic acid.
Traditional medicine against joint pain
Today, there are many different methods for safe home treatment for pain in the joints of the hands and fingers. For this purpose, various herbal decoctions, ointments, gels are prepared and local compresses are applied to relieve inflammation. Excellent results can be achieved by rubbing onto the problem area. Thus, blood flow to the painful point is stimulated and its circulation improves. Traditional methods of treatment can bring quick results, but they are effective only in cases of minor damage, at the initial stage of the disease. Such methods are unlikely to help alleviate symptoms in advanced conditions.
Garlic
Garlic contains many useful components that help restore cartilage tissue and suppress inflammatory processes. This product contains a large amount of sulfur-containing substances, which strengthen cartilage tissue. In addition, regular consumption of garlic prevents swelling and helps cope with pain that occurs as a result of rheumatoid arthritis. It is important not to overuse this product. It is recommended to eat no more than three cloves daily.
Shoulder joint diseases
Although shoulder pain is not uncommon, most patients do not immediately receive proper and effective treatment. In most cases, this is due to diagnostic difficulties. There are quite a few causes of pain, and it is usually not possible to make a correct diagnosis right away.
We list all the main reasons in descending order of their likelihood.
Humeroscapular periarthritis
Almost half of patients with pain in the shoulder joint are diagnosed with glenohumeral periarthritis (or adhesive capsulitis).
If you develop adhesive capsulitis, it becomes difficult to perform everyday activities, such as reaching behind your back, reaching into a sleeve, or combing your hair, due to limited movement and pain.
The essence of the disease is damage to the tissues around the shoulder joint; the joint itself is usually not affected. This disease develops after unprepared movement, often after sleeping in an uncomfortable position, and is manifested by limited movement in the shoulder joint. Symptoms usually appear gradually, usually after sleep or some time after a minor injury.
Diseases of the cervical spine
In second place we have intervertebral hernias and osteophytes (bone growths) that compress the nerve roots.
Read also: Protrusion and hernia of the spine. What it is?
In such cases, not only the shoulder joint area hurts, but the entire arm. The pain is usually described as a “lumbago”. Tingling, numbness, and weakness in the hand may occur.
Symptoms usually appear suddenly. In this case, although movements bring pain, the patient is practically not limited in the shoulder joint. Most often, this is the cause of joint pain in those who work in a forced position (for example, hairdressers, dentists).
Arthrosis
The next most common cause of joint pain is arthrosis. In fact, it is not the shoulder joint that suffers most often, but the acromiocleidoid joint. However, pain may still be felt in the shoulder joint area. Arthrosis develops gradually over several months and even years.
The pain usually occurs with movement and intensifies in the morning. Sometimes when moving you can hear a crunching sound in the joint.
Arthrosis usually occurs in those who have been loading the shoulder joint for many years: athletes, builders.
Arthritis and other diseases
More rare causes of pain include arthritis - inflammatory lesions of the joints.
In these cases, the body temperature usually rises, and the joints may become swollen and red. Almost always, not only the shoulder joints are affected, but also other joints.
Such joint changes occur in rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and infectious diseases.
Don't forget about other causes of pain. For example, pain from internal organs can radiate to the shoulder joint area - with inflammation of the gallbladder, some gynecological diseases (adnexitis).
Survey
As you can see, there are quite a few reasons for pain in the joint area, and you should not delay visiting a doctor. Often, to establish a diagnosis, you not only have to visit several different specialists (for example, a traumatologist, neurologist, rheumatologist, surgeon), but also undergo a fairly thorough examination. Blood tests, x-rays, and magnetic resonance imaging of the joint and cervical spine may be needed.
Other effective recipes for treating joints
Below are methods of traditional medicine that can be used comprehensively, in combination with other methods of treatment, if the doctor allows them to be used:
- Potato infusion. Mix 200 ml of kefir and one finely grated medium-sized raw potato. The components are mixed until uniform. Duration of treatment – 1 month. From the first to the tenth day of therapy, you need to take the mixture daily, then from the 11th to the 20th day - every other day, and from the 21st to the 30th day - 2 times a week.
- Green potato compress. Unpeeled green potatoes are crushed and heated to a temperature of 40 degrees. Then the component is applied to the sore joint and wrapped in cling film. The compress should be used daily for a week.
- Infusion of chestnut flowers. The glass container should be filled halfway with fresh inflorescences and pour vodka over them. In a dark place, the mixture is infused for three weeks, shaking the jar periodically. When the mixture is infused, it needs to be strained. If necessary, the infusion is rubbed into the sore joint.
