The Most Important Nutrient for Arthritis

By Dr. Sean M. Wells, DPT, PT, OCS, ATC/L, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, CNPT, Cert-DN

There's always a blog or hot article on your newsfeed talking about a "miracle" nutrient or special vitamin. While many of these articles are complete clickbait or mere fluff to get you to buy their supplements, this article has some science and experience behind it. Now that we have that settled, I want to explore the one nutrient that I think has the biggest impact on clients with arthritis: fiber. 

Arthritis comes in several forms but the 2 most common types are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We as physical therapists (PTs) often help clients with both of these diseases. From exercises, manual therapy, modalities, dry needling, and education -- our roles as PTs is to help our clients move better and reduce their pain. So, how does all this physical therapy talk for OA and RA fit in with fiber? 

Fiber is uniquely a plant-based product that is essentially indigestible to human guts. Fiber comes in two forms: soluble and insoluble.  Soluble fiber dissolves in water. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and is tough for our gut to break down. Fiber is essential for good health, as it has been shown to reduce cholesterol, improved gut motility, and help to reduce symptoms related to arthritis.

Several studies have shown that people with RA that increase their fiber intake can lessen their stiffness, pain, and improve their functioning. Why is this? Some researchers have made the connection that fiber helps to boost the healthy bacteria in the gut, also known as the gut microbiome. These bacterial cells help to reduce systemic inflammation, reduce centralized pain, and may help to dampen down symptoms of depression and anxiety, which worsen pain. Some of this "talk" between the gut and the brain is mediated by the vagus nerve, and other pathways, through a connection called the gut-brain-axis.

Clients with OA can also reap the benefits of increasing their fiber intake. Longitudinal studies highlight that diets rich in plant-sourced fiber consistently showed lower risk of symptomatic osteoarthritis. Symptom reduction in OA may be related to the reduction of inflammation, drop in BMI, or other factors. As discussed above, fiber helps the natural gut bacteria to help reduce inflammation. Fiber is also bulky, which helps clients feel fuller and eat less calories. Lastly, fiber-rich foods are usually rich in antioxidants and other positive phytochemicals that promote healing.

In the end, fiber truly is our friend and a friend to our patients. Those with arthritis can find much relief with our traditional physical therapy treatments; however, adding in nutritional education with your PT will enhance your outcomes and improve your bottom-line. 

So, are you ready to learn more about nutrition to help your many patients with chronic pain? While many PTs take physical therapy courses from Medbridge, Cheapceus, or the APTA, many of these groups have their mainstay courses focused on traditional PT interventions and not nutrition. Our board-approved, online physical therapy continuing education courses are specific to nutrition and physical therapy. Our PT courses will help you use integrative pain techniques, pain science, and pain healing through nutritional changes. Take all 3 of our courses and earn the Certified Nutritional Physical Therapy (CNPT) credential, which may give you credentialing to offer nutritional counseling in your State or area. Enroll today!

Download Your Copy of the Free E-Book:

Learn about the Top 5 Functional Foods to Fight Inflammation and Pain in Physical Therapy. 

 Keywords: physical therapy, cheapceu, medbridge, nutrition, continuing education, arthritis, fiber, CEH, CEU

Disclaimer: The above article is written as opinion piece and does not convey specific legal and/or practice act advice. 

 Image credit Marco Verch licensed by CC by 2.0