Holistic healing

Healthy joints: a guide

Read our guide to the best dietary choices and natural remedies for maintaining healthy joints, keeping you limber for years to come!

What foods are good for your joints?

For supple, healthy joints, The Medicinal Chef, Dale Pinnock advises eating the following: “Red onions contain strong anti-inflammatory flavonoid chemicals called anthocyanins. Celery is a very effective diuretic agent and natural painkiller that has proved effective in two clinical trials so far; particularly in the treatment of rheumatic and muscular pains. Shiitake mushrooms are almost miraculous when it comes to the effect they have on the immune system. In rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system develops antibodies to the synovial tissue within the joint, and certain cells start attacking this tissue, causing inflammation and destruction. These mushrooms help suppress this activity.

“Extra virgin olive oil contains high levels of good fats which help the body to manufacture its own anti-inflammatory substances, to help counteract the pain, discomfort and degradation of joints in arthritic conditions. Regular consumption of this oil and other sources of good fats can play a huge role in the management of many inflammatory conditions, not just limited to those within the joints.”

We’ve got plenty more expert advice in our guide on the best foods for tackling joint pain. Take a look to discover foods that are good for joints and cartilage, including omega-3 fatty acids, oily fish and healthy fats.

Types of joint pain

There are some common joint health complaints including hip and shoulder pain, ankle pain and knee pain: the NHS has useful resources on this.

If you’re suffering from finger bone and wrist pain, it’s worth consulting a professional, says osteopath, Hector Wells: “The more tension you have in your shoulders, the more tension you have in your hands and wrists and the tighter the connective tissue becomes. An osteopath will look at relaxing your central nervous system by using gentle releasing techniques to reduce the tension in your ribs, spine and neck first, as this is often where tension and pain in the rest of the body come from. Once this area has been treated they will then turn their attention to your hands.

“Exercising your hands in warm water by clenching and releasing your fingers and rotating your wrists will help them to release and ease the pain. And just as the osteopath will treat your central nervous system, you can also do this by using a heated wheat bag and resting it on your neck and shoulders to help you relax, which will have a knock-on effect to your fingers, hands and wrists. You may find that wearing a copper bracelet helps, too.”

Arthritis: how to manage this condition

If you suffer from arthritis, these holistic hacks from Lynne McTaggart’s Arthritis: Drug-free Alternatives to Prevent and Reverse Arthritis will help.

Most of us accept that, as we get older, we’ll start suffering from aches and pains. Even in early middle age, many people suffer back pain that is so severe that they have to take time off work. We may not even call it arthritis pain: it might start out as a twinge that just gets progressively worse. It’s just ‘wear and tear’, as our family doctor might put it.

But these ‘worn-out’ joints have reached pandemic levels in the Western world. A chronic condition that bedevils conventional medicine, it’s one of the most common diseases associated with older people, and one of the biggest causes of disability at any time of life. Actually, arthritis isn’t a proper disease but an umbrella term that describes a collection of symptoms with many potential causes. It simply means inflammation of one or more joints in the body. Pain and stiffness are the most universal symptoms of arthritis, and the pain, which can be severe, is as crippling as the physiological debilitation itself.

10 ways to ease arthritis

Sort out your gut. Get tested for candida overgrowth, parasites or a leaky gut, low stomach acid and fructose intolerance, which are all shown to cause arthritis symptoms. Also get tested for food and environmental allergies, and eliminate allergens from your diet and lifestyle. Change your diet to a low-inflammation one. Avoid the big common allergens like dairy and wheat, red meat, all nightshades, processed foods and those laden with sugar.
Drink at least eight glasses of pure water a day, as well as fresh ginger juice, extract or tea.
Take mineral baths with magnesium.
Consider one or more of the following joint-healthy supplements: glucosamine (up to 3,200mg/day) chondroitin (up to 3,600mg/day), bromelain (750-1,000mg/day – usually in four divided doses), collagen hydrolysate (up to 1,200mg/day) or hyaluronic acid (40mg/day).
Have massage sessions to increase circulation and mitigate the pain.
Try these nutrition-boosting supplements, which can ease arthritis: vitamin C (1-3g/day), a balanced B-complex supplement, vitamin D3 (2,000IU/day), vitamin E (1,200-1,800IU/day) or astaxanthin (300mg/day).
Have acupuncture, which shows scientific evidence of success.
Try these homeopathic remedies: bryonia alba for pain with joint inflammation made worse by movement, calc carb for arthritic knees, colchicum for arthritis pain made worse by exercise, guaiacum for gout and joint abscesses, hypericum for nerve pain from rheumatoid arthritis or ledum pal for gout and rheumatism.
Try energy techniques such as qigong, reiki and therapeutic touch.
Look to herbal helpers such as: bromelain (750-1,000mg/day – usually in four divided doses), black cumin (1 tsp of black cumin seed oil with meals), curcumin (400-800mg/day), ginger (2-4g of fresh ginger juice, extract or tea daily. Or rub ginger oil directly onto a painful joint), rosehip powder, devil’s claw (750mg three times a day), guggul (500mg/day taken with food), traditional Chinese medicine herbs such as shu guan wen jing and shu guan qing luo, cayenne cream and willow bark.

How to relieve joint pain naturally

Try rose hips as a herbal remedy

As we get older, joint pain becomes a problem for many of us. For years, herbalists have sworn by the effectiveness of rose hips for arthritic conditions. Not only are they full of vitamin C, but they’re also bursting with antioxidants, which are good for reducing inflammation in the body – often the root cause of joint and arthritic pain. A simple way of consuming this herb is to make a medicinal jam out of the rose hips – expect it to have a tangy hibiscus taste, and not your usual raspberry or strawberry flavour.

Choose turmeric

Master herbalist, Philip Weeks, explains that there are a number of herbs with anti-inflammatory properties which are great for joints. “Some trials have shown these herbs to be as effective as some medical drugs. For example, turmeric contains powerful antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. It can reduce swelling and pain in the joints, and it is believed that this is because it contains cyclooxygenase inhibitors, which help turn off inflammation in the body. Turmeric is easy to take in your food every day by adding a spoonful to any dish. It is also possible to buy fresh turmeric root from Asian greengrocers.”

Drink nettle tea

According to Philip, “Drinking nettle tea every day can be helpful. Nettles contain all kinds of immune-modulating properties; some of the actions are related to the strong antioxidants present in the leaves. The leaves contain chemicals, which when ingested have a broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory action. Stinging nettle leaves have been used internally and topically to treat arthritis.”

Discover natural remedies

Take a look at our article on a joint-friendly holistic plan to transform your lifestyle using natural remedies.

Make your own massage oil

If you’re suffering from joint pain or rheumatoid arthritis, discover our recipe for a homemade massage oil that’s super-convenient to make, and will relieve your discomfort.