Millions of people have stiff, painful knees thanks to osteoarthritis. Remedies range from keeping active and dropping excess weight to steroid injections and even surgery. But research shows that you can take a tastier route to improvement.

The foods that cause inflammation and can often lead to chronic knee pain include refined sugar, refined grains, and flour products (bread, pasta, bagels, etc.), refined oils and red meat.  These types of foods make up approximately 80% of the average American’s caloric intake.  Even eating only 30-40% of calories from these foods is too much.  A diet comprised of these types of foods creates inflammation that will affect the knee joint and surrounding muscles causing and promoting further knee pain and suffering.

The following foods can help you combat knee pain as they contain good amount of pain relieving and anti-inflammatory properties:

1. Soy

The intake of soy has been shown to lessen pain and discomfort in joints. Consume soy for three months, every day and you should notice a substantial change. According to researchers, Soy is a rich source of isoflavones, anti-inflammatory properties, and plant hormones. You may include soy in your stews, steamed vegetables, soy burgers, salads or drink soy milk.

The most widespread condition affecting those 65 and older is coronary heart disease, followed by stroke, cancer, pneumonia and the flu. Accidents, especially falls that result in hip fractures, are also unfortunately common in the elderly.

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Most of them involve natural means of conditioning your body or finding ways to take pressure off of pained body parts.

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Prescription opioid painkillers such as Oxycontin, morphine, and codeine are potential gateway drugs. Chronic use of aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding, and are responsible for as many as 16,500 deaths per year in this country alone.

What you need is a solution that gets rid of the pain and, even better, has beneficial side effects that promote wellness throughout your body.

To achieve successful pain relief, symptoms should continue to be treated. Pain is distracting, and you need to feel well enough so that you’ll be able to focus on a strategy to resolve the underlying cause and either lessen or eliminate it altogether.

These are natural pain relief measures you can use to help relieve symptoms of pain that have just occurred:

Injury: Ice for the first couple of days to reduce inflammation, then moist heat after the first to second day, which will boost blood circulation and promote tissue healing.

Strained muscles: Add magnesium (such as Epsom salts) or sodium bicarbonate to a hot bath to help relieve inflammation and soothe muscle strains.

To work on managing pain that is chronic or intermittent, there are a variety of options from which to choose.

Relaxation: When in pain, we tend to take shorter breaths. Be conscious of how you’re breathing and whether it’s shallow. Draw out your breath, as it will help relax your body. That dispersal of tension will also help disperse pain symptoms. Think of childbirth and how breathing methods have been used for years – It’s a way to work through the pain and relax.

But there are natural, healthy, low-cost approaches to reducing painful inflammation.

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Arthritis relief is hiding in our pantries, our closets and our swimming pools. The following natural pain relief practices have fewer long-term harmful side effects than a pocket full of pills, and most of them are delicious, relaxing and even fun.

Feel the heat: Heat is perhaps the handiest way to reduce inflammation without a pill. Keeping your joints warm keeps your circulation strong, which is a great way to minimize muscle and joint inflammation. Hot showers, good insulation and a cozy sweater go a long way toward keeping joints supple and pain free. To combat intense pain in a large region such as the lower back, invest in a heating pad or splurge on a hot stone massage.

Read: Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Overview

“Early is better with arthritis diagnosis,” says Arthritis Foundation Vice President Patience White, a professor of medicine and pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C.

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Treating the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis (RA) within the first months of onset, for example, can minimize joint deformities and even put the disease into remission, thanks to the latest treatments. With osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative joint disease that’s the most common kind of arthritis, the sooner you start behavioral changes, the better you may be able to manage pain and preserve mobility, White says.

Trouble moving in the morning. Waking up and being unable to move about easily for half an hour or longer. Everybody has some morning stiffness, but normally it fades as you stretch and start moving. “With rheumatoid arthritis, it can take 30 minutes or more to loosen up — sometimes hours, or even all day,” says Chaim Putterman, chief of rheumatology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. “People affected say they feel encased, like prisoners, and the feeing of being unable to move can be even more burdensome than the actual pain.”

