Discovering an Alternative Osteoarthritis Treatment That Will Work

Osteoarthritis treatment can be as complex as the condition itself. Frequently, the response of doctors is prescribe NSAID drugs to address the pain of osteoarthritis; however, it is quite important to note that this damage that osteoarthritis can do to joints can be so great that joint replacement surgery can become necessary. Addressing the pain and potential consequences of osteoarthritis are of paramount importance.

First it is necessary to highlight the fact that losing weight and eating a healthy diet can play an important role in addressing osteoarthritis in general. Losing weight means less stress on the joints, and that can translate into improving your osteoarthritis symptoms and associated pain.

We know that bad food choices can impact health, and this counts for osteoarthritis as well. Foods that cause inflammation, such as processed foods, fast foods and foods from the "nightshade" category of plants should be off limits. These include tomatoes and eggplants among others. In general, a diet rich in most fruits and vegetables will help improve health, add to weight loss and may decrease osteoarthritis inflammation as well.

Discovering alternative approaches for osteoarthritis treatment is one part experimentation and one part giving alternative approaches the necessary time to take effect. Anti-inflammatory drugs work well and they work quickly, but the long term effects of using such drugs should give one pause. Alternative and natural approaches might take longer, but there is far less concern attached with using these approaches.

The spice ginger has long been valued for its ability to reduce inflammation. Spices were amongst the most valued of possessions in the ancient world and for good reason. Spices and herbs were the medicine of the ancient world, and their health benefits were firmly established in the minds of our ancestors. Today, medical research has varied that many spices do indeed have powerful health benefits.

Ginger can be consumed in a surprising number of ways. Ginger tea is, of course, very common and stands as one of the single most consumed beverages in the world. Ginger root can easily be incorporated into a diverse number of meals, and it can also be used to make fresh tea.

In addition to teas and use in meals, ginger is well suited to pill form and is sold as a means of helping with inflammation. Quite often ginger is paired or suggested to be paired with the other great natural anti-inflammatory agent, turmeric. Together these two spices can achieve impressive results.

It should also be noted that ginger and turmeric are two of the most widely used spices and both are considered quite safe. Give these natural options time to work, and you will likely find that they do help provide at least some relief and assistance with your osteoarthritis treatment.