Saturday, September 28, 2013

Weather Related Joint Pain and What to Do About It


Arthritis patients are most likely to experience stiffness and soreness when the seasons change. Barometric pressure has a lot to do with the pain. Many patients that do have a type of arthritis move to places with higher barometric pressure to relieve joint pain! Lower barometric pressure often increases pain and discomfort in the joints.

Most patients start experiencing increased pain or discomfort in certain areas of their body when a storm is near. This interesting phenomenon occurs because the pressure changes and influences the fluid in the joints. A sharp pain the back or ankles or knees can lead someone to predict a big storm.

For individuals that have no existing joint problems, suddenly cold temperatures can spike muscle pain. Many people frequently feel this in the knees or ankles during cold weather. Storms or intense weather changes can also trigger odd and otherwise unexplainable body pains.

Treatment Options for Weather Related Joint Pain

- Choose to avoid areas where weather changes dramatically.
- Take a pain reliever if you experience the above symptoms.
- Wear knee braces if necessary to avoid debilitating knee muscle pain.
- See a doctor if the pains continue and you are not currently diagnosed with arthritis.

What Causes Arthritis Joint Pain?

Arthritis muscle pain can be caused by hundreds of different things. There are even over 100 types of arthritis that millions are diagnosed with each year. While it isn't life threatening it can make living life normally difficult, especially in severe cases of arthritis.

- Genetics
- Age
- Weight
- Lifestyle and diet
- High intensity sports that are done at a young age for many consecutive years
- Illness or infections in the body, including STD's
- Previous injuries
- Working in a hazardous environment or location
- Weather, including extreme weather conditions where you live
- Other medical conditions
- Certain medications seem to trigger arthritis
- Inflammation
- Unknown causes that are a complete mystery to doctors

What to Do If You Experience Joint Pain

If you experience muscle pain when the weather changes, be sure to relax and just take a pain reliever. That is the best way to go about treating something that doesn't occur too often. If you experience joint pain more than a few times a year then you may have a more serious problem. Screening for arthritis is your best bet to ensure that you are healthy. Untreated arthritis can cause severe degeneration of the joints and make doing simple things very difficult. There are a number of medications and treatments designed to help with arthritis symptoms.

Gout Arthritis Treatment, Symptoms, Causes and Risk Factors


There are over hundred types of arthritis conditions and Gout is the most painful among them. Generally people above 50 years of age are affected most, especially men whereas it is a rare occurrence in women. Some women may develop Gout after menopause. This is considered as a chronic disease that occurs due to the deposition of needle like crystals of uric acid in the joints leading to swelling and inflammation causing acute pain. Being one of the most frequently recorded illnesses, Gout is also a genetically inherited disease. This painful condition demands thorough treatment to prevent crippling at an advanced age.

Symptoms

The most common outcome of Gout is the abnormal swelling of the big toe which becomes red and warm. Gout pain also affects other areas like elbows, knee joints, fingers, ankles, wrists. This results in the stiffness in the joints followed by severe attacks of pain often awakening a person from the sleep.

Causes and Risk factors

Blood contains a definite level of uric acid, which is regularly eliminated from the body through kidneys. When there is an abnormal rise in the blood uric levels, it starts depositing in the joints in the form of sharp crystals often forming lumps that causes the pain.

Factors that may cause Gout -

1. Too much drinking of alcohol
2. Excessive consumption of protein rich food
3. Obesity
4. High Blood pressure
5. Malfunctioning of the kidneys
6. Use of certain drugs in some cases.

Gout Treatment

Basic treatment involves changes in diet and lifestyle followed by other medications or natural remedies. Massage with Rumatone Gold oil is very helpful in gout treatment. If it is taken with Rumatone capsules it gives fast relief.

Diet

1. Purine rich food like red meat, liver, shellfish, refined and sweet foods must be avoided.
2. Blue berries, cherries, strawberries and other colorful berries must be taken regularly.
3. Drinking plenty of water, fluids and juices.
4. Eating fruits rich in Vitamin C like oranges, red capsicum, red cabbages etc. and Pineapple which is rich in Bromelain.

Treatments

The most common treatment involves the administration of NSAID, analgesics to reduce inflammation and provide relief from pain. In acute cases corticosteroids are given through short courses.

Few natural remedies that are commonly practiced in treating Gout arthritis are -

1. Raw vegetable juices that of carrot, beet and cucumber are beneficial in treating Gout. 100 ml. each of beet root and cucumber juice mixed with 300 ml. of carrot juices should be taken regularly.
2. Celery seeds and oil of Sir John's Wort herb are beneficial in treating gout.
3. Berries of Juniper blocks the synthesis of prostaglandins and are traditionally used for Gout treatment.
4. Application of cold packs, taking Epsom salt baths and regular physical workouts helps in treating Gout.

Why Are You Suffering from Knee Joint Pain?


The knee joint comprises of 3 compartments namely patella, fibula and tibia. Femur is the thigh bone and it meets the tibia, the shin bone to form the main joint. The joint has an outer compartment known as lateral and the inner one is referred to as medial. Patella, the kneecap then joins the femur to form patella femoral joint. The various causes of knee joint pain that affects the knee are bursae, ligaments or tendons that surround the knee. This affects the cartilage, bones, ligaments and menisci that form the joint. The knee joint is complex making it prone to injuries.

Ligament injury can be caused by trauma and basically affects medial collateral ligament which is the inner part of the knee joint. It also affects lateral collateral ligament (outer part) and cruciate ligament (inner part). This type of injury is noticed when one suffers from knee joint pain and is clearly examined and proved by an orthopedist. Other causes of knee pain are degeneration, infrequent infection, bone tumors and arthritis. Rapid motions also cause pain through tearing of meniscus and commonly happen to athletes. The tear is associated with warmth and swelling, knee lock and an uncomfortable sensation in the knee.

Knee joint pain is diagnosed based on the type of injury the patient has. Meniscal is diagnosed in 3 ways namely MRI, arthroscopy and arthrography. MRI is done by radiation where a computer and magnetic fields produce 2 or 3 dimensional images showing the inner part. It gives accurate results unlike an x-ray. Arthroscopy is done by inserting a tiny camera in the knee for examination and repair purposes. Tiny gadgets are used to repair the knee during this procedure. Arthrography is where a contrast fluid is injected directly into the knee joint making the knee internal structures visible during x-ray.

Commonly, knee joint pain is treated by surgery, medication and exercise. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) takes longer to heal because there is not enough circulation of blood to the knee. However, if the tear is minor, the knee stabilizes quickly and there will be no need for surgery. Exercising helps strengthen tissues and that surrounds and supports the knee. To ease the swelling, the knee is wrapped with an elastic bandage to provide compression. When the knee undergoes surgery, the ACL is removed for reconstruction. This can be risky as blood can clot or the knee gets infected during surgery.

Arthritis - The Cause and How to Reverse It


Estimates report there are at this time 45 million Americans suffering from painful or crippling arthritis. Many others are suffering from arthritis type symptoms, bursitis, fibromyalgia and gout.
Currently, the general perception from both the medical establishment and the public is that arthritis is a stress disease treated with anti-inflammatories and cortisone. The disease is regarded as progressive and has no known cure. Is that really the case?

A serious problem with this perception is the absence of information explaining the origin of stress and as a result the potential opportunity to work to correct the source of the disease. Dr. Swilling who is the consultant to this project has spent 25 years in research to reveal the origin of illness and disease origin of illness and disease, presents breakthrough research explaining the origin of arthritis and describes how this has led many to experience effective healing, reversal of symptoms and return to good health.
The scientific literature offers a number of factors known to contribute to the stress including the following:

1. Poor Nutrition and Diet

2. Inadequate Digestion

3. Emotional, Relationships, Occupational

4. Environmental Pollution

5. Infection

6. Parasites

7. Poor Posture

8. Past Surgeries or Injuries

Dr. Swilling goes beyond the obvious to explain the impact of the above factors in the development of stress. He demonstrates examples of four important factors in the development of the disease.

1. That stress is a breakdown of a biochemical balance leading to a switch from an anabolic to a catabolic state. That this catabolic state creates inflammation that initiates the arthritis. A continuing imbalance perpetuates the catabolic damage that is the progressive degeneration of the disease. When this process is understood by the arthritic patient who is guided into a TCH Arthritis Support Program focused on restoring the biochemical balance, the catabolic process is reversed to initiate reduction of inflammation, healing and return to good health.

2. His breakthrough research reveals that the breakdown of electrolyte balance leads to an altered pH increasing acid levels further accelerating inflammation and damage.

3. Unnatural fast food, alcohol, sugar based food, coffee and soda drinks that become acid waste.

4. The accelerated damage resulting from free radical damage due to inadequate oxygen, water and the unnatural free radical activity generated by food cooked in microwave and deep-fried.

Other factors known to accelerate the damage caused by any of the four examples above are described as follows:

Nutrition and Diet

Our creator intended we be supplied all the essential nutrients from plants grown in rich nutrient topsoil, unpolluted water and oxygen from clean air. These nutrients are used by the body to produce energy and functions responsible for good health into youthful aging to ages 129-135. However, due to unnatural farming practice, plants are grown in depleted soil. Chemical fertilizers and herbicides are absorbed into the plants and thereafter into the food chain.

To add insult to injury, our staple foods are refined and processed, further depleting the essential health giving nutrients, polluted with chemical additives to extend shelf life, imitate natural taste and so on.

Our water and air is polluted. When nutrients are no longer sufficient to meet the required levels, deficiencies and imbalance lead to symptoms, illness and disease.
Dr. Swilling has revealed breakthrough research in the subject of Nutritional deficiencies particularly in regard to a mineral deficiency leading to depleted electrolyte chemistry and a corresponding shift in the critical pH balance responsible for the development of the disease (This subject is explained in a book by Dr. Swilling - Minerals Key to Vibrant Health and Life Force).

