Herbal Remedies for Arthritis

Just because you cannot entirely avoid arthritis, does not mean there aren't simple ways to overcome the inevitable discomforts the condition causes. Daily joint supplements are suggested for people with anxiety about getting arthritis or for those that are trying to subdue the pain and stiffness they may already feel. Many people turn to herbal remedies as a way to treat their arthritis. Herbal remedies are a non-intrusive way to successfully manage your joint pains.

First off, there are two kinds of arthritis: osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Both classifications can be treated with an herbal remedy. The main difference between the two is the inflammation. While OA has minimal to no visible inflammation at the joints, RA is distinguished by its inflammation. Osteoarthritis is different because it is a slow deterioration of the cartilage surrounding the joints. People with OA suffer from burn spurs and cannot move easily and it is the most common diagnosis. People should be especially conscious of this condition as they reach the later of their 60's but it can come at any phase in life. RA, or rheumatoid arthritis, has been known to reach adults in their 20's to 40's and can cause a really tender, inflamed joint. Women especially are known to suffer from RA. It is more serious than OA because the body is attacking its own tissues. It can affect your feet, knees, hands, wrists, hips, tendons, and muscles -causing a terrible amount of discomfort.

As you search for what is causing your arthritis, you may find that a nutrient deficiency may be the root of your problems. This is where herbal remedies can really tie into finding your cure. They are formulated with ingredients high in nutrients with the intent to help those suffering from this condition.

Some popular ingredients you will see in herbal supplements are Glucosamine Sulfate, Chondroitin Sulfate, Calcium L-Threonate, Boswellia Serrata, Bromelain, Vitamin D3, and Ginger. Calcium L-Threonate is capable of absorbing calcium at an exceedingly high rate of 95%, making it a key ingredient in arthritis formulas. Boswellia Serrata is a long time ingredient used to stop swelling and joint pains. People with knee pains especially benefit from including this in their diet. Bromelain is not limited to joint health, but it is capable of drastically reducing the swelling of joints. Vitamin D3 helps fight chronic pains and week muscles. It is one of the most important vitamins, can be given off by the sun, and can really benefit daily diets. Ginger can help calm inflamed joints and has bed credited over prescription drugs in the prevention of forming prostaglandins.

Something herbal supplements can help prevent is bone spurs, a general side effect of arthritis. They are painful and stunt your free moving mobility. An herbal supplement feeds the cartilage surrounding your bones and prevents bone spurs.

If you are suffering from chronic pains like arthritis, then consider herbal remedies. They are considered to be a safe health solution for those with body joint pains.

Knee Replacement Surgery - Vitamins and Nutrients For Healing Part 1

When I learned I was going to be having knee replacement surgery I started taking a more intense interest in my current health and what I could do to assist my own recovery from surgery. In the following article, I report on some of what I found.

Any major surgery, whether it's for a total knee replacement as I recently had, or for something else, will stretch your body's resources to the limit. Surgery immediately pushes your system into emergency mode and every available capability and nutrient is preferentially re-directed to healing the wound and dealing with the aftermath. Everything that isn't directly related to life sustaining activity will be sidelined while your body begins the healing process.

Unfortunately, as study after study has shown, on a day to day basis most of us are already living in a state of chronic nutritional depletion. That is, we are receiving less than optimum amounts of at least some nutrients, many of which are necessary for healing.

Dr. Emanuel Cheraskin, professor emeritus at the University of Alabama Medical School, has spent his career trying to find the optimum levels of nutrients needed by human beings. He has done this in a revolutionary way. He studies healthy people, and then determines what it is they are eating and doing to keep themselves in great health. This is opposed to the normal method that preferentially starves rats or other lab animals until they demonstrate a deficiency disease.

Dr. Cheraskin has been the author and/or co-author on over 700 publications in international scientific journals and 22 books. In 2005 he completed a report for the International Academy of Science called "Diet and Supplementation, Keys to Optimal Health". In this report he makes some shocking statements that run counter to prevailing wisdom.

1. "...we also found that even with an optimal diet (emphasis mine), it is important to take supplements."

2. "...the ideal (nutrient) intake appeared to be two to tenfold that of the FDA recommended or
suggested dietary allowances." (emphasis original)

3. The current RDA for Vitamin C is 60 mg per day. "...only 9% of Americans take in that much Vitamin C."

4. "As we studied the effect diet made on the health of individuals, we found that to promote well being,
protein levels might need to be tenfold that proposed by the National Research council."

