subject: The Agony Of Joint Pain And How To Escape From It [print this page] Joint problems can suddenly appear without warning. If you suffer from sore joints, youll be only too aware that it can last for days, weeks, months or even years.
How do your joints work?
Your main joints have to cope with the many strains and stresses of everyday life. The ends of your bones have a protective layer of cartilage, which is a tough elastic tissue that massively reduces friction between your bones. Your joints are contained in a sac-like structure with an inner membrane called the synovial lining. This produces the synovial fluid that lubricates your joints and keeps them mobile and pain free.
What causes inflammation?
When your joints become inflamed, white blood cells rush into the affected tissue, releasing enzymes and other chemicals that affect nearby cells and modify blood flow to the area.
Some of the chemicals secreted by your white blood cells are toxic and designed to kill bacteria - in case you have an infection, but they also hurt healthy cells too.
This attracts more white blood cells into the affected area, which in turn release yet more destructive chemicals creating a vicious circle of ever-increasing inflammation and pain.
Thankfully, recent research has shown that certain herbs promote the production of good enzymes that cool inflamed joints and reduce the chemicals that trigger inflammation. When this occurs, pain dramatically subsides.
10 Herbs that cool the pain in your joints
Herbs are incredibly effective when it comes to maintaining healthy joints because on top of the vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes, they also contain a whole raft of other important nutrients that regulate joint health.
These include alkaloids, antioxidants, hormones, saponins, inulin, phthalides, iridoid glycosides, silicon, flavonoids, steroids and isoflavones. And these herbs in particular, are full of them:
ALFALFA contains alkaloids and saponins which suppress inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes.
BURDOCK ROOT contains high amounts of inulin (a soluble fibre) useful for rebuilding worn out cartilage.
CAPSICUM contains capsaicin, a great pain killer which suppresses the release of a pain neuropeptide known as substance P.
CELERY SEED contains phthalides, which have powerful anti-inflammatory qualities.
DEVILS CLAW contains iridoid glycosides, including harpagosides, which also kill pain by reducing uric acid levels.
HORSETAIL contains high quantities of silicon, vital for the production of synovial fluid, which keeps your joints well lubricated.
HYDRANGEA contains the flavonoids: quercetin, cyanidin, kaempferol, and luteolin, which reduce muscle soreness and joint stiffness.
MEXICAN SARSAPARILLA contains saponins which facilitate the absorption of and enhance the anti-inflammatory actions of vitamins B6 and B12.
RED CLOVER BLOSSOM contains isoflavones likes genistein, daidzein and trifoside. These also get rid of uric acid (which triggers painful gout in ankle and knee joints.)
YUCCA is loaded with yet more saponins, which as mentioned above, dramatically reduce swelling when they interact with vitamins B6 and B12.
Adjust what you eat and stop your joint pain!
Its also important you eat the right kinds of food if you want your joints to behave. Eat more sulphur holding vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, onions, mustard greens, nasturtiums, nettle, onion and watercress.
A 2010 study in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders found these vegetables help a great deal with osteoarthritis of the hip.
And the mineral sulphur is especially good for strengthening joints because its used to build the connective tissues which form cartilage.
Reduce your joint pain by exercising regularly
Make sure you get a minimum of two and a half hours of physical activity a week. Thats only 30 minutes a day, with 2 days off! Walking, jogging, gardening, biking and dancing are all good.
If you dont have time to buy and cook the sorts of food that contain these nutrients, then youll find Joint Mobility enormously helpful. Besides therapeutic levels of glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM, it contains all the herbs mentioned above, plus an abundance of vitamins B6 and B12. Not to mention the miracle enzyme serrapeptase.
