Managing Arthritis in the Feet with Alternatives

Managing Arthritis in the Feet with Alternatives

Jul 14, 2024

Yoga and nutrition have been my go-to practices for cultivating vitality and empowering you to live fully, even with diabetes. I’ve been dedicated to yoga, Ayurveda, natural healing, and yoga therapy for years, believing that diet and yoga can help with nearly any challenge - even arthritis and osteoarthritis [or Joint Space Narrowing (JSN)] and related inflammatory issues with Yoga and Other Options


Recently, a friend of mine was diagnosed with a condition called "joint space narrowing (JSN)" in her feet, which she described as a very painful, scary, and irreversible form of arthritis.


I suggested methods to reduce inflammation and increase the blood flow and space between the joints, such as therapeutic shoes, adaptogens, foot massage, stretches, and exercises to strengthen the area. Still, I wanted to research further to see if I could offer additional guidance through diet, yoga, and low-impact exercise to complement medical treatment.


Below are specifics of what I discovered:


To begin, let’s clarify a few key terms:

  • Arthritis refers to joint inflammation and includes several types, such as osteoarthritis. It is especially common in people with diabetes due to chronic inflammation and, in some cases, excess weight.
  • Osteoarthritis is a specific type of arthritis marked by cartilage breakdown and joint degeneration.
  • Joint Space Narrowing (JSN) is a diagnostic finding typically linked to osteoarthritis, indicating cartilage loss and joint damage.

Managing JSN in the feet, often caused by osteoarthritis, requires a multifaceted approach that includes non-pharmacological treatments, medication, and sometimes surgery. Here's a comprehensive look at how to manage JSN in the feet:


Non-pharmacological (Drug) Interventions for Foot Joint Support and Pain Relief

1. Gentle Yoga and Stretching:

  • Foot-Specific Yoga Poses:
  • Seated Toe Taps: Sit in a chair and tap your toes up and down to enhance circulation and flexibility.
  • Ankle Circles: Rotate your ankles to maintain joint mobility.
  • Foot Stretch Pose: Sit with your legs extended and gently stretch your toes towards you.
  • Balance Exercises: These improve overall stability and help reduce the risk of falls.
  • Grounding Exercises: Grounding, or earthing, is physically connecting with the Earth's surface by walking barefoot or using grounding devices. This practice allows the body to absorb negatively charged electrons from the Earth, which can help balance the body’s electrical energy.

2. Footwear and Orthotics:

  • Supportive Shoes: Wearing shoes with proper arch support and cushioning reduces the stress on foot joints.
  • Custom Orthotics: Orthotic inserts provide additional support, reduce pressure, and improve foot alignment.

3. Exercise and Physical Therapy:

  • Low-Impact Exercises: Activities like swimming or cycling improve fitness without stressing the feet are excellent.
  • Stretching and Strengthening: Gentle exercises help strengthen muscles around the foot and ankle, offering better support. Examples include:
  • Toe Stretches: Pull your toes back gently to stretch the muscles on the bottom of your foot.
  • Calf Stretches: Stretching your calf muscles helps alleviate foot pain.
  • Towel Stretches: Place a towel around your foot and gently pull to stretch the arch.
  • Resistance Exercises: Use a resistance band to strengthen foot muscles.

4. Weight Management:

Maintaining a healthy weight reduces pressure on foot joints, which can slow the progression of joint degeneration.

5. Hot and Cold Therapy:

  • Warm Foot Soaks: Relax muscles and improve blood flow.
  • Cold Packs: Apply cold packs to reduce inflammation and numb pain.

Ayurvedic Treatment for Osteoarthritis

Ayurveda offers a holistic approach to managing osteoarthritis by focusing on balancing the body, mind, and spirit. Osteoarthritis is often linked to an imbalance in the Vata dosha, which governs mobility and joint health.

Common Symptoms of Osteoarthritis:

  • Pain and tenderness in the joints.
  • Stiffness, especially in the morning or after resting.
  • Limited range of motion.
  • Swelling and warmth in the joints.
  • Bone spurs and creaking sounds during movement.
  • Weakness in muscles around the affected joint.

