Sore Joints - The Secrets To Quick Pain Relief

If you're like myself and millions of others you have either one or many sore joints that could use some really good, fast relief from all the pain you have to endure on a daily basis.

Trust me I think I know exactly how you feel, sure yours might be worse than mine or vice versa but none of that really matters because when your joints hurt they just hurt.

For me the big one is my left knee. Man I will tell you what, all those people who say that you can't feel the changes in the weather in your sore joints just don't know what the heck they're talking about. I feel it big time and I have spoken with plenty of other people who can feel it too.

Maybe some of this will sound familiar; when I would over work my knee the knee pain would be pretty intense kind of like a burning sensation and mine was behind and under the knee cap. Then my knee would get kinda loose and unstable and start popping out just walking around the house.

It got so bad there for while that I was wondering if I was going to need surgery. I didn't want to miss that much work because knee surgery recovery time can be quite a while. Yes I also have other sore joints like my shoulder that used to make it almost impossible to sleep in that side at night without waking up 10 or more times.

There are 2 secrets to ending joint pain for good that I found worked for me and now has worked for all of my friends that were suffering from sore joints too.

Secret number 1; Water - yes just plain old ordinary water was one of the keys to me finally getting rid of this terrible joint pain. Here's the thing; did you know that 70% of Americans are typically dehydrated?

I personally would have never guessed that in a million years. I would have thought that with all the harping all the health Guru's do on TV and everywhere else that people would most likely be super saturated with H2o but as it turns out that's just not the case.

I didn't think it was possible, but I too was dehydrated. I thought that a lot of the other beverages that I consumed throughout the day counted as my "fluids" intake, turns out I was wrong.

The only fluid that counts towards your daily water requirement is pure water, nothing else just water. You can't substitute it with coffee, tea, soda or even iced tea, it has to be pure water only.

So, take the next week and be sure you're getting all of your water requirements every day for at least one week, I guarantee you will be surprised at the difference it makes in the way you feel with your sore joints and also your energy levels will improve.

As it turns out daytime fatigue is also caused to a great extent by dehydration. Of course that makes sense because your body is over 70% water so if you want it to work correctly you need to give it what it's made of.

The second secret that I uncovered was through a really well nutritionally educated doctor. He said that I needed to find a source of collagen peptides. Not just plain old collagen but the little tiny peptides that are the building blocks of our collagen. Turns out once I started researching this that there is a ton of studies that have been performed on this very subject and the people in the studies had some pretty amazing statistical changes.

Back Pain Surgery - 5 Types of Spine Surgery For Your Back Pain

Spine surgery is a medical option that doctors usually recommend for treating severe and continuous back pain conditions. This treatment option is often applied as a last resort when all other conservative treatments have been exhausted. Hence, doctors may recommend that the surgery be applied at least between 2 to 6 months after every other treatment options have been exhausted. This article looks at the types of spine surgery that are performed by doctors on patients that have different cases of severe back pain.

1. Discectomy - This is a type of surgery that is targeted at the herniated disc in the vertebrae. The disc is removed through this procedure so that the patients can be relieved of the pains on the nerves.

2. Foramenotomy - This surgical procedure is carried out to remove tissues that are compressing the nerves in the back. If the condition in the back is more than herniated disk then foramenotomy is usually applied. Also, this procedure helps to remove a part of the bone that constricted the nerves in the spinal column.

3. Laminectomy - This procedure is used to treat back pains identified to be caused by spondylolisthesis and stenosis. It can be used to remove bones that are affected in the spine. This option can be carried out with spinal fusion.

4. Spine Fusion - This is a kind of surgery that is done to stop movement between adjacent vertebrae. This is often used in treating unstable spine known as spondylolisthesis.

5. Spinal Disc replacement - Although this procedure is not common, it is applied as a new surgical treatment for back pain. There are specific types of back ache which this procedure is usually carried out on. Moreover, it is used most times in association with spine fusion surgery.

