Arthritis affects millions of Americans. There is more to this disease than many people realize, which affects the effective treatment of the condition.

Most people resort to prescription pain medications and anti-inflammatory drugs for relief but are missing one important factor. The health of your gut can influence your arthritis, which means probiotics could be just as important when it comes to treatment.

How a Healthy Gut Helps Arthritis

Probiotics seem to be everywhere these days. We can’t get enough of these friendly bacteria and for good reason. Probiotics support the natural bacteria living within your gut and promote digestion as well as overall health.

These bacteria are important to your immune system because any imbalance can trigger widespread inflammation. And, inflammation is a major contributor to arthritis pains.

Arthritis is a blanket term used for a number of inflammatory-related conditions. Joint pain, stiffness, and restricted mobility all result from inflamed joints. Inflammation damages the cartilage and weakens joint tissues causing bones to rub together.

Swelling and pain results—in severe cases, your daily activities can become impaired. While anti-inflammatory medications are one option, most do not realize you can help your joints through your gut.

The discovery that probiotics do more than support digestion was important when it comes to conditions like arthritis. The collection of bacteria in your gut is responsible for telling your immune system if anything foreign needs to be eliminated. An unhealthy gut allows harmful strains to take over, which triggers an alarm for inflammation to remove the threat.

The problem with chronic inflammation is that the organs attacked are actually healthy.

Any disease that impacts the gut or your bacterial community can be treated with probiotics. Probiotics will help maintain health in several ways:

♦ Maintaining the balance between good and bad bacteria, to prevent immune system attacks

♦ Reducing the number of bacteria that can cause infections

♦ Replacing good bacteria that may be lost as a result of poor diet or antibiotics to keep the gut balance favorable

With regards to arthritis, probiotics protect the joints by preventing the inflammatory response in the first place. It is common for people with arthritis to also have inflamed intestinal tracts that also have increased permeability.

This allows toxins to reach the bloodstream and this travel throughout the body, triggering inflammation everywhere and starting the health-damaging cycle.

Specifically, probiotics seem to inhibit the actions of C-reactive protein, which are potent inflammatory markers. Studies have found that with probiotic therapy, several inflammatory markers are reduced and relief from joint pain and stiffness is reported.

By interfering with the inflammatory cycle, your body gets a break. Damaged or worn-out joints then finally have an opportunity to heal.

How to Relieve Your Arthritis Pains

Anti-inflammatory medications are typically prescribed for arthritis, and they do help. Sadly, these drugs can have unpleasant side effects for some people, especially when used long term.

With arthritis being such a common condition, searches for more natural methods to treat the pain have been done to replace or minimize the need for medications. There are a number of things you can do to naturally relieve arthritis pain and promote joint health:

Light exercise: Exercise may seem like a challenge, especially if your joints are aching, but the movement is actually good for them. Focus on low-impact exercises and flexibility to help build joint strength and mobility back.

Water aerobics is one of the best exercises for arthritis because the water supports your weight while you move.

Lose weight: Extra pounds put extra pressure and stress on your joints, which can make inflammation in the area worse.

If you are overweight, change your diet and add exercise to shed some of those unwanted pounds. Less weight will lead to improved mobility and less joint pain.

Eat more omega-3s: Omega-3 fatty acids are great for your health and have been specifically shown to reduce joint pain and stiffness. Think of these fatty acids as a natural lubricant to protect your joints.

Start an omega-3 supplement or add more fresh fish, nuts, and healthy fats to your diet.

Herbal supplements: Herbs have been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat disease, inflammatory-related diseases included.

Herbs like boswellia serrata, ginkgo, bromelain, and turmeric have all been successfully used to treat arthritis pains. They are also more natural and less likely to cause unpleasant side effects like common medications.

Hot and cold therapy: Alternating hot and cold therapies can do wonders for your aching joints. Hot showers or baths, as well as electric blankets, help to relax muscles, keep joints loose, and reduce pain.

When swelling seems to be the problem, cold packs or a bag of frozen vegetables can help. Reducing inflammation and swelling in the area can bring immediate relief to an arthritic joint.

Massage: Massages are for more than muscle relaxation. They can also help to reduce stiffness and pain in your joints. In doing so, your range of mobility can be improved.

You can learn how to do your own massages or schedule regular appointments with a professional that has experience with arthritis.

Probiotics

Along with these natural treatment options, probiotics have been shown to help with arthritis inflammation. You can choose a probiotic supplement or opt to add foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and other fermented foods to your diet. The result will be the same.

| Related: The Top 11 Probiotics Strains and Why You Need Them |

A healthy gut will help prevent and relieve the inflammation that can aggravate arthritic joints. As part of an ongoing treatment plan, probiotics will protect your joints from ongoing inflammatory attacks, so they have a chance to repair.

Just remember to talk to your doctor before trying a probiotics supplement, especially if you are on medication already.

The Bottom Line

Arthritis causes pain and can prevent you from doing what you need to do. With inflammation being the root cause of your pain, it is best to attack right at the source.

Promote optimal gut health with probiotics and prevent inflammation from even starting. This will keep your joints safe from damage and allow them to heal—getting you back to life and the things you love.

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