Medical opinion is that Arthritis has no connection with nutrition and diet. They do not have the training or the comprehension of biochemistry and that arthritis is in fact a manifestation of a serious depletion of resources unable to meet the demands of stress. An extensive number of studies have measured the severe demand on resources during stress especially related to protein, minerals, vitamins, enzymes and all other nutrients.

These studies explain how stress in all of its many forms trigger a biological and biochemical response to convert storage sites to make available resources necessary to meet the demands of stress. This response is familiar to all when a stress situation causes the heart to pump vigorously, pulse to accelerate and blood pressure to rise.

When these storage sites become depleted (such as glycogen in the liver) then hormones (such as pituitary, adrenal, thyroid) are released to become active in what is described as a catabolic chemistry (opposite to anabolic). Catabolic chemistry attacks cellular tissue to release resources not available from storage sites.

The more serious, prolonged or frequent this shortfall, the more damage. The other interesting evidence is that this catabolic chemistry targets weak sites. It is this target site that becomes the inflammatory site that develops into the arthritis. Depending on the site, the extent of the damage and collateral chemistry, so is the type of arthritis determined. In a systemic arthritis, the synovial fluid has become acid due to waste and chemicals.

In other studies, nutritional deficiencies and imbalances lead to altered states of cellular, neurological and bone structure, manifested as different forms of the disease.

Studies have revealed that most persons with arthritis have been under severe stress before the onset of the illness; that their diets are appallingly deficient in many respects; and that the level of vitamins in their blood, particularly vitamin C and pantothenic acid, is extremely low.

2. Poor Nutrition and Diet

Poor diet and nutrition means the following:

a. Processed food such as white rice noodles, especially when combined with sugar based food, spicy and salty food.

b. Too much carbohydrate and sugar changes the pH of the digestion, depletes pantothenic acid and essential digestive enzymes.

3. Inadequate Food

Does not meet the nutritional needs of daily requirements.

In particular, long gaps between meals. Those who skip breakfast or who have a skimpy breakfast of coffee or tea and toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and a long gap before dinner.
There are thousands of studies reporting the severe distress following processed food intakes and how they cause the blood sugar to peak followed by a severe dive. These severe swings between peaks and dives use energy from storage sites leading to hormonal responses and increased risk of catabolic damage.

4. Inadequate Nutrition

Satisfying the demands of stress is the most challenging objective for an arthritis patient. Thousands of arthritics have been shocked to learn that their skimpy breakfast and main meal at the end of the day was so inadequate as to be the cause of their disease. The degree of inadequateness can be explained as follows:

a. The skimpy breakfast may be adequate for a person who does not have the frustrations of work, the discipline and demands on conduct and performance, stressful relationships and so on.

The fact is the skimpy breakfast and average dinner does not meet the stress demand of a modern lifestyle. When the day begins with a good breakfast, follows with a nutritious lunch and dinner, the odds improve substantially. Arthritics improve more dramatically when they can manage 6 nutritious food and snack intakes daily.

b. Research reveals a meal cooked in a microwave oven has had most of its food value destroyed. In addition many other side effects that accelerate free radical activity and catabolic damage.

c. A meal fried in deep oil as is provided by well-known chicken fryers accelerate catabolic damage (due to free radicals from heated oil). Many venders recycle oil several times to save money.

5. Inadequate Assimilation

Studies demonstrate how poor diet, long gaps between meals and frequent stress leads to changes in the pH of the digestive tract that depletes pantothenic acid, HCL and enzymes essential to achieve efficient digestion of protein and assimilation of nutrition needed to meet the demands of stress.

6. Chemical Poisoning

Chemicals absorbed from body contact such as cosmetics, nail varnish and antiperspirants. Add to this household cleaners, soaps and so on.

7. Environmental Pollution

Many arthritics have traced their condition to pollution such as chemical exposure from occupation: examples include insecticide spraying, painters, printers, and those working in factories using chemicals. Farmers using chemical fertilizers and gardeners using chemical sprays are also susceptible.

8. Parasites, Bacteria, Fungus and Viruses

Parasites, bacteria and viruses penetrate damaged cells due to catabolic and acid waste damage. This is particularly so for viruses that are harmless when outside the cell. When these invaders penetrate cells they multiply thereby further increasing acid and inflammation.

9. Mental and Emotional Stress

In another category, studies revealed that those who worsened even when they adhered to a good diet, stress could be traced to frustration resulting from work and personal relationships. Patients trained to become aware of this kind of stress and guided as to the action necessary to remedy this, healed dramatically.

Arthritis can develop early in childhood as in Stills Disease or over decades depending on the source of stress. The evidence is that many arthritics are unable to release the emotional stress associated with suppressed desires, the strict disciplines imposed by a strict parent, the loss of a loved one, the pent-up frustration of an unhappy relationship or the loneliness of a solitary life cycle. In all of these the individual perpetuates the stress as though the circumstances cannot be altered. When this fact is recognized, or brought to the individual's attention leading to a conscious effort to confront the source, a seemingly miraculous cure is a recorded experience with many involved. Others will consult a counselor and have a similar experience.

Successful healing has also been achieved when sufferers have commenced a new hobby or interest such as learning a new musical instrument, painting, indoor gardening or service to the church. When stress relates to an unhappy or frustrating work situation, a new training certification conducted after hours has led to a better position or a change in occupation.

10. Medication and Drugs

Cortisone

The hormonal connection to the disease Arthritis remained a mystery until it was shown that remarkable results were obtained when cortisone was given. However, the side effects are more often worse that the disease. Such results indicated that persons with arthritis were in the exhaustion stage of the stress reaction and that their pituitary and/or adrenal glands could no longer function normally.
Since this knowledge became available, arthritic individuals have often improved remarkably after following a diet designed to restore exhausted glands to stimulate natural cortisone production and to meet the increased nutritional needs of stress.

Minimizing Side Effects of Cortisone

The Aside effects@ of cortisone therapy such as ulcers, pancreatitis, de-mineralized bones, and diabetic-like symptoms are far less severe when pantothenic acid is generously supplied; if ACTH is given without simultaneously increasing pantothenic acid, the adrenal glands can be severely damaged.
Since 10,000 milligrams (10 grams) of pantothenic acid have been given daily with only good results, there need be no fear of taking too much. After an adequate diet has stimulated the natural hormone production, medication is rarely needed.

A diet low in salt and unusually high in protein together with all the B vitamins greatly decreases the toxic effects of cortisone.

A side effect of Cortisone is increased sodium causing water retention and a potassium deficiency.
Adrenal Stress and Sodium

When investigation clearly indicates adrenal exhaustion, salt (sodium) which is lost from the body when the adrenals are exhausted, salty food or salted nuts may be recommended for the recovery period.
The Impact when Medication is Given

No nutrient interferes in any way with cortisone, ACTH, or aspirin therapy. However each of these medications increases the need for vitamin C, especially aspirin which destroys huge quantities of this vitamin.

11. Infection and Antibiotics

Infection such as staphylococcus is a major challenge to the immune system and a severe stress to the support systems. Staphylococcus is known to enter bone leading to inflammation and destruction.

12. Posture

Chiropractic adjustment better described as postural integration is essential to ensure that postural stress is removed to allow for maximum healing. Very often incorrect posture leads to stress sites that become inflamed. When posture is corrected at the same time as lifestyle and nutrition, dramatic results can be seen within a few weeks.

Altered pH acid and alkaline balance

Dr. Swilling uses the above examples to demonstrate that whereas health functions in an alkaline environment, an acid environment manifests illness and disease.

He maintains that the unnatural factors described above, alters the alkaline synovial fluid which acts as lubrication for more than 68 joints from alkaline to acid. It is this acid fluid that is the cause of inflammation, pain and damage of the synovial membrane, as well as the cartilage protecting the head of the long bones. Poor nutrition, particularly a deficiency of protein (amino acids) and calcium weaken the cartilage to become more vulnerable to the acid damage.

Debris from catabolic and free radical damage, acid waste from unnatural food, side effects of medication, chemicals, toxic waste from parasites, fungus, bacteria and viruses results in a cumulative toxic acid load. He explains, that factors such as electrolytes, oxygen, water, and nutrients are the balancing forces used to prevent build-up of acid wastes. However these balancing forces have become depleted due to unnatural lifestyle, depleted nutrient farm produce, processed food, polluted environment, inadequate water and the stress of mental and emotional life experience.
In his book Minerals Key To Vibrant Health and Life Force, he explains how the initial shift to acid is due to depleted minerals. When organic minerals are well supplied, the electro-charged anions are effective in maintaining an alkaline pH. He uses a special brand of electrolytes, detoxification, organic food, methods of food preparation and other therapies to reverse the acid pH.
Avoid Delay

Chronic aches and pain, particularly in the joints should be evaluated without delay, not as a medical condition requiring a painkiller, but as a stress induced biochemical imbalance.
Emphasis should be directed to an investigation to determine the source of the stress and the implementation of a program of lifestyle change, detoxification and a good well balanced nutrition to restore healing, restore the balance leading to restoration of the anti-stress chemistry, the immune system and a smart approach designed to confront sources of tension, mental and emotional stress.
TCH Self-Help Arthritis Support Program

Supervised by Dr. Swilling, TCH offers a support program initiated with a BioMedical Health and Lifestyle Assessment Questionnaire conducted on-line. See http://www.takechargeofyourhealth.biz
A response report to completed questionnaire includes a recommended individualized program including daily protocol for nutrition, diet and supplements as well as detoxification.

Arthritis - Treating Mild Osteoarthritis Pain


Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease or osteoarthrosis, is the most common form of arthritis. It occurs when cartilage in your joints wears down over time. Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in your body, although it is most commonly affects the hands, hips, knees and spine. It typically affects just one joint, though in some cases several joints can be affected, such as with finger arthritis.

