Joints, Bones & Muscles

You hear the word thrown about all the time, but you might not know exactly what joints are. Essentially, joints are the area where two bones meet together to allow movement within your body.

Without joints, this wouldn’t be possible.

They are made of cartilage, synovial membrane, ligaments, tendons, bursas, synovial fluid and meniscus.

There are multiple possible causes for joint pain, but some of the most common include:

• Inflammation of the joint lining
• Gout
• Cartilage damage
• Bleeding into the joint space

If it’s specifically joint pain that you’re experiencing, thankfully a lot of the remedies above will provide some relief. But that’s not all. Discover a few more remedies for soothing joint pain below:

• Acupuncture: obviously it’s not wise to do this yourself, so try getting booked in somewhere with an expert to provide some relief.
• Apply ice: using ice can also help to reduce any swelling you may also be experiencing.
• Gentle exercise: with some joint pain, gentle mobility exercises may be able to provide some comfort.

Joints can crack when pressure creates tiny bubbles which pop when formed quickly. This can be caused by day to day movement, or when you crack your joints yourself, like your knuckles. 

So should it be a source of worry? The old wives tale tells us that if we crack our joints, then we’ll get arthritis, however studies have shown that this is not always the case. When not accompanied by pain, noisy joints are harmless. 

If you’re worried, or joint cracking is accompanied by pain or swelling, then it’s best to speak to a GP.

There are a number of tell tale signs that may suggest you aren’t consuming enough protein including losing muscle mass, feeling hungry even after eating, snacking often & energy slumps.

If you’re concerned, it is best to speak to a GP.

An essential mineral. Calcium is most known for keeping our bones and teeth strong. However, it’s also responsible for controlling muscles and nerves.

Synaptic vesicles store neurotransmitters, which send messages to the brain to contract or relax the muscle. But these neurotransmitters need calcium in order to be released from the synaptic vesicles and send the message. ¹⁹

Calcium is also important for making sure blood clots normally. ²⁰

Calcium deficiency can lead to issues with your bones, including conditions like osteoporosis in adults or rickets in children.

You should be able to get the calcium you need through a balanced diet, including calcium-rich foods like milk (dairy or fortified plant-based milk), leafy green veg, and bread. ²⁰

Good bone health is the ideal and something we should all strive to have and maintain throughout our entire life because bone health impacts us at all ages, from when we’re young to when we’re older.

We store calcium in our skeleton, which we need in order for our bodies to function.

It also forms part of our bone tissue.

If we don’t get enough calcium from our diet, we don’t have enough of it stored within our skeleton, which can cause our bones to become weaker and more brittle, and prone to injuries.

Good bone health can help prevent them from becoming vulnerable and more prone to damage. 

A type of molecule that combines to make a protein – they're known as the “building blocks” of protein. ¹⁰

There are three types of amino acids: essential, nonessential, and conditional: ¹⁰ 

• Our body cannot make essential amino acids, so we need to get them from food. 
• But they can produce nonessential amino acids. 
• Conditional amino acids depend on the situation. They’re not usually essential, but they might be when we’re particularly ill or stressed.

A plant named after its spiky fruit. According to the British Herbal Medicine Association (BHMA), some devil's claw products may be used to help ease joint and muscle pain. ¹³

The extract is usually made from the dried root of the plant, and you can find supplements in teas, tablets, and capsules.

It’s considered safe for most people, but you should speak to your GP before taking devil’s claw supplements.

An essential mineral that helps the body turn food into energy, as well as supporting bone health. ¹⁴

But magnesium plays a part in over 300 different functions in the body. Nerves need magnesium to send and receive messages, and muscles need it to function properly. ¹⁵

Women aged 19 to 64 need 270mg of magnesium per day, and men of the same age need 300mg. ¹⁵

It’s best to get magnesium through your diet where you can: good sources include spinach, nuts, and wholemeal bread. ¹⁵