5. "Studies showed that the optimal daily refined carbohydrate consumption should approach zero."

Dr. Cheraskin was able to make these statements after spending 20 years surveying, interviewing and monitoring the health and daily eating and supplementation habits of 1405 dentists and their spouses. In addition he completed double blind studies to document his findings. In the course of his work, Dr. Cheraskin concluded that the healthiest members of his survey group typically consumed two to ten times greater levels of specific nutrients than the governments own recommended RDA.

What does this mean for you, both before and after going in for surgery? I can tell you what I did.

It is usual for me to take two multi-vitamins a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. After learning of Dr. Cheraskin's work, I went looking for a better formulation. I found one with higher amounts and more of his recommended ingredients, so I could actually increase my intake while keeping to two multi's a day, but I also made a special effort to increase my intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. I included an apple, banana, an orange or a grapefruit for breakfast, to go along with my protein shake. I also started packing some fruit for lunch. I almost completely eliminated starchy carbohydrates from supper and made sure we had a nice big salad, steamed vegetables, grilled veggies or stir fired veggies as a large side dish.

I followed this regimen in the weeks leading up to and after my knee surgery. I know that, anecdotally, I had less trouble than many others I talked to or heard about.

I can also tell you that the incision healing process after my knee replacement went very well. I had different aftercare nurses comment on how quickly I was healing. One went so far as to say my 6 week old incision looked like it had been healing for 10 weeks.

So there IS something you can do to improve your chances of quick recovery after surgery. Pay attention to what you are eating. If you would like to know more about optimal nutrient levels, look for more on Dr. Cheraskin and his findings. Like in Part 2 of this article.

Osteoarthritis Pain Relief - Home Remedies For Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis among many types of arthritis. This is a degenerative joint disease which usually occurs in the weight bearing joints such as spine, hip, knee, and hands. It results from structural changes in the cartilage of the joints which is the padding or natural shock observer of the joint.

The major symptoms are pain in joints especially after their continuous usage, swelling, warmth, stiffness and deformation. The whole body may or may not be affected by osteoarthritis

Remedies: The symptoms can be relieved or decreased with the help of some medication and exercises or some natural home remedies.

1) Rest: - Rest is advised when there is acute inflammation
2) Dietary considerations: - Patients should avoid foods which are acidic. Fruits & vegetables are recommended.
3) Heat and Cold therapy:- Applying hot packs for 15-20 min. can reduce pain, and stiffness.
Putting cold packs is also helpful in reducing pain and swelling.
4) Sea bathing or salt baths:- The iodine present in the salt helps to regain and regenerate worn out tissues.
5) Exercise:- A little and proper exercise benefits the treatment of osteoarthritis. For this always consult a physical therapist. Exercises can be chosen to increase flexibility, giving strength to muscles as well as bones. Yoga and aerobics have also proved to be helpful in reducing inflammation.
6) Omega 3 fat: - Intake of nuts such as walnuts provides omega 3 fats to the body which helpful in correcting the wear & tear.
7) Oil massage: - Warm oil should be used to massage the stiff and painful joints. It improves the blood circulation and reduces inflammation and stiffness.
8) Foods: - Inclusion of food items such as sesame seeds, garlic, bananas, green gram, herbal tea of alfalfa, eggplants etc. are helpful.
9) Calcium: - Intake of calcium in form of easily absorbed calcium lactate gives beneficial results .

Osteoarthritis Knee - Are We Being Overdiagnosed?

Patients with knee pain now comprise of at least 30 percent of Orthopaedic practice in urban population. The clinical presentation varies from subtle knee pain arising after activity to severe incapacitating pain which limits the activity of an individual to household.

Osteoarthritis Knee usually affects men and women in their fifties or sixties. It has a genetic predisposition, but more important factors are excessive weight, lack of exercise, sedentary lifestyle, previous trauma. The importance of weight reduction and regular activity can not be over-emphasized. Most patients offer pain as the limiting factor in their willingness to comply with the physiotherapy and exercise regimen.

Osteoarthritis develops due to progressive loss in the cartilage layer of the articular surface, mediated by chemical markers like Interleukins; and by lack of glycoproteins in the synovial fluid. Gradually, the two articular surfaces come in contact with each other, and the pathology migrates from a chemical to purely mechanical one.

