I have just been told I have osteoarthritis in feet knees hips and hands hat food should I eat

I have bad OA In my fingers, even had 2 finger joint replacements and put it down to wear and tear. The best therapy I find is exercise for the joints which sounds weird but it works. 

i'm very suspicious of articles that claim OA can be cured or even affected by diet.   I did try different things in the early stages but nothing helped.  If there were any wonder foods doctors would be prescribing them.  Eat as healthily as you can, keep as active as you can and follow the advice of you GP.

Cels x

You need a healthy diet that YOU can eat - adding nuts seeds or grains is not going to be "healthy" for someone with those allergies. But you didn't worry about it last month so why now? I don't eat wheat either since it makes me itch - but I do eat other grains in small amounts. 

OA is due to the cartilage wearing away in the joints so that the bone isn't cushioned properly, nothing you eat will make any difference to that, it is usually due to over-use of the joint or damage due an accident in the past. Excessive weight doesn't help so if you want to do anything with diet and you have a few pounds to lose aim for that. Some people say that glucosamine and chondroitin supplements have helped them but there isn't any real proof although some doctors are for them so you could try them. If you have allergies check the labels in case there is something in them that you can't eat.

Before having any surgery, get yourself on the Patient Info 'Total Hip Replacement' forum, and visit my website on THR for information about the procedure, risks, pains, problems, tips and suggestions etc.

My website address is in the THR Moderator's 'Useful Resources' page, and on my personal informaton, or see the graphics below.

Graham - 🚀💃

I slightly disagree with the others on this board. I too have OA pretty much everywhere. My hand surgeon immobilised my thumbs for 12 weeks in plastic casts. He said this would enable scar tissue to grow as it was very slow growing. This is what indeed happened, and i have not had a problem for the last year. 

Conversely foot surgoen gave me orthotics and exercise programme which took away a lot of pain over 12 months but when feet 'recovered' then i no longer wear them as i found they were hurting my knees and hips more. 

no 1 thing i found for knees and hips was walking. A lot. Started off slow and built up by 10% per fortnight. every other day. I find if i exercise at least 12000 steps (about 5-6miles LOL!!) every other day i keep the pain in knees and hips at bay. This is apparently due to the fact the body tries to heal itself but to produce the good stuff to heal the join, the jont needs pressure on it and movement. this seems to stimulate the joint to produce more of the good stuff to heal itself. 

For my shoulders (!!) then i went skiing belive it or not. You face donw the mountain at an angle on your shoulders - killed me to start with but after 2 weeks, shoulders so much better. (Wore knee splints).   However, i find neck and elbows and shoulders much miuch better if i dont look down (e.g. at a laptop)... really hate my laptop now as it puts out C5/C6 then hurts my arms and shoulders... 

I changed my diet a lot. I binned everything 'bad' and went back to basics i.e. Fish, veg, fruit, nuts and seeds for 3 months.  All i know is that a year ago i could barely walk. Now i can do 12 miles no issue. After 12 weeks started to reintroduce things. I was religious about it. I found alcohol really made things hurt - not immediately but over a few weeks. Cut it back out again.  Found tomatoes not the best but i love them.  HOwever, what i did do was i wrote down the vits and minerals in everything i ate and analysed it. Foudn i was way below daily allowance on C, D, E, So for example i put grapefruit into my diet. Then if for example i am weak on something e.g. yesterday at end of day realised i could balance it back this morning if i ate a kiwi or mango. So i did.   This takes a lot of effort to start with. But i was in so much pain and had nothing to lose and had just retired so i had the time. My pain levels have retreated to about 1 or 2 on most days. I use voltarol or nurofen plus on the 'bad' days but then i get moving again. 

I have lost the crepitus in my right knee (but still have in other knee). 

I also on advice of Rheumatologist take 2000 mu Vit D per day (even though i live on beach) and an omega 3.  Cant easily overdose on either. 

So for me, i'd advise to do as much as possible: 1) walk 2) pain killers as needed to keep you exercising 3) diet - cut out lots and then re-introduce but dont expect stuff to work overnght - most things take at least 12 weeks to re-balance chemicals in body so keep at it. Easy to give up. Worst thing for me is alcohol and grains. Wouldnt worry about not doing seeds and nuts - but track your Vit c,d,e levels well above recommended daily levels. These are all suggestive of OA if too low.  You have nothing to lose as the doctors cant currently help you. Take control so you have no regrets.... my view is stem cell stuff will be there within 5 years so keep active, give yourslef the best possible chance and dont regret trying anything. xxx

I then changed my diet as i had nothing to lose.

