I am 50 years young and have osteoarthritis in my shoulders, my neck and my right hip. Is there anything in the way of exercises that could help me? Walking just a few blocks can be very painful. I would rather not take additional medication.

Exercise can help prevent from stiffening, which has limited effect on the pain level, but it will not reduce the overall inflammation. The best exercises are ones with a lot of stretching and no high impact on the joints, such as yoga and tai chi. Walking and swimming are also suitable because the impact on the joints is minimal and they both help prevent osteoporosis.

I would also work on your diet, which can have a big impact on osteoporosis and osteoarthritis: bone deterioration is increased when the body is too acidic.

Foods that leave an acid residue in the body tend to bind to alkaline minerals (ex.calcium, magnesium…), taking them away from the bones and thus rendering them easier to brake. Acids also accumulate in the joints, causing further inflammation.

Stress can also cause an acidification of the body.

Foods that produce uric acids are: caffeine, meats, prepared foods (especially ones containing white flour, white sugar, colorants and additives), animal fats, dairy products, eggs, citrus fruits, tomatoes, soft drinks and salt. It is also important to increase the intake of foods that leaves an alkaline residue in the body: vegetables (especially green ones), cold pressed vegetable oils, whole grains (brown rice, millet, buckwheat, kamut®, spelt, oat…), red beans, dry fruits (figs, raisins, apricots…), seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame…) yellow golden delicious apples, pineapple, papaya, mango, guava, blueberries, blackberries, cherries and fish.

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