Nutritional supplements are dietary supplements that provide the nutrients that our bodies lack or those that are consumed in insufficient amounts. They consist of amino acids, minerals or vitamin components among others.
What do supplements help with?
Supplements have been known to provide curative, rehabilitative and palliative benefits when consumed in the recommended daily allowance. For instance, some of them have antioxidant properties, others prevent organ dysfunction and others restore nutrients we lose through medication, illness or advanced age.
But do they help with aches and pains? Well, supplements are a way to help restore the nutrients you would ordinarily get from food, and as the father of medicine, Hippocrates, once said: “Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food.” That’s because food offers countless advantages in the prevention of illness, treatment of disease and promotion of wellness.
Best types of supplements for pain management
Supplements that help in pain management include glucosamine, chondroitin, omega-3, Vitamin D and herbal supplements such as Green tea among others. Depending on factors such as the cause of pain, a medical spet may recommend a specific type that is best for you.
Some supplements have anti-inflammatory properties or encourage the body to produce anti-inflammatory chemicals. They may also control genes responsible for the inflammatory reaction of the immune system. This reduces pain induced by inflammatory stiffness such as that in arthritis.
Moreover, muscle ache brought about by uncontrollable muscle contraction can be alleviated by taking supplements such as calcium and magnesium.
Free radicals are thought to partly contribute to pain. For instance, in osteoarthritis, free radicals are thought to bring about joint inflammation through cartilage degradation. Supplements with antioxidant properties help reduce free radicals in the body, which if allowed to accumulate would lead to tissue injury and consequently pain. Additionally, antioxidants protect bone and joint cartilage from the damaging effects of inflammatory chemicals.
What to do if you are in pain
It is medically advised to seek the root cause of the problem that brought about your ache or pain rather than mask it with drugs and supplements. When the main cause of your pain is treated, then supplements can be taken as a health booster or used to manage pain caused by age-related conditions. To find out more, speak to us at Ridgeway Health and Wellness.