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How Pine Essential Oils Could be the Key to Arthritis Support
Arthritis means inflammation of the joints. It is a debilitating disease that results in swelling, stiffness, and pain due to the destruction of cartilage, bone, and/or synovial fluid around the joints. Causes of arthritis are varied, and can be due to wear and tear, infections, autoimmune conditions, or other conditions. There are different types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
We often think that arthritis is a symptom of us getting older, but arthritis can strike at any time. I have known people in their 20s who suffer from arthritis, although it is more typical to see arthritis in older adults.
Arthritis is not believed to be curable, and treatment is typically focused on alleviating symptoms.
Essential oils from the pine family or the Pineaceae family, can provide great support for arthritis. I will tell you about these oils, but first start by sharing some information about joint development and health.
How Our Joints Develop
The developmental changes in joints occur in parallel to the changes in bones. Joint development starts from the mesenchyme, which is a tissue that is found when we are embryos. Starting at 8 weeks old, synovial joints develop and synovial fluid secretes within them. They resemble the adult form they will take later in life. As we grow as children and become more active, our joints also activate and strengthen. This means that the more active we are as children, the thicker the capsules and ligaments and the larger the bone support we develop.
If we do not have any injuries, our joints continue to operate in a healthy fashion until middle age. As a part of aging, ligaments and tendons shorten and weaken, intervertebral discs may herniate and osteoarthritis may develop.
Problems That Affect Our Joints
Once a joint problem has taken place, such as osteoarthritis, a condition where more cartilage is destroyed than what is considered normal wear and tear of the joints, it is very hard to heal. This is because joints have very little vascularity, which limits the blood supply and nutrients to the joints and makes it harder for our bodies to repair them.
