Common pain relievers for muscle and joint pain can literally kill you, or make you so sick you would rather die.
I’m talking about NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like aspirin, ibuprofen, and COX2 inhibitors (Celebrex). [11]
What can you do to get muscle and joint pain relief without the sickening side effects? Keep reading!
You know what muscle and joint pain feels like, but what causes it?
Inflammation Causes Most Muscle and Joint Pain
Widespread inflammation in the body and low energy levels are sure signs of chronic disease and old age. [4]
When you stub your toe, or burn your hand on the stove, that is called acute physical trauma. That trauma starts the healing process, which includes acute inflammation.
The injured body parts immediately release chemicals that produce inflammation. That signals the white blood cells to create substances which causes the skin cells to grow and fix the injury. [1]
Normally when the injured body parts are healed, the inflammation also stops. However, if the inflammation lasts more than two weeks, but less than 6 weeks, that is sub-acute inflammation. At more than 6 weeks, you are considered to have chronic inflammation.
Various diseases like Lupus will cause inflammation.
However, inflammation can actually cause some diseases such as: rheumatoid arthritis.
Also, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases can eventually damage your DNA genes, which increases your chances of getting colon cancer. [1]
Pretty much all of the chronic degenerative diseases are made worse by chronic inflammation.
Here’s my thinking about this. Let’s say you just got rheumatoid arthritis, but you don’t know it, because there are no obvious signs of it. If your immune system can heal it, then you wouldn’t even know you had it.
The problem is that the immune system didn’t heal it when it first started. So, now you have rheumatoid arthritis symptoms: joint tenderness, swelling (inflammation), muscle and joint pain.
As time goes by, the immune system keeps producing inflammation as part of the healing process, but it never defeats the cause of the rheumatoid arthritis.
So, the arthritis just keeps getting worse. Which is the definition of a chronic degenerative disease and chronic inflammation.
Why Can’t the Immune System Stop the Muscle and Joint Pain?
In my non-doctor opinion, I think it boils down to the immune system being overwhelmed and under-nourished. This relates to the body as a whole and the immune system separately.
The Standard American Diet has been called SAD for good reason.
Not only do we eat food that isn’t healthy, but even the “healthy” foods are grown on soil that is mineral depleted. So, it isn’t surprising that the body is under nourished.
Throw in air and water pollution and household chemicals, and you have a good case for the physical body being overwhelmed.
The Immune System Is Overloaded and Under-Nourished
Basically, the immune system searches for anything it doesn’t recognize as being food, or as a healthy part of the body. Then it starts to destroy whatever it is and gets it removed from the body. Well, maybe.
Many people don’t use the restroom often enough. Which means that those toxins can be reabsorbed into the bloodstream from the intestines.
The end result is that over time we build up an ever-increasing toxic load that the immune system simply can’t overcome.
Under-Nourished Mitochondria Causes Disease and Premature Ageing?
What is the difference between a 5-year old boy and a 50-year old man?
In a word, “energy”. Well, that is pretty obvious, but what it means is very important.
The mitochondria within a body cell produces the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) energy that the cell needs to function. If the mitochondria are sick or dies, then the cell is sick or dies. Whatever organ, gland or part of the body those sick and dying cells are part of, is now sick and diseased too. That’s the fact Jack!
That 5-year old boy doesn’t have 50 years of toxins and lack of nourishment making his mitochondria sick and weak. Meanwhile, that 50-year old man is feeling old and tired!
Think about that a bit. On a good day, you’re mentally alert, enthusiastic, and you feel like you could accomplish anything. Sounds kind of childlike, doesn’t it?
On a bad day, you don’t have the energy to think straight. You’re too physically tired to have any enthusiasm, and everything seems like too much effort to even bother with.
Create New Super-Charged Mitochondria and Feel Like A Sugar Charged Child Again.
When the mitochondria are pumping out massive amounts of ATP energy the cells will be flexing their muscles like the Terminator.
Seriously, having super-charged mitochondria means that your cells are functioning at peak performance.
That is how your immune cells will have the strength to defeat all those disease spewing toxins.
For robust health, you want as many healthy, energy spewing mitochondria, packed into every brain cell and muscle cell possible.
