Yes, inflammatory foods are often one of the primary culprits in osteoarthritis. Try eliminating sugar, white flour/wheat, corn, soy, dairy, and nightshades completely for a few weeks and see if your symptoms improve. Then add each item back in (only one at a time) every 2-3 days to “test” for a reaction. If you have a reaction of any kind (joint pain, headache, digestive upset, mood shift, foggy brain, etc.), remove that offending food for at least 6 months before retesting. 

Movement is also essential for arthritis and lowering inflammation overall. Walking, stretching, yoga, tai chi, are all helpful, and should be done regularly. Additionally, omega-3 fatty acids can be very helpful for inflammation which you can get through supplements, and from food sources such as wild caught fish like salmon or sardines, walnuts, and flax.

Best!

Zoe

Zoe,

The way you just explained the food elimination and later re-introduction in testing to eliminate food sensitivities for osteoarthritis was very helpful to me.  I was never really sure how to effectively apply that protocol to myself before and you really crystallized my understanding in your reply to Cnilsen.  Thank you for your thoughtful reply.

I am presently putting together my shopping list and adding the healthy foods you mentioned this month.  Also I will be using a specialized water filtration system more consistently this month then infusing my daily water portion with unsweetened pineapple chunks.  I read that the bromelain in pineapple is a powerful anti-inflammatory, tried it and have received powerful, natural relief from my psoriatic arthritis  flares.  Also, I noticed that as is do this daily, my skin is looking more healthy and smoother in many areas.