A study published in Arthritis and Rheumatology suggests that cherries can reduce flare-ups of gout. Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis caused by an overproduction and crystallization of uric acid, which produces episodes of severe pain and swelling in joints. Anti-inflammatory drugs are generally proscribed to gout sufferers, but perhaps cherries and cherry extracts will one day provide a natural replacement or enhancement for current prescriptions.
The study monitored 633 patients throughout the course of a year, tracking participants’ gout attacks and medications. Researchers also created two-day control periods where subjects ingested either cherries or cherry extract. They concluded that both cherries and their extracts yield a 35% reduced risk of having a gout attack within the next two days.
Gout attacks can be an exceedingly uncomfortable, and should not be left untreated. If you are struggling with pain caused by gout consult with podiatrist Dr. Jeff Wachtel, D.P.M., of Wachtel Family Foot Care. Dr. Wachtel can attend to all of your foot and ankle needs.
What is gout?
Diseases of the feet can affect the whole body, and symptoms usually arise within the feet. A condition like gout can make a patient’s ability to walk unbearable. The pain caused by this disease is often so agonizing that it requires elevation of the feet and some time off for them to fully recover.
Known in the past as “the disease of kings,” Gout is caused by an excess of uric acid in the body. Some common symptoms include pain, inflammation, and redness at the metatarsal/phalangeal joint of the base big toe. This buildup of acid is typically seen on the big toe of the foot and can cause inflammation, redness and swelling. Although these are common symptoms of the diseases others include joint pain, extreme fatigue and a high fever.
Gout can be treated by NSAIDs, which relieves pain and inflammation and other drugs which lowers the acid levels in the body.
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If you have any questions, please contact our office located in Lansdale, PA. We offer the newest diagnostic and treatment technologies for all your foot ankle injuries.
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