I know the secret to getting rid of arthritis pain forever and it is not taking drugs. I got rid of my arthritis and arthritis pain forever by doing one single thing - read on.

Arthritis is usually found in the joints of the fingers, feet, knees, hips, and spine. In osteoarthritis, any one or more affected joints experience a progressive loss of cartilage, which is the slippery material that cushions the ends of bones. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis.

It's important to learn plenty of facts about joints and arthritis to help you understand how to treat arthritis better. Cartilage is one of the few tissues that does not have its own blood supply. Collagen is the main protein found in all connective tissues in the body, including the muscles, ligaments, and tendons.

An inflammatory response causes cytokines, to gather in injured areas and cause inflammation and damage to body tissue and cells; it's known to play a role in rheumatoid arthritis and other muscle and joint problems associated with autoimmune diseases.

Possible causes of arthritis include lesser known: bleeding disorders, like hemophilia, that causes bleeding to occur in the joint; disorders, such as avascular necrosis, which block the blood supply closest to the joint; and conditions like hemochromatosis, that causes iron build-up in the joints. 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.

A study in Great Britain touted the beneficial effects of cod liver oil on osteoarthritis; relieving pain and stiffness, and reversing the destruction of joint cartilage within 24 hours. Watch your diet closely - load-bearing joints are affected by excessive weight; they are the hips, knees, feet and spine. Dried Montmorency tart cherries seem to be helpful for arthritis pain also.

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). Many arthritis sufferers have changed their diets and noticed significant or total improvement. The first step in managing your arthritis is to change your diet; I think all experts would agree on this.

Some of the supplements commonly used for relieving arthritis pain, but I don't know if any of these work, are: glucosamine, chondroitin, bromelain, grapeseed extract, omega-3 and omega-6, cod liver oil, manganese ascorbate, MSM, boron, niacinamide, pantothenic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E.

Try massaging your fingers or other affected joints with coconut oil twice a day. Natural treatment for arthritis is usually a better choice because it's non-invasive to the body. 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.

Sign up for water aerobics classes at your local community center. If you have pain and swelling in your fingers, try squeezing Thera-putty made for this purpose or exercising with two Chinese chime balls. There are a number of exercises which can benefit arthritis sufferers regardless of how much restriction of movement there is.

Use Taiji health balls, with the chimes, to strengthen the finger joints: hold two balls, move in a clockwise circle with your fingers to rotate them, then try counterclockwise and do throughout the day.

Keep a bedside basket of arthritic aids for arthritic hands (theraputty, hand grips, Taiji chime balls, etc.) to be used at bedtime or while watching television. Try to keep painful joint areas in motion, even in a limited manner. Even if you don't think you can exercise, you can do some movements.

Drugs commonly used for arthritis pain can cause ulcers, heart disease and liver or kidney damage. Only you know which treatment option is best for you. Be aware that the use of NSAIDs or Cox-2 inhibitors do not halt the progress of osteoarthritis and may even hasten the onset.

Stopping the progress of your arthritis as well as stopping your pain should be your number one goal. Your treatment plan should include an anti-arthritis diet, exercise, and a positive mental attitude. Following these suggestions can help you get back in the swing of things and allow you to spend your days enjoying life once more.