The Power of Inflammation and a Hip Surgery Update

                            Hip Surgery Recovery Update

It’s now been 2 weeks since I had my hip replacement surgery. The medical folks are still amazed by my rapid recovery. My pain level has stayed around ZERO to maybe a couple of times it was ½ to a 1. In talking to Heather, my Home Care Physical Therapist, she described me as a high-performance patient.

I asked Heather on a 1 to 10 scale with 1 being a great healing and 10 being Uh-oh how she would rate my recovery. She said if I didn’t have some swelling and bruising in the lower leg, she would rate my recovery at 1. She’s only had one other patient be a 1 and he was a younger guy!
I’ve also continued to play Steven Halpern’s subliminal recording called Accelerated Self-Healing when I meditate twice a date.

I’m now walking a half mile in around 14 minutes, twice a day and am riding my stationary bike for around 15 minutes per day. I elevate my legs above my head 2 to 3 times a day after exercising and apply ice when I’m in that position.

It’s fun to be able to beat the expectations of the medical staff!

                         The Negative Power of Inflammation

You can get a low-grade inflammation from having a mild fever to having a creaky joint to having tooth decay. While there are usually not many symptoms when it’s a low-level inflammation, inflammation is having an outsized influence on how we are affected by illnesses and diseases. Inflammation can affect our entire body. As an example, cardiologists in Boston reported on a clinical trial with 10,000 patients in 39 countries with a mean age of 61.

The initial aim of the study was to see if an anti-inflammatory drug called canakinumab could lower rates of heart disease. The researchers found that the drug was protective against heart disease. Surprisingly, the researchers also found that the drug could protect against lung cancer deaths by reducing them around 77%. IT also caused gout and arthritis levels to fall.

Here’s a list of herbs that can help you reduce or prevent inflammation in your body in case you’d like to avoid the drug route.

Turmeric (Curcumin) ...
Green Tea. ...
White Willow Bark. ...
Maritime Pine Bark (Pycnogenol) ...
Chili Peppers (Capsaicin) ...
Frankincense (Boswellia serrata) ...
Black Pepper. ...
Resveratrol

So, take charge of reducing your inflammation as the benefits can be great!
(Reported AARP Bulletin/ Real Possibilities, November 2019)

Speaking Of Joints

Besides lowering your risk of bone fractures, Vitamin D may also reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. A recent study found that women who took more than 200 IUs a day of Vitamin D had a 33% lower risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

If you take a supplement, make sure it has around 400 IUs of Vitamin D.

YOUR SHOES MAY BE CAUSING YOUR ARTHRITIS PAIN

University of North Carolina School of Medicine found that knee or hip arthritis may be caused by your shoes. Almost 20% of those with hip arthritis and 16% of those with severe knee osteoarthritis had about a 3/4 inch greater length in one leg. Neither the individual nor their doctors were aware of the discrepancy.

The simple solution is to get shoe lifts to correct the difference in leg length. Wouldn't it be great if everything were solved so easily.

SEVEN WAYS TO PREVENT AND STOP ARTHRITIS PAIN

There's now a whole arsenal of natural remedies that you can use to stop and prevent arthritis pain.

1. Ginger - A study reported by Odense University in Denmark found a 75% reduction in both pain and swelling by arthritis sufferers who took ginger. You can buy ginger root and cook with it or make a tea of it. You can also buy ginger supplements.
2. Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate - Taking this as a supplement can result in a 73% reduction of arthritis pain. It can even strengthen the cartilage in bones. Take two 500 mg tablets twice a day.
3. Zinc - A study published in The Lancet found that zinc supplements reduced inflammation.
4. Fish Oil - The Omega 3 fatty acids in fish is what does the trick. It's a powerful anti-inflammatory and reduces joint tenderness. Either eat more cold water fish like tuna and salmon or take a 300 mg supplement with each meal.
5. DMSO - This is a topical ointment that has had 3,000 studies validating its effectiveness. It offers quick, lasting pain relief. Emory University found it more effective than morphine. Just rub it in for pain relief.
6. MSM - It contains a sulfur-based compound that is necessary for repairing damaged tissue.
7. And Finally, MOVE THAT BODY. The New England Journal of Medicine reported that nursing home residents whose average age was 87 did a 10-week exercise program for their knees and hips. Their muscle strength more than doubled. Their walking speed increased by 12% and their stair climbing ability increased by 28%.
From the Douglas Arthritis Fighting Plan

