5 supplements/foods worth taking for hand pain/joint pain

I am a big fan of trying to find natural cures as I believe the human body, under the right circumstances, has almost an infinite capacity to heal itself. It's one of my basic philosophies of how I approach medicine.

I believe that, instead of  always trying to 'cure' a sickness when it presents itself, a doctor should also attempt to find a way to unleash the power of nature to help promote the cure (where the body can heal itself).

It's at the heart of preventive medicine, and it's also at the heart of the healing arts, which I am privileged to practice on a daily basis with patients. Unfortunately, that is simply not a big part of the current medical system. For instance, screening tests often are simply test that used to identify patients who then can undergo procedures. This is one of the reasons why about 80% of breast biopsies peformed in the United States today is negative for breast cancer. But this a complex issue, and I do not want to go 'off track' here.

It is important to note that I am not abandoning conventional Western medicine by saying this. As a hand surgeon, and I do believe that things like carpal tunnel surgery, in properly selected patients, is both an effective and reliable way to treat carpal tunnel pain. It is also exceptionally safe.

But the reality is that it doesn't work for everyone, and in fact, for many patients, when they undergo carpal tunnel surgery without effectively treating things like diabetes, obesity, and thyroid conditions by trying to find cures that focus on diet & lifestyle, are basically putting the 'cart before the horse' and sabotaging their chances for an effective and long lasting cure.

So, one of the things I stress in my practice, in addition to dietary & lifestyle interventions, is supplementation.  Supplementation is controversial among many medical experts, and rightly so. There are many claims made by people who call themselves experts, which are essentially unsubstantiated.

I agree that supplementation can be a 'snake-oil' business, no doubt. However, the fact is that nutritional deficiencies do exist, and they result in medical conditions which are well recognized (and sometimes very serious) and are treated by administering a vitamin or mineral (a supplement) such as B vitamin complex, for instance.

In the realm of hand surgery, particularly when addressing hand pain and nerve pain, there are 5 supplements that I routinely recommend to patients which, in addition to other interventions and modifications, can be extremely useful in alleviating the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome or arthritis.

Here they are:

1. MSM and Chondroitin: These are supplements which contain sulfur, and sulfur in turn, is critical for many aspects of health, including skin health (which I write about in my other blog). Specifically, sulfur is crucial in helping create many of the joint cushioning compounds that are found within the joint and can help reduce joint pain.

2. Krill Oil: As opposed to Omega-3 only. Why? Because in addition to high levels of omega-3 fatty acids which are sorely lacking in the modern, industrial society diet, krill oil when combined with hyaluronic acid along with a natural anti-oxidant that is contained with the krill oil called astaxanthin can be very beneficial in relieving joint pain.

3. Magnesium: Both in the form of mineral salt baths and oral supplements. Magnesium is an exceptionally important mineral that is often under-appreciated in it importance in literally thousands of enzymatic reactions. Although it can be taken orally, the transdermal route via mineral salt baths can not only be effective, but also quite soothing for sore joints.

4. Turmeric: This is an ancient Indian spice that has been used for centuries in Ayurevedic medicine for all sorts of uses. In fact, I even recommend it for skin health in the form of a topical cream which I recommend for patients. Turmeric is closely related to ginger, and it's active ingredient is a compound called circumin, which is thought to have many beneficial effects in many different aspects of health, ranging from anti-bacterial and even anti-neoplastic (anti-cancer) effects to anti-inflammatory effects. Although you can take turmeric supplements, one of the best (and tastiest) ways to get more turmeric is to eat it in the form of things like curries.

5. Bone Broth: Consuming bone broth on a regular basis has many beneficial effects, one of which is joint health. Dr. Cate Shanahan writes in her book, Deep Nutrition:

"The health of your joints depends upon the health of the collagen in your ligaments, tendons, and on the ends of your bones. Collagens are a large family of biomolecules, which include the glycosaminoglycans, very special molecules that help keep our joints healthy.”

Indeed, bone broth provides great deal of these special molecules called glycosaminoglycans or GAG's for short, and it will certainly warm you up on those long and dark winter days.