As far as natural treatments go, using specially selected foods arthritis goes a long way in soothing joint pain. Countless people have found natural pain relief by using food for arthritis pain relief and by eating specific foods to reduce inflammation.

 

When looking at foods to cure arthritis, the first diet step is to address arthritis foods to avoid. Refined sugars and refined flours wreak havoc on inflammation. The more you can avoid these foods arthritis symptoms will get better. That is no easy task. Nearly all pre-packaged foods are made with refined flours and sugars. If that is all you do, you will be doing well.

Adding omega 3 fatty acids to the diet is another great step in the right direction. Foods high in Omega 3s help reduce inflammation and provide a host of other health benefits as well.

Most fresh fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants that help thwart the damage of free radicals in the body. Some fruits and vegetable are more specifically beneficial for arthritis.

A study from the University of Manchester in the UK revealed that some specific dietary carotenoids beta-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin lower the risk of developing arthritis.

Excellent food sources of beta-cryptoxanthin include corn, cilantro, red bell peppers, avocadoes, papaya, oranges, watermelon and grapefruit. Excellent food sources of zeaxanthin include collard greens, kale, turnip greens, spinach, persimmons, tangerines and goji berries.

Drinking a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice daily, while also including other sources of these powerhouse foods arthritis, may cut the risk of developing arthritis.

If you have leg joint pain, spine arthritis or pain in joint issues elsewhere in the body, consider first using food for arthritis as a first course treatment.

If you are one of those people who find making dietary changes nearly impossible, use the Arthritis Strategy pack as a next-best treatment. The Arthritis Strategy Pack helps by adding beneficial nutrients at the cellular level while also bringing balance to the internal environment.

Now let's take a look at the opposite end of the stick - using medication instead of food for arthritis pain relief. How safe are the old arthritis pain medications like Advil and Motrin, the so-called NSAIDs? How safe are the new generation arthritis pain medication like Celebrex and Vioxx?

Your first clue should be the "ambulance chaser" lawyer websites threaded throughout internet searches on the new arthritis medications like Celebrex. They aren't out there cruising around for nothing. These arthritis pain medications know as COX-2 inhibitors could be hazardous to your health, and in some cases, may cost you your life.

When the arthritis medication initially came to market, The Wall Street Journal ran a story that spread throughout the media linking Celebrex to 10 deaths during its first three months. In addition, there were eleven other cases of gastrointestinal hemorrhage or ulcers associated with the arthritis medicine. The Wall Street Journal obtained the information from the FDA's Freedom of Information Act.

Of the ten deaths, half of them were from ulcers. Two of the deaths occurred from heart attack, one to a kidney problem, one to an interaction with another drug, and no cause was given for the other death. Although Celebrex was not deemed responsible for the deaths, it does illustrate the potential dangers associated with new arthritis drug Cox-2 inhibitors.

The association between Cox-2 inhibitors and health concerns has prompted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider adding warning labels to Celebrex about the potential risk of cardiovascular problems.

What about NSAID pain medications like Advil, Motrin, Naproxen, and ibuprofen? Are they any safer?

According to volumes of literature, NSAID pain medication drugs can cause ulcers and bleeding, increased blood pressure, salt and water retention (water weight gain), impair blood flow to the kidneys, and interfere with blood clotting.

Ulcers and Bleeding: In many people, NSAID pain medication increases the risk of ulcers and bleeding in the stomach and upper small intestine. The higher the dose, the greater the risk that the arthritis drugs will cause a hole in the walls of the stomach or small intestine—a condition that is a serious medical emergency and can be fatal (Langman et al 1994; Fries et al 1993). Some estimates put the number of hospital admissions due to gastrointestinal side effects of NSAIDs at more than 100,000 per year.

Blood Pressure Increase: Long-term arthritis pain medication treatment with NSAIDs can raise blood pressure. This may be harmful to people with already elevated blood pressure or other risk factors for coronary heart disease. A review of several studies (Johnson et al 1994) concluded that the average increase is 5 mmHg, which can make arteries age faster.

Salt and Water Retention: Long-term arthritis pain medication use of NSAIDs can lead to retention of salt and water in the body. As far as health reasons are concerned, this could be deadly for people at risk of congestive heart failure. For cosmetic reasons, this could add some paunchy weight to your frame.

Impairment of Kidney Function: NSAIDs can cause impairment of blood flow in the kidneys, especially in older people. This problem will go away once the arthritis pain medication is no longer taken (Brooks and Day 1993).

Interference with Blood Coagulation: Because NSAIDs interfere with the clotting function of blood platelets, the arthritis pain medication use can prolong bleeding time and make it more difficult to stop bleeding.

Above all, prescription arthritis pain medication of all kinds are unsafe. Although many come from natural compounds, they must be chemically altered in order to patent them. We here at the Arthritis Pain Cure Center believe that this then interferes with efficacy and renders many dangerous for human use. As a matter of fact, a statistical study of hospital deaths in the U.S. conducted at the University of Toronto revealed that pharmaceutical drugs kill more people every year than are killed in traffic accidents.

The study is said to show that more than two million American hospitalized patients suffered a serious adverse drug reaction (ADR) within the 12-month period of the study and, of these, over 100,000 died as a result. The researchers found that over 75 per cent of these ADRs were dose-dependent, which suggests they were due to the inherent toxicity of the drugs rather than to allergic reactions.

The data did not include fatal reactions caused by accidental overdoses or errors in administration of the drugs. If these had been included, it is estimated that another 100,000 deaths would be added to the total every year.

The researchers concluded that ADRs are now the fourth leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease, cancer, and stroke. This fact was reported in the Wall Street Journal.

Medical authorities continually caution physicians and patients regarding the use of arthritis pain medication NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and others. NSAIDs are believed responsible for more than 76,000 hospitalizations each year due to gastrointestinal bleeding.

Given the choice between food for arthritis and drug treatment, the foods arthritis route is the safest and healthiest route.

Instead of reaching for an unhealthy meal, reach for a handful of spinach and a glass of orange juice. Also reach for  Arthritin and Buffer pH and watch your health and vitality return.
 

Discover how to Immediately Eliminate Your Arthritis Pain -- once and for all -- with proven natural inflammation supplements for joint pain relief!