There are more than 100 different types of medical conditions that can affect your joints; it'll be difficult to treat your condition effectively unless you know exactly what your diagnosis is; get diagnosed. As a result of arthritis, the bone beneath the cartilage undergoes changes that lead to bony overgrowth and the tissue that lines the joint can become inflamed, the ligaments can loosen, and the associated muscles can weaken.

The combination of the collagen meshwork and high water content tightly bound by proteoglycans creates a resilient, slippery pad in the joint, which resists the compression between bones during muscle movement. Collagen is the main protein found in all connective tissues in the body, including the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Damaged joints cause pain and sufferers are constantly looking for ways to relieve the pain.

Aging cells may be a factor in the development of arthritis. Most experts now believe that osteoarthritis results from a genetic susceptibility that causes a biologic response to injuries to the joint, which leads to progressive deterioration of cartilage. Genetic factors are thought to be involved in about 50% of osteoarthritis cases in the hands and hips and a somewhat lower percentage of cases in the knee.

If you really want to get rid of your arthritis pain forever it may take a radical change in your diet and an ongoing commitment. Gluten may be a culprit in arthritic diseases including fibromyalgia; avoid wheat, barley, rye, spelt, triticale, kamut and oats (although not a gluten grain it gets contaminated at the wheat mills). One natural approach is to consume foods that are known to help relieve arthritis pain or prevent arthritis.

Many have told me that going off dairy products and gluten containing foods relieved their arthritis pain entirely. Make highly nutritious raw applesauce using a food processor and put in 3-4 cored pesticide-free apples, with the skin on, and mix for a minute; so much better for you than canned highly processed applesauce and add 1/4 tsp. cinnamon or two tablespoons of freshly ground flaxseed for another boost. Watch your diet closely - load-bearing joints are affected by excessive weight; they are the hips, knees, feet and spine.

One natural treatment method involves avoiding all inflammatory foods. Studies done on antioxidant vitamins question the value of these supplements; it's clearly better to consume these antioxidants in living foods because they may also need to work with other nutrients present in the foods to work properly.

Try avoiding the eight most allergic foods, wheat being the most allergenic; they are wheat, corn, eggs, milk, peanuts, fish, shellfish and some nuts, not all. For natural treatment for arthritis make an appointment with a naturopathic doctor, called a naturopath; ask around for referrals.

Don't just sit there, keep moving. Exercise your affected joints every day, to keep them flexible. Fight arthritis through proper exercise! Exercise is good for joints affected by osteoarthritis.

If you have pain and swelling in your fingers, try squeezing Thera-putty made for this purpose or exercising with two Chinese chime balls. Sign up for water aerobics classes at your local community center. For arthritic fingers, a good exercise is to put your finger tips together and press hard and release, then repeat several times.

Conventional doctors may suggest the standard protocol for your joint pain; they tell you to take over-the-counter NSAIDS or prescribe COX-2 inhibitors, of which all have side effects. Drugs commonly used for arthritis pain can cause ulcers, heart disease and liver or kidney damage. For conventional treatment of arthritis - if you do choose to take drugs or medications, be very careful and read the labels thoroughly.

The biggest secret to arthritis pain relief is to change your diet now; eat foods that are alive. One should not only search for relief of arthritis pain but work on preventing it. Following these suggestions can help you get back in the swing of things and allow you to spend your days enjoying life once more.