Can Food Allergies Be The Cause Of Your Chronic Muscle And Joint Pain?

When it comes to back pain, there are dozens of causes. Your chances of getting an accurate diagnosis increase when you are informed of all possible causes. One often-overlooked cause of chronic muscle and joint pain is diet.
Allergies and Pain
A food allergy is present when your immune system perceives a component of the food, usually the protein, as a threat and attacks it with the inflammatory response. Allergies differ from intolerances, which are digestive rather than immunological reactions.
Histamine is an inflammatory substance released during an allergic reaction. The inflammatory response attempts to block off threats from the rest of the body, kill the threat and promote healing. In the case of an allergic reaction, however, the inflammation caused by histamine is excessive and attacks the body itself. Any of the body's muscles and joints can become inflamed during an allergic reaction, resulting in pain and soreness.
If you have a food allergy you're unaware of, you may be in a state of chronic reaction. This can be the source of your chronic muscle and/or joint pain.
How To Identify And Rule Out Allergies
Of course, there are many other causes of muscle and joint pain. If you have chronic muscle or joint soreness that is not attributable to repetitive use, overexertion or poor posture, diet could be a factor.
Arthritis is a main cause of joint pain, and many forms of arthritis involve joint inflammation. Diet may not be the sole cause of arthritic joint pain, but identifying any food source that may increase inflammation in your body can help relieve pain.

One simple way to identify if you have a food allergy is to participate in the "elimination diet," which requires removing the suspected food from your diet for a week. If symptoms reside, you likely found the food you're allergic to. This can be confirmed by reintroducing the food back into your diet and seeing if symptoms reappear. Keeping a dietary diary is a great way to help you identify food allergies. Keep track of what you eat and the presence and severity of your pain.
Knowing the most common food allergens will help to narrow down your experiment. The most common are milk, egg, soy, wheat, shellfish, seafood, tree nut and peanut allergies. First, identify which of these allergens features prominently in your diet. Check food labels, as many store-bought foods contain soy, tree nuts, wheat and dairy.
Blood tests can be done to identify allergy-related immune substances in your blood. A blood sample is taken and different foods are used to test its reaction in a lab. Blood tests are not always accurate when looking for food allergies, however. Making dietary changes and monitoring their impacts are your best diagnostic tools.
Dietary changes may be the answer to resolving your chronic back pain. Eliminating common allergens from your diet can help resolve inflammation in both muscles and joints.

By Amee LaTour

Natural Remedies for Arthritis - Try These Before Using Medication

There are various natural remedies for arthritis. Arthritis is a muscular disorder that affects muscles and joints. Symptoms of this condition include limited joint movement, inflammation and joint pain. The inflamed joint is red, swollen and warm to touch.

In every joint, there is a lubricating fluid inside the protective capsule. The smooth and slippery cartilage is responsible for the easy, fluid movement of the joints. If the cartilage lost due to a degenerative process, narrowed or damaged, the joints get inflamed and movement becomes painful. Most people suffer from this condition with aging. Signs of this disease become evident in most above the age of 50. With usage over a period of time, degeneration of joints takes place naturally.

Managing this is easy with a combination of rest, exercise, medication, nutrition, weight management and in extreme cases, surgery. This condition is diagnosed by doctors through x-rays and blood tests after which the best treatment method is worked out.

This disease can stay with you through your life and with the right treatment and lifestyle changes, it can be effectively managed. For this, it is important to have the support of friends and family and a positive outlook.

This complex disorder can affect at any stage of life. There are many different types of this disease including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid, juvenile rheumatoid, infectious and gout. Two of the most common types include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid.

Osteoarthritis causes stiffness and pain in the joints. Rheumatoid on the other hand mainly affects the joints and is a long lasting disease. Swelling in the joints is caused by the immune system. The surrounding cartilage and tissues are damaged when the inflammation spreads.

Children are affected by juvenile rheumatoid arthritis which is characterized by swelling, stiffness, pain and loss of joint function. The cause of this autoimmune disease is unknown and this condition is not hereditary.

When uric acid crystals resembling needles deposit in the joints, the patient suffers from pain in the joint, swelling and inflammation. This condition is known as gout and it mainly affects the knee, ankle and foot.

Infectious agents such as viruses and bacteria also cause this disease. Joint damage can be minimized with early diagnosis and treatment for infection.

Fibromyalgia causes pain in hips, spine, neck, head, shoulders and elbows. Patients suffering from this condition experience severe pain and the affected areas are highly sensitive to touch. Symptoms of this condition include stiffness, disturbed sleep and fatigue.

Other types of this disease include Ankylosing Spondylitis, Tendonitis and Bursitis, Lupus and Polymyalgia Rheumatica.By Jim Bessios

Gout And Celiac Disease: What Is The Connection?

Gout and Celiac Disease; Is There A Connection?

There has always been a considerably amount of speculation about whether or not Celiac and Gout share a common thread. There are several well-known symptoms and/or shared health problems of both of them. Among them are indications of Autoimmune Disorders, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Bone and Joint Pain, which lead to a reasonable assumption that Gout does fit into the realm of Celiac Disease.