Why pay attention: Stiffness after inactivity is a hallmark symptom of rheumatoid arthritis. It can recur later in the day when you’ve been sitting still for awhile — after watching a movie, for example. With osteoarthritis, the more you use your affected joints, the worse they tend to feel; with rheumatoid arthritis, the more you move, the better it feels, Putterman says.

Knee trouble. Your knee joint locking or sending stabs of pain when you bend it, as when going up or down stairs. Added red flag: Knee pain if you’re overweight. “Every extra pound you gain feels like four pounds across your knees,” White says. Excess weight raises your risk of developing arthritis, which some 60 percent of obese people develop.

Related types of painful physical function include limping, being unable to extend your elbow, changes in how steadily you can stand or walk, and trouble standing on tiptoe.

Why pay attention: The knee is the largest joint in the body and the second-most common site for osteoarthritis, according to White. (A bow-legged “cowboy” walk can result from osteoarthritic knees.) Other key targets: the hips, the back, the ankles, the thumbs, and the hands. “People really don’t go to the doctor until they can’t do what they want to do — lift a baby, walk a block, get out of bed easily — and pain is the number-one reason why,” White says.

Caregivers should beware of a debilitating cycle in loved ones with arthritis, Putterman says. If activity is painful, you avoid it, you stay inside more, you sit home and eat, you gain weight, which makes you even less able to get out — and before you know it, you’re on a path to losing independence.

Flu-like symptoms. Chronic tiredness, loss of appetite, weight loss, anemia, and/or fever that persists for weeks (longer than a bout of flu). Some combination of these symptoms usually appears, along with stiffness and pain. You might even notice changes in nonjoint tissue, such as eyes that feel dry and sore and may be red. These symptoms can come on gradually or suddenly.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a type of chronic arthritis that typically occurs in joints on both sides of the body (such as hands, wrists, or knees). This symmetry helps distinguish rheumatoid arthritis from other types of arthritis.

In addition to affecting the joints, rheumatoid arthritis may occasionally affect the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, blood, or nerves.

What Are the Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:

• Joint pain and swelling
• Stiffness, especially in the morning or after sitting for long periods
• Fatigue

Rheumatoid arthritis affects everyone differently. For some, joint
symptoms develop gradually over several years. In others, rheumatoid
arthritis may progress rapidly and while other people may have
rheumatoid arthritis for a limited period of time and then enter a
period of remission.

Who Gets Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis affects about 1% of the U.S. population. While it is two to three times more common in women than in men, men tend to be more severely affected when they get it. It usually occurs in middle age, however, young children and the elderly also can develop rheumatoid arthritis.

What Causes Rheumatoid Arthritis?

The exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, but it is thought to be due to a combination of genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors. With rheumatoid arthritis, something seems to trigger the immune system to attack the joints and sometimes other organs. Some theories suggest that a virus or bacteria may alter the immune system, causing it to attack the joints. Other theories suggest that smoking may lead to the development of rheumatoid arthritis.

Research hasn’t completely determined exactly what role genetics plays in rheumatoid arthritis. However, some people do seem to have a genetic or inherited factor that increases their chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

How Does Rheumatoid Arthritis Affect the Body?

Once the immune system is triggered, immune cells migrate from the blood into the joints and joint-lining tissue, called synovium. There the immune cells produce inflammatory substances. The increased number of cells and inflammatory substances within the joint cause irritation, wearing down of cartilage (cushioning material at the end of bones), and swelling and inflammation of the joint lining. Inflammation of the joint lining stimulates it to produce excessive joint fluid within the joint.

As the cartilage wears down, the space between the bones narrows. If the condition worsens, the bones could rub against each other.

As the joint lining expands, it may invade into, or erode, the adjacent bone, resulting in bone damage that is referred to as erosions. All of these factors cause the joint to become very painful, swollen, and warm to the touch.

How Is Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosed?

 If you have arthritis, joint pain can dramatically interfere with your quality of life and the ability to do those everyday activities you once did with ease. But there are easy, everyday things you can do to help provide some relief…in addition to consulting with your doctor, of course.