OW, THOSE ACHING KNEES

If you've got aching knees or even osteoarthritis, there are a couple of options to taking drugs.  One option is glucosamine sulfate.  A study had 178 people with arthritis of the knee.  Half took glucosamine sulfate and the other half took ibuprofen.  The glucosamine was more effective in reducing pain, swelling and improving mobility.  The benefits continued for two weeks after treatment stopped.
The glucosamine also rebuilds cartilage.  The recommended dose is 1000 to 1500 mg per day.
Another option is Coral Calcium.  This comes from coral mined under the island of Okinawa.  It comes in a permeable baggy that's like a tea bag, and you can put it in 1 1/2 liters of water.  Within minutes it turns the water alkaline and also releases almost 1,000 mg of ionized calcium into the water.  People who have been scheduled for knee surgeries have reported canceling the surgeries.

I'd suggest you experiment with a two-month supply to see what it will do for you.  You can e-mail me with your fax number, and I'll fax you more specific information.

Stopping Joint Pain

So, you’ve got pain in your joints, what can you do about it besides taking drugs? Well, there are a number of natural substances that you can take to stop painful joints.

According to Dr. Julian Whitaker, curcumin is one of the best antioxidants we have. It effectively keeps inflammation at bay. A more powerful form of curcumin is called Meriva®. While curcumin is difficult for the body to absorb, Meriva is 45 times more bioavailable. As an example a recent study reported that 225mg of Meriva is equal to 2,025 mg of regular curcumin.

Another substance is Gycosaminoglycans (GAGs). This substance is part of your joint cartilage and it attracts water into the joint for lubrication. Using NEM for the source of GAGs, the researchers found relief from chronic pain in as little as seven days. After 30 days the pain relief actually doubled. It also increases joint flexibility.
 
Another substance is glucosamine sulfate, which maintains normal space between the joints and the space surrounding them. You need to take 1,500 m per day.

Finally, boron will aid calcium absorption and increase serum Vitamin D levels.
 
So…if you have joint pain, make sure you take a supplement that has most of these substances. You’ll then be able to say, “Look Mom, no pain.”

So, What to Do If You Do Have Abnormal Test Results on the Alzheimer’s Balance Test?

Until recently there hasn’t been a really effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. The only approach was prevention strategies.

Well, there is now a safe, inexpensive and effective treatment. It is using vitamin B3 – Nicotinic Acid (in the form of niacinamide, a no-flush form of niacin or B3).

Nicotinic acid (B3) and its amide, niacinamide, are called vitamers, because both equivalently act as a vitamin. Niacin (a word derived from the Nicotinic acid vitamin) is a generic term describing both vitamers together.

An observational study of over 6,000 people 65 years of age and older found that compared to people in the lowest fifth of niacin intake, those with higher intake had reduced between 20% to 50% the progression and risk of Alzheimer's Disease. This result was after adjustment for age, sex, race, education, ApoE type and intake of vitamins E & C as well as beta-carotene. The effect was specific to B3, as opposed to the other B vitamins [JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, NEUROSURGERY, AND PSYCHIATRY; Morris,MC; 75(8):1093-1099 (2004)].

In further research, Niacinamide was also shown to cause a 60% decrease in the marker called tau protein.

Niacinamide additionally increased microtubules, which carry information inside brain cells. Microtubules are like highways inside the cells. Niacinamide makes the highways wider and more stable.

Some of the research done with mice and niacinamide brought the mice back to the level where they didn’t have the pathology. It even improved the behavior in non-demented animals.

The researchers think that niacinamide is good for Alzheimer’s disease and normal people, too. Since niacinamide has been used extensively for many purposes over the past 60 years, its safety is well proven.

The amount of niacinamide that is recommended is 1,000 milligrams taken three times a day.

In adult doses above 3 grams per day niacinamide has a potential for causing liver damage [DIABETOLOGIA; Knip,M; 43(11):1337-1345 (2000)].  Always seek your doctor’s advice in determining dosage safe for you.

As an aside, nearly everyone in another study reported that their arthritis symptoms disappeared after three to four of months of taking niacinamide.