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac Disease damages the small intestine and interrupts the absorption of nutrients from food. People who have Celiac have an intolerance to gluten; a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is usually found in foods but many other common products like medicines, vitamins, and lip balms can also contain gluten.

In extreme cases, the presence of gluten on a molecular level is enough to cause severe reactions for those with advanced sensitivities.

When someone with Celiac Disease eats certain foods or uses different products containing gluten, their immune system will damage or destroy the "villi" - the microscopic, finger-like lining of the small intestine. The villi function to allow nutrients from food to be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream. Without the villi functioning properly, signs of malnutrition may start to appear.

Celiac is not only an abnormal immune reaction to gluten, but also a condition where nutrients are not absorbed adequately and studies have shown proof that it is genetic in nature.

There have been reports of Gout Sufferers who also have Celiac Disease that have found relief from both of the diseases with prolonged and intensive use of highly concentrated Antioxidants.

The symptoms of Celiac can also vary with such factors as; a person's age and/or the degree of damage that has been done to the small intestine. Some people have the symptoms and condition for 10 years or more before they are diagnosed. If left undiagnosed and untreated, the greater the risk of sustaining long-term complications.

How does Gout fit in?

Rheumatoid arthritis is typically labeled as an autoimmune disease. No condition is completely and exclusively manifested from internal sources and it is logical that there is always some form of external influences. Fairly often, Arthritis is associated with inflammatory bowel disease. Food allergies, poor gastrointestinal tract function, and immune attacks on connective tissues, are closely associated. In the case of all arthritic instances, close attention should be paid to dietary intake and monitored carefully.

Arthritis that appears to stem from an allergic reaction is not usually recognized as a food allergy, even when pain and swelling starts to develop in one of more of the joints. It doesn't matter if the food is something that is commonly eaten by an individual, or something completely new; joint inflammation can occur due to an accumulation of causes or from a combination metabolic substances. Such is the case with Gout.

Presently, Celiac Disease and "Gluten Intolerance" are often used interchangeably although this is a misconception. To diagnose Celiac, blood tests are drawn to measure for high levels of anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies or anti-endomysium antibodies.

However this is not to discount that more reports are now showing low-level irritation and gluten sensitivities in the small intestine in more people. Due to the number of gout sufferers that are also showing signs of Celiac Disease, as well as the growing number of people expressing inflammatory bowel-like symptoms, there is evidence that low-grade gluten intolerance is affecting a much broader range of the population than previously thought.

The speculation still remains that either Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance is the culprit or at least an accomplice to the condition of Gout.By Bert Middleton

Joint Pain Relief Remedies

Joint pain is one of the most commonly reported medical complaints amongst patients both young and old. Discomfort, stiffness, or pain in the joints can result from a variety of different factors including physical injury, infection, inflammation, and arthritis. Many people's lives are severely disrupted by frequent and reoccurring joint pain. In addition, joint pain can be indicative of a more serious medical condition and should always be taken seriously. However, the good news is that there are a number of pain relief remedies available for those afflicted with this uncomfortable situation.
Light Exercise & Stretching
Mild joint pain may be the result of physical injury. Oftentimes, light stretching of the affected joint can greatly reduce pain and stretching is amongst the most simple pain relief remedies. Living a sedentary lifestyle can also contribute to pain, as lack of use aids in the weakening and degeneration of joints. Beginning a moderate exercise program helps joints regain their strength and elasticity.
Natural Remedies
There are a number of natural pain relief remedies available. Many people have reported that tumeric, garlic, and papaya seed tea greatly reduce discomfort in the joints. A healthy diet consisting of fruits and vegetables, particularly bananas and carrots, have also been known to be effective pain relief remedies. Warm paths, massages, and alternately applied hot and cold packs can help to relieve joint tension and pain.
Pharmaceutical Drugs
Those with particularly painful joints should consider the use of pharmaceutical drugs for relief. While some drugs may be purchased over the counter, many require the authorization of a medical professional. Drugs are one of the most effective and popular pain relief remedies for joints; however, one should take care not to abuse them and always seek the advice of a doctor before using. In addition, the drug taken should be appropriate to the causes and symptoms of the individual's joint pain. For many suffers, a simple dose of aspirin or ibuprofen can greatly reduce pain. However, if the joint pain is caused by an underlying condition, than different pain relief remedies must be taken. For example, pain can be caused by an internal infection. In this case, prescribed antibiotics rather than simple pain relief medicine must be taken. Arthritis is one of the leading causes of joint pain and there are a number of pharmaceutical remedies that can be prescribed to its suffers. Some of most popular drugs for the relief of pain caused by arthritis are Celebrex and Lyrica.
Exercise, natural cures, and pharmaceuticals are just a few of the many joint pain relief remedies available to sufferers. Oftentimes, theses treatments are effectively combined to combat pain. Whether the pain is mild or serious, it is a good idea to consult a medical professional before embarking on a treatment plan. While joint pain can be an uncomfortable and disruptive part of life, sufferers can take comfort in the knowledge that many treatment options are available.

By Michael Stanford