Bunkai No Waza (Interpretation of Kata With Techniques)

Now that autumn is upon us and the farm (or what is left of it) is taking less of my attention and energy it is time to engage in other endeavors. Writing about martial arts is one of them. I think naps are second on the list.

I have heard many contemporary martial artists complain about kata and that it is such a waste of time to practice these useless techniques in a sequence that no one will ever attack you with. They obviously do not understand the importance or function of kata and with some of the traditional bunkai I must agree they are worthless.

I teach jujutsu. I research the techniques in however a limited way that I may but it is usually on the mat and pain is involved. I have studied other martial arts. Some, like Shotokan, stress the use of kata as a training medium and others do not use kata at all, such as Haganah. I must clarify that I am talking about the formal exercises that contain from 20 to 65 techniques in a set pattern.

The Heian kata, as I understand the history, were developed around the early 1900's as elements of "the school children's art". This is what was presented in the school systems to prepare the youth physically for military service without hurting each other in schoolyard fights. It was designed to fail, the real bunkai was never presented. Other kata have been around for many years and come from various sources such as China and Okinawa. I have recently read a book by Dr. Bruce Clayton concerning these kata and the historical linage of their development. God bless this man because he states in the book that the majority of the "karate Kata" techniques are actually jujutsu techniques. I could not possibly agree more.

When I began training in the martial arts in 1967 we were taught Heian Shodan almost immediately and our training consisted of kihon (basics), kata (forms), and kumite (free sparring). The training was brutal and typical Shotokan. The how was presented very well. The why was lacking. The bunkai (technical interpretation or the application of techniques) was the same old interpretation. This is a down block, this is a front punch, don't ask questions. Practice until you understand. Now that has some value because it forces you to think on your own if you will but don't stray from what the sensei says. That is a blaspheme and is forbidden.

Well I had studied Shotokan for about sixteen years when I walked into a jujutsu school. I squared my shoulders and stated: "I have a black belt in Shotokan. You make me pat out!" They did. But as we learned the basic and intermediate techniques the moves seemed familiar. I could not place my finger on what or why at the time but it was there. The more I studied jujutsu the more I learned about karate. I did not realize it then but there is a symbiotic relationship that I have been searching for since. (Watch the trailer on my website. That explains my quest for truth in the martial arts quite bluntly.)

For years I tried to get the jujutsu to support the karate techniques but it would just not fit. I had it backwards. The karate supports the jujutsu! Punching and kicking are rarely decisive. Joint locks, throws and strangulations are, if done correctly, always decisive. The problem comes if I attempt to do a joint lock, throw or strangulation without setting my opponent up first. That is where the punching and kicking comes into play.

Now how does this relate to the kata? That punch is not necessarily a punch. Where is that kick actually going in relation to your previous or next technique? For a moment please contemplate the kata as being a catalog of techniques and an encyclopedia of pressure points and striking angles. There is a code to the kata and if you crack the code the techniques make sense and are very devastating. This is where Dr. Clayton's book has relevance as to the historical roots of the kata.

It does not matter if my explanation of the kata aligns exactly with that of the founder's explanation. It is my practice and it must be relevant to me and the application and validity must fit today's situations.

Let us examine Heian Shodan. This is the first "normal" kata taught after learning the Taikyoku (first cause) kata. It contains twenty-two movements and takes about one minute to complete though I have seen it done in fifteen seconds. Trust me that is too fast to visualize your opponents and to examine and learn the vital points and angles that the points must be struck.

Movement 1: Yoi or ready position. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Fists are held in front of the thighs about six inches. I have seen and I do myself, cross my wrists and pull them into the yoi position. Is there a combat technique there? Yes. Imagine your opponent poking you in the chest and counseling you for some egregious error on your part. Assume Skippy is poking you with his right hand. Reach up with your right hand and grasp his forefinger with all four of your fingers and supported with your thumb as if making a fist. Now go into the yoi position. If you do this with a friend do it slowly and allow your partner to do down. They will. And they will be in a position that you can punch TW 17 or GB 3 with your left hand. Oops. Knockout!!