There is no cure for osteoarthritis and it gradually worsens with time, but treatments can relieve pain and help you remain active. Actively managing your osteoarthritis may help you gain control over your osteoarthritis pain.

For mild osteoarthritis pain that is bothersome, but not enough to have a great impact on your daily activities, your doctor may recommend the following:



  • Rest. If you are experiencing pain or inflammation in your joint, rest it for 12 to 24 hours. Find activities that don't require you to use your joint repetitively. Take a 10-minute break every hour.



  • Exercise. With your doctor's approval, exercise regularly when you feel up to it. Stick to gentle exercises, such as walking, biking or swimming. Exercise can increase your endurance and strengthen the muscles around your joint, making your joint more stable. Avoid exercising tender, injured or swollen joints. Stop if you feel new joint pain. New pain that lasts more than two hours after you exercise probably means you have overdone it.



  • Weight loss. Being overweight or obese increases the stress on your weight-bearing joints, such as on your knees and your hips. Even a small amount of weight loss can relieve some pressure and reduce your pain. Talk to your doctor about healthy ways to lose weight. Most people combine changes in their diet with increased exercise.



  • Heat and cold. Both heat and cold can relieve pain in your joint. Heat relieves stiffness and cold relieves muscle spasms. Use a heating pad, hot water bottle, or a warm bath. Heat should be warm, not hot. Apply heat for 20 minutes several times a day. Cool the pain in your joint with cold treatments, such as with ice packs. You can use cold treatments several times a day, but don't use cold treatments if you have poor circulation or numbness.



  • Physical therapy. Ask your doctor for a referral to a physical therapist. A physical therapist can work with you to create an individualized exercise plan that will strengthen the muscles around your joint, increase your range of motion in your joint and reduce your pain.



  • Occupational therapy. Find ways to manage daily tasks without stressing your joints. Speak with an occupational therapist for help managing tasks or work without putting extra stress on your already painful joint.



  • Pain creams. Over-the-counter pain creams and gels available at the drugstore may provide temporary relief from osteoarthritis pain. Some creams numb the pain by creating a hot or cool sensation. Other creams contain medications, such as aspirin-like compounds, that are absorbed into your skin. Read the label so you know what you are using. Pain creams work best on joints that are close the surface of your skin, such as your knees and fingers.



  • Braces or shoe inserts. Consider trying special splints, braces, shoe inserts or other medical devices that can help reduce your pain and immobilize or support your joint to help you keep pressure off it.



  • Chronic pain class. Ask your doctor about classes in your area, or check with the Arthritis Foundation, to find classes that help people with osteoarthritis or chronic pain. These classes teach skills to help manage your osteoarthritis pain. You'll meet other people with osteoarthritis and learn their tips for reducing joint pain or coping with your pain.

Knee Strengthening Exercises Can Help You Combat Joint Inflammation, Pain, And Stiffness


If you suffer with joint pain, say in your knees for example, you are one of millions of others around the world who go through the same thing every single day. Arthritis affects more than seventy million people in the United States alone.

Contrary to popular belief arthritis is not just the bane of the elderly.

What causes this problem?

For many people a lack of exercise is one of the main reasons why their bones and joints are painful and stiff. Our skeletal system needs to be exercised. If exercise is neglected problems are going to arise, and not only with regards to our bones.

When the joints are sore and swollen immobility naturally occurs. We want to protect the affected area, afraid to do anything that might cause the pain and swelling to intensify. However, immobility is probably one of the reasons why the problem has occurred in the first place.

Another primary cause is a diet that is not nutritionally sound. When the diet is lacking the body will suffer in a multitude of ways. In order to function properly the human body has nutritional requirements that need to be met. When these are neglected issues arise. It really comes down to cause and effect.

What can be done?

First of all you need to know that you do not have to resign yourself to the idea of a life of joint pain. There are things you can do to alleviate the problem. For instance, if you suffer with knee pain you need to do knee exercises. Certain knee exercises will greatly help to reduce swelling and pain and increase mobility. And the good news is that it is never too late to start.

Nutritional Supplements

Nutritional supplements, such as those that contain New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel Powder are known to greatly benefit those suffering with joint pain. The green lipped mussel is a complete food that reduces inflammation in the joints. Coupled with vitamins, minerals, and other essential ingredients, these supplements can go a long way in helping you enjoy a more active and healthier life.

Why choose a natural supplement?

You might wonder why you should choose a natural supplement over a conventional medicinal one. While certain prescription drugs are very beneficial, natural remedies are safe and can be used in conjunction with other medications. They will not produce a range of unpleasant side effects. Also, unlike conventional medications, they will not cause complications in other areas of the body.

"Choose supplements and knee strengthening exercises to help you live a life free of joint pain and inflammation".

Friday, September 27, 2013

Obesity and Osteoarthritis - A Clear Path to Joint Pain and Damage


Being obese is the most common cause of osteoarthritis and pain in the joints. In other words, the heavier your weight, the more susceptible you are to such health problems. Of course, osteoarthritis is more common among the elderly. Still, being overweight can greatly reduce the age at which you might develop this disease.

Osteoarthritis is caused by the wearing out of the substance between the joints which is called cartilage. Once it is no longer there, the bones start rubbing against one another thus causing a great amount of pain. Just think about the pain in your wrists, knees and your spine.

It is only natural to conclude that the heavier we are, the more loaded our joints are. Being overweight, however, does not harm your joints only mechanically. According to research the abdominal fat produces chemicals that may cause joint inflammation.

Contemporary life seems to do its best to serve osteoarthritis. The sedentary lifestyle affects mostly the lumbar region of the back, as it is the one body area that undergoes the greatest pressure. Factors such as ageing, sitting all day long in the office in that uncomfortable chair and bending over the computer for hours are enough to cause you back pain. Just think about adding obesity to the picture.

The lumbar region (the lower area of your spine) consists of five lumbar vertebrae, which are separated by five intervertebral discs. These discs help the bones remain a little bit apart, not allowing them to rub against one another and basically act like shock absorbers. What they actually do is to absorb the weight of the body and its muscles and ligaments.

Another one of the discs' functions is to allow movement in the waist. It permits the spine to bend or twist. As you may guess, the lack of movement and sedentary way of life often cause the muscles to weaken. Of course, this is one of the problems of contemporary life and especially of white-collar jobs. Adding obesity to the equation does not help your body cope with these issues. It is quite the opposite.

So the advice is to exercise more. This would prevent or lessen the pain in the back and joints and help you lose weight. Of course, being obese obstructs exercising, but there are a number of ways to strengthen your muscles without straining them. Swimming and walking are only some of the possibilities.

Arthritis Treatment: How Painful Is a Stem Cell Procedure for Osteoarthritis Treatment?


Osteoarthritis (OA) is a wear and tear disease of articular cartilage. It arises as a result of the lack of ability of cartilage to keep up with excessive breakdown. It's a common disorder affecting more than 20 million Americans.

So far, the treatment of osteoarthritis is mostly symptomatic. Various medicines, called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), exercises, physical therapy, and injections are used to provide palliative relief. Ultimately, patients will go on to have knee replacement surgery.

More recently, attempts at cartilage repair through the use of autologous (a patient's own) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has shown promise.

Noted initially in animal models such as goats, sheep, and rabbits, the reparative benefit of autologous stem cells has also been reported anecdotally in humans.

There are multiple descriptions regarding technique. The most common is to centrifuge bone marrow or fat to concentrate the stem cells and then inject them into the joint.

While the simplicity of this approach is appealing, it is probably not effective.

MSCs migrate to areas of new injury. If the surrounding environment is conducive to their survival, they will undergo multiplication and differentiation and populate any framework that is provided in order to begin the reparative process.

That being said, all of the above factors need to be in place in order to achieve the desired outcome.

There must be an area of new injury that attracts the MSCs; there must be a favorable environment with growth factors that stimulate MSC differentiation and multiplication; and finally, there must be a suitable framework that provides sanctuary for the MSCs in a hostile environment.

A proper MSC procedure will require the expert use of various anesthetics. Anesthetic needs to be administered in the form of both local soft tissue as well as regional block. Knowledge of anatomy as well as the use of diagnostic ultrasound to localize nerves is important. Also, knowledge of the pharmacokinetics of the various anesthetics is important in order to avoid toxicity.

Finally, if arthroscopy is needed in order to better visualize the area or to deliver the acute injury at a specific site, the use of intra-articular anesthesia is critical.

General anesthesia is not required.

Obviously, there is some discomfort associated with the administration of anesthetics. After all, how can a needle stick be rendered absolutely painless? However, when properly done for OA, a MSC procedure will be somewhat uncomfortable but should not be overwhelmingly painful.

Ironically, most of the discomfort occurs after the procedure because the nature of a regenerative procedure requires the aid of a robust inflammatory response to deliver healing.

How to Overcome Joint Pain with 3 Exercise Tips


If you are suffering from joint pain or arthritis, then you must be eager to seek about joint pain cure. If fact, the best way to overcome joint pain is simply, exercising regularly. However, there are people who still insist on excusing themselves from exercise routines as they claimed that they do not have time for exercises or that they simply have less energy than before to exercise. Well, these are all just lame excuses. If you are having pain in your joint and you are looking for ways to overcome joint pain, then it is time to start getting rid of those pains with regular exercising. Let us look at 3 ways to help you with your condition.

A good way is to walk. Take a good long walk at least three times a week or do a step-aerobics or low-impact exercise routine. All these can provide your exercise with maximum results. There is no proof that running is bad for the joints. But you need to remember that it may aggravate a joint pain injury if you already have one. Always remember to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.