Bulking Up Your Bones & Preventing Osteoporosis

Here’s a great way to increase your bone density – use strontium ranelate or strontium citrate.

Researchers in Germany gave a group of men strontium ranelate. After 12 months the men who had taken strontium ranelate had a 22-23% greater increase in bone mass density in the lumbar spine and hip. They also had 30% fewer fractures and significantly greater reduction in back pain.

While strontium ranelate is sold as a drug in 70 countries around the world; the FDA has not approved it here. Your option in this country is to take strontium citrate which has a similar effect and can be purchased without a prescription.

(Reported Whitaker Newsletter April 2011)

Cutting Pain From Osteoarthritis Of The Knee

You’ve got osteoarthritis of the knee so you reach for the ibuprofen. Would you like more natural choices as effective as ibuprofen?

That would be curcumin or glucosamine. A study reported in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine compared the two with ibuprofen.

The research showed that the anti-inflammatory properties of these substances gave subjects relief from knee pain.

If you want to use them, take 1 gram of curcumin or 1,500 mg of glucosamine a day. (If you take blood thinners, talk to your doctor first).

(Reported Prevention, May 2011)

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Natural Ways To Fight Osteoarthritis

Research published in Advances in Therapy found that giving study participants 1500 mg of glucosamine sulfate and 200 mg of omega-3 fats resulted in a 20 percent reduction in pain reported to researchers. While glucosamine was effective by itself, combining it with omega-3s really increased its effectiveness. Adding these nutrients together, prevented cartilage degeneration that occurs with osteoarthritis.

Another supplement to explore for relief from osteoarthritis is MSM (methylsulfonylmethane). It can help with arthritis, muscle soreness, shingles and many other painful conditions. In one study of arthritis sufferers reported by Raymond Francis, one group took 2,250 mg of MSM per day. They experienced an 80% reduction in pain over a 6 week period.

Yet another study compared groups taking 1500 mg per day of glucosamine, 1500 mg of MSM or the two together. At the end of 12 weeks, the glucosamine group experienced a 63% reduction in their pain. The MSM group’s pain levels dropped 52% and the group taking both nutrients experienced a 79% reduction in their pain. In addition, the combination group experienced quicker relief in both their pain and inflammation levels.

Keep in mind, you want to take chondroitin with glucosamine, msm and omega-3s.

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Women Can Wear High Heels Without The Pain

Researchers at Schering-Plough Healthcare Products have developed an insole to prevent foot pain in women who wear high-heels.

What the insole does is shift the woman’s weight back on the heel and off the front of the foot, which is where women have their foot pain.

Check out Dr. Scholl’s for Her High Heel Insole.

Interestingly, the researchers also found out that insoles can also provide pain relief for osteoarthritis in the back, hips and knees.

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Soothing Arthritis Pain

My brother, Stan, and his wife, Heidi, were recently on a cruise to Alaska (lucky people). At one of the stops, as they were wandering around town they walked into a local shop and made a "wonderful find".

The shop is run by Harlena Warford, a native Tlinget medicine woman. She had an ointment to stop arthritis pain. Since they both have pain from arthritis, Harlena kindly allowed them to rub some of the ointment into the areas of their pain.

They left the store and continued to walk around town.

About 20 minutes later, they both realized that their pain was gone. They immediately walked back to the store and purchased some of the ointment.

I’ve personally purchased the ointment and have recommended it to several people. They have been reporting great results with it.

To find out about getting the ointment for yourself, go to http://linkbee.com/GutShuWu and get the Skookem Ointment. Harlena also says you can use it for fibromyalgia, neuropathy, lupus and other degenerative diseases.

Another product Harlena offers is Devils Club oil and ointment, which can be used for massaging sore muscles, psoriasis and eczema.

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Sitting Up Straight Isn’t All That It’s “Cracked” Up To Be

Scottish researchers reported that sitting up straight is actually bad for your back (so much for all that nagging from your Mom to sit up straight). The researchers took MRI scans of 22 volunteers. They found that sitting upright at a 90-degree angle put enough pressure on the lower back to squeeze fluid from the disks that cushion the vertebrae.

So, what’s the best position? Slouching! Well, it’s slouching with a caveat: Your knees should to be three to four inches lower than your hips, and you need to recline slightly (instead of sitting at a 90-degree angle, lean back to a 135-degree angle) and voila, the pressure is off.

