FAQ - Arthritis

Would changing my diet help relieve my arthritis pain?

The foods you eat do seem to impact arthritis, so changing your diet may help. However, there is no one diet that is guaranteed to improve your joint pain. You’ll need to work with your health team and experiment a bit to determine which foods are better for you than others. As a general rule, though, avoid processed foods and saturated fats while increasing healthier alternatives.

Fried foods, processed and frozen meals, high sugars, and refined carbohydrates are all inflammation-inducing foods. Meats and dairy cooked or pasteurized at high temperatures develop a toxin that your body breaks down with a natural inflammatory agent, so limit these. Protein in dairy, excess salt, corn oil, and both alcohol and tobacco all contain inflammatory agents. Instead, add fish, nuts and seeds to your diet. You should significantly increase your fruit and veggie intake as well. Replace corn oil with olive oil and consume beans to help supplement your protein.

If you’re struggling with joint pain , contact West Lawn Podiatry Associates, serving the Reading and West Lawn, PA, areas. We can help relieve your discomfort. Call (610) 678-4581 or use our website contact page to request an appointment with us.

Is staying active helpful for relieving arthritis pain?

Exercising with arthritis can help maintain or even improve your joint’s range of motion, which in turn can help relieve and reduce your pain in the long run. Arthritis causes your joints to stiffen and become inflamed, which creates the discomfort. Exercise increases your flexibility, builds strength in the supporting muscles and connectors around the joints, and improves your circulation, which brings nutrients and healing factors to the inflamed areas. You just have to be careful because the wrong kind of exercise could exacerbate the damage, increasing your pain instead.

Low-impact, aerobic exercises are the best for arthritic joints. Try activities like walking, biking, swimming, and yoga. These encourage healthy movement without putting too much pressure on the painful joints. If you’d like help being more active with arthritis, let us know at West Lawn Podiatry Associates outside of Reading, PA. You can call (610) 678-4581 or use our web request form to reach us for an appointment.