Joint

[ChikomoFitness27]

My both knees are pain joint. I stopped using the pill for joints because it is not really working for them well.. so any suggestion.

[Tom Denham]

You need to be on a Whole30 diet for about 30 days to see if dietary changes will help with your joint pain. Before then, discussion of special foods you should eat or supplements is premature.

[Nadia B]

Ditto. 30 days +. I feel joint stiffness as soon as I get off track, seriously. 

 

Moreover - go see a chiropractor if you can. I had a pain in my knee and was 100% sure it's a joint pain. It turned out to be a muscle pain from improper alignment in the hips. 

[ChikomoFitness27]

Okay I will do. I am in day 9. I will wait and see after 30 days how my knees does well or not. 

[maraki71]

I completed my 1st whole30 a couple weeks ago. After searching the web, countless dr. appts, refusing to take pain meds , I came across the Whole30. Clean eating was not difficult for me because we have cleaned up our household a few years ago from processed food. After whole30, we have removed grains, legumes, SUGAR etc....for the most part. That being said, I introduced some food back and realized  grains, legumes, sugar, cheese....food w/out brakes for me..so do not miss and will not keep as part of my diet.

 

I came into this hoping to achieve 2 things. Pain relief from my joints and weight loss. (i have more weight to lose than possible in 30 days ) I lost 8lbs, stopped eating every 2 hrs (FREEDOM), heart palpitations are almost non- existent except when I ate sugar, brain fog and many, many other things once I looked back at my list. Of course, still a work in progress.

 

Unfortunately, toward the end of my whole30 to date, my joint pain has gotten worse and I cannot drop a single pound. I am not exercising because I am hoping to feel better first and start. I saw a chiropractor this past week who suggested his weight loss program, exercise and that he wasn't sure if adjustments were the way to go.

 

SOOOOOOOO, if anyone has any suggestions for me, I would greatly appreciate any feedback. I wish I could say what is causing my chronic joint pain, but I don't know. I have had blood work, etc.. all good.

 

I am 42, have about 75lbs of fat to lose, at least.

[maraki71]

I forgot to add my headaches. Went to the er last friday with nausea and headaches and they said I had vertigo. 12 days later and I'm still not headache free.

[Jinkse21]

Could be you actually have some physical issues that need to be addressed by a doctor (primary or orthopedic) by having some tests run, x-rays, etc.  I have rheumatoid arthritis and while doing the Whole30 and keeping grains at bay have helped somewhat, I still had cartilage loss in my knees due to the horrible disease and that's not something eating whole foods can help grow back.

 

I totally believe in Whole30 and clean eating but I also believe their are valid health issues that aren't just about what you eat.

 

Hope you find relief soon!

[maraki71]

Thank you, Jinkse21. I sure have had dr. appts. x-rays etc....which is why I am so over it with all of that. They keep telling me to take pain meds, which I understand because they are trying to relieve my pain but what  is causing  my pain?? What am I covering up with taking pain meds?

 

I am going to continue on my eating plan, I agree with you it isn't just about the food though which is why I initially did the whole30 to test it out.

 

I am going to keep pushing for some more testing and try another orthopedic and go from there.

 

Thanks again

[praxisproject]

If you have any kind of joint pain or arthritis, try and get a proper diagnosis, there are new "classes" now that weren't around a few years ago and the treatments vary for different kinds of issues. 

 

I found huge improvement in going wheat & gluten free during my first Whole30 and I've found most grains seem to have a negative influence on my joints, with rice the least bad. Dairy also seems to stiffen up everything. Not enough fat makes all movement feel much harder. Same with not enough hydration.

I found Omega 3, Vitamin D3 and magnesium supplementation all make a difference.

If you can have seafood, glucosamine & chondroitin supplements are often recommended for arthritis, but they are not like pain relief, you need to take them consistently and over time will see a difference (if they work for you). Some types of joint pain requires regular movement to help relieve it, but not all, so it's important to know what the issue is first. Physiotherapy or osteopathy could help for the right conditions.

If you have terrible pain, some people find relief from acupuncture. I've never tried it myself.

I'd wait until you've completed your Whole30 first, but if you are still struggling, you want might to check out the Auto Immune Protocol (AIP) version of Whole30.

[connie_m]

I found that I needed to cut out gluten and sugar for probably 6-8 weeks before my knee pain fully went away.   I kind of discovered this accidentally while doing a different diet for weight loss, then had a beer and my knees were suddenly swollen and painful again.   I've had a couple flare-ups since I discovered this early this year, each with predictable joint swelling after I accidentally ate something with gluten (didn't think it would be in seaweed salad, sigh...)

 

But give it some time.   Hopefully it will be noticeable within 30 days, but I doubt you'd see anything much within the first week or so.

 

My doctors also told me to just keep taking pain meds (which tear up my stomach) indefinitely, until I'm old enough for knee replacements.   I've had 5 knee surgeries and when I go see my ortho, they would just tell me if it's bothering me enough, they'll schedule more surgery to "clean it up".   UGH.  

 

I did find that the other thing, aside from avoiding gluten, that really helps me is yoga.   A regular yoga practice is key for my joints to stay mobile and feeling pretty good, and getting rid of gluten got rid of the inflammation that I was told was pretty much just a permanent side effect of all the arthritis in my knees now.   But they feel great now - I'm actually RUNNING regularly - up to 2.5 miles with no pain or swelling afterwards.   It's amazing.

 

I did also find acupuncture was pretty helpful too.   Worth a try if you need something to help you get through it.

[maraki71]

Thank you for the info and sharing your stories. Actually, I completed my whole30 and some of these issues got worse towards the end of the 30 days. I am in the process of making an appt with another dr to see what his opinion will be on seeing a specialist and moving on to more testing besides blood work and x-rays. I definitely agree on the gluten free. I have given up gluten, sugar, grains, legumes and feel great..dairy..still working on the half/half in my coffee but that is it for the most part. ..now just to get the joints to catch up! lol

 

I am vitamin D deficient and supplementation just won't get those #'s up for a few years now. I stopped fish oil because I didn't see a difference but in the process of looking at some other options..

 

Thanks again!

[HawaiianGal]

maraki71 - I'm in the same boat with the joint issues.  I finished my first whole 30, and now I'm doing the AI protocol for a second 30, and making sure that I eat no nitrites.

 

Taking your Vit D later in the day with a fatty meal would help uptake of that vitamin according to my doctor.  I do 10,000 iu in drops every night and I'm still below where I want to be.

[Bet]

I did the AIP and after 5 days the sharp hot pain in my elbow subsided. It was eggs. I haven't added them back. It's worth a shot to give them up for 30 days and see if you feel better.

[maraki71]

Yes, AIP is next for me. Just trying to make it all work with the family meals etc...thanks.