Radiographs serve an important role in diagnosis. Loss of joint space and formation of osteophytes makes for an easy diagnosis.

The treatments offered for Osteoarthritis knee vary from- Physiotherapy/ Analgesics/ Bracing - to Arthroscopy- to Knee Replacement.

Early Osteoarthritis knee wherein the joint space is still preserved, and there is minimal osteophyte formation; can be successfully managed with painkillers and Supplementation of Inflammtory marker inhibitors. The role of Glycosaminoglycans is debatable.

In patients who present with moderate to severe pain, there is limited role of Arthroscopic joint lavage; wherein the joint is entered via two small 1 cm incisions, and the interior is visualized with a camera. this offers a short term relief, but provides a good alternative for patients who are medically unfit to undergo major operations.

Patients with severe arthritis, are usually offered Joint Replacement as a definitive solution. The most important factor in the success of a knee replacement is good patient selection. A patient with good compliance for physiotherapy and having a knee pain which is substantially limiting his quality of life is a good candidate for surgery.

The availability of technology has made knee replacement one of the commonly performed surgeries in Orthopaedic practice. The options include a Unicondylar knee Replacement or a Total Knee Replacement. The former is advocated for patients with a single compartment involvement, and those with mild deformities. Total knee Replacement is offered for a bi- or tri- compartmental arthritis.

The technical options among the various types of Knee replacement implants include- (a) Cruciate Substituting, (b) Cruciate retaining. The former involve resection of the Anterior Cruciate ligament and substitution by an inbuilt mechanism in the implant design. The latter involves retention of the Anterior Cruciate ligament. Rotating platform designs are also popular these days.

The important judgment regarding the various types depends on the status of knee deformity, and the functional status of ligaments.

Total Knee replacement is one of the commonly performed surgeries today. The note of caution need to be exercised both on the part of the patient and the treating surgeon to restrain the influence of market forces in making the correct judgment. Total knee replacement offers significant improvement in the patient's status, provided the selection criteria are strictly adhered to. A few complications that need special mention include- Deep vein thrombosis, Pulmonary Embolism, Infection, Implant Loosening.

The Mechanics of Knee Surgery Recovery

Knee surgery recovery requires the patients to be in the hospital for several days although the length of the hospital stay varies widely. There is no need to suffer from post operative pain and associated trauma as there are many effective painkillers available and the surgeons will prescribe the right amount of drugs to aid the patient to achieve a painless recovery from the the surgery.

Pain relievers are administered in the form of a drip, or an injection or even in some cases administered orally in the form of tablets. Many people receive injections before the operation to thin the blood slightly making it less likely to clot in the body during knee surgery recovery. All these procedures collectively aid in reducing the time required for recovery after the surgical procedure has been performed on the patient.

Now, knee surgery recovery periods are shorter than before. The combination of new generation drugs to relieve the pain and to prevent infection from setting in, have made the task of recovery much easier for patients undergoing reconstructive joint surgery. So, patients need spend far less time in bed after the knee recovery surgery. The patients are also provided with surgical stockings to stimulate the flow of the blood through the veins that supply the leg with blood. This further accelerates the recovery cycle of patients who are recovering from the surgery.

The surgeon may call the patient for a follow up consultation to ensure that the knee surgery recovery is complete and the scars, if any, are healing properly. After minor surgical procedures, the patients are discharged from the hospital in a day or two and are advised to consult their medical practitioner for any assistance that they may require.

During knee surgery recovery, the patients experience less pain and recover more quickly and are able to get the basic movements back in their joints early in the recovery cycle. If you have been through an invasive procedure to repair the knee joint recently, you may have to make minor changes in your lifestyle to reduce the pressure on the knee joint. This will help you to feel more comfortable and hasten the  recovery.

Take good care of yourself after knee surgery to see that there is no sudden stress that is placed on the joint that was subject to the surgical procedure. This should ensure that the surgery recovery is complete.

Get Well From Knee Surgery Gifts

Do you know someone who is about to have knee surgery? If so, they will face additional recovery time at home, and both mobility and pain may be an issue. Why not get them a few get well from knee surgery giftsto help them with their daily routine? Below are several suggestions for the perfect gifts to help them recuperate.

Food

Precooked casseroles, soups, or anything else that is easy to heat make great get well gifts. They can be frozen and then warmed later whenever the patient gets hungry.

