Reduce Arthritis Pain and Get Your Life Back


Red, burning, swollen and so stiff you don't want to move... that's what those who suffer from arthritis experience on a daily basis. If you know this all to well, you are probably one of the 46 million Americans (that's 1 out of every 5 people) that are living with arthritis every day. To better understand how to get relief from this debilitating disease we need to dive deeper into its root cause.

Some of the types of arthritis which are associated with inflammation include:

    * rheumatoid arthritis
    * gout
    * tendinitis
    * bursitis
    * polymyalgia rheumatica

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis actually means joint (arthr) inflammation (itis).   Arthritis can be used to define a group of more than 100 rheumatic diseases and other conditions that can cause pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints or any part of your body.

Additionally, it can damage the joint cartilage which can lead to joint weakness, instability and visible deformities that can interfere and, in severe cases, limit a person's ability to perform most basic daily tasks such as walking, climbing stairs, using a computer keyboard, washing dishes or brushing your teeth.

Arthritis can affect anyone regardless of age and most commonly affects joints in the knees, hips, hands and spine. If left undiagnosed and not treated properly, arthritis can cause irreversible damage to the joints, bones, organs, and skin. Not to mention dramatically impair your quality of life.

Arthritis-related conditions primarily affect the muscles and the bones but it is also considered to be systemic, affecting the whole body. Arthritis can cause damage to any bodily organ or system, including the lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, skin and even the heart. The Arthritis Foundation sites two independent studies (Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota) both of which prove that the widespread inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis is linked to heart disease and an increased risk of early death.

No one really knows the exact cause of arthritis but there are certain risk factors to keep in mind:

    * Genetics - likely to contribute to risk but no one knows
      how much.
    * Age - the older you are the more at risk you become.
    * Weight - maintaining a healthy weight will ease the load on
      the joints.
    * Previous Injury - major injuries are likely to contribute to
      risk.
    * Occupational Hazards - repetitive, high demand jobs increase
      risk.
    * Certain Sports - high level, high demand sports can
      contribute to arthritis (however, general exercise is always
      a plus)
    * Illness or infection - an infection in the joint or gout can
      lead to arthritis.


What we do know is that when you have arthritis your immune system goes into over-drive and causes the joints to swell and become inflamed. Therefore, treating the inflammation becomes key in managing the pain and discomfort associated with this condition.

Sadly enough, the Arthritis Foundation reports that half of those Americans with arthritis don't believe anything can be done to help ease their pain. You may be in that situation yourself, having thrown your hands up in frustration and simply decided to live with your pain. The good news is that by reducing the inflammation you
can significantly ease the painful symptoms associated with arthritis.

Here are a few ways to reduce your inflammation:

    * Exercise - less weight equals less stress on joints
    * Diet - Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole-grain
      products; limit sugar, salt and fat (especially saturated fat
      found in animal products)
    * Rest - a good balance between rest and activity is the key to
      joint health
    * Over-the-counter and prescription medications - while these may
      provide temporary relief by masking the pain they are not always
      get to the root of the problem - inflammation. They can also
      have serious side effects, especially with long-term use.
    * Natural anti-inflammatory supplements - probably the most
      promising natural approach to reducing inflammation in a long
      while. We recommend looking for supplements containing systemic
      enzymes and all-natural herbal ingredients.


By taking these simple steps to reducing inflammation you will be well on your way to managing your arthritis pain and it devastating effects on your mind and body. Everyone should strive to achieve a healthy and
active lifestyle for optimal health and wellbeing.

