Osteoarthritis affects 1 in 10 Canadians and more than 4.6 million French people. Characterized by a gradual wear of the cartilage (= membrane covering and protecting the bone), osteoarthritis causes pain in the affected joints, stiffness, inflammation and friction between the bones.
Discover 5 natural methods that can soothe the pain associated with osteoarthritis!
Maintain a healthy diet and exercise
Scientific studies have demonstrated a clear link between being overweight and osteoarthritis , and more specifically osteoarthritis of the knee. Being overweight that presses on the joints greatly increases the level of pain experienced. All the symptoms linked to osteoarthritis are increased tenfold: friction, inflammation, stiffness, etc. It is essential to adopt a balanced diet made up of the 4 food groups: vegetables and fruits, cereal products, milk and alternatives, meat and alternatives. In addition to helping you regain or maintain a healthy weight, eating healthy will also give you more energy.
The daily practice of physical activity must be combined with good eating habits. By activating your muscles every day, you will help develop and strengthen them. This will protect your joints, since strong muscles and tissues provide them with important support. Physical activity allows you to work on 3 main aspects: flexibility, muscular strength and endurance. Flexibility includes range-of-motion exercises and stretches that help maintain regular joint mobility and reduce joint pain, and lengthen muscles and work on their flexibility. Muscle-strengthening exercises promote joint protection. Strengthened muscles will be able to better support and stabilize the joints. Finally,
Heat and cold to relieve pain
Heat and/or cold treatment helps calm the symptoms of osteoarthritis for a short time. It can be particularly effective when the pain is very severe. In the case of muscle spasms and stiffness, a shower or the application of hot water compresses on certain specific places can reduce the pain. However, you must be vigilant and not place the compresses on particularly irritated joints, which could aggravate the symptoms.
Cold is used to relieve pain, reduce inflammation and decrease blood flow to very inflamed joints. You can simply apply ice cubes wrapped in a towel to the most painful areas. It is important not to apply the ice cubes directly to the skin so as not to cause frostbite.
Capsaicin, the active compound in cayenne
Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ), the use of creams, lotions, and ointments made from the active compound in cayenne , capsaicin , helps soothe pain caused by osteoarthritis . Capsaicin acts as a mild analgesic and activates the production of substance P which triggers the sensation of pain during an injury. Since the stores of substance P are depleted, the person no longer feels pain. 1 You can also consume cayenneinternally, either by adding it to your diet or by taking powder capsules, tinctures, or oleoresins, a solid substance obtained by distilling the resin and oil of a plant.
Dosage of creams, lotions and ointments
Apply to the affected parts, up to 4 times a day, a cream, lotion or ointment containing 0.025% to 0.075% capsaicin. It often takes up to 14 days of treatment before the full therapeutic effect is felt. Please note, a burning sensation may be felt during application.
Dosage of capsules, tinctures and oleoresins
Take 500 mg to 1 g of cayenne powder (in capsules), 3 times a day, before meals, equivalent to 22 mg to 45 mg of capsaicin per day. As an alternative, we recommend spicing your meals generously with hot peppers.
Glucosamine and chondroitin
Produced naturally by the body from glucose and glutamine ( = an amino acid ), glucosamine plays a major role in maintaining the integrity of the cartilage of all the joints. It slows down cartilage degradation and promotes the lubricating action of synovial fluid , a natural joint lubricant. Clinical studies 1-2 have shown that glucosamine may also help slow the progression of osteoarthritis .
The properties of chondroitin are similar to those of glucosamine since it is also an essential component of cartilage naturally produced by the body. Clinical trials have validated the effectiveness of chondroitin in relieving pain associated with osteoarthritis and slowing its progression. It would be favorable to the reconstruction of cartilage and would partially inhibit the enzyme responsible for its destruction, hyaluronidase.