Ayurvedic Treatments:

  • Panchakarma Therapy: Detoxification treatments reduce inflammation and support joint health.
  • Herbal Remedies**: Anti-inflammatory herbs like Ashwagandha, Guggulu, and Shallaki ease joint discomfort.
  • Abhyanga (Massage): Warm herbal oil massages improve circulation and lubricate joints.
  • Swedana (Herbal Steam Therapy): Relieves stiffness and promotes flexibility.
  • Diet and Lifestyle Changes: Focus on warm, easily digestible foods, anti-inflammatory spices like turmeric and ginger, and a balanced diet.
  • Yoga and Meditation: Manage pain, reduce stress, and improve joint mobility.

Specific Ayurvedic therapies include:

  • Janu Basti: Applying warm medicinal oils around the joint to relieve pain.
  • Patra Pinda Sweda: Fomentation using a bolus of therapeutic herbs.
  • Niruha and Anuvasana Basti: Cleansing enemas to balance the doshas.

Dietary Recommendations:

  • Warm, cooked foods that aid digestion and reduce inflammation.
  • Ghee for joint lubrication.
  • Turmeric and ginger to help reduce pain and inflammation.

Ayurvedic treatments aim to manage symptoms, reduce inflammation, and improve mobility, supporting overall well-being.

Pharmacological Interventions

1. Pain Relievers: Over-the-counter options like acetaminophen or NSAIDs can help manage pain and inflammation.

2. Topical Treatments: Creams and gels containing NSAIDs or capsaicin provide localized pain relief.

3. Prescription Medications: In severe cases, doctors may prescribe stronger pain relievers or anti-inflammatory drugs.

Other Interventions

1. Assistive Devices:

  • Cane or Walker: Reduce weight-bearing on the affected foot.
  • Braces or Supports: Stabilize the foot to reduce pain during movement.

2. Injections:

  • Corticosteroid Injections: Offer temporary pain relief and reduce inflammation.
  • Hyaluronic Acid Injections: Lubricate the joint, although results may vary.

3. Supplements: Some find relief using glucosamine and chondroitin, though their effectiveness varies.

Surgical Interventions

1. Arthroscopy: A minimally invasive procedure to clean out damaged tissue from the joint.

2. Joint Fusion (Arthrodesis): Fuses bones in the joint, providing pain relief with limited mobility.

3. Joint Replacement: In severe cases, replacing the damaged joint with an artificial one can restore function and reduce pain.

Lifestyle Modifications

1. Diet: A balanced diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods, like omega-3 fatty acids, can help manage symptoms. Avoiding processed foods, sugars, and excess alcohol reduces inflammation.

2. Stress Management: Practices like mindfulness, meditation, and deep breathing exercises help manage pain and improve well-being.

Specific Gentle Yoga and Stretching Routine for Feet

  • Foot Rolls: Roll a tennis ball under your foot to massage and stretch the muscles.
  • Toe Spreads: Sit with feet flat on the ground and spread your toes apart as much as possible.
  • Heel Raises: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, slowly raise your heels, and then lower them back down.

These approaches can help manage joint symptoms, reduce pain, and enhance overall quality of life. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any new treatments or exercise routines.



** Adaptogens are part of herbal medicine and not usually classified as pharmaceuticals. However, their effects can be studied and understood within the pharmacology framework.


About the Author:


Karin Collinsworth combines over 35 years of experience as a Type 1 diabetic. When diagnosed as a teenager, she spent the last 35 years balancing a career in Public Health IT while learning all she could about living well despite and beyond an autoimmune disease. While studying all the research and holistic alternative healing methods such as nutrition, herbs, yoga, and personal development from modern and ancient curative pathways, she has been one of only 1,441 participants in the longest-running and worldwide landmark clinical trials regarding preventing complications and improving wellness for those with endocrine diseases like T1D (the DCCT and EDIC trials).


She shares these effective holistic health transformation methods and strategies into easy-to-understand frameworks in her work and her 90-Day Holistic Health Jumpstart and Holistic Health Mastery programs.


Based in Seattle, and founder of Ideas and Insights, LLC and Karin C Blood Sugar Dogs Coaching in which she blends a passion for health, IT, and tech to help clients master their health, slow aging, and live a life they love.


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References and Links