May the Force Be with You
I’m pretty sure it was the first Star Wars movie where they mention that Luke Skywalker had a very high mitochondria count.
Blindness and Premature Death Is Caused by A Lack of Energy
You shouldn’t be surprised that the heart and brain consume huge amounts of ATP energy the mitochondria produce. The liver and the kidneys are also high demand energy users.
So, it’s no surprise to me that there are so many illnesses that involve those organs. After all, they work continuously. If they are sluggish due to a lack of energy, how are they going to keep you healthy and alive?
There is a theory of mitochondrial cell aging. The theory says that the cells age due to low levels of ATP energy being produced by the By the way, the retina of the eyes has the greatest energy demand within the body. [5] That study mentions that macular degeneration is based upon the amount of energy demanded by the retina. Vision loss being the result of inflammation and cell death.. That creates mitochondrial DNA mutations, which leads to oxidative stress and damaged (old) cells. [5]
By the way, the retina of the eyes has the greatest energy demand within the body. [5] That study mentions that macular degeneration is based upon the amount of energy demanded by the retina. Vision loss being the result of inflammation and cell death.
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Conquer Premature Ageing and Illness
Premature ageing is the result of cell mitochondria not producing enough energy to keep the cell healthy. That decrease in ATP energy production is the result of the mitochondria DNA being mutated. [4]
This is kind of a chicken and egg story. As we get older the cell mitochondria mutate more and more, because they are under-powered from a lack of energy.
However, any illness or disease that interrupts the health of the mitochondria will also tend to cause mutations. In either case there is less energy produced by the mitochondria for the cell to function at its optimum level.
So, if the cells of your leg muscles are not energized, its pretty likely that you will end up with a muscle disease. The same thing is true of the brain, and all of your organs, skin, bones and joints.
A chronic disease develops when the mitochondria are not producing enough energy to keep the cells healthy. That includes the immune system cells. If the immune system is weak, it can’t fight infections, bacteria, viruses, etc.
The end result is that you aren’t healthy enough to live to an old age.
Note: Another way to slow down the aging process is by physical exercise. Losing muscle mass is a normal process of aging, and it causes frailty. Which puts you in danger of falling and breaking bones. A little bodybuilding will keep you younger and healthier.
Defeat an Early Death and Blindness with Near Infrared Light Therapy
A study was done using flies, because of their short lifespan and because the entire body of the fly could be treated. [4]
The flies were treated with Near Infrared Light at a wavelength of 670 nm. The test results showed reduced inflammation, and higher ATP energy levels.
As the flies got older, the treated flies had better mobility and lived longer than untreated flies.
In fact, 80% of the untreated flies were dead after eight weeks. Whereas, the treated flies lived as long as twelve weeks. Twelve weeks being a normal lifetime.
So, the end result was that the untreated flies died at an early age, and the flies treated with near infrared light lived to an old age.
The conclusion here is to use near infrared light to stay healthy right up to the end.
Muscle and Joint Pain Relief Methods
Jump Start Old Mitochondria and Create New Ones with Red Light Therapy
Are sore muscles slowing you down and preventing you from enjoying your life? Sore muscles from an injury, sports activities or working out at the gym heal faster with red light and near infrared light therapy.
There was a study using a pair of identical twins to test the use of Near Infrared Light Therapy, which penetrates deeper into the skin, muscles and bones than Red Light Therapy.
The strength training program involved using leg press and leg extension techniques to build muscle.
The wavelength used was 850nm, which is a very popular wavelength, because it is quite effective at healing.
The testing period was 12 weeks, with three workout sessions and light therapy sessions per week.
The near infrared therapy was applied with a specially made flexible LED light array that was wrapped around the leg. Similar to the device shown in the picture to the right.
After the 12 weeks the twin that received the near infrared therapy was able to increase the amount of weight used in the leg extension machine by 37%.
Whereas the other twin, without light therapy only increased by 20%.
The leg press weight load increased 53% for the light therapy twin, and 28% for the other twin.
An isokinetic dynamometer was used to test muscle fatigue. The twin that received light therapy had a 3% reduction in muscle fatigue, and the other twin had a 15% increase.
Thigh muscle volume increases for the twins were increased by 20% with infrared therapy, and 5% without therapy.
