Osteoarthritis vs Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis are both conditions which are associated with your joints and bones, which will have significant affect on your quality of life. Taking care of your diet and lifestyle choices whilst your younger will help reduce, delay and prevent the onset of either of these disorders.

So let’s take a look at what they both are, and what changes you can make you prevent or reduce your symptoms.

1- Osteoarthritis;

Osteoarthritis is associated with degenerative wear and tear, caused by the breakdown of cartilage at your joints. It’s more commonly found in your weight bearing joints, and will progressively worsen over the months and years. If you think about the amount we walk during our entire life to complete day to day tasks, there is no wonder our joints may start to weaken. This doesn’t have to be the case however. Making sure you eat a nutrient dense diet to help mineralise and strengthen the bone to prevent bone breakdown and doing weight bearing exercises are highly important.

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis include;

• Onset of gradual pain in joints

• Joint stiffness, tenderness, pain or swelling which lasts longer than 6 weeks

• Morning stiffness which last longer than 1 minute

• Small joints are normally affected first (hands and feet)

If you’ve already been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis, or want to reduce the likelihood of developing Osteoarthritis then you may be able to start with these simple nutrition and lifestyle steps;

• Supplement with Chondroitin to improve cartilage and synovial fluid

• Supplement with vitamin C, comfrey and turmeric

• Acupuncture treatment

• Severe cases - joint replacements

• Adhere to a weight program to increase bone strength and your skeletal system to support your body framework.

2- Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis an autoimmune disorder which causes joint inflammation and pain. By autoimmune, we mean when your body attacks it’s own cell membranes so your immune system doesn’t work properly. In this case, our immune system attacks our synovium which is the lining of our joints. This can cause chronic inflammation in these areas and often spread in to other organs around the body, except the brain. We normally find that the peak occurrence for Rheumatoid Arthritis is between 30-50 years old.

But what causes the onset of Rheumatoid Arthritis? With RA, the immune system mistakes the body’s cells with foreign substances and releases an inflammatory attack on the lining of our joints. When the synovium get inflamed, it makes the joint feel painful and tender, look red and swollen, and the joint may be difficult to move.

Research has shown that the following are 3 causes of RA;

• Genetic markers; certain genes being passed on which are activated by a trigger in the environment (virus and bacteria), or physical and emotional stress, or other external factors

• Infectious agents (virus’ and bacteria)

• Abnormal intestinal permeability (SIBO) and smoking

Signs and symptoms you may be experiencing with RA include the following;

• Pain and swelling in small joints (hands and feet)

• Progressive morning stiffness (>1hr)

• Deforming joints

• General malaise and fatigue

• Subluxation and compression of the spinal cord (paralysis and neurological complications

• Kidney problems

Allopathic treatments for RA would include; anti-inflammatories and immunosuppressants and eventually surgery. Dietary changes you can make straight away as nutritional therapy for RA include;

• Anti-inflammatory foods to reduce intestinal permeability

• Mediterranean diet consisting of oily fish, lean fish, olive oil and legumes

• Increase anti-oxidants (pecans, berries, kale, artichokes, dark chocolate)

• Increase omega 3 (through diet or supplement) and vitamin D3.

• Herbal supplements including; turmeric/circumin, boswellia, and devil’s claw