One of the most important ways anyone can take to prevent joint pain at the knee is to lose weight if you are overweight. Extra weight puts extra stress on your knees. For example, if you are already 10 pounds overweight, then you are putting 60 pounds per square inch of extra pressure on your knees every time you take one step. Ouch! That extra pressure you put on your joint can slowly but definitely erode the cartilage in your knees, leading to arthritis joint pain.

Another way is to do muscle stretching. However, you should not do bouncing when doing stretching, as this can lead to a muscle pull. So what kinds of muscle stretching can you do? You can try this. Try to hold a slow, steady stretch exercise for 15 to 20 seconds, then relax and repeat this. It is best to flex up by stretching before any exercise, especially running and walking. It is also a good idea on another hand to stretch each day. Ask your doctor to teach you the correct way of stretches that focus on potential arthritis trouble spots, such as the knees or the lower back.

Just keep in mind that exercise is not only good for your joint pain, it is good for your health too. Hence, start exercising now!

Discover the Benefits of Camphor Oil


The Camphor tree is indigenous to Japan and China but can now be found in many different regions of the world; the United States, Brazil, Egypt, Madagascar, Argentina and southern Europe. This hardy tree can grow to a height of over 100 feet producing white flowers with red leaves and berries.

In ancient times, camphor oil was believed to hold magical healing properties. It is produced by steaming the bark of the camphor tree to produce a powerfully fragrant, white crystalline substance for medicinal purposes.

These trees are slow in growing and many people in Asian countries believe that real camphor oil is at its best once the treaty reaches 50 years of age. This tradition is also honored in the United States, however due to market demand most of the camphor will you can purchase is synthetic.

Camphor oil was first discovered our Marco Polo in the 13th century where it had been used to treat a variety of medical problems, as an embalming fluid and also for its fragrance. This essential oil also played a large role in the Moorish medical traditions, and the many of the plants is derived from the Arabic words "al kafur" for eucalyptus. In the Ayurvedic medical system camphor oil is used regularly to treat respiratory congestion, strengthen the heart and soothe aching muscles.

It is a primary ingredient in many cold remedies: the oil is used in steam vaporizers and as an ointment to smooth the respiratory tract and control coughs. Traditionally camphor oil has been used to relieve pain from osteoarthritis and discomfort caused by congestion, neuralgia, rheumatism and strained back muscles acting as a mediator between the nerves and the pain impulses sent to the brain.

Modern medical practitioners in Western countries are beginning to fully study the long-term benefits of topical applications prepared with camphor will. The "Journal of Rheumatology" published a clinical study in 2003 that verifies the effectiveness of camphor oil use in conjunction with glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. The results of the study showed the liberal application of camphor oil preparation such as Camphor Balm by Rawleigh Products significantly reduced pain from osteoarthritis in the knee over a four-week period of time.

Sequential Compression Device - Choosing a Lymphedema Pump


People who have problems with blood clots, fluid accumulation in the arms or legs, or who must remain immobile for long periods of type may need to use a type of medical pump called a sequential compression device, or lymphedema pump.

What is it?

A sequential compression device helps improve circulation in the feet, arms or legs. The device comes with a sleeve that is placed on the affected body part. The sleeve connects to an air pump. Once it's turned on, the lymphedema pump pushes air into the sleeve at varying intervals, which milks the arm or leg. It feels like a gentle squeeze. This opens up the veins and allows blood and fluid to flow more easily. Sometimes doctors refer to these pumps as intermittent pneumatic compression systems.

Who needs it?

Because being immobile for long periods of time increases the risk of blood clots, people who are having surgery (especially hip surgery or hip replacement surgery) may need these sequential compression devices. Also, people who are obese, have blood clotting problems, deep vein thrombosis, or arm or leg swelling may also find relief and better circulation if they use lymphedema pumps.

Research studies have also found these pumps to help people with a circulatory and sleep disorder called restless legs syndrome.

How much do they cost?

It depends on how many chambers they have. More chambers are more expensive, but also generally more effective. Health insurance may pay for a portion of a sequential compression device, which range from $600 to $3,000.

5 ACL Injury Symptoms


If you have injured your ACL these are often the symptoms you will experience. The anterior cruciate ligament restricts the tibia from sliding in front of the knee. When you tear this ligament there are several symptoms that will almost always accompany this injury. They include...

1. Pop or Snap Sound When Injury Occurs

One of the most common ways to tell if you have injured your ACL is from the injury itself. If when you injured your knee you felt a snap or pop and then collapsed it is possible you have torn your ACL.

2. Swelling

ACL injuries especially tears are often accompanied by significant swelling in the knee shortly after the injury. This is not always the case, from my personal experience both times I tore my ACL there was minimal swelling, however most people experience a lot of swelling.

3. Knee Instability

After you have injured your ACL you will likely notice knee instability this is due to your ACL no longer supporting and stabilizing your knee. If you are not in to much pain immediately after the injury you will likely notice the "funny" feeling you have walking where your knee no longer feels stable.

4. Loose Knee

Similar to the instability issue above, a common way to determine if you have an ACL injury is by testing your knees looseness. To do this sit in a chair with your leg relaxed and foot flat on the ground. Keeping your leg relaxed push place one hand on top of your injured knee and with the other push on the back of your calf. If both knees feel the same than you may not have injured your ACL. However, if you feel like the injured knee is loose and there is nothing stopping you from pushing the back of your calf forward than you could have an ACL injury.

5. Clicking/Popping While Walking

The final symptom of an ACL injury is clicking/popping while walking. Now this isn't actually a symptom of an acl injury it is a symptom of meniscus damage which can often accompany an ACL injury. This symptom by itself is not enough to say you have an ACL injury but if you have this symptom along with the 4 above than you have likely injured your ACL and meniscus.

How to fix and ACL injury?

Surgery is often the recommended choice of recovery for an ACL tear. The recovery process for ACL surgery can be long and time consuming but there are advanced recovery techniques that can greatly reduce the recovery time.

ACL Surgery Recovery Experience and Timeline

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Knee Pain Relief - Knee Instability - How a Knee Brace Can Be the Answer


A Couple Important Questions For You

A.) Does your knee feel unstable?

B.) Or, do you have knee pain?

1.) Taking Our Knees For Granted

We all can take our health for granted, until something goes wrong. Knee stability is just the same; you can take it for granted, until all the sudden you have a problem on your hands. There does not have to be a big accident that happens, to make knee stability or knee pain a major concern of yours... Once it does happen, you just want to help control the associated knee pain and just get on with your life as you always have.

2.) Moving Forward

So, now what? What can you about this problem?

Do you want to change the way you feel about your knee?

Often times, people can suffer from different kind of knee injuries due to sports, accidents during regular daily activities, or degenerative issues that have been developing as time goes on. For example, an ACL tear, or an MCL tear, or a meniscus tear can happen, and as a result you will need to address this head on, before something gets worse.

3.) Rest

People will tell you that one way to deal with knee pain, or knee instability is to rest. Sure, this is a nice idea, but how many of us can really stay off our feet long enough to let our body just heal itself? This kind of thing does not just happen over night (hopefully it will for you, but... ) Seriously, those people who tell you to rest and your knee will get better... do you just wonder if they are thinking about all the other stuff you have going on in your life?

4.) Surgery

Another way to deal with your knee pain, or knee instability is to consider surgery. This can be an invasive procedure, and can set you back financially if your insurance does not cover a hundred percent of your hospital stay and all the costs that go along with that. Yes, surgery is often times the last resort, and although it can be effective its not for everyone.

5.) Braces

Knee supports have proven to be an effective way to help stabilize your knee. Due to the stability that they can provide, your knee pain can often times reduce, if not go away. Moreover, when you compare the price of a knee brace to that of a knee surgery, you can save a TON of cash. These are just a few reasons why you may want to look deeper into the issue of getting a knee brace.

Steps to Owning Your Own Home or Condo


Get a Mortgage Pre-Approval!
You need to know what you can afford. You have to be realistic before you jump headlong into it. We suggest making an appointment with your bank's mortgage representative and having a serious talk. Don't be afraid to shop around. Check all banks and compare rates. Don't be afraid to haggle - most banks will knock off 1% from the posted rates. Ask for it - you deserve it. This is the biggest purchase of your life. Also find out how long the rate will be "locked in" for. Usually 60-90 days. If the rate does go down in that time period normally your bank will give you the lowest rate in those 60-90 days, make certain that this is the case.

Make your Home Wish List
Do you want a townhouse, semi-detached or a detached home? What about a condo apartment? How many bedrooms do you need? What about a backyard? Is it something you want - will you be able to maintain it? Location - do you need to be near a school for your kids?

Consult with a Realtor
to find a home to suit your needs and price range. Be honest and explain your situation. We're here to help you. And realize that is not always going to be easy. If you are pre-approved for a mortgage at $200,000 and you have a downpayment saved up of $10,000 then you can look at homes priced up to $210,000. If your chosen location is central Toronto, it will be near impossible to find a 4 bedroom detached home for that price. You have to consider what is affordable. How much home can you afford in your chosen location? The farther you go out of the city the less expensive everything is. If you go to Ajax for example you could find a detached four bedroom in that price range. In Toronto, you are looking at $400,000+.

Search for your New Home
Be patient - it may take awhile to find the perfect home or conversely, it may be the first home you step foot in! A word of warning, in the current market homes are being sold at an alarming rate. If there is something you decide you like, it is better to jump on it then to wait too long and have it sold out from under you.

Make an Offer on the Home you Choose
Your realtor will take care of all the negotiations and will advise you on every aspect of the process. Standard conditions in the offer are: buyer arranging financing and inspection of the home by a qualified home inspection professional. These conditions are included to protect you - the buyer. The financing is approved by your bank and the inspection is done by a home inspector of your choice. Your realtor will have names of inspection companies to choose from or check the yellow pages and compare rates. The standard is for the inspector to supply you with a report at the end of the inspection and alert you to any concerns he or she may have. Having a termite inspection in any of the older homes in Toronto is a good idea.

