Osteoarthritis not a passive process

Q: My doctor says there’s nothing much I can do about having osteoarthritis except wait for a joint replacement. There has to be something to ease the progressively worsening joint pain in my hands, knees and hips. Help!

Katie D., Seattle

A: Osteoarthritis is the erosion over time of protective cartilage in your joints that cushions the ends of your bones. But it is not a passive “wear and tear” process; it also sets off deterioration in the bone itself, as well as in connective tissues that attach muscle to bone and in the joint lining.

While it is true that there is no “cure” for osteoarthritis, that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to slow the progression or ease the pain. You can!

When British researchers looked at 68 studies, they concluded that 1 gram a day of DHA omega-3 does help ease joint pain. Their study, published in Rheumatology, also concluded that there’s an association between elevated lousy LDL cholesterol and joint pain. They found that a healthy diet and medication such as a statin, which reduces cholesterol, ease joint inflammation — in one study by 50%. They also looked at the impact of excess weight on joint health and found that it is not just the added strain and pressure that’s applied, damage is also caused by the overall inflammation associated with obesity. It triggers a cascade of responses that erode cartilage.

Your move: Slash saturated fat consumption from dairy and meats. Increase your intake of DHA-rich foods such as salmon and ocean trout, and up vitamin K consumption from kale, spinach, turnip greens, collards, Swiss chard, mustard greens, parsley, romaine and green leaf lettuce, as well as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, caulif lower and cabbage. Vitamin K is essential for both bone and cartilage mineralization.

You also want to eliminate ultraprocessed, fried and sugar-added foods, and embrace the anti-inflammatory powers of a diet that is plant-based — in short, a Mediterraneanstyle approach to food and flavors!

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Medical Officer at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. Submit your health questions at www.doctoroz.com.