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Nonsurgical Approaches to Joint Pain

by Dr. Julian Whitaker

Published 04/30/09

If you've decided against surgery and want to try a nonsurgical approach to pain relief, where do you begin? I recommend that you start by cleaning up your diet.

The best diet for your bones, joints, and muscles is the same diet that I recommend to preserve the health of your heart, brain, and other organs: nutrient-rich vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains, along with cold-water fish and lean poultry. This diet is naturally low in fat, with adequate protein to maintain muscles and an abundance of antioxidants, B vitamins, and minerals to fortify bones and combat the inflammatory processes that accelerate the aging of your joints. To ensure proper nutrition, you should also take a high-potency multivitamin and mineral supplement every day.

Don't Underestimate the Importance of Water

Minimize your intake of coffee, soda, and other caffeinated beverages, which promote dehydration. Instead, drink plenty of water throughout the day. You may discover that simply drinking more water helps alleviate your pain. The reason? The natural shock absorbers in your spine, hips, knees, and other joints need water to do their job.

The discs in the lower back that separate the spinal vertebrae are designed to absorb stress and facilitate movement, but their cushioning effect is based largely on their water content. When pressure is applied to the discs, they extrude water to compensate for added stress. When pressure is relieved, a vacuum is created inside the disc and water rapidly flows in, rehydrating and cushioning the vertebrae. Without this powerful water surge, discs flatten and slip out of spinal alignment, causing acute and chronic pain on the nerves behind the disc.

Water also makes up 85 percent of the cartilage and virtually all of the synovial fluid that lubricates your joints. When there is inadequate water in the joints, cartilage shrinks and loses its resiliency. If joints are not properly hydrated, cartilage will continue to shrink until it's no longer able to protect the joints. The result is pain.

Alleviating back pain, or any type of chronic pain, won't come from simply drinking several glasses of water at one time. Pain indicates that you've been dehydrated for quite some time, and it will take several weeks of increased water intake for you to feel a difference. I recommend drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day-and up to 12 glasses, if you can. Be sure the water you drink is filtered, as even well water contains impurities that can be toxic.

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