A Natural Approach to Joint Pain

Are you looking for a more natural approach for Joint Pain and Inflammation? 

Dealing with joint pain can be exhausting, but if dealt with naturally and holistically it can be a very effective and empowering accomplishment. Try to think of pain as your body’s voice alarming or warning you to be aware of your body. Pain and inflammation are natural ways of your body responding to stresses of various sources. Overcoming pain without the use of medication gives you great psychological strength, which will allow you to deal with future problems with more confidence and success. Unfortunately, pain medications are extremely common and growing in popularity. They are often over-used with unrealistic expectations. They are used to MANAGE pain and inflammation long term rather than working toward healing and prevention. The term MANAGE refers to the use of pain medications to cover up that voice of your body. It’s like pushing the mute button and when you can’t hear your body speak in the language of pain you delay the process of healing, which usually leads to more injury. The long term use of medications for pain might be one of the worst things one can do for their confidence too. Putting all of your power and confidence in a little pill rather than yourself can be self-defeating.

It is often very difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the joint pain so that is the reason for the list of most probable causes below. Joint pain is almost always a result of several areas of imbalance and not one injury or one single cause. Autoimmune disorders such as fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis are examples of immune system responses, which produce pain and inflammation in a seemingly unpredictable manner. They can be the result of various imbalances, but generally root from a combination of poor gastrointestinal health (digestion), toxicity, nutrition deficiencies and emotional stress or trauma. The western medicine perspective would have people believe that you’re stuck with a “dis-ease” for the rest of your life, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. With a holistic approach to healing and prevention you can often avoid the pain and suffering from joint pain and also effectively relieve pain without devastating side effects. In this way one can appreciate the benefits of inflammation rather than waging war on it. The inflammation is not the problem, it’s the body’s way of healing and delivering extra nutrients and blood flow to a damaged or healing area of the body.

Most injuries to soft tissues and bones can often be prevented by improving one’s overall health and nutrition. Not only does it make tissue healthier and more resilient it can also improve one’s self awareness, confidence and healing ability. Below you will find the 7 Factors Affecting Joint Health and my top tips for healing painful and inflammatory conditions related to joints and connective tissues.

Seven Factors Affecting Joint Health

1. Stress; Being stressed for various reasons uses up your energy resources at a high rate, which can lead to depletion of energy and nutrients (too much time spent in the sympathetic nervous system leads to hormone imbalances and nutrient deficiencies). Examples: Worry, Fear, Anger, Resentment, Guilt
2. Poor gut health; weak gastrointestinal lining due to stress, poor quality foods and poor eating habits (food combinations, eating too often, etc.), and medications. Leads to lack of adequate nutrition, digestive discomfort, bloating, nausea, etc.
3. Toxicity; High toxic load from various sources (fake foods, skin & cosmetic products, EMF radiation, air quality, poor gut health) makes it very difficult for your body to respond naturally to inflammation because it is too busy trying to clean up the "trash" in your body.
4. Nutrition; A very low percentage of the North American population gets adequate nutrition from nutrient dense foods. This is especially evident with the fat soluble vitamins and trace minerals.
5. Medications; many common medications have side effects that inhibit the body's natural response to healing and recovery from injury, which increases risk to injury and chronic joint problems. Common culprits are: NSAIDS, STATINS, PPI's
6. Lack of proper Exercise and activity levels; your body is designed to move and use muscles. They are the structure that keeps you strong - so keep your bones and muscles healthy with regular activity, resistance exercise and be aware of posture.
7. Dehydration; Many people do not consume enough quality water. It is important to consume water that contains minerals in order to cleanse, create healthy tissues and replenish fluids that are used up or lost every day. Drink water upon rising every morning (Not coffee!)

Tips for Joint Health and Pain Relief

• Cut out some of the JUNK! Reduce consumption of highly processed foods and sugars (candy, soft drinks, chocolates, coffee, bread, processed vegetable oils, crackers, chips, sports drinks, etc.)
• Water. Drink more. Consume more natural water containing minerals (limit RO water and distilled water)
  • Drink 250 – 350ml upon rising each morning (Before Coffee!)
  • Drink more water between meals (not during meals)
  • Aim for 8-10 cups
• Eat Real Food. Spend a bit more time in your kitchen making wholesome, filling meals such as soups, stews or chili. Just make it from scratch, not from a can or a package.
• Improve digestion of your food by using digestive enzymes: Digest Best Enzymes (Enerex) or Urgent Care Enzymes (Flora Health). This will not only reduce or eliminate bloating and indigestion, but it will improve the breakdown and utilization of the nutrients in your food!
• Do Not Use a MICROWAVE. It denatures your food and kills important nutrient properties.
• Natural Pain Relief. Here are 3 products that can be life changing due to their helpful affect on your body and significant pain relief. Enerex PAIN-X or Serrapeptase or NewChapter Zyflamend or CanPrev Joint Pro Liquid.
• Joint, Bone & Tissue Repair & Care.
  • Take 2 tsp of cod liver oil each day (contains high amounts of vitamin A)
  • Collagen – Enerex Free Flex or or CanPrev Liquid Collagen & Liquid Silica together daily.
• Calcium & Magnesium. Make sure you are getting enough. Consider using a high quality Calcium/Magnesium supplement daily if your diet isn’t tip top.
  • Enerex Osteo CAL/MAG or Salus Liquid Calcium/Magnesium or NewChapter Bone Strength)
• Support. For extra support and guidance to create a plan to suit your lifestyle use a holistic health & nutrition coach who can help you assess your overall health situation and prioritize your efforts. For more information about holistic nutrition services and EPR biofeedback click here.

Note: This information is not meant to replace medical advice. Please discuss with your health and wellness provider.