Once the offer is accepted
and the conditions are fulfilled then the deal (contract) is firm and binding. You just need the Seller to move out! You will need to prepare for moving expenses and utility set-ups (water, hydro, gas, etc.)

Closing Day!
This is the day that your lawyer and the seller's lawyer exchange documentation and funds and you get the title and keys to your new home!! It may well be a stressful day for you - actually, we know from experience (we've done this twice now) that yes, it is stressful. The relief of finally having your new house keys in your hand will be such a pleasure.

Moving Day!
Careful planning ensures a smooth and painless move. Whether you are hiring a moving company or you are doing the work yourself, make certain to assess the costs and be ready. Renting a truck and doing it yourself may be cheaper at times, but to save the strain on your back you may just let the pros do it. The costs can vary wildly.

For our first home we, with a few friends and family members, moved us in. We were going from an apartment to a house and it was easy. The initial cost of the truck was not too expensive, it was the additional mileage cost that was tacked on at the end that was not so pleasant. Not to mention the pain in our backs and knees the next day from all the lifting and stair climbing! And we weren't out of shape, it was just crummy, hard work.

But here's the truth, for moving into our current home we broke down and hired a moving company - not a big name but still a bonded, insured company and the guys were great. They brought the truck, emptied out our storage locker and got everything into our new home quickly and efficiently. Yay! No sore back and knees for us! We personally are in relatively good shape and not lazy by any stretch of the imagination, but we are also not into busting our backs again. So, ultimately, the choice is yours. Yes, it's cheaper to do it yourselves just make certain you are ready for the work, that's all we're saying.

3 Easy Ways to Minimise Knee Pain When Crouching Or Squatting


Crouching and squatting usually affects muscles in the lower back and limbs. If, after crouching and squatting, you feel pain and weakness throughout your limbs, you are likely to realize that actually your body does not react well to this sort of physical movement. It may be a good idea to start doing less prolonged and vigorous exercise in this form, especially if your occupation involves sitting down all day.

Here are 3 quick tips to minimise your knee pain when squatting:

  1. Do your squats properly. Some forms of squatting are also very bad for your knee joints. They basically are not designed to take weight in this way. If you watch young children or toddler's squat, they do this more like trying to sit on a low stool. Their knees don't go beyond their toes. This is actually a much better way to squat or crouch.

  2. Limit how far you lower yourself. Often just restricting how far you squat will make a big difference to the stresses on your knees and supporting muscles. You will often find that by halving the movement, you can stop or minimise the pain.

  3. Don't hold the position for a long time. This multiples the stresses and makes it more like that pain or injury may occur. Another problems is that the synovial fluid that lubricates your joints can literally get squeezed out of your joints and it takes movement to get this back into your knee. In the mean time they can get painful and stiff.

The rectus femoris muscle is the cause of pain in the knees, as well as the adductor magnus muscle, which is at the inner part of the knee or thigh. Pain at the back of the knees is caused by from the hamstrings. In the outer aspect of the knees, stress may be due to the tensor fascia lata muscle.

The main muscles which a prone to injury are rectus femoris, tensor fascia lata and the hamstrings. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that they cross both the hip and knee joints, so are probably going to be more easily injured by crouches and squats. Many people expect that the quadriceps muscles are most likely to be injured. However, this is wrong because the quadriceps only cross the knee joint.

In disagreement with what most people think, posterior thigh pain is not actually the most common type. Anterior thigh and knee pain is actually more common. As human beings, we often remaining sitting for long periods of time. This is just because of how our generation has been brought up. When we sit the knees are always bent, so the muscles in the knee, in which the function is to extend the knee, are often weakened and stretched to the limit, in contrast to the hamstring muscles, which bend the knee and become short and tighten easily. This is due to the imbalance of power in the muscles. It is often called the see-saw principle. The muscles in the front of the hip are often shortened by this prolonged sitting, whereas the muscles in the back of the hip are lengthened and weakened.

Excessive shortening and lengthening in the knees is a very common cause for knee injury. This is often because of exaggerated and tougher exercise, such as crouching and squatting. Therefore, the rectus femoris and tensor fascia lata muscles become shorter and tighter in the hip areas, and longer and more outstretched around the knee.

When a person does crouches or squats, their muscles around the knees, thighs and hips become strained, as they are put under a lot of stress. The muscles at the back of the hip are lengthened to excess, whereas the knee contracts, becoming very short. Therefore, the muscles at the back of the hip are much bigger and stronger then muscles in other body parts, such as the knees. The hamstring muscles have extremely concentrated power, which is directed towards the knee. When the hamstring muscles pull harder, they are using more power.

For all the above reasons, after crouches or squats, discomfort and heavy pain can often be felt, which may be the beginning of future knee and thigh pain. Pain in the hips may also occur. It is better to either squat correctly, like a child, or avoid these altogether. There are also more specialised squats such as the 'Hindu Squat' that some health gurus believe actually help to repair knee damage.

Treatment Of Knee Pain - All About The Importance Of Knee Braces


The greatest reason why you should be worried about your legs is that it happens to be the most significant joint in the body. However, as we age, our muscle mass will begin to decline and the combined muscle mass in our legs are no different. As a result, joint problems occur with everybody. A knee brace along with other knee pain remedies can provide much needed relief from the pain.

Sprains begin to happen when the muscle mass which hooks your bones together is damaged. Obviously, this will result in a lot of suffering, however if the stress were very serious, a short-term failure to walk may also be possible.

Second and third stage strains are the most detrimental type of them all. These types of sprains don't just have damaged ligaments, they are really torn. In order to heal this damage, many weeks of therapy may be required. But sometimes, surgical treatment may be viewed as an option especially if the pain is difficult to endure.

In addition to the pain there are other symptoms which can tell you that your legs are having issues.

Inability to Walk

Numbing

Swelling

Discoloration

The Sound of Grating

There are many different kinds of knee pain treatment, but one of the best choices is a brace. Although it may not be a cure, one of these can reduce further harm to your bone while assisting its cure more quickly.

Along with the normal medical knee brace, there are other types of braces for treatment, as well. An excellent example would be an athletic knee brace. These type of braces usually come in many varieties, such as "basketball braces" or "football braces." You may use these along with other types of knee braces as well as other knee remedies and solutions.

In terms of costs, braces are not that expensive. Most can be found on web pages that can give you an excellent price, if you know how to find them. The best way to start your search is by looking up healthcare materials web pages online by utilising search engines like Google, Yahoo, or Bing.

Perhaps the best thing about braces as an option to treat knee pain and strains is that they are very simple to use. As opposed to drugs or even surgical treatment, a brace only requires you to wear it for a given period. Most people who experience knee pain already use them, so there's no point in getting labored up about using them. Knee problems and osteoarthritis are problems which occur to almost every person. But with the help of a medical or athletic knee brace, as well as other knee pain remedies, dealing with it will be a lot easier.

Isolated Supplements and Osteoarthritis


According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, "[o]steoarthritis is the most common form of knee arthritis," with approximately 9 million Americans suffering from this condition (as of 2005). Moreover, osteoarthritis is a painful degenerative disease of the joint cartilage that causes disability for millions of people.

Consequently, the medical profession has long sought to find either a cure or a reliable method of reliving the pain of this condition, and they have found it-with isolated supplements. Or have they?

Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate

Glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate (alone or in combination) are two types of isolated supplements that have received much media attention for their purported ability to slow the progression of osteoarthritis as well as relieve the sometimes excruciating pain of this condition.

Since glucosamine is a component of cartilage, it would make sense that supplementation with glucosamine might improve the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. Indeed, previous studies have indicated that glucosamine supplementation may well reduce the inflammation and the pain of this condition-especially when combined with chondroitin sulfate.

Chondroitin sulfate is an essential building block for the structure of the joint that is purported to slow the progression of osteoarthritis and to have some (limited) beneficial effects on the pain of this condition. In combination, these two isolated supplements-glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate-are considered to be a miraculous mixture for the successful treatment of this condition.

The Science

Although their have been many conflicting studies about the efficacy of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate in the treatment of osteoarthritis, the results of a 2008 study are particularly compelling.

This Glucosamine-chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT) tested the effects of these two isolated supplements-alone and in combination-on patients who suffered from knee osteoarthritis. According to Medpage today, "[p]atients in GAIT were randomized to 1,500 mg of glucosamine hydrochloride, 1,200 mg of chondroitin sulfate, both glucosamine and chondroitin, 200 mg of celecoxib (Celebrex), or placebo for up to two years."

Are Isolated Supplements Enough?

The results of GAIT showed the isolated supplements of glucosamine and chondroitin did not significantly slow the progression of knee osteoarthritis (as indicated by x-rays taken throughout the study). Moreover, these two isolated supplements, when combined, were less effective than placebos at slowing the progression of osteoarthritis.

Dr. Allen D. Sawitzke and colleagues at the University of Utah, who conducted the study, theorized that chondroitin might hinder the proper absorption of glucosamine, which could explain why the combination of these supplements were ineffective. But, Sawitzke stressed, none of their tests indicated a statistically significant improvement in those with severe osteoarthritis for either one of these isolated supplements. There were some beneficial effects seen in those with moderate osteoarthritis, however, (The results of this study were published in the October 2008 issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism).

It should be noted, however, that GAIT only studied the effects of glucosamine and chondroitin on the progression of osteoarthritis-not on their possible effects on the pain of this condition.

What is the Solution?

Glucosamine and chondroitin are not the only two isolated supplements that have been promoted as "natural cures" for the inflammation, pain, and crippling progression of osteoarthritis. Indeed, supplementation with S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) or Niacinamide (a form of B3) have also been shown, in studies, to improve osteoarthritis symptoms.

But the best way to treat osteoarthritis, say experts, is to combine such isolated supplements with a number of medical and holistic treatment options.