Exercise

Arthritis and exercise may not seem like a natural match, but staying active can definitely help your joint pain. “Joints are meant to move, and when they move they’re lubricated,” says physical therapist Patrice Winter, PT, MS, of Fairfax Physical Therapy in Fairfax, Va. Even arthritic joints benefit from motion. The key is to know your limits, Winter says. Understand the range of motion available to you and don’t push past that limit, or you can end up increasing joint pain. And skip the weight-bearing exercises — water-based activities are ideal, especially in warm water.

Work

Joint pain can make sitting at a desk miserable. Fortunately, a few simple tips can help you get through a day at the office. If you work at a desk, make sure you have an ergonomic chair that supports your body and a workstation where all your actions can be done within your range of motion. Choose a hands-free headset instead of clenching a phone between your shoulder and your head. And stay active — remember that it’s vital to get exercise when you have arthritis. Get up and stretch every 30 to 60 minutes.

Sex

Stiff joints? You can still let loose in the bedroom. Your approach to sex should involve support, support, support — and a little bit of creativity. Pillows, wedges, and rolled towels that support curved areas will improve your sexual experience, as will trying out new positions to find what’s comfortable. The most important point, says Winter, is not to always conform to the standard missionary position (one partner on top and the other underneath). Spooning, for instance, might be a more viable alternative, she suggests.

Cooking

The secret to navigating the kitchen when you have joint pain is having everything that you use most commonly in your “strike zone.” That means you may have to reorganize cooking essentials so that most items are between shoulder and thigh height. It’s also a good idea to have a counter at thigh height, which will make stirring and rolling dough easier, says Winter. Finally, plan your strategy before you start cooking so that you won’t have to carry heavy items, such as a pot full of pasta, across the kitchen by yourself.

Reaching

But before you head to your kitchen, or the grocery store, you need to find out which ones will fit best into your rheumatoid arthritis treatment plan. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) at the National Institutes of Health, just about all supplements have the potential to interfere with your regular medications or cause other unwanted side effects, such as an allergic reaction, so learning more about them and talking with your doctor beforehand is essential.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Supplements

A variety of complementary and alternative claim to be helpful for arthritis. Some of the most commonly known supplements include:

Borage oil comes from a plant and contains omega-6 fatty acids, which are thought to offer people with rheumatoid arthritis some relief from pain and joint stiffness. According to NCCAM, however, results of studies involving borage oil for rheumatoid arthritis have not been conclusive. Borage oil and other oils that contain omega-6 fatty acids, such as evening primrose oil, can increase bleeding and bruising. NCCAM also warns that borage oil is made with an additive that may increase liver damage. Also, the appropriate dose of borage oil varies with each individual, so discuss what is appropriate for you with your rheumatologist.

Capsaicin cream is numbing agent that comes from cayenne peppers. The cream is rubbed onto joints that are sore and inflamed. Studies suggest that this cream is modestly effective in reducing joint pain if it is used daily. Side effects can include a burning sensation after application.

Cod liver oil, a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, is the only dietary supplement that has been strongly associated with relieving symptoms such as inflammation and pain among people with rheumatoid arthritis. “It has results similar to non-steroidal drugs like ibuprofen and can be used safely,” says Robert W. Hoffman, DO, professor and chief of the division of rheumatology and immunology in the department of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “It also has cardiovascular protective benefits.”

The risks of cod liver oil include increased bleeding and bruising and possible exposure to mercury from the original codfish. Research has shown 10 grams of cod liver oil daily to have a positive effect on joint pain, but there are no official recommendations about how much you should take.

Flaxseed oil, which comes from ground flax seeds, also contains omega-3 fatty acids. This oil is available in gel capsules and as in oil form for salad dressings or foods, but it must be kept refrigerated. Adults can take about 3,000 milligrams a day. It is available at pharmacies, health food stores, and some grocery stores.

Why?

While doctors have cited many reasons for these differences, they all agree that the most important thing is to better understand the facts so you can better control your symptoms.