Clearly near infrared light therapy is able to repair muscle tissue, and build new muscles after physical exertion. That same healing power is available for healing chronic joint pain and all types of injuries.
How Does Red Light and Near Infrared Light Therapy Work?
It stimulates and nourishes the mitochondria to produce more energy for the cells to use for a faster recovery.
This is a technology that was developed by NASA and is FDA approved safe.
Defeat Osteoarthritis Pain with Near Infrared Light Therapy
Your Chances of Getting Osteoarthritis Is 50 – 50. [11]
The older you get, the more likely it is, to get joint pain from osteoarthritis.
Quite a few scientific studies have used Low-level laser (light) therapy (LLLT), but that technology has been replaced by LED light therapy. Led Light Therapy is safer and you can do it at home yourself.
One study [11] that used a laser to treat osteoarthritis in rats found that lower powered laser treatments over a longer period of time was more effective than the stronger treatments. Which is why LED lights are now used.
In that study they used a (808-nm wavelength) near infrared light for treating the osteoarthritis.
That’s because, treating joints requires greater depth penetration than visible red light can provide.
So, you can use red light therapy for muscle and joint pain relief, but generally the near infrared is a better choice. An even better choice, in my non-doctor opinion, is to use both at the same time.
Near infrared light and red light therapy combined. Take a look – Click Here
In simple terms, what happens is that the light is absorbed by the mitochondria, which helps them to produce more ATP energy. As I have said before, that additional energy super charges the cell that contains the mitochondria.
Which means that the cell is operating at its optimum level of health. Healthy cells, makes for faster healing and greater muscle and joint pain relief.
Not only pain relief, but the possibility of curing the osteoarthritis. There is no scientific proof of that yet.
However, if you remove the cause of osteoarthritis (decreased mitochondria functioning, in my non-doctor opinion), then you could also create a cure.
Stop Osteoarthritis Knee Pain with DIY Light Therapy
Another study used redlight therapy for 15 people, near infrared light therapy for 18 people, and a placebo light therapy for 17 people.
Everyone self-treated themselves for 15 minutes twice a day for 10 days. To get better light penetration, both sides of the knee was treated.
More than 50% pain relief was reported by the red light and near infrared light therapy groups. The placebo therapy group did not have any significant pain relief.
After the 10-day treatment period was over, the researchers noted how long it was until the people requested another treatment.
Uses both 660nm Red Light and 850nm Near Infrared Led Light 13.1″x8.2″x2.3″ with adjustable angle stand or use the adjustable door hanger. Click Here
For the placebo therapy group, it was about 2 weeks. The red light therapy group was about 16 weeks. Whereas the near infrared therapy group was about 24 weeks.
Rhodiola Rosea Increases ATP Energy in Mitochondria
One study tested the amount of ATP in the mitochondria of rat muscles. [7]
The rats were given an oral treatment of Rhodiola Rosea and made to swim until exhausted. The amount of time that the rats could swim was increased 24.6%.
It was determined that the Rhodiola Rosea plant extract caused the synthesis or resynthesis of the ATP energy within the mitochondria. Which led to a faster muscle repair after the exhausting swim test.
Note: Rhodiola Crenulate was also tested, and was not as effective. So, be sure to buy Rhodiola Rosea.
I take Rhodiola Rosea everyday, and you should too. Click Here Now
Can Rhodiola Rosea Conquer Huntington’s Disease and Prevent An Early Death?
Huntington’s disease generally occurs between the ages of 30-50 years old. So, it fits the idea that I put forth earlier, that weak mitochondria leads to diseases over time.
In Huntington’s disease, the immune system isn’t working properly which, in this case, causes neurodegeneration. [8]
Fruit flies were used in a study of treating Huntington’s disease with Rhodiola Rosea. The flies were bred to have the equivalent of Huntington’s disease.
Fruit flies have a complete nervous system and a short lifespan, which made them suitable for this study.
The end result was that Rhodiola Rosea increased the physical mobility and lifespan of the flies. Greater mobility is an indicator of greater energy and fewer symptoms. The longer lifespan was the result of being healthier.
How does that apply to humans?
In my non-doctor opinion, that seems to verify the ability of Rhodiola Rosea to increase the health of the mitochondria, which increases the health of the immune system. Ultimately reducing the symptoms of the disease, and preventing an early death from disease.
