To be completely honest, the benefits of apple cider vinegar are more based on unsubstantiated fact rather than any truth; though the research is still underway on the benefits of apple cider vinegar and, therefore, it cannot be written off either. Stiff joints are probably a sign that you are getting arthritis. This is a disease that comes under the categorization of auto-immune diseases. What this means is that your body’s immune system has on a genetic trigger, and has started to attack itself. The disease has a slow and painful progression and therefore has to be managed from the minute you are diagnosed. To confirm diagnosis, you need to look into your family history for cases of arthritis and also get an x-ray done and show it to an osteopath.
Arthritis can be equated to a machine with moving parts breaking down. In the bones of the joints, two bones have to meet at some point. At this junction, there is a piece of hard tissue, called a ligament, that envelopes the meeting point of both joints. The whole joint itself is encapsulated in a closed space that is filled with a fluid called synovial fluid. The synovial fluid is a lubricating fluid for the joint and the ligaments act as a cushion or a bushing that prevents friction between the bones. In arthritis, the immune system starts to attack and destroy the ligaments mistakenly assuming that it is a foreign tissue. Since the instructions to the immune system are part of genetic coding, this is what makes it a hereditary disease. Once the ligaments start to get destroyed, the friction between the two joints causes the joints to start degrading and they cause inflammation in the surrounding tissue. This situation gets progressively worse until the joint disappears altogether.
Dealing with arthritis requires taming the immune system. This can be done naturally with the help of some anti-inflammatories. Ginger, feverfew, and turmeric are all very useful in this regard. Feverfew and ginger should be made into a strong tea and consumed through the day as a matter of habit. Turmeric is something that is best just added to the diet in copious quantities. The stiffness itself can be alleviated by some basic exercises but these should be avoided the minute you sense that they are causing you any kind of pain. You might also have to take some corticosteroid medication from your doctor.