Medical and Holistic Treatment Options of Osteoarthritis

There are several medical and holistic treatment options that have shown varying degrees of effectiveness in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Here is a list of just a few of them.

Drugs. There are many prescription and non-prescription drugs-such as acetaminophen, NSAIDS (nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs), and analgesics-that have proven to bring some relief from the pain of osteoarthritis.

Exercise. Regular physical exercise has proven to ease the pain, and aid joint flexibility, in those with osteoarthritis. (Exercise lubricates the joints, making movement less painful).

Knee support. Methods of stabilizing the knee-such as knee wraps and knee braces-have proven to reduce the pain of osteoarthritis.

Weight Reduction. Obesity is not only a risk factor for developing osteoarthritis, but it can worsen the pain and joint stiffness of this condition. Losing weight, therefore, is a valid treatment option for this condition.

Tropical creams. There are a number of tropical creams on the market that have shown to reduce the pain of arthritic joints. These are generally used in combination with other treatment options-such as isolated supplements and exercise-to provide relief from osteoarthritis.

Acupuncture. This ancient therapy-which uses needles to open healing energy pathways within the body-has been proven alleviate many types of pain, including that of osteoarthritis.

Lifestyle modifications. The pain of osteoporosis can frequently be relieved by making a few simple lifestyle modifications. For instance, change exercise from from running (which puts stress on the joints) to walking. Avoid frequent climbing of stairs. Participate in water aerobics, or other aqua exercises, which cushions the joints while giving the body a good workout.

Surgery. There are many surgical options used to treat osteoarthritis. Some of these surgeries allow the doctor to clean out the debris around the knee joint. Other surgeries involve a complete or partial replacement of the kneecap. These surgeries are typically used when all other methods have failed.

Today, there are many treatment options for osteoarthritis that go beyond isolated supplements. Although each of these methods have shown varying rates of success, a combination of them could well relieve the pain (and even the progression) of this, one of the most common types of arthritis.

Treatment of Osteoarthritis


Osteoarthritis:

Knee pain is the first symptom of osteoarthritis: it can be invalidating and progressive.  In severe osteoarthritis, a deformation of the lower limb is the third symptom: it is the wearing away of the cartilage which deforms the knee in varus or in valgus. It is also necessary to study the patella with axial views of the kneecap; patellar osteoarthritis is rare and is accompanied by severe pain when climbing staircases. The knee, like all articulations, has a cartilaginous surface: progressive wear of the cartilage leads to osteoarthritis. This is a disease that is most commonly caused by weight gain. The disease  is now known to be a complex joint deterioration that involves an active disease process.

Glucosamine:

Glucosamine has been proven in several clinical studies to help ease symptoms of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and bursitis, as well as other disorders associated with a breakdown of the cartilage regenerative process. Glucosamine sulfate is an amino sugar molecule that is naturally made in the body from a sugar (glucose) and an amino acid (glutamine). Glucosamine, commonly consumed for the treatment of the disease, it is classified as a nutritional supplement; however, there isn't much data regarding its metabolic or vascular effects. Glucosamine sulfate's primary biological role in halting or reversing joint degeneration appears to be directly due to its ability to act as an essential substrate for, and to stimulate the biosynthesis of, the glycosaminoglycans and the hyaluronic acid backbone needed for the formation of proteoglycans found in the structural matrix of joints.

Cartilage:

Cartilage in the joints, called articular cartilage, acts as a shock absorber to cushion the blows of daily wear and tear from walking and running. When there is an actual major bone or cartilage distortion, surgery may be considered. A normal joint is covered with a smooth layer of cartilage that acts a cushion or buffer for the joint. When the surface of the joint cartilage is worn, the resulting condition is Osteoarthritis.

Treatment:

Treatment of osteoarthritis is most commonly palliative and includes the use of NSAID, polysulfated glycosaminoglycans, intra-articular corticosteroids, and IV hyaluronic acid.  Both glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate have been proven in repeated clinical studies to help improve symptoms of the disease, a condition characterized by decreased amounts of cartilage at the joints. Glucosamine sulfate is generally considered the most effective for producing cartilage, especially when combined with vitamin C, manganese, and chondroitin. Most often the following Osteoarthritis treatments are use: Glucosamine Chondroitin Sulfate Supplements Pain Medication to treat pain associated with the disease. 

Conclusion:

Evidence for benefit in the treatment of osteoarthritis is consistent among several clinical trials, but is not conclusive due to methodological errors. The Arthritis Foundation stresses that early diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis is the key to successful treatment. Standard conservative treatment of the disease is aimed at pain relief through the use of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Easy Stretches After Knee Replacement Will Enhance Your Recovery


You've suffered the pain and frustration of having a bad knee long enough. You and your doctor agree that the best solution for your situation is the have knee replacement surgery. Now your surgery date is approaching and you want to be fully prepared for the day. But are you ready for the after effects of the surgery? You must prepare for your rehabilitation, so that you can take advantage of your new knee as soon as possible. The longer you wait to get moving, the less positive your results will be. You can start your recovery right away by doing some simple stretches after knee replacement surgery.

Why stretching, you may ask? Well, you're not going to be able to get out of the hospital bed and walk a 5K. That can be left for later down the recovery timeline. Doing some easy stretches after your knee replacement will get the new joint prepared for a later course of more intensive rehabilitation exercises. Stretching can be done without placing any weight on the knee, making it a good way to start your post-surgery recovery. Stretching takes just a few minutes, and you can do many simple stretches right in the comfort of your own home.

Before you leave the hospital, your caregivers will probably give you a long list of detailed instructions on how to take care of your new knee. How to do the basic stretches after a knee replacement should be on that list. Insist that your therapist show you exactly when and how to complete these stretches so that you can feel confident you will know what to do when you get home. When you wake up in the morning, you will want to do those stretches to get your day started in the right frame of mind. If you get your knee moving each day, slowly at first, you will be up and walking pain free in no time at all.

It's true; you really can have a pain free joint, and doing stretches after knee replacement surgery is the way to get started on reaching that ultimate goal. Of course, before you start on any exercise regime you must consult closely with your doctor and your physical therapist. You don't want to push yourself too fast, too quickly, only to find you have damaged the new knee. For more information on how to make a full recovery from your knee replacement surgery, check out http://www.knee-replacement-video.com.

Do Senior Citizens Need to Exercise?


Many people ask the question, "Do senior citizens need to exercise?" One of the greatest causes of atrophy to the muscles of seniors is insufficient activity needed to stimulate adequate blood flow to vital organs.

Reasons for an Exercise Program:

Left to the reticence of a senior lifestyle can result in disease, lack of muscle tone, and promote a depressing, non productive lifestyle. I speak from experience as I watched my mother refuse to do her required exercises after her knee replacement surgery. She chose instead to sit in her chair and watch TV the greater part of the day and evening. Because of her inactivity I watched as she became a prisoner in her own body. This had a great effect on not only her physical activity but also her mental condition.

Recommendations:

A sensible, regular exercise program that is planned around a person's capacity and needs will help them feel better, live longer and gain independence.

A senior is not someone who is going to engage in a marathon. In planning a healthy, stimulating program start by planning a routine that will provide enough exercise that will generate adequate blood flow to all of the vital organs. You will want to maintain the hard-earned muscles employing cardiovascular exercises, weight training and stretching routines. Consider using resistance bands.

The primary goal is to reach a balance of activity providing just enough exercise to accomplish the goals of maintaining muscle mass, adequate blood flow and a feeling of well-being. If the regimen is extremely strenuous it can cause an adverse effect to the overall condition of a senior. It is imperative that you check a senior's physical and verbal response. Pay special close attention for adverse signs such as excessive sweating, difficulty in breathing, imbalance, droopy eyelids and evidence of mild to severe pain. It these elements occur the activity should be stopped immediately.

A senior citizen's exercise program should be based on their individual needs. If a group regime is put into action there could be the risk of over training. In addition it will be easier to follow the progress of a person if they are following a specific set of exercises that have been developed with only their needs in mind. One person may be able to do more repetitions and a more vigorous exercise than another person. For this reason a program that has been commenced with a senior citizen should be fully documented and a log book maintained noting the details of every workout.

As a senior develops more strength and flexibility their exercise program can be changed. The program should be flexible, keeping in mind that the routines and movements can be increased or decreased on a weekly basis depending on the physical condition of the person.

Execution Procedures:

If you are a family member, or friend caring for the senior citizen, it is recommended that you seek the opinion of a professional to help you develop the exercise plan. They will be able to assist you in selecting a program with the proper intensity and type of exercises that will be beneficial to the patient. In addition to an exercise plan, it is also suggested you engage the services of a dietitians, physical therapist, and a nutritionist. These trained professionals will be able to monitor whether the program is too strenuous or acceptable.

When you commence a program it is suggested that you ask a professional to be present and assist in demonstrating the various moves. An exercise that is executed improperly can cause severe injury to a patient. To achieve the required results you want to be certain that exercises are performed properly. Professionals should also be scheduled to check in various times during the program to evaluate the senior's response to the treatment.

Research Recommendations:

It is important for the person who is going to be initiating the exercise program do their due diligence and research what is available to help them make the right decisions in achieving the goals for physical help to the senior citizen. Below are a few suggestions for developing the best program possible:

繚 Check on the availability of exercise DVD's that cater specifically to senior citizens
繚 Watch exercise videos online
繚 Check forums online for the expertise of others regarding this subject
繚 Visit a senior citizen center to view their typical routine
繚 Be open to listen to and learn from instructors and experts

In Conclusion:

As you and the patient continue in the exercise program you will develop the ability to understand what exercises and amount of intensity works best to achieve the desired results. It is also important to remember that in addition to the proper exercise regimen, your senior needs the right amount of rest and diet program to create a total healthy lifestyle.

