You probably never realized how much you rely on your knees until they started to hurt. Chronic knee pain is so difficult to manage precisely because your knees are engaged whether you are standing or sitting, walking or biking, climbing stairs or trying to find a comfortable position in bed. Yep, when your knees hurt, it can take over your entire day.
Whether caused by arthritis, bursitis, or injury, there are many remedies for pain and inflammation that can help get you moving again. Unfortunately, many OTC and prescription drugs come with hefty side effects that can eclipse the original complaint. Acetaminophen, for example, is the leading cause of liver failure worldwide.
You may be surprised to learn just how much your diet can affect pain levels, especially when it comes to inflammation. We have collected 11 foods that do wonders for knee pain. Incorporating more of them into your daily diet can reduce your dependence on pain medication and keep you healthier overall.
1. Carrots
Eating carrots to relieve knee pain is actually an ancient Chinese remedy. It works because the orange veggie is packed with beta-carotene and vitamin A, both powerful anti-inflammatory compounds.
The secret to enjoying the max strength of carrots is to eat them cooked, but if you hate cooked carrots, eating them raw is still good. Try for two servings each day to reduce your knee pain.
2. Turmeric
Curry-lovers, rejoice! You are already doing wonders for your achy knees. Curry contains turmeric – that’s what makes it orange – and turmeric has a lot of something called curcumin.
Curcumin has actually been used for centuries in herbal medicine because of its anti-inflammatory ability. Eating a lot of it can reduce your risk of developing painful joint conditions in the first place, and also nearly matches ibuprofen in its capacity for pain relief.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is good for way more than salad dressing. You can get relief from your knee pain by both drinking it and applying it topically. When you drink it (2 tablespoons per day), apple cider vinegar can dissolve toxins within the knee that tend to spark inflammation.
The same effect occurs when you mix ACV with olive oil and massage it into your painful knees once a day for a week.
4. Ginger
Ginger is another food that can be both eaten and rubbed on tender knees. Both are great, because it tastes and smells really good. The active ingredient in ginger is called gingerol and it is a strong anti-inflammatory substance.
In fact, in studies of arthritis sufferers, adding ginger to a medication regimen was found to reduce pain further than with medicine alone. Enjoy ginger grated into all sorts of sweet and savory meals, or make a tea. Premade ginger oil is fantastic to rub directly on those swollen knees.
5. Walnuts
Walnuts are king among nuts in terms of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, which makes them ideal for soothing knee pain.
Some studies also suggest that despite their high calorie count, eating walnuts regularly can reduce junk food cravings and therefore help you lose weight. Shedding a few pounds is another good strategy to reduce stress on painful knees.
6. Whole Grains
Eating a ton of whole grains can reduce the inflammation that causes pain in your knees, especially as a result of exercise. Eating refined grains, on the other hand, causes more inflammation.
Skip the white bread in favor of products that retain all three parts of the original grain – the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. Great choices include brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, barley, and breads made with whole grain flour.
7. Mustard Oil
Be careful when you buy mustard oil. It’s not safe to eat unless the label reads mustard essential oil. Straight mustard oil can be mixed with olive or coconut oil and massaged on painful knees, but don’t consume it.
Mustard essential oil is a spicy addition to meals that can promote a healthy blood flow to the affected area, while at the same time reducing inflammation. Get even more benefits when you sauté a little onion and garlic with your mustard oil. Both of these contain allicin, which also has anti-inflammatory abilities.
8. Avocado
Avocados owe their creamy texture to the presence of lots of healthy unsaturated fat. Most of it is in the form of oleic acid, which studies show can lower particular biomarkers of inflammation. Whatever the cause of your knee pain, your pain will decrease as inflammation abates. Avocado is one of the only foods that can also minimize the ability of other foods to generate inflammation, which makes it very helpful to add to almost any meal.
9. Tart Cherries
Tart cherries, or their juice, can be a real boon to people with chronic knee pain. Cherries get their vibrant red color from plant chemicals called anthocyanins, which can settle down that agonizing inflammation.
Tart cherries have also been found in studies to reduce flare-ups in people with gout, a type of arthritis that causes knee pain due to hard crystals that form in the joints.
10. Red Peppers
Red peppers are especially good for knee pain because they contain a high amount of vitamin C. This crucial nutrient supports the production of collagen, which provides structure to joints and connects muscle to bone.
That reduces pain by supporting the tendons, cartilage, and ligaments that cushion the knee joints and keep them in proper alignment. Rather than a direct pain reliever, eating foods high in vitamin C actually improves the condition of your knees.
11. Pineapple, Cinnamon and Oat Smoothie
And finally, when you’re looking for a knee-friendly way to start your day, try this pineapple, cinnamon, and oat smoothie. You’ll get whole grains, vitamin C, and a powerful anti-inflammatory called bromelain, found in pineapple.
Cinnamon reduces joint swelling and pain, as well as adds a flavorful kick. To make it, gather together: 1 cup cooked oats, 1 cup orange juice, 3 cups chopped pineapple, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 cup water, and 1 teaspoon honey. Add all ingredients except the oats into your blender. Turn it on low and after 20 seconds or so, carefully add in the cooked oatmeal. Blend until smooth and enjoy!
Each of these foods can help to reduce inflammation, the primary source of pain when it comes to your joints. Your body uses inflammation as a defense mechanism to keep an injury or illness contained to one location, and that’s good. But often there is no risk of spread yet inflammation occurs anyway. In this case, there is no reason to suffer.