- Treatment with paraffin lotions. You need to take 100 grams of paraffin, 30 grams of any vegetable oil and 15 drops of spruce tree oil. The components are mixed and heated until completely melted in a water bath. When the mixture has cooled, dip your fingers into it and keep your hands in it for half an hour. The procedure must be repeated 2-3 times a week. This recipe is good for the symptomatic treatment of chronic joint pain associated with arthrosis.
- Lilac infusion. You need to pour 200 g of lilac flowers with 500 ml of vodka. The mixture is infused in a dark and cool place for two weeks. When the solution is ready, it should be filtered. Next, the infusion is used as a rub, applying it to sore fingers 2-3 times a day. Duration of therapy is 3 weeks. If necessary, the course of treatment is repeated after a two-week break.
- A mixture of butter and bay leaf. Since ancient times, homemade spice has been one of the best ways to prevent pain in the joints of the fingers when used externally. To eliminate sluggish chronic discomfort, you can make a homemade ointment from two components. Mix 5 medium-sized crushed leaves with 50 g of butter. The components are pre-melted in a water bath to obtain a homogeneous liquid. After preparing the mixture, allow it to cool at room conditions and then store it in the refrigerator for no more than 2-3 weeks. The ointment should be applied to the affected fingers twice a day with light massage movements. Duration of therapy is 2 weeks.
- Fish compress. Some representatives of alternative medicine claim that a compress of minced fish can remove inflammation in the joints. You should grind a piece of raw river fish in a blender, put it in a plastic bag and apply it to the sore finger overnight. If it doesn’t get better, the method of therapy is changed.
- Compress made of foil and warming ointment. This is one of the best ways to eliminate joint pain associated with exacerbation of arthrosis. Any warming ointment is applied to the affected finger, and food foil is placed on top. The compress can be worn for about an hour, and then it is removed and the hand is washed. The course of therapy is 1 week. Foil insulates heat well, which allows you to enhance the effect of applying any medicinal cream. This method is also used when the heating rub does not heat enough.
- Chamomile decoction. Regular medicinal chamomile exhibits anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, so it is useful to use it as part of complex therapy for diseases of the musculoskeletal system. It is necessary to make a hand bath. You should add 50 g of dried pharmaceutical flowers and brew them with 2 liters of boiling water. When the broth has been infused for half an hour and becomes warm, it is filtered and the fingers are placed in water for 15 minutes. The procedure can be performed 2 times a week.
- Calendula ointment. You should purchase calendula alcohol tincture and medical Vaseline at the pharmacy. Calendula exhibits anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties and has a good effect on the condition of joint tissue. Melt 20 g of medical Vaseline in a water bath and add 5 ml of tincture to it. The result will be an orange mixture. When the components are mixed until smooth, remove them from the heat, wait for them to cool, and put the resulting ointment in the refrigerator. The product must be stored in the refrigerator for a month. During this time, the ointment is applied to the affected joints 2-3 times a day.
Other reasons
Most often, wrist pain is the result of injuries (fractures, dislocations, sprains). A fall while leaning on your hand or a direct blow to the wrist can lead to broken or dislocated bones and sprained ligaments. In all cases, you will be concerned about: acute pain in the wrist joint, limited mobility, swelling of the wrist.
Wrist pain due to regular forceful use of the hand, such as sharp grips or bending of the wrist, such as occurs when playing golf, tennis, or rowing. As a result of such stress, tendonitis most often occurs. These diseases are more common than others due to the anatomical narrowness of the sheaths through which the carpal tendons pass. A slight irritation of these tendons is enough for seals to form in them.
Carpal tunnel syndrome (abbr. CTS) is the name of a disease that most often worries pregnant women in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. The main reason for the occurrence of CTS lies in the woman’s increasing body weight and edema, especially pronounced in the second half of pregnancy.
Daily work at the computer, typing on the keyboard and controlling the computer mouse, lead to regular monotonous loads on the same muscles, the wrist is under constant tension. This activity causes the tendons that run next to the nerve to swell and sometimes leads to swelling of the nerve itself. Wrist pain occurs more in the right hand in right-handed people. I am concerned about constant discomfort in the wrist joint, weakening of grip strength, numbness of the hands, especially the palms. This disease is called carpal tunnel syndrome.
Other Ways to Support Joint Health
In addition to external medicinal lotions and ointments, there are other preventive methods of maintaining finger health that are advisable to follow. The list of recommendations includes:
- Maintaining a healthy lifestyle - quitting smoking, alcohol and drug use.
- Do not overcool or overheat.
- You need to eat a balanced diet, without limiting proteins, fats or carbohydrates in your diet. The diet should be rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.
- Watch your weight. Obese people are advised to lose weight.
- Limit yourself from chronic fatigue and stress.
These methods are recommended for all patients, regardless of the diagnosis and stage of development of the pathology.