Knee Pain - Thigh Pain - Crouching Or Squatting


Knee pain or hip pain after crouching or squatting is common in those with tight lower back, hip and knee muscles. Most of us who sit all day long have tight muscles in the lower back and lower limbs. So when we perform crouching or squatting movements whether done in a prolonged fashion or repetitively, you may feel weakness, discomfort or pain in the hips, groins, front of the thighs as well as along the inner aspect of the thighs and perhaps even knee pain. This should tell you that the muscles in these areas were abused by the crouching or squatting positions.
The muscle responsible for discomfort or pain at the front of the thighs or pain in the front of the knees is the rectus femoris muscle and the muscle at the inner aspect of the thigh and knee that has been stressed is the adductor magnus muscle.

If pain is in the outer aspect of the knees, the pain is likely to be from stress to the tensor fascia lata muscle and if pain is at the back of the knees, the pain is from the hamstrings muscles.
Although the other quadriceps muscles are important for producing anterior thigh and knee pain, they are not the main muscles to be injured since the other quadriceps cross only one joint namely the knee joint whereas rectus femoris (which is also a quadriceps muscle), tensor fascia lata and hamstrings cross both the hip and knee joints and are thus more likely to be abused with crouching or squatting.

Initially, anterior thigh and knee pain is more common than posterior thigh pain. Because of our sedentary positions involving sitting for prolonged periods, the muscles in the front of the hip such as rectus femoris, tensor fascia lata and psoas major may be chronically shortened while the muscles in the back of the hip, the gluteus maximus (buttock muscle), hamstrings and adductor magnus are chronically over- stretched and weakened.

At the knee joint, sitting places the knees in a bent position, therefore the rectus femoris and the tensor fascia lata whose functions are to extend the knee are over stretched and weakened whereas the hamstring muscles whose function is to bend the knee become short and tight due to the imbalance of muscle power as in the see-saw principle.

Upon crouching or squatting, the sitting position is exaggerated with excessive hip and knee bending. Therefore, the rectus femoris and tensor fascia lata muscles become shorter and tighter at the hip and more long and stretched out at the knee. Excessive shortening contraction in bending (flexion) at the hip and excessive lengthening contraction in straightening (extension) at the knee injure both rectus femoris and tensor fascia lata muscles.

To maintain the person in a crouched position or squatting position, muscles at the back of the hip have to undergo an excessive lengthening contraction in addition to an excessive shortening contraction at the knee. Since muscles at the back of the hip that have to undergo a lengthening contraction such as the gluteus maximus and adductor magnus are huge and very strong, the hamstring muscles which also does the same action at the hip can now have more concentrated power for bending the knee. The stronger the pull of the hamstring muscles to actively bend the knee, the more power the rectus femoris and tensor fascia lata muscles have to exert to counteract this force.

Therefore, when you try to stand erect after crouching or squatting, the first weakness, discomfort or pain will be felt in the front of the thigh and front of the knee giving rise to thigh pain and knee pain.

© 2007 copyright www.stopmusclepain.com

From Functional Oblivion to Renaissance


A year ago, I decided to give up playing tennis as my body was revolting, read that whichever way you want.

Over the last 10 years, arthroscopies on both knees identified the beginnings of osteoarthritis and the medical advice at the time, was to give up playing tennis to slow down the rate of damage.

Last spring, when both my ankles started being painful during and after tennis, it looked as though I would have to take that advice, though difficult, as I earn my living as a tennis coach.

Ignoring the financial implications for the moment, my recreational options also now seemed limited, leaving golf ( for me a hack, a walk, looking for a ball, etc) and walking, which although enjoyable, would always come a poor second to the challenges of ball striking, at least in my mind.

We inhabit three dimensional bodies, we are driven to perform tasks(function), in all three planes of motion, working with the forces of gravity, ground reaction, mass and momentum.

Functional oblivion seems an apt description as I could see no obvious solution, other than to give up the activities( functions) I could no longer manage.

Fortunately for me that proved not to be the case, I play more and better tennis these days, my range and speed of movement have improved dramatically and the stiffness and soreness I used to experience after activity, are now much less and manageable, a true functional renaissance.

My understanding of the reasons for my slide into functional oblivion was that it started slowly and was a likely combination of; loss of fitness over time, poor preparation for activity, weight gain a.k.a. life style choices ( I ate and drank too much), and not getting any younger.

The biomechanical reality, however, was that my knees had been taking the strain of most of my activity (functions), to compensate for range of motion problems I had with my ankle joints, my calf muscles, my hamstrings and hips, to name but a few.

A biomechanical function (task) is a three dimensional chain reaction. I didn't know at the time, which of my muscle and joint problems was the cause, but the result was a breakdown in the chain, during function, which exposed my knees to increased strain and subsequent damage.

Dorsiflexion ( bending of the lower leg at the ankle) was inhibited in my case and is likely to have been influenced by the semi permanent eversion (outside edge) of my right foot, through landing and take of, leading to problems at both joints at the ankle.

It wasn't necessary for me to understand the causes in detail, as I had direct experience of the outcomes; the area above the attachment of the achilles to the heel (Calcanean tendon) was tender and sore, my calf muscles were tight especially the medial portion (Inside) of the gastrocnemius, my hip flexors and abdominals were weak, making a chain reaction of muscles and joints in function, in all three planes of motion, near impossible.

All biomechanical performance in functions, whether simply walking or using complex motor skills in games like tennis, require a chain reaction in the neuromuscular-skeletal system

Over time, I had become more and more aware of these deficiencies, which led to fewer peak performances and increasing levels of stiffness and soreness in my knees and ankles.

The other significant by product was a negative and antagonistic demeanor, some might say no change there then, but declining function does little for your outlook when the only thing traveling fast in your life is the approach of your sixth decade.

It's been my experience in life, that we find many of the answers to our problems, seemingly by accident.

I was introduced to an Applied Functional Science therapist, one of only a handful in the UK, by a tennis client of mine and my functional renaissance started there and then.

My rehabilitation has led to my personal study of Applied Functional Science and a continuing interest in developing my fitness for function.

This has not been a silver bullet cure, it is an ongoing live project to regain function and manage the inevitable decline inherent in the process of aging.

The damage to my knees cannot be undone (joint replacement surgery is not for me) but my ongoing involvement with Applied Functional Science methods mean that I am now fit for a whole range of functions and the much much lower levels of stiffness and soreness I suffer, suggest damage limitation.

My daily (practically) stretching and strengthening routines in all three planes of motion, working with the forces of gravity, ground reaction, mass and momentum mean that I can work more effectively, play as much tennis as I want and to a higher level than before, I can play golf (badly but improving) walk and do all the other tasks and activities that are everyday life, with renewed zest, vigor and performance, a true renaissance.

As I approach my sixth decade, a three month physical check, last week, measured my metabolic age at 44 (down from 48), my muscle mass was up 10 lbs, my body fat was down 3.6% with my weight remaining constant.

Without dieting (I did experiment with gluten free, a la Djokovic, for a short while), I lost nearly 30 lbs over 6 months last year and have sustained that over the winter, normally a time of weight gain for me (less tennis, more comforting winter food and a little (more) red wine), using Applied Functional Science based routines.

I think it's an inevitable that some people, faced with declining powers, will look for ways to arrest or reverse that decline, some looking for renaissance and others for nirvana.

For me it was neither as I was more in tune with the notion of growing old gracefully, but it was becoming obvious that my loss of function was premature and definitely not graceful.

There are several industries devoted to helping us part with money to achieve one notion or another of nirvana.

In my opinion, based on personal experience, Applied Functional Science is not one of them, there are no pills and potions, miracle exercises, or fanciful notions, instead it is truth based, evidence based and scientifically based.

Applied Functional Science at the Gray Institute, is a more than 30 year study and understanding(incomplete) of how the body was designed to work. The practitioners don't claim to have all the answers but they appear to be are asking the right questions.

I have, over time, been treated by orthopedic consultants, physiotherapists, pilates instructors, fitness trainers, osteopaths and masseuses all with no lasting benefit and at some cost.

Whatever your functional goals are, you may benefit from following my personal journey and seeing what Applied Functional Science has done for me.

I should make clear at this stage that Applied Functional Science is for the benefit of all, whatever age and whether you are an athlete in your prime or a slightly broken down weekend warrior like me.

AFS therapists (GIFT fellows) work in rehab, therapy and with peak performance athletes in a growing number of sports and have just launched a cooperation with NIKE for golf instruction.

I should also make clear that although I have a foundation level certificate in Applied Functional Science, this article and all my other videos and blogs are intended for information only and do not constitute medical advice

Arthritis Treatment: Nerve-Related Knee Pain and How to Treat It


One of the most perplexing problems a rheumatologist faces is making the diagnosis in a patient who presents with knee pain. There are multiple causes of knee pain including arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, as well as a host of other conditions.

One very common problem that is often overlooked is knee pain occurring as a result of nerve-related pain.

There are three nerves that can be associated with knee pain. The first is the femoral nerve. This is a nerve that runs down the front of the thigh. While rarely a cause of knee pain per se, it can cause pain in the front of the thigh.

The second nerve that sometimes causes pain in the back of the knee is the sciatic nerve. Patients with degenerative arthritis or degenerative disc problems can develop pain that runs from the low back down the back of the leg. What is interesting is that sometimes a patient will have leg pain but no back pain.

The final nerve that can be associated with knee pain is the peroneal nerve. This is a branch of the sciatic nerve and runs along the outside of the leg. Where this nerve becomes an issue is in a patient with a knee replacement. While this situation doesn't occur now very often, in the earlier days of knee replacement surgery, women would sometimes receive knee replacement hardware meant for men.

These replacements would be a bit too large for the joint and what would occur is that the peroneal nerve that runs along the outside of the knee joint would get irritated.