Eating a balanced diet full of the foods on our list can go a long way toward quelling inflammation and pain. A better diet will alleviate your pain, but also keep you feeling great overall and reduce your dependence on pain medication.
Joint pain, especially in the knees, is a blight on your day. Whether caused by arthritis, injury, or repetitive stress, your joints are so critical to every movement you make that it is near impossible to feel comfortable. Painkillers, either OTC or doctor prescribed, can help. But these come with a host of side effects that may just be swapping one pain for another.
But what if there was a natural remedy you could sip on throughout the day? Get ready, because we have not one, but nine different beverages that can help wipe out your pain without any side effects.
It all comes down to reducing inflammation, which is the ultimate source of most joint discomfort. When you consume anti-inflammatory substances in liquid form, it has the added benefit of improving hydration in your body. Getting enough to drink is critical for keeping joints lubricated and blood flow healthy.
We’re getting thirsty, so let’s dive into the list. Which one will you be trying first?
1. Water
Let’s start with the basics. Our bodies are made up of about 70% water, so when we’re dehydrated, it reduces the cushioning that your joints rely on to work smoothly. A lack of sufficient water also means that your bod will be less capable of flushing out the toxins that can cause inflammation.
If you are experiencing joint pain, aim for about 2 liters per day of freshly filtered tap water. Don’t bother with fancy vitamin water – chances are that you’ll just pee out all of the extra stuff they put in, plus they typically have added sugar. Bottled water can be okay, but it is often pulled from the same municipal source as your tap.
2. Red Wine
Here’s a welcome surprise. Red wine is actually good for joint pain. Of course, alcohol in general can dull our senses and reduce pain that way. But red wine in particular contains something called resveratrol, a compound with powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
Enjoying a glass or two on a regular basis can actually reduce your risk of developing chronic joint diseases like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Just be careful not to drink to excess, as too much alcohol is dehydrating and will actually cause the inflammation you’re trying to eliminate. Also, you can get resveratrol from red grapes and red grape juice; it doesn’t necessarily need to be wine.
3. Tart Cherry Juice
Juice is usually discouraged for people with joint pain because it contains a lot of sugar. Sugar is inflammatory and juice contains no fiber to moderate the release of sugar into your bloodstream. Whole fruit is typically okay, because it contains a good amount fiber along with its sweetness.
An exception to the no-juice rule, however, is tart cherry juice. Studies have shown that it can reduce inflammation and swelling, thereby relieving symptoms of osteoarthritis.
4. Smoothies
Smoothies provide an excellent way to drink your fruit without missing out on the critical fiber. They are also great for sneaking in a few veggies – you won’t even taste ‘em. You should avoid putting in too much pure juice, but yogurt is a nice addition that makes for a smooth texture and offers some gut-healthy probiotics, as well.
Whatever helps you get your fruit and veggies every day is helpful for relieving knee and joint pain because produce contains a lot of antioxidants. Free radical damage is one major driver of inflammation in the body, and antioxidants are able to bind with free radicals to neutralize them.
5. Coffee
The studies around joint pain and coffee are contradictory, with some indicating that coffee can increase the risk of developing arthritis, while others note that coffee seems to reduce the risk of gout (a painful form of arthritis that involves uric acid crystals in the joints). However, coffee definitely contains inflammation-fighting polyphenols.
If you already drink coffee, there is no reason to stop. Your morning brew may be helping to reduce your knee and joint pain. Just keep your consumption to 4 or fewer cups per day, as most studies find no ill-effects on joints before that level.
6. Tea
Even if you don’t care for coffee, you can still have a bracing morning beverage in the form of tea. Whether you choose black, green, or white tea, you will get a nice dose of antioxidant polyphenols to reduce inflammation in your joints. But not all teas are equal – the green variety has the most antioxidants, followed by white, and finally black.
Green tea has a particular polyphenol called epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG) that can bolster and protect your bones and the surrounding cartilage. Sometimes improving the structure of your joints as well as reducing inflammation can relieve the pain you’re experiencing.
7. Ginger Tea
Ginger is a well-known anti-inflammatory. It is able to prevent the release of inflammatory molecules such as prostaglandin and leukotriene, as well pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are a type of protein found in cells. Ginger also contains a compound called gingerol, which not only reduces inflammation, but also soothes sore muscles.
Any beverage that contains ginger can help manage your joint pain. However, we recommend that you make it at home rather than rely on sugary ginger soda.
8. Chicken Bone Broth
You may have seen a capsule or powder supplement for joint health called glucosamine and chondroitin. The stuff is popular with people who experience chronic joint pain, but it needn’t be consumed in pill form.
Bone broth made from chicken bones contains glucosamine and chondroitin as well because it is found in the cartilage within those chicken bones. Bone broth also fights inflammation and contains collagen, an essential element of joint structure.
9. Milk
Joint pain is not always just about the space where your bones meet up. Overall bone health can make a difference in your pain levels, too. Milk contains a nice amount of calcium to strengthen bones and help them maintain a healthy density. Studies have indicated that drinking milk may be able to slow the progression of osteoarthritis and even prevent gout completely.
But, if you have a dietary sensitivity to dairy, milk will more likely exacerbate your knee and joint pain rather than soothe it. In that case, try to eat more green leafy veggies and nuts to make up the difference in calcium.
Staying properly hydrated and naturally reducing inflammation are two of the best things you can do to eliminate knee and joint pain. You could always pop a pill, but with the negative side effects associated with all the major painkillers, it’s not always the wisest choice. This is especially true in the case of chronic pain, as the dangers of pain medication increase with extended use.
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