Joint pain, swelling, and stiffness can alter your lifestyle dramatically, preventing you from participate in the activities you most enjoy. With the onset of pain in our fingers, wrists, knees, hips or virtually any joint in the body, we tend to jump to the conclusion that arthritis has set in. While joint pain is a natural response to inflammation in the body, it doesn't necessarily mean you have one of the hundred forms of arthritic conditions. Often, pain in your joints simply alerts you to the need for positive changes in your diet, exercise habits, stress level, body weight and even your emotional well being.

 

Whether your joint pain is caused by hormonal changes, excessive acidity in your diet, cold and damp weather, arthritis or other factors from the list below, rest assured there are natural ways to increase your mobility while reducing and even eliminating your painful symptoms. With inflammation the common denominator of all joint pain, determining its source and implementing positive lifestyle changes is a great place to start.

 

o Inflammation

 

o Hormonal changes, especially in women as menopause approaches.

 

o Severe or recurrent joint injury from heavy physical activity.

 

o Skeletal postural defects.

 

o Age-related changes in collagen matrix repair mechanisms.

 

o Excessive weight.

 

o Activities such as long-distance running performed over many years.

 

o Cold climate and atmospheric pressure changes.

 

o Food allergies such as dairy and wheat.

 

o Overly acidic diet including nightshade vegetables; potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.

 

o A diet high in animal products.

 

o Nutrient deficiency: calcium, magnesium, manganese, protein, essential fatty acids.

 

o Low-grade infections (dental infections) and autoimmune disease.

 

o Build up of toxicity in the body.

 

o Dehydration.

 

 

In his best-selling book "The pH Miracle," Dr. Robert Young says: "Pain cannot exist without acidity and acidity cannot be present without pain." The human body requires a balance of acidity and alkalinity to function well. However, Americans have a tendency to become overly acidic due to stress and the consumption of processed foods, carbohydrates, sugars, red meat, and sodas. Very simply, acidity causes inflammation while alkalinity reduces it.

An excess of acid in the body causes increased amounts of calcium, minerals, and acid toxins to deposit in the joints, resulting in inflammation and pain. Over time, this can lead to joint pain and arthritic conditions. Decreasing sources of acid and increasing your intake of alkalizing foods and drinks will help restore healthy pH levels and help relieve the pain and stiffness in your joints. Avoiding acidic foods can be confusing with lemons, which are alkalizing rather than acidic, as a prime example.

 

 

Most of us think of inflammation as a hot, red and swelling reaction to over exertion or an injury, but that's just the beginning. Chronic systemic inflammation is an underlying cause of a long list of seemingly unrelated, age-related diseases including atherosclerosis, cancer, obesity, diabetes, congestive heart failure, digestive system diseases, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease and osteoporosis. With regard to joint health and arthritis, cytokines regulate various inflammatory responses.

 

Cytokines are a group of small proteins secreted by specific cells of the immune system that are released into the circulation or directly into tissue and act as messengers to the cells of the body. They regulate the body's response to disease and infection and play an important role in maintaining normal cellular processes in the body. Cytokines are pro-inflammatory and tend to trigger the overproduction of free radicals creating a health compromising cause-and-effect loop.

 

A strong immune system triggers the inflammatory response to deal with injury or infection. But, our stressful lifestyles and poor dietary choices can cause sustained low-grade inflammation that prevents cell regeneration and repair which gradually tears down tissues, including those in your joints. As examples, elevated cortisol, the hormone released in response to stress, works as an inflammatory agent, and a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugars can create a constant state of inflammation.

 

Inflammation is the body's response to toxicity. Poor food choices, smoke, alcohol, sodas, coffee, pesticides, household cleaning products, allergens, herbicides, and chemicals in your personal care products all contribute to toxic overload. Detoxify, purify, and regenerate with a gentle cleanse to reduce the toxic burden on your body and relieve the pain, stiffness and swelling associated with inflammation.

 

Hormonal Imbalances and Joint Pain