There are many theories of what causes pain in the body. Many natural remedies are said to be useful in reducing inflammation and pain. Here are some examples that we found. Of course, it's up to you to do your own research and use your best judgment.

Diet and exercise are cited frequently as playing a role in pain reduction. Moderate exercise, yoga and stretching routines can be valuable in restoring or maintaining joint flexibility and muscle strength at any age. Classes or videos, used regularly, keep joints lubricated and blood circulating. Breathing exercises, such as yogic pranayama, have also been shown to reduce pain. Meditation and relaxation exercises are used for pain relief and there are classes and recordings that can instruct beginners.

It has been said that coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco, grains, sugar, meat, cheeses and ultra-pasteurized milk products are overly acidifying in the body, when comprising more than 50% of the diet, and can exacerbate pain and inflammation. Acids should be balanced by eating lots of alkaline-forming foods: vegetables, green vegetables especially, raw dairy foods, and fruits such as bananas and dates. Avocados, cucumbers, and almonds are very alkalizing. Some foods, like lemons and tomatoes, are acidic, but have an alkalizing effect on the body. If you don't care for vegetables, there are dehydrated green vegetable powders that can be mixed with water. Since many people are also dehydrated, "green drinks" have a double benefit. (And, since the weight we store as fat is acidic, a third benefit of green drinks can be weight reduction.)

In general, processed foods acidify the body, often contain harmful chemicals, and do not contribute to good health. Better choices: whole foods; whole grains; organic meat, milk, eggs, and vegetables. Skip the additives such as colors, preservatives, thickeners, and artificial ingredients. Think it doesn't matter? When zookeepers at the Copenhagen Zoo offered chimpanzees either traditionally grown or organic bananas, the chimps always chose the organic bananas. They peeled the traditionally grown bananas before eating them. The organic bananas were eaten whole, skin and all!

Some rheumatoid arthritis patients have less pain when they avoid foods from the Nightshade family: tomatoes and potatoes especially.

It can be helpful to drink a teaspoon of baking soda with 12 oz water once a day, as it promotes the acid-alkaline balance.

Others find it helpful to drink 2 tsp unpasteurized apple cider vinegar and 2 tsp raw honey in a 12 oz glass of water each day. You can find these products at a natural foods store. This mixture provides beneficial enzymes and is said to 'flush toxins' from the system. (Never feed honey to an infant.) This combination has been used for centuries to stimulate the liver and kidneys, and to treat arthritis, muscle cramps, gout.

A lack of minerals, vitamins and other nutrients in the diet can also lead to pain. Pain is exaggerated when there is a lack of potassium, calcium, and magnesium in the diet. Minerals play key roles in many biochemical processes in the body, giving strength to bones and connective tissues and acting as coenzymes for metabolism, oxygen exchange, and the synthesis of proteins and other body components. Dr Linus Pauling, twice winner of the Nobel Prize for chemistry, said: "there is no disease, sickness or illness that cannot be traced back to a deficiency of one mineral or another".

A strong nervous system is supported by alkaline foods and the minerals potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese. It's estimated that 80% of Americans are deficient in magnesium, calcium, and potassium, so it's no wonder that there is an epidemic of pain in this country.

To maintain optimum health, we all need a minimum of 59 minerals, 16 vitamins, 12 amino acids and 3 essential fatty acids. But taking supplement pills does not guarantee absorption or utilization of these vital nutrients. If the nutrients aren't in a usable form, supplements will be excreted without being used. Liquid, ionically-charged, plant-derived or sea water-derived minerals are thought to be assimilated most easily by the body. Fulvic acid (an natural electrolyte in soil) makes elemental minerals and vitamins more absorbable by complexing them into organic, ionic forms that are easily transported into and through membranes and cell walls. Powdered mineral supplements, in the form of alkaline salts, are usually in the easily utilized form of citrates, though carbonates, tartrates, sulfates, gluconates, and lactates are good too.

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble and stored in the liver, to be used by the body slowly. The B Complex vitamins and C are water-soluble. It has been shown that most vitamin pills are not effective at protecting the body from disorder and disease. However, vitamins derived from food sources are better choices and can be found at natural food stores. Green powder drinks are a great source of vitamins because they are raw, dehydrated vegetables.

Alfalfa tablets (or tea) are rich in vitamins, minerals, and will cleanse excess acids, especially when taken with honey and lemon. Watercress, basil and peppermint are also excellent tonic herbs and should be eaten often. Parsley is rich in potassium. Garlic, onions, ginger and turmeric are also anti-inflammatory foods. Aloe vera juice and yucca extract have been shown to reduce inflammation.

Extra virgin olive oil is one of the most potent anti-inflammatory foods. The ancient Greeks prescribed olive oil for ulcers, gallbladder problems, and muscle aches. Modern researchers would add that it regulates cholesterol levels, protects the heart, helps the liver and kidneys to function optimally, and can help prevent colon, breast, and other cancers. It lowers glucose levels in diabetics and regulates blood pressure. Extra virgin olive oil, applies topically, repairs free-radical-damaged, aged skin, and has been shown to both prevent and reverse some skin cancers. Make sure it's 'First Cold Press' - unfiltered is even better - to get the highest levels of antioxidants, essential fatty acids, and polyphenols. Two or 3 tablespoons a day over greens or vegetables could make a huge difference in your health.

There is clinical evidence that the supplements pills of MSM, glucosamine, Cetyl Myristoleate (+MSM or +glucosamine increases its effectiveness), and chondroitin are effective treatments for joint and cartilage problems.