Essential Oils for Muscle and Joint Pain
I have not studied essential oils, so I am not an expert. So, these next two studies may not represent all essential oils.
One study mentions that essential oils appear to weaken the organelles of the mitochondria. [9]
Another study says that essential oils that contain p-cymene lowers the ATP energy of cells. [10] Which indicates to me that it is interrupting the functions of the mitochondria.
What I don’t know, is if most essential oils relieve muscle and joint pain, but do so while damaging the mitochondria.
Green Tea Creates New Mitochondria in Down’s Syndrome Patients
Down’s syndrome is a chromosome disease that interrupts the functioning of the mitochondria, and green tea is able to undo that malfunction. [13]
Specifically, it was the epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) polyphenol in green tea that was tested.
More importantly to our topic of muscle and joint pain relief, was the fact that green tea promoted the growth of new mitochondria. [13, 2]
You would have to drink green tea all day long (like I do) to get this amount of EGCG Click Here To Grow More Mitochondria
The more mitochondria you have in each cell, the more energy you have. In other words, you are actually more alive.
The more energy your current mitochondria produce, the faster you get muscle and joint pain relief. I might add, the faster you are cured – if that is possible. Green tea not only promotes the growth of new mitochondria, but also improves how they function.
My Personal Use of Red Light Therapy and Green Tea
I own a large (10 inch x 16 inch) red light and infrared light therapy device that I don’t use as regularly as I should. That’s mostly, because I don’t have any obvious medical need to use it.
So, in my case I use it to supplement the other things I do to stay healthy. Like drinking green tea.
I drink and eat 2 bags of organic green tea every day. Yes, I said eat.
So, I heat some water. Into the hot water I pour the tea leaves (out of the bag it comes in). Some of the tea leaves float, and I slurp them as I drink the tea.
When I get near the bottom of the cup there are tea leaves that didn’t float. So, I heat more water and have another cup of tea. This time I swirl the leaves and drink them. Then it’s time for my second bag of tea.
Obviously, I also buy bulk tea leaves, instead of bags, but the bags provide a consistent quantity. It’s also easier for you to grasp how much green tea I actually eat.
I have more energy than most people half my age. So, I think this is working.
Muscle and Joint Pain Relief Conclusions
I have discussed the idea that feeling old is simply a lack of energy. That a lack of energy leads to illnesses, and an early death.
Along the way you are bound to have a lot of muscle and joint pain. Either from diseases or from a physical injury.
I have shown that red light, and near infrared light therapy, increases the health of the cell mitochondria, to provide the energy for you to not only be healthy, but FEEL healthy.
This infrared and red light therapy for body aches and pains can be used on the arms, knees, back, neck, shoulders, hands, and feet. Click Here
Additionally, I’ve given you additional options to relieve muscle and joint pain with the Rhodiola Rosea and Green Tea supplements.
Use all of them at the same time for the fastest muscle and joint pain relief possible.
Resources and References
[2] The critical role of epigallocatechin gallate in regulating mitochondrial metabolism.
[3] Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Healthy Aging.
[9] Biological effects of essential oils–a review.
[11] Can osteoarthritis be treated with light?
Related Article: Knee Pain Remedy At Home: How To Start Enjoying Life Again
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Thanks for the super informative article. You convinced me that light therapy really works. What device would you recommend for arthritis in my hands?
The SGROW 24W Red Led LightRed 660nm and Near Infrared 850nm Led Light Therapy Bulbs for Skin and Pain Relief is a good size to use for the hands. You would need an adapter plug to convert to a US standard bulb socket. Then you could put it into any lamp stand that fits your situation.
By the time you did all of that you might be better off with the SGROW 45W Red Led Light Therapy Deep Red 660nm and Near Infrared 850nm Led Light Therapy Panel. Then you can treat large portions of your body for even greater benefit.
A strong case for boosting your mitachondria to attack muscle and joint pain and get back some energy.
I have been getting a lot of joint pain and inflammation and I’m only in my 40s. I have been taking turmeric and wouldn’t dream of taking NSAIDs like half of the American population. They don’t treat the root cause and do more harm than good with the ferocious side effects.
Light therapy sounds appealing and the cost is reasonable when compared to topping up with turmeric.