Finally... A Safe, Effective, All Natural Pain Reliever Dan Monahan had reached the point where he was willing to try anything - anything to ease the constant pain and inflammation in his leg. He could no longer walk. Even standing was uncomfortable.  His doctor gave him several prescription medicines but nothing helped.  Pain was ruining his life. When Dan saw an ad for this natural pain reliever, he was skeptical. How could this product work when every prescription his doctor gave him hadn't? But he decided to give it a try. Let Dan tell you what happened: "Was I pleasantly surprised!  After only 2 to 3 days on the activation dose, I noticed reduced inflammation and less pain in my leg." After just three weeks, Dan started walking again. This all natural product worked for Dan when all of his prescription drugs hadn't.  You can relieve your constant, burning pain when prescription drugs no longer work - just like Dan did - with Heal-n-Soothe.  That's because Heal-n-Soothe works differently than prescription drugs. Here's how: Prescription drugs reduce inflammation by switching off important compounds your body needs. Many are vital to your health. Eventually, you may need more drugs to get the same relief. Or worse, you experience dangerous side effects caused by drugs that are supposed to help you feel better. Heal-n-Soothe works with nature by adding more of the enzymes that naturally reduce inflammation.  With Heal-n-Soothe, your body has everything it needs to repair and renew your muscles and joints. You have less pain as a result - with no life threatening side effects. So if you're in constant pain and prescription drugs no longer help,don't wait another second. Click here to ease your pain and cool inflammation with Heal-n-Soothe!

Is Vitamin C Effective for Preventing Swine Flu?

I just recently read an interesting article on the use of Vitamin C to cure a case of the swine flu, written by Dr. Joseph Mercola.  A New Zealand man became very ill with the flu and was hospitalized - the use of antibiotics didn't do anything to improve his condition.

He didn't respond to treatment and ended up on life support.  Against the doctors' wishes, the family insisted that an IV with Vitamin C be tried, since there was nothing else they could offer.

The man ended up recovering from the flu, to the amazement of the hospital staff.  Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and may reduce the oxidation that occurs from free radicals in the body.

According to the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, "High dose vitamin C is a remarkably safe and effective treatment for viral infections.  In high doses, vitamin C neutralizes free radicals, helps kill viruses, and strengthens your body's immune system."

Please read this article if you want more information on preventing the swine flu with Vitamin C - Mercola.com.

Movement is Medicine:  the Healing Power of Movement

If you're not getting enough motion in your daily routine, your muscles and joints may become stiff, causing unnecessary pain or discomfort.

Besides being a great way to reduce stress, activity has been shown recently to be healthy for your joints.  In the Journal of Physiology (March 2008), a study determined that joint movement has been shown to increase the release of synovial fluid.

This fluid keeps the joint surfaces sliding with minimal friction, providing lubrication for the joints.  Kind of like how motor oil provides lubrication for your car's engine.

This study also showed an increase in one of the major components of this fluid, that occurred with movement.  Specifically, hyaluronic acid had a much greater turnover rate - 8-15 hours (with movement) vs. 17-30 hours in a static joint (lack of movement).

It was concluded that motion may increase the viscosity of synovial fluid to protect the joints during intensive use.  If you are someone doing intense exercise, doing simple movements in between your exercise sessions may keep your joints working properly.

On the other hand, if you are someone very sedentary, the lack of adequate motion may be harmful to your joints.  Muscles and joints that are seldom moved will become stiff over time - move it or lose it!

In the last 6 years, I have done a lot of mobility and dynamic flexibility training, and it has helped me reduce stress, move more efficiently, and allow me to exercise intensely.

Basically.......feel younger than my actual age of forty something.  

Actually, I feel pretty much the same as I did in my late twenties, only my movement is much more efficient.  Its helped me keep active after several injuries to my shoulders and strained muscles from playing lots of softball and lifting weights.

Doing simple movements that take your joints through their various patterns of motion is one way to work on joint health.  Training with Indian clubs is another.  Just adding some walking into your daily routine, will also help.

So if you want to feel better and more youthful,

Get moving!

Brian

Potent Combo for Osteoporosis and Fall Prevention:

In order to keep your bone mass as you age, you have to put adequate stress on your skeletal system, which means some type of resistance training.

Resistance (strength) training can build and maintain lean muscle tissue, as well as maintain your mobility as you age.  This also helps with fall prevention, especially if you build strength in a standing position.

