Can Probiotics for Arthritis Pain Provide Relief?

Experience morning stiffness and painful joints? You may be 1 of the 58.5 million people who are dealing with arthritis [1]. 24% of adults live in discomfort from arthritis pain, which can disrupt productivity and quality of life. Luckily, you can support healthy joints throughout the body by boosting beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome. In fact, targeted probiotic supplements with specific strains of good bacteria could ease the symptoms of various types of arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here's everything you need to know about optimizing your gut microbiota to improve arthritis symptoms.

What Is Arthritis?

Powering through arthritis is an unenviable part of almost 60 million people's morning routine. Those with severe cases will experience flare-ups throughout the day.

A person is officially diagnosed with arthritis when they have chronic tenderness and swelling in their joints. These symptoms tend to get worse with age.

Types of Arthritis

While common, arthritis is also unique to the person. Diagnosis is dependent on where the joint pain occurs and how it's impacting the body.

There are many types of arthritis, including:

• Ankylosing spondylitis - when bones in the spine fuse together
• Gout - severe and sudden swelling/redness of joints, predominantly in the big toe
• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis - juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis - when the cartilage around joints wears out, common around, mainly impacts hands, hips, knees, spine
• Psoriatic arthritis - arthritis in tandem with psoriasis
• Reactive arthritis - joint pain triggered by infections in the body, typically from the genitals, intestines, or urinary tract
• Rheumatoid arthritis - an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks healthy tissues
• Septic arthritis - caused by germs, most often bacteria, entering the bloodstream, common in the knees, hips, and shoulders
• Thumb arthritis - when the cartilage around your thumb wears away, inflaming the carpometacarpal joint

Osteoporosis is the most common form of arthritis, with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis rounding out the top three.

What Causes Arthritis?

There are many reasons a person might develop arthritis. The most common reasons are age, combined with wear and tear on the body. Everything from running to poor posture to sports injuries can speed up the development of arthritis. Throughout life, we break bones, get into accidents, wear down cartilage playing games, etc. A life well lived can result in arthritis pain.

Other factors can also cause arthritis, or intensify its symptoms. As mentioned with reactive arthritis, infections in the body can trigger arthritis. One of the most common areas where infection springs up is within the gut microbiome.

Studies have linked imbalances of good gut microbiota against bad (dysbiosis) to osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis [2] [3]. In the case of psoriatic arthritis, there's also been a link between this condition and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. These discrepancies trigger the immune system to start inflammation.

As the conditions worsen, inflammation can become chronic. Inflammation can cause healthy tissues to deteriorate, which can accelerate the discomfort caused by arthritis.

If you are experiencing pain, please seek medical advice. Talk to your physician about treatment options.

Probiotic Supplements for Arthritis

Adding specific strains of beneficial bacteria to your gut microbiome can help offset dysbiosis and inflammation. In turn, it can alleviate some of the symptoms of arthritis. However, not all bacteria strains can provide the same benefits.

The most efficient way to bring balance back to your gut is through a Gut Health Test.

Your personalized microbiome report can help you determine which harmful bacteria are taking over your gut microbiome. Knowing this information can you help tailor your daily routine to improve your arthritis symptoms. For instance, studies have shown that high levels of specific bacteria, such as Prevotella, have been linked to rheumatoid arthritis [4].

On your personalized microbiome report, we also let you know which beneficial bacteria may be deficient and need some nourishment. Based on that information, we can provide a targeted probiotic recommendation to address your symptoms and promote balance throughout your gut microbiome.

Creating balance is crucial for preventing leaky gut syndrome. Several studies have shown a strong link between psoriasis and dysbiosis. By getting your gut tested, you can find the targeted probiotics for psoriatic arthritis that match your gut best.

Need to get started? Draw a warm bath, drink some kombucha, and eat fermented foods. Then, grab a heating pad, a blanket, and your smart device. Order Ombre Ultimate Immunity to kickstart your wellness routine.

Ombre's Ultimate Immunity probiotic contains strains clinically backed to address inflammation and dysbiosis that causes leaky gut. It's also one of the most beneficial probiotics for rheumatoid arthritis.

One study showed that Lactobacillus plantarum DR7 alleviated symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in young and middle-aged adults [5]. Lactobacillus plantarum DR7 is just one of the many immune-boosting strains found in Ultimate Immunity!

Resources

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/arthritis.htm

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6330556/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5602494/

[4] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2018.00349/full

[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30954261/