Do you have joint pain? If so read my story: Early this morning, Sam clicked on Pandora on his iPhone and Le Freak started playing. If you don’t know that song, look on YouTube and watch the “Freak Out” video by Chic which was popular in 1978 when I was 13 years old. We must have healthy amygdalas because we remembered the lyrics which go like this: Aww freak out! Le Freak! c‘est Chic! Freak out!”
At some point, the beat overcame our sleepiness and we both started to do a little bed dance, complete with hip gyrations, but NOT in the way you are thinking.🙄
(Stop thinking that, this is a family-friendly column!)
So anyway, “Freak Out” is playing and we are ever so gently moving to the groove. It’s kind of sweet. Our fingers and toes are now getting in on the action. Two minutes pass and not a giggle, not a word, just slightly moving, barely awake. My mind drifts back to an awkward high school dance with a guy 🤔 I used to like…
Back to reality. Sam rolls out of bed and wobbles to the bathroom kind of like an 80-year old! He went from being super smooth under the sheets to decrepit in under 5 seconds and when I pointed out how he suddenly looks, all hunched over and in some degree of pain, we cackled together! It dawned on me that bed dancing doesn’t relieve joint stiffness, although it’s a nice change from spooning.
Joint stiffness and pain are no laughing matter. An estimated 52.5 million adults in the United States were told by their doctor that they have some form of arthritis, whether it is rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia. You want more flexibility and less pain and stiffness. I think yoga is the fastest, safest way to achieve this.
The following is a list of natural botanical options for joint pain, but they do have interactions so please ask your practitioner(s) if these are right for you. One might be helpful, or even a combination of a few.
Now, for some other supplements and ideas that might help you:
SAMe. It’s short for S-adenosylmethionine and you produce this. Taken as a supplement, SAMe supports joint health and relieves pain. If you take too much or you have bipolar disorder, because it may cause feelings of anger, or symptoms of mania or hypomania. Dosing with this incredible supplement is key to reaping rewards.
Boswellia.
I call this dietary supplement Mother Nature’s steroid. It’s an inhibitor of 5-lipoxygenase, so it reduces leukotriene production and human leukocyte elastase (HLE). This makes it a strong anti-inflammatory with potential benefits for arthritis, ulcerative colitis, asthma, back pain, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and much more. Boswellia serrata is commonly found in JOINT supplements, and its other name is frankincense.
Vitamin C and B complex. It sounds too simple, doesn’t it? But combining Bs and C increases the elasticity of cell walls. This allows muscle cells to stretch further without tearing and then helps relieve joint pain.
Proteolytic enzymes.
These break down proteins in your food, turning them into amino acids and reducing inflammation and pain. Bromelain from pineapples or papain from papaya are two popular fruit-derived enzymes. Just FYI, meat tenderizer contains papain because it acts like a chemical meat mallet!
Collagen peptides help joint pain.
Collagen peptides are becoming increasingly popular for their potential benefits in alleviating joint pain and enhancing joint health. These small protein fragments, derived from collagen, can be easily absorbed by the body and are thought to help rebuild the cartilage that cushions joints. By promoting the synthesis of new collagen in the body, collagen peptides may reduce inflammation and improve joint function, potentially leading to decreased pain and increased mobility in individuals suffering from joint disorders such as OSTEOARTHRITIS, supplementation with collagen peptides, therefore, could be a beneficial addition to the management of joint health, especially for those experiencing chronic joint discomfort.
If this topic interests you, read my other article, Collagen Peptides: The 4 Main Ingredients Needed For Joint Comfort.
Suzy Cohen, has been a licensed pharmacist for over 30 years and believes the best approach to chronic illness is a combination of natural medicine and conventional. She founded her own dietary supplement company specializing in custom-formulas, some of which have patents. With a special focus on functional medicine, thyroid health and drug nutrient depletion, Suzy is the author of several related books including Thyroid Healthy, Drug Muggers, Diabetes Without Drugs, and a nationally syndicated column.