On the command "Hajime" or begin, look to your left, turn to your left, step forward with your left foot. Do the set position with your right arm pointing down at a 45-degree angle and your left fist covering your right ear. Traditional bunkai says you are being attacked with a mid level kick and you are doing a downward block and a lunge punch. [Timmy was convinced that this would work so I attacked him with a mid level kick. He did the block and started to step forward with the lunge punch and ran right into my fist that flattened his nose!]

Skippy is not attacking from your left side. It means he is punching at your face with his right hand and he is directly in front of you!

[Movement 2] As he punches, your left hand deflects the fist to your right side. At the same time your right fist drives into his floating ribs downward at the forty-five degree angle. Your target is the tip of the 11th rib (Liver 13). Then your right hand comes back to check the opponent's punching arm. Grasp him at his wrist as close to the joint of the hand and the wrist as possible. Squeeze and pull [Heart 6/ Lung 8]. Pull him into your "downward block" as you again attack the floating ribs at as close to the same spot as you punched as possible.

[Movement 3] The next move is a lunge punch to the midsection of your opponent. Now if you have done the two strikes on the same point your opponent will be doubling over because there is not much to support the floating ribs. Step forward with your punch but use your right forearm to strike the Sternocleoidmastoid muscle (LI 18). At the same time use your right leg to sweep the opponent's legs out from under him. (In judo this is o-soto gari. Most jujutsu folks know this as Mountain Storm or Yama Arashi) Oops! Knockout!
Now that Skippy is laying on the ground and most likely unable to get up you can now turn your back on him. It was watching this movement on the FIGHT TO SURVIVE website that prompted me to go train with them.

Movements 4,5, and 6
Also look for techniques in the transition moves but let's KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Skippy II is standing in front of you and reaches out and grabs your right wrist with his right hand. This will be one of about four techniques that can be done with this movement.

[Movement 4] This is normally called a downward block but let us just assume that you take a fighting stance instead of standing there like an idiot. After all this is about fighting, isn't it?

[Movement 5] Pull your right hand down and toward your left side. Bring it up in a large circle on your left side and come down with a "hammer fist". Traditional interpretation is that the attacker has grasped your right wrist with his left hand. The circle motion is an escape. The escape has some merit but the hammer fist to the chest is ridiculous and it does not address what your left hand is doing.

Skippy has grabbed your right wrist with his right hand. As you pull him toward you trap his right hand to your right wrist with your left hand. Complete the circle. It does not have to be a large circle to follow the line of the kata. As you bring your hammer fist down ensure that Skippy's arm is slightly bent so your small finger knuckle presses against the edge of Skippy's wrist at Heart 6. Done right Skippy will drop to his knees to escape the pain.

[Movement 6] Step forward with a middle level left hand lunge punch.

With Skippy on his knees a left middle level lunge punch will strike him in the temple (Gall Bladder 3). Oops, knock out!

This is but an example of what is in the kata. How many of the moves were jujutsu techniques? Essentially all of them can be classified as Jujutsu techniques. Jujutsu has punches and kicks and movement three of the kata is known generally as katsume dori. A strike there along with the punches to Liver 13 is a cross body meridian strike and can be really nasty and very effective. So as far as not being able to use the kata techniques in a fight, well I will just have to take that under advisement.

Train hard.

Please Don't Say JUST a Trail Horse

Is trail riding the activity you best enjoy with your horse? If so, you are like the majority of horse owners in the U.S. It's a wonderful way to get out and see some country you might not be able to see from car or foot, plus it gives us a chance to have something fun to do with our horse once it has been well trained.

A common problem I see with many horse/rider combinations is that the rider seems to feel that "just" trail riding doesn't require a horse with much training. I contend that trail riders should be mounted on horses that have as much or more training as other horse endeavors require. Think about it. When you go out on a trail, you never know what you might encounter-it might include traffic, backpackers, rough terrain, strange animals, or a slew of other things that the horse might be not see elsewhere. You may be traveling on trails well away from road access and have only the horse to depend upon to carry you safely.