Fast Facts About Women and RA

Though scientists don’t know what causes RA, they do know it hits women harder:

• More women than men have rheumatoid arthritis. About 1.3 million American adults have RA. Nearly three times more women have the disease than men.
• Rheumatoid arthritis tends to strike women younger.  Many women are at the height of careers and child-care responsibilities when it strikes.
• Women with RA are less likely than men to be in remission. A study released in 2009 showed that women are about half as likely to be in remission. In the study, 17% of women were in remission compared to 30% of men.

Recent studies have revealed other important differences for women with RA.

RA Is on the Rise in Women

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic reported in 2008 that while RA appears to have been on the decline from 1955 and 1994 in the U.S., that no longer appears to be the case for women. The study found that from 1995 to 2005 the number of women who got RA increased by nearly 50% over the number that got it in the previous decade. RA rates among men remained stable.

Studies Show RA To Be More Severe in Women

In a large study released in 2009, researchers found that women with RA reported more symptoms — and more severe symptoms — even when they appeared to have the same level of the disease as men. Women also did not respond as well to the same treatment — both in terms of what their doctors could measure, like swollen joints, and in terms of how they described their symptoms.

 If you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), you should be aware of other health problems that are associated with the autoimmune disorder.
Why the higher risks of certain illnesses? Doctors aren’t sure about all the exact reasons, but it may be caused by RA-related inflammation or RA treatments – or they may occur at higher rates for unknown reasons. But regardless of the exact cause, it’s important to note that most related conditions can be prevented or treated.

The top illnesses and symptoms you should be on the lookout for include:

Bone thinning

RA can cause bone thinning and osteoporosis (which increases the risk of bone fractures), as can the inflammation-fighting corticosteroids used to treat it.

In addition, people with RA often cut back on activity due to pain, which can accelerate loss of bone and muscle mass, says Guy Fiocco, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, in Temple.

What to do: Have regular bone-density scans and talk to your doctor about bone-strengthening medications and exercise. Also, get enough calcium and vitamin D, Dr. Fiocco says.

Heart disease and stroke

People with RA have about double the heart-disease risk as their same-age peers.

“Rheumatoid arthritis is considered equal to other [heart-disease] risk factors, such as diabetes, hypertension, increased lipids, smoking, and family history,” Dr. Fiocco says. “It’s at least as important as the other risk factors for premature heart disease and stroke.”

What to do: RA-related inflammation is thought to be the reason why, although some RA medications can contribute to the risk. People with RA should make an extra effort to eat heart-healthy food, manage other risk factors (like avoiding smoking), and monitor cholesterol and blood pressure.

Sjögren’s syndrome

Suddenly in the news because of Venus William’s recently disclosure that she suffers from the condition, Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease that attacks the tear and salivary glands, causing dry eyes and mouth. It can arise on its own or as an added complication of rheumatoid arthritis.

What to do: Unfortunately, there’s no treatment for Sjögren’s, which can lead to vision problems and tooth decay because of the lack of saliva. Moisturizing eye drops, good dental hygiene, and drinking water can help prevent these problems. Prescription drugs such as cevimeline (Evoxac) and pilocarpine (Salagen) can increase the production of saliva and tears. In severe cases, minor surgery can relieve dryness in the eyes.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

“The one cancer that’s definitely been linked to RA is non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” Dr. Fiocco says.

RA patients have a two to four times higher risk than people without RA. Other blood cancers, such as leukemia and other forms of lymphoma, as well as lung cancer and melanoma, may also be a problem. Not only is the disease itself a culprit, but some drugs are too.

In fact, methotrexate (Trexall) and antitumor necrosis factor drugs such as adalimumab (Humira), etanercept (Enbrel), and infliximab (Remicade) carry a warning about increased lymphoma risk. But the benefits may still outweigh the risk, given that the risk is low overall.

What to do: Ensure that you’re getting regular doctor check-ups and ask your doctor what more you can do to stay healthy.

Lung problems

Some 8% of people with RA develop interstitial lung disease, or scarring of the lungs, compared with only 1% to 2% of the general population, says Eric L. Matteson, MD, chair of rheumatology at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn.