Osteoarthritis: A Functional Medicine Approach

I’ve had a lot of questions recently in my community about osteoarthritis and how this condition can be treated naturally.

It’s not surprising there are so many questions.  According to Statcan in 2009 osteoarthritis affected 10% of Canadians over the age of 15.  That number is rising at an alarming rate. The Arthritis Society estimates that by 2035 one in four Canadians will be diagnosed with osteoarthritis. On average, people are diagnosed at about age 50 … just when many of us are looking forward to our freedom years!

Osteoarthritis is often described as being caused by “wear and tear” on the joint.  However, new research describes it as the body’s inability to repair damaged joint tissue.  It is actually caused by an inflammatory response inside the body. 

According to Dr. Susan Blum, medical doctor and functional medicine practitioner, osteoarthritis is NOT a wear and tear problem, it’s an inflammation problem. Dr. Blum says osteoarthritis, or any type of arthritis, begins with an inflammatory response in the gut.  “To treat the joints, you must first heal the gut” she says. 

A condition often associated with osteoarthritis is obesity, although it turns out that obesity itself is not the problem, it’s inflammatory compounds in the fat cells. The inflammatory compounds get to the fat cells via an inflammatory response in the gut. It’s these Inflammatory compounds migrate to the joints causing oxidative stress, and then damage the cartilage. 

The conventional approach to treat osteoarthritis generally involves NSAIDS or other anti-inflammatory medications.  These are aimed at treating symptoms of the illness, providing temporary relief, but come with negative side effects, especially in the gut. 

Yes, the gut.  The same place where autoimmune conditions, and most chronic illnesses begin.

Inside our intestinal tract, or gut, is a microbiome, a collection of bacteria, which we need in order to survive and thrive.  But the bacteria can become unbalanced, a condition called called dysbiosis.  When dysbiosis occurs, the gut lining breaks down causing the intestinal lining to become permeable, commonly called leaky gut.  When the gut becomes leaky foreign particles migrate into the sterile bloodstream, alerting the immune system and causing a host of potential problems depending on the person’s genetic makeup. 

From a functional medicine perspective, treatment is based on the whole person and is aimed resolving the root cause of illness, rather than reducing symptoms. Functional medicine is an approach which is customized to each person’s unique needs.  It’s a long term solution to remove irritants causing the inflammation, restore the gut and implement lifestyle changes to support proper gut function for lasting health. 

The good news is that inflammation can be reduced through food and lifestyle choices therefore there is a lot a person can do to reduce the inflammation causing osteoarthritis.  

To begin healing the gut, remove inflammatory foods. Heal the gut and create an environment which supports a healthy gut for life. Read my article about Why Your Healing Begins in the Gut here.

Common inflammatory foods include gluten, dairy, sugar, corn, soy products, processed foods, and processed vegetable oils.  What you should eat is lots of vegetables, lots of quality fats (olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil) and quality proteins from wild or sustainably raised sources.  

Give some of these lifestyle changes a try and see how you feel.

As well as changing what you eat, changing HOW you eat can help improve digestion and help reduce inflammation.  Click on the image below to download my free 3 Simple ways to Help Calm Inflammation While Eating.