If you are mounted on a horse than only knows go and hopefully whoa, you are basically at the mercy of the horse to see you safely through the ride. You are not as safe as you should or could be. What happens if you need more than just go or whoa? It's not unusual to be in a situation on a ride where your horse might need to back up, move its body around an obstacle, turn around in a tight space, or even sidepass.

For starters, trail horses need to be comfortable enough not to get upset if their feet get tangled in brush or vines, need to respond to your request to move their body away from a tree that could knock your knees or head, be able to jump fallen trees that may block the trail, and not be worried about branches that may slap at them or be trimmed and fall on them. They need to be comfortable walking down banks, into water, and walking up steep inclines without rushing. A good trail horse is not dependent on the horse in front of it to set its speed or direction. There are many times when a rider needs to act independently of what the others are doing.

There are some horses out there that handle the trails basically without any guidance from their oblivious passenger riders and follow along doing what the others do, but there are many more good horses that need some rider guidance and help to make the ride enjoyable. This is where it is the human's responsibility to make sure that they have the training themselves to help support the horse in whatever situation comes up. "Just trail riding" should involve as much prior thought and training as showing, distance riding, or any other activity that someone might want to do with their horse. It's not an excuse for sloppy or non-existent horsemanship, and people should be proud to say I'm a trail rider-leaving out the word "just"!

Knee Pain Relief - ACL Hyperextension Injuries - Knee Braces That Provide Meaningful Support

Have you ever hyperextended your knee?

You might be wondering,... "what the heck does that really mean?"

The term "hyperextended knee" refers to an injury in which the knee joint is somehow forced into a position that is beyond what is considered to be its normal fully straightened position. When someone hyperextends their knee, the lower leg is excessively positioned forward in relationship to the upper leg (i.e. the tibia is pushed excessively forward compared to the femur.)

Can you relate to this kind of incident?

You have seen the pictures of a hyperextended knee. The ones that make you cringe. This knee injury can easily occur due to an awkward landing after a jump, or an impact to the anterior aspect of your knee. It can also happen as a result of trying to stop running to abruptly. In sports such as basketball, soccer, gymnastics, volleyball or rugby, you can imagine for yourself scenarios that would cause the knee into an overly straightened position.

How can you treat a hyperextended knee?

Sometimes the damage is nominal. You can have passing pain and/or swelling that subsides with time. Unfortunately, a hyperextended knee may lead to a ligament tear (partial or complete). These kinds of ligament tears may include your ACL. Unfortunately, if it is bad enough, surgery may be needed to reattach the ACL.

A physician may evaluate your injury by reviewing your past medical history, or by doing manual tests. X-rays of the knee or MRIs can also be used to evaluate your knee condition.

Rest, applying ice, and taking over the counter pain relievers have all been used to help treat a hyperextended knee injury. (Whenever taking any drugs consult your physician). These can all be used to help, along with the use of a knee brace.

Knee braces can help control the degree to which the knee is allowed to be hyperextended. The support that they can provide can reduce your knee pain and decrease the chance of this kind of knee injury from every happening in the first place. Do not look back months from now wishing you would have done something to help protect your knee. A knee brace can help promote healing of this kind of knee injury.

Open Patella Knee Support - Neoprene Knee Brace - A Lightweight Support Can Be Very Effective!

Are you looking for a knee support?

Not All Knee Braces Are Made The Same, Let's Discuss This Very Quickly...

Knee braces are all made with the right intentions. They are made to help support your knee and to help reduce any knee pain you might have. Sometimes they are made with material that will cover your kneecap and others are made to allow for an open patella. Most have an open kneecap, so let's figure out which one you need in the following sections...

Finding The Right Open Patella Knee Support Is The Real Trick

Many knee supports have an open patella. Some are made from elastic material such as drytex or neoprene. Others are made for more serious knee ailments, that also have an open patella.