Small packages of snack crackers, nuts, trail mix, fruit, and bottled water that can be left on the bedside table for easy reach are also handy.

Even better would be if you took food to them each day. That way, besides the meal, they have a daily visit and conversation with you to break up the boredom of being stuck at home.

Crutch accessories and more

Crutches are not known for their fashionable style. In fact, they can be downright ugly. Several companies make fun crutch covers in a variety of styles and colors for kids and adults.

Crutch totes, which are pouches that you can attach to the crutches, are also useful, because they have pockets for carrying keys, cell phones, or other items.

Walking with crutches often leads to soreness in the underarms. Soft, gel crutch pads make getting around on crutches a little more comfortable.

For cold climates, you can also find crutch spikes that attach to the foot of the crutch to prevent slipping when maneuvering on ice, slush, or snow. Some are retractable so they will not scratch floors when inside.

For a person who must travel while on crutches, buy a hitch that attaches their rolling luggage to one of their crutches. Backpacks can be uncomfortable and can cause a person to lose their balance, so these special hitches that allow the luggage to roll behind makes for a safer, more comfortable trip.

The old standbys

Of course, you can never go wrong with the more typical gift basket gifts. Magazines, books, word searches, and crossword puzzles can help the patient ward off boredom.

A collection of movies in their favorite genre also makes the time go by faster. For affordability, don't forget your neighborhood library. Many allow you to check out DVDs as well as books.

Relaxation or meditation CDs are also a nice gift for someone who is healing. They come in a variety of sounds and instruments, from the sounds of nature to calming instrumentals.

If the recovering patient is a crafter, give gifts that they can work on while in bed. A quilter might like a variety of fabric squares and a small sewing kit. Cross stitch patterns are simple to work on while confined, or perhaps a drawing pad and pencils would be welcomed.

Others might like a puzzle they can work on a little each day or a jewelry making kit complete with beads, chains, and other decorations.

If you use your creativity, you can come up with a variety of gifts to help your favorite patient recover in comfort.

Arthritis Symptoms: Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms in Women

The first symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may be swelling and morning stiffness or just a general aching of the joints. In 90 percent of women, the first areas affected by rheumatoid arthritis are the feet and hands. The disease often affects the wrist and the finger joints closest to the palm, as well as joints in the jaw, neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, ankles and toes. Any joint in the body can be a target.

Inflammation can cause body wide symptoms such as low grade fever, flu like body aches, and a general feeling of not being well. You may also lose your appetite, lose weight, and feel like yo have no energy. Fatigue is a very common symptom of RA and may first overtake you in the afternoon. Fatigue may also be a symptom of anemia, which often accompanies RA. Inflammation can affect the tear producing glands in the eyes and saliva producing glands in the mouth, so you may experience dry eyes and dry mouth. You can have muscle pain and stiffness after sitting or lying in one position for a long time. Depression is also common.

At first, these symptoms may not add up to much. Often a women will complain of joint pain to her doctor, and all that can be seen in a puffiness of the hands, with no obvious redness or warmth. About one-quarter of women with RA develop raised, firm lumps called rheumatoid nodules. Rheumatoid nodules are actually abnormal accumulations of cells, much like the synovial cells that we see accumulating within the joint, but they commonly occur just under the skin. Nodules often appear in an area where there is repeated pressure, such as on the elbows where you lean them on a table, or the finger joints. Because rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease, nodules can show up in other places, such as the eye, the heart, the lungs. They can be very destructive, very damaging, interrupting whatever is in their path of growth. And they can be disfiguring and disconcerting to patients.

Up to half of RA patients can develop inflammation in the linings of the chest and lungs, causing pain on taking a deep breath and breathlessness; rheumatoid nodules can also appear in the lung tissues itself, not just the lining. Inflammation can also affect the sac around the heart, producing fever, chest pain, a dry cough and difficulty breathing. Blood vessels can also be inflamed; a common sign is tiny broken blood vessels in the cuticle area of the nail bed.

You may first notice the symptoms of RA during the winter, and symptoms often feel worse during the cold months and improve in warm weather. While RA develops gradually in about 50 percent of women, with symptoms coming and going for months, a more continuous pattern eventually emerges. This disease needs to be diagnosed very quickly and treatment needs to be started quickly. So that increases the importance of having women recognize the signs and symptoms.