Natural remedies can be a welcome addition to our stock of medicines as they usually have fewer side effects than drug therapies. Coping with painful joints is a long-term issue for many of us who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, especially when it comes to mobilising and being active.
Why do joints get painful?
Our immune system helps to protect us from viruses and bugs that enter our system. It’s activated by proteins, but occasionally when it is triggered it turns against our own tissues, believing they are a threat to our wellness. Immune responses of this type can result in lots of different health problems, like multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes. Rheumatoid arthritis also falls under this same umbrella. Here, the body attacks the synovial fluid so it becomes inflamed and limits how much we can move our joints. This causes pain that tends to be worse in the morning, but may ease with some movement depending on the severity of the condition.
What helps?
Medication can help us cope with pain and swelling, but some are so strong we need to have regular blood tests to monitor side effects. This makes natural compounds attractive as we can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with taking joint pain medication that does not carry the same health effects. Ginger recently became the focus of researchers at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University when it was administered to participants suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. They were monitored over a six month period in which they regularly took ginger extract. After this period of time, swellings in their knees had significantly reduced. Once the participants stopped taking the ginger then their knee joints became swollen again. This study suggests that we don’t have to just rely on traditional drug therapies to see improvements in our joints.
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