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Crohn's Disease & Joint Pain

If you or someone you love has Crohn's disease, chances are you are familiar with the joint pain that goes along with this digestive disorder. Although joint pain is most common in the ankles, elbows, knees and wrists, the inflammation resulting from Crohn's disease can evolve into several different types of arthritis affecting any area of the body. While there's no cure for Crohn's disease, there are treatments to relieve symptoms associated with it, including joint pain.

  1. Inflammation

    • Crohn's disease is a continuous autoimmune disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive tract; however, the inflammation is not limited to the digestive system. While the exact cause of arthritis is not known, inflammation is one of several suspecting factors. Therefore, inflammation resulting from Crohn's is considered the primary source of joint pain in Crohn's patients. Successful attempts to treat and reduce inflammation associated with Crohn's disease will additionally alleviate joint pain.

    Migratory Arthritis

    • Migratory arthritis travels throughout the body and affects different joints at different times and is typically active when the digestive system is being compromised. Pain resulting from migratory arthritis can be experienced for days or even weeks and tends to abate with the recession of overactive autoimmune activity.

    Medication

    • There are medications that can be used to treat the pain and swelling associated with joint inflammation; however, it's not necessary to treat joint pain separately when the independent treatment of Crohn's disease usually relieves joint symptoms as well. Additionally, medications often have negative side effects of their own.

    Probiotics

    • Crohn's disease is essentially the body's immune system attacking the gastrointestinal tract, causing inflammation that can lead to other serious issues. Any time the immune system is working overtime, the body's natural flora, or good bacteria, becomes compromised. To prevent this, a regular and routine supplement of probiotics is recommended. A quality formula consisting of live cultures and homeostatic soil organisms helps to maintain a balanced immune system and support regular, consistent intestinal elimination.

    Green Food Supplementation

    • Crohn's disease patients often experience the body's inability to absorb necessary minerals and nutrients due to the disease. A daily intake of a product containing super greens will help ensure that the nutritional needs of the body are met via green food supplementation. Choose a super green product that also contains spirulina, which helps promote proper immune function and algae, necessary for alkalizing minerals.

    Joint and Cartilage Supplementation

    • Certain supplements promote healthy joint and tissue restoration. A quality joint and cartilage supplement will contain glucosamine to help the body in its efforts to rebuild cartilage tissue, and antioxidants that will help the body resist free radical damage of tissue.

    Warning

    • While it is safe to assume joint pain in Crohn's patients is a result of the digestive disorder, continuous joint pain and/or back pain that persists in the absence of other Crohn's symptoms may be a separate health issue and could be serious in nature. Consult a doctor to determine the cause and treatment of any undiagnosed joint pain.

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