DO YOUR JOINTS HURT?

18 September 2011 at 03:42

By Dr. Tony Vendryes
Most individuals over 40 have already suffered from joint pain at some time in their life. For some people, it is an occasional problem that easily settles on its own or only needs a simple pain reliever. For others, it's a chronic burden that creates a dependency on high doses of potentially dangerous drugs. Painful joints can also severely impact a person’s ability to function normally and in the elderly is the number one cause of loss of mobility and independent living.

JOINTS and ARTHRITIS
A joint is a structure where the ends of two or more bones meet and move. Joint pain is usually a result of arthritis or inflammation of the joints and the signs of inflammation include pain, swelling, heat and loss of function. The commonest causes of arthritis are joint injury (traumatic arthritis), joint degeneration (osteo-arthritis) or autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis. Gout causes a special form of arthritis due to excess of a substance called uric acid in the body.

Two special tissues called ligaments and cartilage provide joints with both the stability and cushioning they require for their function. These tissues are made up of special proteins like collagen and elastin plus a protein complex called proteoglycans. Suffice it to say that in arthritis the joint structures (cartilage and ligaments) are damaged and inflamed and these special proteins destroyed.

A vast number of anti-inflammatory drugs are used to simply suppress the symptoms of arthritis. These drugs may be effective in easing the pain or reducing the swelling, but they do not deal with the underlying problem, they only control the symptoms. What is worse, they have major side effects especially when taken for prolonged periods: your stomach might develop bleeding ulcers, your kidneys may be damaged or you may end up with diabetes and high blood pressure. Amazingly, research shows that these drugs can actually increase the destruction of the very joints they are supposed to be treating.

The good news is that your body can be assisted to control, reverse and even prevent inflammation of the joints.

EAT ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS
Certain foods promote inflammation while others prevent and relieve it. The following foods should
be avoided: Unhealthy fatty foods like red meat, fried foods, organ meats like liver and kidney and dairy products.  Processed carbohydrates like white rice, pasta and refined flour products like dumplings, crackers, white bread, sugar, very sweet fruits, fruit juices, food flavorings, preservatives and artificial food colorings.

Emphasize these foods: fatty cold water fish like sardines, mackerel, salmon and tuna. Healthy oils like virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and olives, flaxseed, flaxseed oil and avocados. Fresh vegetables and fruit like berries, melons, pineapple and papaya plus nuts, seeds and whole grain.

Correct obesity as it promotes inflammation and aggravates the damage to weight bearing joints.

CLEANSE and DETOXIFY YOUR BODY
Infection promotes inflammation. Look out for and clear up any sites of chronic infection in the body. Pay particular attention to the mouth (teeth and gums), the sinuses, the nails (fungal infections) and the skin. Treating any chronic infection may need the assistance of your medical practitioner. Natural detoxification programs using herbs, colonic irrigation, saunas, massage and liquid fasts are very useful and may be used at regular intervals.

TAKE SUPPLEMENTS
Some supplements have good anti-inflammatory, pain relieving effects. These include: 
-      the omega 3 fatty acids at dosages of three to six grams per day.
-      antioxidants, vitamins A, C, E and selenium,
-      herbs, ginger, nettle leaf extract, boswellia, curcumin, aloe, schizandra and rosemary.
Other supplements specifically provide the body with building material to repair damaged cartilage and ligaments. These include glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, SAMe, high doses of vitamin C and the minerals copper, zinc, manganese and boron. These need to be taken in adequate doses for at lease eight weeks for significant benefit.

EXERCISE
Healthy joints need to be both strong and supple and regular exercise is a key to achieving both. Also, strengthening the muscles that move a joint improves the stability of the joint and reduces further injury to the cartilage of that joint.
Resistance exercises (strength training) seem to be the best form of physical activity to stimulate new growth and correctly align the collagen fibers in the newly forming tissue (ligaments and cartilages) of the recovering joint. These exercises should be started slowly and when the joint is almost free of pain. A program supervised by a physiotherapist can be very helpful in this regard and may include heat, massage and stretching.  Some yoga postures are excellent for arthritic joints, as these types of resistance exercises do not require movement of the joint,
MANAGE STRESS 
Chronic stress, poorly managed produces chemical imbalances in the body that promote inflammation. Learning to identify the stressors in one’s life and developing effective stress management techniques are important aspects of a program for controlling joint inflammation.
Develop an emotional and spiritual support system as healthy relationships, prayer, meditation and other spiritual practices can greatly facilitate the healing
process.