Understanding Joint Pain: Causes and Prevention

How often do you encounter these scenarios? You experience joint pain after participating in activities like soccer, tennis, running, or even weightlifting at the gym. You find it tougher to climb up the stairs at home as your knees hurt whenever you do so. When you bend over to pick things up, your lower back hurts.

These are everyday scenarios that we encounter as we grow older. Our muscles, joints, and bones are starting to show signs of wear and tear from repeated use. To understand how to treat joint pain, we must first know what causes joint pain.

The most common cause of joint pain is arthritis. There are two types of arthritis—osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Joint pain from osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage between our joints breaks down. Rheumatoid arthritis happens when our body’s immune system mistakenly attacks our healthy tissue—causing pain, inflammation, and fluid buildup in our joints.

We also feel pain when our joints—shoulders, hips, elbows, knees, and wrists—are overused. Other causes of joint pain include lupus, gout, tendinitis, infection, fibromyalgia, and more. Most of these issues can be treated with medication, but only when the symptoms show up and are diagnosed by a professional.

So, how can we prevent joint pain?

Preventing joint pain

Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity at least three times a week. Research shows that exercises that focus on improving flexibility and strengthening like swimming and yoga can help relieve pain and make daily tasks easier.¹

You should also avoid these foods if you’re experiencing joint pain:

1. Added sugar

Eating too much sugar can lead to weight gain, an increased risk of heart diseases, and worsen arthritis symptoms. Added sugars are found in candy, sodas, and ice cream, as well as other less obvious food items like yogurt, biscuits, and sauces. Do check the nutrition label on the packaging and opt for low sugar foods.

2. Processed and red meat

Red meat is tasty but it also has several health implications including increased risk for heart diseases, kidney problems, and inflammation which could lead to arthritis. You should replace red meat with other protein-based food like tofu, eggs, and Greek yogurt, or other types of meat like chicken and fish.

3. Gluten

Gluten is a group of proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley. Avoid high-gluten foods like bread, pasta, and cereals which can lead to inflammation and worsen arthritis symptoms. Instead, add more naturally gluten-free foods in your diet like fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, and rice.

4. Omega-6 fatty acids

Although omega-6 fatty acids are necessary for normal body growth and development, it can lead to various health problems when consumed excessively. Fatty acids can cause your body to produce proinflammatory substances, which could lead to joint pain.

5. Food high in AGEs

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are formed when sugar and proteins or fats react with each other during the cooking process. Consuming high protein, high fat animal foods that have been fried, roasted, grilled, seared, or broiled, causes high accumulation of AGEs in your body.² This will lead to inflammation and oxidative stress which is tied to various degenerative diseases as well as the development and progression of osteoarthritis.

Try adding these foods to your diet:

1. Turmeric and black pepper

Turmeric is a spice commonly found in Southeast Asian dishes like curry, biryani, and chicken noodle soup. Curcumin, the most active compound in turmeric, is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects—which can help relieve and prevent joint pain. In order to boost the absorption of curcumin in our bodies, you should pair black pepper with turmeric.

2. Hydrolyzed collagen and vitamin C

Both hydrolyzed collagen and vitamin C are good for our joints and cartilage. Hydrolyzed collagen is broken down, easier-to-process collagen pieces. In order to reduce joint pain caused by collagen loss in our cartilage, we need to consume collagen. Vitamin C is also a key ingredient in helping our bodies to produce more collagen.

With NeeFlex, you can easily incorporate these four key ingredients into your diet. It also contains ingredients like moringa, cat’s claw, and zinc-enriched yeast that reduce inflammation and alleviate arthritis symptoms. Learn more about NeeFlex here and relieve yourself from joint pain.

Reference

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3042669/
2. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-to-avoid-arthritis#8.-Foods-high-in-AGEs