Is There Any Hope For Osteoarthritis Pain And Aches?

If you suffer from osteoarthritis pain, you are certainly not alone. According to the Mayo Clinic, osteoarthritis affects nearly 21 million people in the United States alone.

Osteoarthritis of the knee - Pain Relief

Although many people suffer osteoarthritis of the knee, it can afflict any of the jointed areas: fingers, hands, neck, and more.

Osteoarthritis causes damage to the cartilage over time....by engendering stiffing in the joints. This stiffness, in turn, results in loss of elasticity.

The cartilage, in short, can be worn down in such jointed areas. As the cartilage wears away, osteoarthritis pain increases because the cartilage's job was to act as a protector -- a shock absorption mechanism, in other words, that prevents bones from literally rubbing against each other.

Now when it comes specifically to osteoarthritis of the knee - pain relief, there are many people who suffer from this because our knees are used a lot in our daily activities. Constant bending of the knees, sports and certain exercises like running or jogging can exacerbate and speed up the condition.

Regardless if you suffer osteoarthritis pain in the hands, the knee, or elsewhere you undoubtedly want to know what you can do to alleviate the pain.

One thing that many people may not know is that increasing your intake of omega 3 fatty acids may help a great deal because they are naturally rich anti-inflammatories.

Inflammation can result because of the stiffness in the joints, making the situation much worse.

But don't just take my word for it.

According to the University of Maryland's Medical website:

"Based on laboratory studies....many researchers suggest that diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids....may benefit people with other inflammatory disorders, including OA [Osteoarthritis]. In fact, several laboratory studies of cartilage-containing cells have found that omega-3 fatty acids decrease inflammation and reduce the activity of enzymes that break down cartilage. Patients also showed increased improvement when fish oil supplements were used...."

The University of Maryland's Medical Website also mentions an interesting source very high in omega 3 fatty acids that most people in the United States are not aware of, but is available to them. This source is called the New Zealand green lipped mussel and is used in that country for osteoarthritis pain, among other things.

On their website, they state:

"....New Zealand green lipped mussel ( Perna canaliculus ), another potential source of omega-3 fatty acids, has been shown to reduce joint stiffness and pain, increase grip strength, and enhance walking pace in a small group of people with osteoarthritis."

Now, none of these statements should mean that omega 3 fatty acids are going to cure your condition if you have osteoarthritis. That's just wishful thinking.

However, omega 3 fatty acids are well known to benefit both brain and cardiovascular health. So to think you can take something that will improve your overall health while also possibly alleviating your osteoarthritis pain, it makes a lot of sense.

You should note, however, that fish oils and omega 3 fatty acids are natural anti-coagulants. This means they help thin the blood, which can be a good thing. However, if you are already on blood thinners, especially prescription blood thinners, check with your doctor before using fish oil or green lipped mussel supplements for osteoarthritis pain.

Given that the prescription COX-2 inhibitor drugs, like Vioxx, have proven themselves to have serious health risks -- having been implicated in the deaths of tens of thousands of people with ongoing class action lawsuits -- it makes sense to us to try natural alternatives and remedies as the first resort.