Whole body vibration platforms have been shown to be a legitimate method for building or maintaining bone density in post-menopausal women.  In one study, two groups of women did conventional strength training or vibration training to determine the effects.

The group using vibration training increased their bone density 1.5% at the hip and maintained their bone mass at the spine in a 24 week period.  The conventional training group had no significant increase. 

Oftentimes, we see those 50 and older exercising on weight machines that have them sitting or lying down.  For fall prevention, this doesn't have as much carryover as exercises done in a standing position.  Exercises done in a standing position require multiple joints and muscles to work together, increasing coordination.

In my opinion, this also provides greater stress to the bones, which can help prevent osteoporosis or osteopenia.  Exercises on a whole body vibration platform can include single and double leg exercises to challenge balance and build coordination.  They create a hyper-gravity state, where the force of gravity going through your body is increased.

This is typically done in a static (still) position and then you can add in squats and stepup exercises on the ground to build dynamic strength.  This combination offers the best of both worlds.




A third component could include stepping exercise done on the X-iser.  This involves burst training which simulates sprinting, without the impact.  Besides putting positive stress on the bones, this type of exercise increases balance and naturally increases levels of growth hormone, which decreases with age.

Muscle power decreases with aging and needs to be trained.  How fast your muscles contract (react) can be the difference between falling and maintaining your balance.  You also need some specific exercises to keep the density in your upper back.

Fight Kidney Stones with Fruits and Veggies

It appears that a healthy diet can help you do more than just lose weight. Researchers have found that eating properly can help prevent kidney stones.

A recent newspaper article reported that eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, low-fat dairy products and whole grains and limiting salt, red meats, processed meats and sweetened beverages is an effective way to avoid kidney stones.

This study is mentioned in an issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. This type of diet is called the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).

While limiting your intake of sodium, I would recommend increasing your water intake, minimizing your intake of fluids other than water.

Of course, I'm not a nutritionist, so you can take my advice with a grain of salt (pun intended).

On another note, I recently came across an article by Drs. Kara and Chris Mohr, PhD's, on the topic of artificial sweeteners.

According to the FDA, you can safely consume a maximum of 18-19 cans of diet soda per day containing Aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) and 6 cans of diet soda containing Sucralose (Splenda).

Interesting, that your limit of Splenda is much lower than Aspartame. The Drs.' bring up the point that you can't automatically link diet soda consumption with weight gain - the research hasn't shown that, to this point.

They do state that you would probably want to limit the consumption of artificial ingredients and they don't like the idea of putting anything artificial in their bodies!

It is also mentioned that Sucralose has been linked to migraine headaches through anecdotal stories and may affect healthy bacteria in the stomach.

Obesity and Chronic Inflammation

A new study has linked obesity with chronic inflammation, as reported in the September issue of Cell Metabolism.

Chronic inflammation within fat tissue is now associated with the many ill health consequences that come with obesity, from diabetes to heart disease, according to Japanese researcher Yuichi Oike.

Oike's team has identified a fat-derived protein that is elevated in fat tissue of those who are over weight and have high insulin levels. When healthy mice were made to have greater levels of this protein in their fat, they developed inflammation and insulin resistance.

So while researchers may try to develop a drug to target this particular protein, it would be wise to adopt lifestyle changes such as exercise and healthy eating habits to reduce bodyfat.

My suggestions would include a resistance training program that targets the major muscle groups to increase lean muscle tissue and metabolism. A walking program on the days in between would also help burn extra calories.

If you have been sedentary for a while, start off with 15-30 minutes of walking. If short on time, do 15 minutes in one part of the day and then 15 minutes later on.

One study has shown that moderate walking of only 72 minutes per week increased fitness levels slightly. Obviously, doing more than this would have greater benefits and help in decreasing stress levels, which have also been shown to relate to your immune system.

If healthy, more intense exercise that includes sessions of 30 minutes or less, has been shown to burn fat. One of these types of exercise would include interval training on an X-iser.

This inflammation study was reported in Science Daily.