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Joint
Pain
Do you have stiff,
sore pain in the morning, or sometimes have that one area of your
hip that has an achy pain that won’t go away? You may have
a condition known as Osteoarthritis.
What it
is
Joint pain refers
to any type of pain felt in one or more joints. Osteoarthritis (OA)
when they think of joint pain; it is the most common type of joint
pain in the world, and one of the oldest conditions known to man.
Most joint pain
is in the weight bearing joints of the body: knees, hips and spine.
OA may also be present in the hands, fingers and neck. As we age,
the cartilage breaks down, becoming thinner, and the ends of the
bone start to rub against each other.
Other names for
OA that your medical professional may use are Degenerative Joint
Disease (DJD), osteorthrosis, and hypertrophic osteoarthritis.
Symptoms
of Joint Pain
Pain is the most
common symptom, usually worse with movement and better with rest.
The pain is usually described as stiff and sore, and as pain increases,
the flexibility of the joint decreases, and there may be a ‘crunchy’
feeling or sound with movement.
The joints of the
finger have a tendency to develop small knob-like deformities after
several years; at the end of the fingers these are called Heberden's
(HEB-err-denz) nodes, at the middle joint of the fingers they are
called Bouchard's (boo-SHARDZ) nodes.
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Diagnosis
of Joint Pain
OA can be diagnosised
by your health care practitioner (HCP) through describing your symptoms,
or via an X-ray.
Some other conditions
that may cause joint pain, or have similar characteristics as OA
are Rheumatoid arthritis, gout, bursitis, tendonitis, fibromyalgia
and infectious illness.
Pharmaceutical
medications
NSAIDS
NSAIDS- includes over the counter medications like aspirin, ibuprofen,
panadol as well as prescription medications like celebrex, and voltaren.
NSAIDS can cause bleeding ulcers in the stomach, and may interfere
with normal bleeding times.
Steroid
Injections
A glucocorticoid steroid medication (cortisone) injected directly
into the area of pain. If not performed properly there is a risk
of infection of the bone, trauma to the cartilage or injury to nearby
nerves. Injections are not always effective.
Surgery
Hip and knee replacement surgeries commonly offered when all else
fails.
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Lifestyle
and Dietary Modifications
Focus on your diet,
reducing excessive caloric intake and eating minimally processed
foods that are have high nutritional value benefits your health.
Many people find
that the symptoms of OA improve when nightshade family foods (tomato,
potato, capsicum and eggplant) are eliminated from the diet.
Other people find
success following the Warmbrand diet, which avoids processed foods,
red meat, poultry, dairy, refined sugar, and eggs.
Lifestyle
modifications
Be active! Obesity
is one of the major risk factors for developing OA. And even mild
exercise can improve symptoms already present in the hip and knees.
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Nutritional
Factors Shown to be Beneficial
Glucosamine
Sulfate
It is useful for osteoarthritis of the knees, large joints and spine.
It has been shown to increase water retention and bulging in partially
degenerative lumbar disc, but not in fully degenerative discs.
Glucosamine Sulfate stimulates the production of the connective
tissues necessary for healthy joint structures. Glucosamine plays
a role in the healthy formation of numerous bodily structures and
substances, including articular surfaces, ligaments, tendons, synovial
fluid, skin, bone, nails, and mucus secretions.
Dose: 500 mg TID-QID, min 6 weeks for at
least 3 months.
Most Glucosamine is derived from shellfish, so its use is contraindicated
from those with shellfish allergies.
Boswellia
Serrata
Also known as Frankincense, boswellia is derived from a tree. It
stops the production of an inflammatory chemical pathway and inhibits
the production of an inflammation and pain producing compound, Leukotriene
B4.
Dose: 300 mg three times a day.
Fish
Oils
The fish oils EPA and DHA serve as anti-inflammatory to help reduce
the inflammation associated with some sorts of arthritis.
Dose: 3-6 grams a day
Niacinamide
Niacinamide helps to protect joint cartilage cells, improves joint
flexibility, reduces inflammation, and permits a reduction in NSAID
dosage.
Dose: 250 to 500 mg four times per day
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Recommended
NaturalMeds Products for Joint Pain
Glucosamine
Sulfate
A naturally compound in the connective tissues of the joints, glucosamine
plays a role in keeping joints functioning smoothly.
Dose: 1 capsule three times a day Pack size:
60 capsules
Pain-Gone
Pain-Gone contains the standardized extract of Boswellia serrata,
a potent herbal anti-inflammatory. It also includes chondroitin
sulphate with the anti-inflammatory herbs Ashwagandha, turmeric,
ginger as well as Glucosamine sulphate.
Dose: 1 capsule three times a day Pack size:
90 capsules
Omega
3
Omega-3 Formula provides an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids
in their naturally existing ratios. This ratio provides the fatty
acids EPA and DHA to provide the maximum benefit form both.
Dose: 2 capsules Pack size: 60 capsules
EPA
This particular formula is highly concentrated in EPA, having 850
mg per capsule. It also contains 200 mg of DHA.
Dose: 2 capsules Pack size 60 capsules
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