Personally I would say dont listen to anyone about diets....As Cels says we all tr different things at the beginning. We are looking for the holy graille and then realise there is no curefor arthritis.....just some relief.

Eat a normal Healthy diet and it will be fine

By the way I'm a volunteer for our arthritis care branch and man stands. This is what we are told to tell people. A normal healthy diet will be fine.

No weird diets or dont be told you can or cant eat anything {unless of course it is for some other reason....like you are allergic to something}

If you ring arthritis care helpline they will send you a booklet we have on healthy eating and a few others if you need them

Good Luck

Eileen UK

The Arthritis Uk web site states " If you have any type of arthritis you should try to eat:a balanced and varied diet to get all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients you need a more Mediterranean-style diet which includes fish, pulses, nuts, olive oil and plenty of fruit and vegetables

more omega-3 fatty acids, for example from oily fish."

The NHS guidelines are based on well tried and tested clinical trials and hey dont really recommend anything that hasnt been tested on e.g. 25,000 people over many years in a trial.  

However, there are hundreds of medical papers relating to diet in OA.  OA is not merely a 'wear and tear' disease. There is a chemical process going on in the joints. (people dont really just wear out e.g. elbows and shoulders). The general consensus is that its complex and partly bio-mechanics (loading, repetitive stress etc) and partly bio-chemical etc. This is the subject of tons of research - there are lots of papers on the role of oxidative stress (caused by free radicals) where they are not being nutralised by anti-oxidants in the diet etc.  This is the subject of intense research into OA.   You can see this simply by typing in"google SCholar" and then typing in e.g. "Vitamin D Osteoarthritis" or "Vitamin E Osteoarthritis" or pretty much anything else you fancy e.g. "selenium OSteoarthritis".  

Here are a few examples of what comes up:

http://journals.lww.com/jclinrheum/Abstract/2009/08000/Vitamin_D_Status,_Bone_Mineral_Density,_and_the.5.aspx

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11926-005-0006-y

http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/20120698

I just chose a handful at random. HOwever, there are hundreds and there are 3 main routes being followed for new treatments for OA: a) stem cells for replacing lost caritlege that has gone which will replace joint replacements at some stage in the future probably b) loads of work on the chemical interactions in the joints c) control of the vagus nerve (which has a control function on inflammation throughout the body).   

If you just follow the NHS guidelines then just follow a healthy diet as suggested by Arthritis UK. However, i wasnt prepared to wait till i was disabled and started reading hundreds of these medical journals on small scale trials (which will eventually lead to larger trials and ultimately to the NHS guidelines). So i started reading was going on, wrote to my Rheumatologist and 2 surgeons and they got involved too and involved 4 other teaching hospitals in UK to see what was the latest thinking. they referred me onwards as they can only follow NHS guidelines but if you volunteer to be a guinea pig you get past current guidelines to more trial areas of research.   This is obviously not everyones cup of tea. But dont give up.  Much of the current research points to links to Vitamin C,D,E and Selenium deficiencies.  NHS does now test for Vit D deficiency and will recommend 2000 units per day.  

You have nothing to lose.Track how much C,D,E and Selnium you get from what you eat. Make sure you get enough C,D, Selenium (body can store E).  If you are deficient, up them!   Dont listen to the guys who say it wont make a blind bit of difference. It has for me. Vit D has now got into the guidelines. Who knows if the others wont shortly?  It certainly wont harm you to know and do something about it. There is only upside so you might as well try.  

The current thinking in OA research in the Universities is that it is a wear and repair disease not constant and that there is an inflammatory element - but not constantly - but clearly people have flares and then it is definitely inflammatory. Again this is confirmed by Arhritis UK web site:

http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/health-professionals-and-students/reports/hands-on/hands-on-autumn-2011.aspx

so our knowledge is getting better all the time. .... further - and i know this sounds a bit mad - but the vets are slightly ahead of the human trials (as easier to trial on animals) and they have worked out that restricting dog's diets for example, leads to a mean age of getting arthritis of 7 years compared to 14 where they eat a 'normal general diet"... quite easy to find this on Google Scholar too...  in pigs, OA is reasonably known and common and the farmers balance phosporous and Vitamin C to counteract it (dont try this!!) but it has to be in exactly the right proportions.... and the pigs then trot around OK.  So its not JUST wear and tear. 