When that happened the patient would have severe pain. The typical scenario is of a woman patient who continues to have knee pain after the joint replacement surgery. She goes to see the orthopedic surgeon who takes x-rays, puts the films up on the view box, and pronounces, "The knee replacement looks perfect!" And the patient would say, "But my knee still hurts..." And the orthopedic surgeon would shrug his shoulders and say, "I don't know why."

The treatment of nerve-related knee pain is dependent on making a correct diagnosis. Usually femoral and sciatic nerve root pain are spine related. So the treatment is aimed at relieving whatever is causing nerve root irritation in the low back.

Peroneal nerve related knee pain, if it's due to irritation from a knee replacement appliance, can be treated with ultrasound guided hydrodissection of the peroneal nerve. What this involves is using a small needle to inject a large amount of fluid in the nerve sheath and moving the peroneal nerve away from the appliance. This often affords long term relief.

In patients where peroneal nerve compression continues and gets worse, there is progressive numbness, tingling, and weakness in the leg. The diagnosis can be confirmed by electrical studies such as electromyography. Patients who don't respond to hydrodissection may require neurosurgical consultation.

What is Total Knee Replacement?


Total Knee Replacement is a surgical procedure where the bones of the knee are resurfaced with metal and plastic implants and are "realigned" so that the weight that passes through the knee is normally distributed.

THE KNEE JOINT - BASIC ANATOMY

The knee joint is the mating and movement of three bones; the femur or thigh bone, the tibia or shin bone and the patella or knee-cap. The bones are joined together by ligaments and tendons. The tendons attach the muscles to the bones and the ligaments attach the bones to one another .

THE KNEE JOINT - WHAT GOES WRONG

If the surfaces of the knee bones become worn (arthritis), pain and limited mobility may result. Often, the surfaces of the bone will wear unevenly causing a bow-legged (varus) or knock-kneed (valgus) deformity. If the pain and deformity become severe enough, Total Knee Replacement may be indicated.

KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY OVERVIEW

In general, Total Knee Replacement is a very safe and effective procedure. However, it is a major operation that is quite invasive.

The outline below is indicative of the "standard" approach. A minimally invasive technique is similar, but the incision and disruption to surrounding soft-tissue is reduced.

An incision is made a few inches above the knee cap and extends just below the knee into the shin. The outer capsule of the joint is opened and the bones of the knee are inspected. In one type of procedure, both the ACL and PCL are removed (if present). The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and the PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) are the primary front-to-back stabilizers of the knee joint. In patients with advanced disease, these ligaments are compromised or absent.

Femoral Preparation in Total Knee Replacement

A small hole is drilled in the end of the femur (at about the center of the knee joint.)

A long rod is placed in the intramedullary canal of the femur (the hollow portion of the bone where the marrow is).

A cutting guide is placed on the rod and rotated so that it sets up a slot to make the femoral distal cut. This is a cut that created a plane that is roughly parallel to the floor if you were in a standing position. This cut is made such that it is perpendicular to a line connecting the center of the hip and the center of the ankle. This line is the mechanical axis of the lower extremity and it is important that the implant is aligned properly with respect to this. In doing so, the load distribution across the implant is optimized and the longevity of the implant maximized.

Next, a cutting guide is placed on the plane of the distal cut, it is aligned in rotation and 4 more cuts are made. The rotational alignment here (which is called internal/external rotation) is important in balancing the soft tissue and aligning the patella track of the implant. The patella track is literally a track or groove in the implant in which the patella moves during knee motion. Incorrect alignment of this track can lead to pain and/or accelerated wear of the patella component.

Once these cuts are made, the preparation is basically finished. Some implants have small fixation pegs on the distal surface so two holes are sometimes drilled for these. In the case of a PS implant (see PS implant post), a "box" is cut out from roughly the center of the prepared femur to make space for the cam/post mechanism of the PS implant. The outline below is indicative of the "standard" approach. A minimally invasive technique is similar, but the incision and disruption to surrounding soft-tissue is reduced.

Tibial Preparation in Total Knee Replacement

Typically, the top surface of the tibia is resected creating a planar surface that is perpendicular to the shaft of the tibia. In a "PCL retaining" procedure, a "bony island" is preserved around the insertion site of the Posterior Cruciate Ligament in the tibia. In a "PCL sacrificing" procedure, the PCL and the insertion area are removed.

About 8mm of bone is removed as measured off of the "good" side of the joint surface of the tibia known as the tibial plateau. In the arthritic knee, there is usually uneven wear of the joint surface. The joint basically collapses on the diseased side. The resection level is typically a couple of millimeters below the surface of the worn side of the joint, or 8mm off of the "good" side. Creating a flat tibial surface therefore requires a wedge shaped piece of bone to be removed.

Once the resection is made, trial components are placed in the joint. With the femoral and tibial prep complete (and often the patella prep as well), and a trial femur and tibia implant in place, the surgeon basically moves and tenses the joint through a range of motion. The surgeon can use tibial insert trials (also called tibial bearings or tibial spacers) of various thicknesses until the correct stability is achieved. The tibial insert trial corresponds to the tibial insert implant that will eventually sit in between the metal femoral and tibial

implant components.

Often, the surgeon must make surgical corrections of certain soft-tissue structures to help align and stabilize the knee.

Once trialing is complete, the appropriate "keel" preparation is made. The keel is a fin or cross shaped protrusion on the implant that helps it stay fixed and in the bone. This can be punched, chiseled, broached or cut into the tibia and a set of instruments is used so that the resulting shape matches the implant. Here, the surgeon must take care in aligning the keel preparation so that the correct rotation of the implant about the axis of the tibia is achieved. Correct rotational alignment of the implant promotes better distribution of load across

the implant and better motion of the knee joint.

Next, the "tibial baseplate" portion of the implant is simply pressed or cemented in place.

A plastic tibial insert is then snapped into the tibial baseplate (see the Implant section for more details). The insert comes in the various thicknesses that correspond to the trial used previously.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Knee Pain Support - Chronic Knee Joint Pain - Well Designed Braces Can Help! Special Report


How are your knees doing lately?

Do you have knee joint pain that never seems to really stop?

Introduction: If you suffer from knee pain problems, then you are not alone. Painful knee issues can be the result of many different internal, degenerative ailments. If it is not degenerative, a knee problem can be the result of a physical incident, that may or may not include contact from another object or individual. We will be discussing some typical knee issues and we will also discuss with you ways in which you can help reduce pain, improve stability and add meaningful protection to your knees.

1.) Knee Problems

Meniscus tears, ACL or MCL injuries are all too common! It seems that it is not hard to injure our knees, especially as we get older. It does not take a physical incident with another individual or an object of some kind to really hurt your knee. All it really takes is for you to bend it in an unusual way, or to twist your knee with your foot firmly planted on the ground, and "poof!", you can have a major knee injury on your hands!

2.) Treatment Options - Rest, Ice, Elevation, Surgery & Well Designed Knee Supports

Many conservative treatment options exist. Rest, ice, elevation and surgery have all been used in the past with different levels of success. They all have their ups and downs, but none of them are quite like the use of a low profile, well designed knee support. - When you get a knee brace, many people instantly note that they feel more secure; both physically and mentally when the support is on. In addition, the knee meaningful knee support can help you to reduce your knee discomfort and offer you protection from future knee injuries! - This is what makes knee braces so helpful.

3.) Doing Nothing vs. Doing Something

In the end, choosing the right knee treatment is more in your hands, than it is out of your reach. Being proactive can help you to prevent further knee problems. Facing your issues now can really help your knee and also has the potential of saving you a lot of your hard earned money. - Do not look back, six to eight months from now wishing that you would have done something more for your knees while you still had the time. (This is a helpful health information article, but you should speak to your doctor about medical advice.)

Understanding Arthritis in Fingers and How It Can Affect You


Arthritis in fingers begins from pain and swelling that leads to deformity. It can seriously affect the way a person lives due to the fact that it easily get in the way to some of the simplest day-to-day activities. The pain it causes can be unbearable and the stiffness can lead to loss of movement.

People suffering from arthritis in the fingers often find difficulty in gripping because of reduced strength in their fingers. They are unable to grip objects tightly even the simplest of opening a jar or turning a key is no longer a simple task. With this, the wrist joint is can also be affected and obstruct with the movement of the arms.

Symptoms

Symptoms of this condition can develop noticeably. These can include stiffness, swelling, bending of the fingers, inflammation, persistent pain, and joint ache.

Stiffness of the fingers is usually the first symptom associated with this condition. It goes along with pain and swelling. In bending of the fingers, it turns out to be a complex task while inflammation causes joints to not work properly. This leads to the restriction of the movement of the fingers. With all of these, a person with arthritis in fingers may experience unrelenting pain.

Treatment

Anti-inflammatory medications are the most generally used treatment for arthritis in fingers. It aims to offer temporary relief from swelling and inflammation that causes unbearable pain. However, overuse or prolonged usage can cause gastrointestinal problems such as ulcers.

Non-medicinal options can be done to treat the condition. One of these methods is the use of heat and cold. This method aims to relieve tension and stiffness, and a fast way to bring down swelling.

Hand therapy can also be an option for treating this condition. However, this should be done under the supervision of a professional. They use different movements to improve movements and strengthen the muscles.

There are also herbal remedies available to deal with arthritis in fingers such as turmeric and ginger extract. These two are anti-inflammatory agents that reduce swelling and pain while permitting patients to move their fingers freely.

Arthritis in fingers seldom develops rapidly. It usually takes time to build up and make drastic changes in one's life. However, this condition shouldn't hinder your day-to-day activities, or take away your ability to function properly. Consult a doctor the first time you notice some symptoms affecting the movement of your hands and fingers so that immediate medical care can be provided. With the number of treatment and remedies available nowadays, it is easier to combat this condition accompanied by proper care of your hands and fingers.