So What Do You Do?

One of the best things you can do is to ask yourself a few basic questions, when it comes to a knee brace.

1.) How Severe Is Your Knee Pain?

Many people come to this conclusion by trying to rate their knee discomfort on a scale 1-10. Think of the number ten as being the most severe on this scale. Sometimes, knee pain is worse then others, so it is probably a good idea to determine when your knee pain is the worst and choose the more intense knee pain level. You will see why later...

2.) How Severe Is Your Knee Instability?

Sometimes people have more knee instability as they climb or descend stairs. Others have more instability when they run or get out of a chair. It is important to think about how bad your knee instability is on a scale 1-10 (Ten being the worst). It is also important for you to consider when this instability is most severe.

3.) Physician's Diagnosis: Have you visited your physician and have they given you a definitive diagnosis for your knee ailment? This will be important information when it comes to getting a knee brace.

When you take this information to a knee brace website and you are looking for the right kind of knee brace, the answers you have determined will help you. The reason why we told you to error on the side of have more knee pain or instability is that we do not want you to be under prepared when the moment comes and you need all the support a well designed support can give to you...

(Self Diagnosis is never recommended either. Always speak to your physician about medical advice. - This article is very helpful, but we are not your physician)

Don't Look Back

You can forgo getting a knee brace. It is your choice. We just don't want you to look back in the future wishing you would have given yourself the support you needed, while you still had the time...

Home Remedies For Knee Pain

With the passage of time, we do not realize the amount of stress our body goes through. We tend to ignore the wear and tear our body withstands. The knee, especially, on which the weight of the body stands and which aids us in movement for our day-to-day activities, is one of the important parts of the body that is affected. Due to its functionality this joint tends to go through some form of knee pain if not taken care of.

Elderly people face a lot of problems like arthritis, osteoarthritis and torn ligaments among others that result in knee pain. If the knee joint problem is overlooked over a period of time, it can cause immense knee pain. However, immediate attention and regular remedies can be followed to eradicate this issue.

Today, there are many home remedies prescribed by medical consultants but one should refer to a doctor to know which one suits the best. One of the best known home remedies is known as PRICE. PRICE is an acronym that stands for Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. This is one of the widely accepted home remedies that is followed to overcome knee pain. Using ointments that contains soothing essential oils can lessen the knee pain caused due to inflammation or injury.

Avoid using excess cream that may cause discomfort due to heat that may burn the skin. Do exercise for your knee joints that target the muscle around the knee and help in strengthening the muscles. While doing stretching exercises be alert to go slow and do not overstretch as it may tear a muscle. Intensification of the muscles that sustain the knee with exercises is the most vital thing to do to look after your knees from injury. Weak and fatigued muscles cannot sustain the knee joint or act as a shock-absorber for your knee. When you experience a cramp, stretch the affected muscle with one hand while you smoothly massage and knead the center of the muscle using your alternate hand. Walk it out.

Once an acute cramp is surpassed, avoid doing heavy exercises right away. As an alternative, take a walk for few minutes to maintain the flow of blood back to the knees. One can also go in for nutritional supplements like chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine sulfate, S-adenosyl-methionine (SAMe), niacinamide (vitamin B3) and vitamin E as this may help in alleviating the knee pain caused due to knee injuries.

Some other forms of home remedies include making paste using leaves of rasna, black phaseolus seeds, country mallow and castor and all these can be applied on the joint. In addition, you can make a paste using castor, turmeric mixed in clarified butter or goat's milk and wheat. Extra weight and obesity is also one of the major reasons for knee pain and hence losing those extra pounds can help you to get rid of the knee pain.

Do jogging, walking, or swimming, whatever you are comfortable with and stay fit to avoid any knee pain. During the winter, keep you knee warm by using wintergreen lotion as it produces heat and reduces pain. If it's not adequate, then wrap your knees with warm clothes after applying the lotion. Always seek advice from experts before opting for any remedies as your keens are an important part of your body and helps your body movement and do other important activities.