The best advice is to eat tons of fruit & veggies; up your Omega 3; cut out inflammatory foods and get a decent bmi.... you can do this still avoiding seeds and nuts. Vit C,D,E, Selenium also seem to be key so make sure you get the reccomended amount.  I wouldn't give up - go for it and stay encouraged... the very worst that can happen is that you will be healthier.  For me, then i am better than i was a year ago and thus i continue to eat and be as healthy as i can. Just wish i had been on this course earlier.  Good luck. 

I happened to have an apoointment at Wellingotn Hospital in London yesterday so i went armed with a series of questions on this subject. This is what the consultant told me:

1. The issue in the joint starts off being bio-chemical.  I.E. something triggers a bio-chemical response in the joint at some stage and the cartilege starts to become damaged in some way.  They dont know why this is at the moment and are looking into the triggers as to what causes this.  You would not necesarily know that this is happenng and indeed probably dont know. 

2. The body tried to heal itself at this point and suceeds in most cases. In some cases the bio-chemical reactions are too much and then the bio-mechanical (i.e. the way you use the joint, how you walk etc kicks in) and you start subconciously in most cases to load the joint differently as the chemicals are making it inflammed or damaging the caritlege. At this stage and only at this stage does 'wear and tear' set in - following the bio-chemical changes. 

3. Most wear and tear stabilises - the bone growths etc stabilise to some degree the joint and in many cases thsi does not get worse. The majority dont go on to have knee replacements or shoudler replacements etc. The osteophytes dont generally get bigger and bigger - they stabilise and stop in the majority of cases, but not all. 

So the bottom line is that a) something triggers the bio-chemical change to start with. This could be an infection, diet, lack of minerals, lack of a healthy life, smoking or wahtever - loads of work going on in this field.  At this stage if you lack minerals of viatmins etc diet will significantly help you as will hydration as the cartiliegeg needs water. Alcohol dehydrates you. Smoking very bad apparently etc etc. 

In an affected joint that has moved past the bio-chemical phase into the wear and tear phase, then diet will still help you with all other joints unaffected or in bio-chem phase. In a joint past this phase and into wear and tear, then you are in cycle of pain killers and if continues, to replacement etc. 

I hope this helps everyone - i literally went armed with a load of questions on it and this is what one of the top suprgeons in the UK told me yesterday.  He also told me to step up the more robust exercise rather than just walking. Tol me to take pain killers to  enable me to do more vigorous stuff as it would help. Hate taking pain killers every day and his response was that if it was him, he'd get out there, take pain killers and do more vigorous exercise. He also kindly referred me on to a guy at UCL who is more at the cutting edge of research into the links between e.g. diet, LDL levels and triggers of OA etc  and is doing research rather than just reating so i will update when i've seen him.

Hope this helps everyone. Go for it seems to be the message 

Turmeric. It has been proven to be effective against both acute and chronic pain and is mostly known for its potent anti-inflammatory properties. especially for osteoarthritis.

Ginger. For its anti-inflammatory properties and can offer pain relief. Fresh ginger works well grated and steeped in boiling water as a tea or blended into a smoothie or juice.

Broccoli. One of the richest sources of Sulforaphane, which is known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits this potent compound. (Can also be found in other cruciferous vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts,cauliflower and cabbage).

Pineapples. The enzyme Bromelain found in pineapples, is a natural anti-inflammatory. 

Rose Hips. Remembering the syrup from my childhood and then reading about its anti-inflammatory properties, I ordered some tablets from Holland & Barrett in the sale (Half Price - £9.49 x 120 tablets - 750mg) and have started taking 3 tablets twice a day. 

*Vitamin D. Natural - sunshine or supplements. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with cartilage loss and is one of the hallmarks of osteoarthritis.

I'm vegan and eat no processed foods. I have Birch Pollen and Latex allergies which means I avoid certain fruits and vegetables, so understand your concern about what to eat. Basically start with foods with the highest nutrients that you CAN eat and add as many anti-inflammatory foods and herbs (supplements too) as you can afford or like. 

I hope this is of some help to you and others too. Best of care and health,

Frankie. x

I'm a volunteer for Arthritis Care and we advise that you just eat a healthy diet.......no diets of any description,......just healthy food. I'm a vegetarian so there are foods I cant eat either so apart from that ignore people that say....dont eat tomatoes or nightshade foodes etc.

I get a lot of people coming to me when I'm working and asking what can I eat to help my arthritis or what should I avoid to stop making it worse

Love

Eileen UK