How to Reduce Joint Inflammation Quickly

If your joint pain and inflammation are preventing you from being active, then it is time to take steps to reduce pain, stiffness, and swelling. It can be caused by several injuries and inflammatory arthritis. Chronic joint inflammation can affect the bones, cartilages, ligaments, and irritate the nerves.

Joint inflammation can be treated by adjusting certain foods in your diet and using natural remedies. If neither dietary changes nor remedies do not reduce your joint pain, you can try incorporating joint support supplements into your regimen. Joint supplements help fight inflammation and degeneration that causes joint pain. 

In this article, we provide you with a detailed guide on how to reduce joint inflammation quickly, natural remedies for joint pain, and dietary supplements for joint pain.

What is joint inflammation, and what are its symptoms?

Joint inflammation occurs when the body's immune system releases chemicals, leading to pain and swelling in the joints. Once this condition occurs, it is difficult to perform other daily activities. Certain medical conditions can lead to multiple instances of joint inflammation.

Various factors contribute to the development of joint inflammation, such as age, genetics, and lifestyle modifications. An inflamed joint allows the blood vessels to dilate around it to allow blood to reach it.

The joint may feel painful, and the inflammation may aggravate the pain of an underlying injury or infection. Inflammation helps the body fight off dangerous invaders.

Symptoms of joint inflammation

Some common joint inflammation symptoms are swelling and pain; sometimes, you may experience warmth around the joint. If you notice any of the below symptoms, you need to seek proper medical care. 

  • Stiffness in the joint or difficulty moving freely or performing daily activities without discomfort.

  • Pain that gets worse with pressure on the joint, causing discomfort during activities.

  • Redness in the affected area, implying increased blood flow and inflammation in the joint.

  • Swelling or bulging around the joint and a tender feel to touch.

Signs of chronic inflammation are fatigue, constipation, headaches, aches in the joints and muscles, weight changes, and gastrointestinal issues. In some cases, you may get a cold and the flu for some weeks. 

To check your inflammation levels, you may consult a healthcare provider to diagnose the inflammation or the conditions that cause it. 

Your healthcare provider can start with an initial evaluation, some blood tests, and scans.

Types of Joint Inflammation

Types of arthritis range from those related to wear and tear of cartilage to those associated with inflammation. The different types of joint inflammation can cause stiffness and pain.

  • Gout is a form of arthritis caused by sudden and severe joint pain occurring due to the buildup of uric crystals in joints, It commonly affects the big toe. 

  • Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the spine and sacroiliac joints, leading to pain and stiffness.

  • Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the joints, leading to pain, stiffness, and swelling, often affecting multiple joints uniformly in the body.

  • Psoriatic arthritis affects individuals with psoriasis, a skin condition. It causes inflammation in the joints, leading to pain, stiffness, and swelling, often accompanied by skin lesions(areas of skin that have an abnormal appearance).

How to naturally reduce inflammation and joint pain?

How to reduce joint inflammation quickly? The answer is to know the root cause of the inflammation. Some common causes are stress, poor diet habits, and a sedentary lifestyle. Rather than solely depending on medications, you can try these to get quick relief:

Get enough exercise: Experts say that a good option to reduce inflammation is doing 30-45 minutes of aerobic exercise. Regular exercise can improve joint flexibility, reduce pain, reduce inflammation, and strengthen the joints. 

  • Walking keeps joints moving and also increases circulation

  • Stretching reduces muscle stiffness, improves flexibility, and releases muscle tension. 

  • In swimming, the elasticity of water supports joints and allows a full-body workout.

   Observe your body and ease into workouts. 

Maintain a healthy weight: Being obese puts added strain on your joints, hips, and knees. You need not reduce maximum weight; losing just a small percentage of weight can reduce inflammation and improve mobility

  • Focus on smaller portion sizes

  • Choose nutrient-dense foods instead of processed foods.

Manage stress: Stress increases cortisol levels, this hormone increases levels of inflammation. A study has found that acute stress raises inflammatory markers. Find some ways to cope with your stress:

  • Spend time in activities that you enjoy, like painting, gardening, or reading books

  • Spend 5-10 minutes in meditation or deep breathing. This calms your nervous system

  • Spend time with family or friends, as this can ease the emotional toll of chronic pain 

Hot and cold therapies: Hot and cold therapy treatments may ease joint pain and inflammation. 

  • Heat treatments include taking a warm shower to ease muscle stiffness, you can also use heating pads or electric blankets to reduce discomfort.

  • Cold treatments include wrapping a gel bag or a pack of frozen vegetables and applying it to painful joints for instant relief. Do not apply direct ice to the skin.

Stay hydrated: Hydration is necessary for flushing out toxins and lubricating the joints that contribute to inflammation. 

  • Drink at least 9-10 glasses of water daily.

  • In a hot climate, you may need more water to stay hydrated.

  • Consume foods rich in water content.

  • Drink water as soon as you wake up and before every meal.

  • Instead of consuming sugary soft drinks, take water infused with lemon slices, mint, and cucumber. This gives you a refreshing twist.

Try acupuncture: Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese-based medicinal practice that uses needles to stimulate certain points on the skin. 

Certain research has suggested that it helps ease arthritis pain and improves physical function. More research is needed to support its full benefits for arthritis treatment.

Quit smoking: Quitting the consumption of tobacco has numerous benefits for joint health. Your joint inflammation levels start to diminish, leading to less stiffness and pain in the joints.

Try an anti-inflammatory diet:

What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet? An anti-inflammatory diet is a diet recommended by people to control inflammation naturally or for people who want to eat healthily. This diet focuses on cutting down trans fats and saturated fats, rather than increasing your intake of nutrient-rich foods like healthy fats. 