(As reported in Prevention Magazine)

Mussel Extract May Cure Arthritis

There is a green-lipped mussel from New Zealand that may help heal both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The extract made from this mussel is called GlycoMarine.

It seems to suppress inflammation as well as facilitate cartilage regeneration and joint lubrication. This results in decreased pain and stiffness increased mobility and function. Do not use the product if you have an allergy to shellfish.

For pet owners there is a product called VetBalance that contains the extract. It seems to help animals with hip dysplasia and other joint diseases.

You can find these products in health foods stores. For the pet version, go to Pet-Arthritis-VetBalance or call 800-810-6655.

(Reported in Health and Wellness newsletter by Dr. Julian Whitaker, January 2009)

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When To Take Your Medications

While I attempt to keep drug taking to a minimum, this information may help you determine the best time during the day to take your meds. This research is based on the way our body’s internal clock operates.

1. For Allergies – antihistamines – take at bedtime
2. For Arthritis – long-acting painkillers, such as, Celebrex, Naprelan – take in the morning for osteoarthritis and a second dose at night for rheumatoid arthritis
3. For Asthma – oral prednisone – 3 pm
4. For High Blood Pressure – Hypertension drugs, such as, Covera-HS, Innopran XL – bedtime
5. For High Cholesterol – short-acting statins, such as, Zocor, Lescol – bedtime

(Reported  Prevention, April 2008)

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Using Vitamin C May Protect Your Knees From Arthritis

Australian researchers conducted a study with 293 middle-aged people who were free of knee pain.

After 10 years, they found that the people eating high amounts of Vitamin C were less likely to exhibit the bone degeneration that leads to the development of osteoarthritis in the knee.

The researchers attributed the effect to the antioxidant impact of Vitamin C. The researchers also found that other antioxidant’s including lutein and zeaxanthin (found in spinach) can also protect against age-related wear and tear.

So…eat your fruits and veggies and take a couple of thousand milligrams of Vitamin C through out each day. Just make sure there are bioflavinoids in your supplement as it helps the Vitamin C to be absorbed into your system.  (Reported Prevention Magazine, January 2008)

Search for things you are interested in that I may have written about in my Newsletter Archives here: http://linkbee.com/TeplitzReports

Using Your Mind To Relieve Arthritis Pain

Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine have been busy. They also researched the impact of a meditation technique called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on chronic arthritis.

The researchers found that people with rheumatoid arthritis who practiced MBSR for 6 months were 35% less distressed than those who didn’t use this method – even though their physical disease progressed at the same rates as the control group.

Other studies have shown that MBSR works to reduce pain by constantly refocusing the mind on the present moment. To learn how to do MBSR read Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Cut The Need For Arthritis Drugs By Using Cod Liver Oil

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Since I’m talking about arthritis, there was a study reported in Rheumatology (March 24, 2008) about the impact of taking cod liver oil once a day for relief of arthritis pain.

The researchers gave patients either 10 g of cod liver oil or a placebo daily. After 12 weeks they found that 39% of the patients on the cod liver oil were able to reduce the need for drugs versus 10% for the placebo group.

So… to better control your rheumatoid arthritis use your mind and use cod liver oil.

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THE USE OF FAITH TO STOP PAIN

THE USE OF FAITH TO STOP PAIN

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A study reported in the Journal of Pain found that having a daily spiritual ritual or experience can help people with chronic pain feel better.

They had 35 people with rheumatoid arthritis keep daily diaries that rated their religious coping strategies, pain levels, mood and social support. People who had less pain had religious and coping strategies that worked for them personally.

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Using Your Mind To Relieve Arthritis Pain

Using Your Mind To Relieve Arthritis Pain

Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine have been busy. They also researched the impact of a meditation technique called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on chronic arthritis.

The researchers found that people with rheumatoid arthritis who practiced MBSR for 6 months were 35% less distressed than those who didn’t use this method – even though their physical disease progressed at the same rates as the control group.

Other studies have shown that MBSR works to reduce pain by constantly refocusing the mind on the present moment. To learn how to do MBSR read Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Technorati Tags: Dr. Jerry Teplitz,Using your Mind,Relieve Arthritis Pain,MBSR,chronic arthritis,rheumatoid Arthirits,Jon Kabat-Zinn

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