Gout Relief - What Helps Gout Pain the Most?

Gout is the most painful form of arthritis and is caused by an excess of uric acid in the body that then crystallizes and settles into the joints. While, gout is most well-known as being prominent in the big toe, this is often merely a starting place and if left untreated the gout will spread and can lead to permanent joint damage as well as possible kidney damage.

When looking for ways to relieve gout pain, it's important to first talk with your doctor and consult with a nutritionist is experience working with gout patients and recommending successful gout diets. With that said, there are a number of ways to help gout pain and we will briefly go through each of them here.

Gout treatment comes in many forms including a gout diet, prescription medications, an exercise routine geared toward gout treatment, weight management and supplements. These are generally used in combination together after finding the right structure for your specific case.

Exercises that are the most beneficial to gout patients tend to be water aerobics and yoga since these are easy on the joints and help to stretch and strengthen in a low-impact way. When looking at supplements as part of your gout treatment and pain relief program, consider fish oils. If you are looking to add a little spice to your gout diet, turmeric and ginger are both major players in the fight against inflammation and have been shown to help inflammatory diseases including gout.

Gout pain is also caused by increased inflammation and uric acid levels which can come about because of the foods you eat on a daily basis. When constructing your gout diet eliminate or drastically reduce your intake of meats, meat broths and many forms of seafood, including scallops, crab, herring, sardines, anchovies and mussels. Some types of poultry, including turkey, partridge and other small game birds, are another source of purines, the chemical that converts to uric acid in the body.

While, there is no cure for gout, there are a number of treatment methods that can help to keep your gout episodes to a minimum and keep the gout pain at bay. Work with your doctor and nutritionist to find the best way to treat your gout pain and discomfort level.