How to start an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

  • Eat whole foods: The name 'whole foods suggests that it is a one-ingredient food. Foods like an apple, an orange, and other foods like chicken breast, brown rice, oats, eggs, fish, nuts, and seeds.

Choose kinds of pasta and breads that are minimally preserved and made from whole grains. 

  • Stay away from processed foods:  The major key to inflammation is cutting foods that cause it. Especially foods containing sugar, salt, and processed oil. Foods like:

    • Fried foods like French fries and fried chicken

    • Sugary foods like sports drinks and sodas

    • Processed cheeses like nacho cheese dip and other cheese dips

    • Sweets that are baked and pre-packaged. Ice-creams and candies

Even healthy options like granola bars also contain sodium and sugar.

  • Try diets to reduce inflammation: The two diets include the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet. 

DASH diet- The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension(DASH) diet is designed to reduce high blood pressure; it has also been shown to reduce inflammation and obesity. It focuses on whole foods and includes a bit of dairy.

The Mediterranean diet is a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, whole grains, fruits, and nuts. It eliminates processed oils, like cottonseed oil and soybean oil found in many ultra-processed foods.

Anti-inflammatory foods to add to your diet

  • Add turmeric and ginger to tea and meals for natural anti-inflammatory effects.

  • Avocado is rich in monounsaturated fats and fiber, and an excellent source of joint health

  • Fatty fishes like sardines, salmon, and mackerel are rich sources of omega-3

  • Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries help neutralize free radicals

  • Leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach, and Swiss chard are rich in antioxidants

What foods cause inflammation in joints?

Certain foods can make the symptoms of arthritis much worse; they are:

  • Red processed meat like sausages

  • White bread and pastries made from refined whole grains

  • Fast food and chips

  • Excessive amounts of alcohol

  • Dairy products like whole milk and processed cheese

  • Sugary desserts and drinks

  • High trans fat foods like margarine

  • Foods containing MSG(Monosodium Glutamate)

  • Salt found in pre-packaged meals

  • Foods with gluten

  • Oils high in omega-6, like sunflower oil and soybean oil

How to reduce joint inflammation quickly through dietary supplements?

365 million people are affected by knee pain. The main causes of knee pain are meniscus tears, osteoarthritis, tendinosis, ligament sprains, ligament tears, and other types of arthritis.

Dietary supplements help repair and regenerate cartilage, they can reduce joint pain naturally, and cut down inflammation in the joints. However, certain supplements require medications, so it is better to talk to your healthcare provider before starting a supplement regimen. Here we have discussed how supplements reduce joint inflammation:

  • Turmeric supplements for joint pain: Turmeric contains the primary compound, curcumin, which contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that support joint health. Types of turmeric supplements, like liquid turmeric, liposomal turmeric, and turmeric capsules, can be very efficient.

  • Glucosamine and Chondroitin can reduce joint pain: These are the two most crucial supplements for joint pain. A North American journal on Rheumatoid Disease Clinics discusses how chondroitin and glucosamine work together to help reduce joint pain and slow down the progression of joint space narrowing in arthritis patients. If you are looking for a supplement to slow down the arthritis problem, then that supplement should contain Glucosamine.

  • Multiple ingredient joint supplements are more efficient: A study has found out that, combination of ingredients glucosamine, chondroitin, and quercetin are more effective compared to a placebo, when it comes to reducing joint pain. 

  • Joint supplements with collagen peptides can improve bone strength: The biological compound collagen supports bones, skin, and joint cartilage. A supplement with collagen peptide can provide your body with the building blocks to support strong tendons and ligaments, to keep your joints happy. One of the emerging therapies for managing knee pain is peptide therapy. 

  • Infiniwell BPC-157 Tablets: These are used by people to maintain joint health. This peptide supports joint health because it has anti-inflammatory properties. It also improves digestive health and supports the repair of joints and soft tissues. Infiniwell provides a wide range of BPC-157 products in varying doses of 250 mcg and 500 mcg. They are customized time-release formulas. 

When should you consult your doctor regarding joint pain?

  • When joint pain is severe and lasts for three days or more

  • When the pain or injury does not get better in a few days

  • When the inflammation treatment stops working

  • When a person develops intense joint pain along with a fever

  • When new symptoms develop

  • When the pain or inflammation does not get cured with home treatment

Conclusion

By knowing how to reduce joint inflammation quickly and effectively, you can start with small changes in your lifestyle and diet. Short-term inflammation usually cures on its own, while long-term inflammation takes time to cure and even worsens with time. 

Inflammation comes in many forms, single joints or multiple joints. Taking steps to reduce inflammation can help you ease your arthritis symptoms. At the same time, take steps on ‘how to strengthen joints.’? 

Some supplements can be more effective than others, and it is necessary to choose the supplement that works best for you. Consultation from our experts at Nutriessential can help you pick the right one and manage joint pain if it worsens.

Give your joints the ultimate care they deserve, nourish your body, and stay active. 

FAQ:

1. What triggers joint inflammation?

A flare-up in joint inflammation can be caused by stress, illness, weight gain, infection, or overdoing exercises.

2. How do you stop an arthritis flare-up?

You can manage arthritis flare-ups by resting joints, using heat and cold treatments, and using pain relievers.

3. How is inflammatory arthritis diagnosed?

Inflammatory arthritis is diagnosed based on your past medical history and diagnostic tests like blood tests, X-rays, and physical examinations.

4. What diet helps reduce joint inflammation?

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and the Mediterranean diet, reduce systemic inflammation and ease arthritis symptoms.

5. How can you stop arthritis from getting worse?

Follow your treatment plan properly, take particular medications, do regular exercises, and consume a well-balanced diet.


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