Hand Pain From Arthritis Joints

Your hands are involved in almost every activity that you do and degenerative arthritis is highly likely to impact you at some time in your life. Everything you do, during your waking hours, involves the use of your hands. There are very few jobs that do not require strength and/or dexterity in the hands, whether it be a surgeon or a bricklayer.

Everyday jobs in the house, such as cooking, cleaning and particularly D-I-Y, can be a real concern if you have pain and stiffness in your hands. If your grip is weak or insecure, there is definite danger in the kitchen, with hot liquids and heavy utensils.

INFLAMMATION: is defined as a localized reaction of tissue to injury, infection or irritation,and that is the cause of the pain, stiffness and swelling in your joints. Inflammation symptoms certainly include pain and stiffness and may also show redness and swelling and, in some serious cases, distortion of the joint We commonly think of inflammation as the painful element of arthritis.

TREATMENT: is designed to relieve pain and restore function. Anti-inflammatory or other analgesic medication, with or without food supplements, such as glucosamine and/or chondroitin, may be of benefit in relieving pain.

You must take care not to over-use anti-inflammatory drugs. Arthritis sufferers with other medical conditions may find these drugs can have adverse reactions and exacerbate these other conditions, resulting in heart attacks, strokes or intestinal bleeding. An alternative way to get the anti-inflammatory effects is to use a cream or lotion to rub on the joint and therefore avoid ingesting the drug. This is best applied at bedtime. (See comments below on anti-inflammatory foods)

Heat treatment, either in the form of warm wax or paraffin baths, or by heat from a radiant health lamp may provide alleviation from the pain but it won't cure the condition. It is important to sustain motion in the fingers and use the hand as successfully as possible.

Plunging the hand in hot water, followed by cold water or ice and repeating the process will improve the circulation and bring temporary relief. A cortisone injection can often provide relief of symptoms, but does not cure the arthritis.

Surgery is a last resort, when the pain has become too great or where the stiffness and lack of movement has rendered the hand unusable. Sometimes the surgeon will decide to fuse the joint, by inserting a screw or a plate, which will unfortunately curtail the movement in that joint.

Depending on the patient and the severity of the operation, it can take a long time to recover from this operation. I had this operation on my right wrist and it was six months before I could hit a golf ball.

DIET: You can do a great deal to reduce your arthritis symptoms by eating a sensible diet.

Many foods have strong anti-inflammatory properties, including vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices. Ginger and turmeric are particularly good.

Fish oils, which contain two Omega 3 fatty acids, called EPA and DHA, are vital in keeping us in top form, particularly when it comes to heart and joints. Oily fish, such as sardines, tuna, mackerel and salmon are an important part of your diet, to provide Omega 3 oils, or an alternative to fish is cold pressed flax seed oil.

Foods containing a lot of animal fats are best avoided, together with preservatives and sugar. Processed foods and ready meals contain high levels of saturated fats. Processed meats such as lunch meats, hot dogs and sausages contain chemicals such as nitrites that are associated with increased inflammation and chronic disease.

Reduce smoking, which reduces the amount of oxygen in the tissues.

Pay attention to the Body Mass Index (recommended between 20 and 25) as an indication of your optimum body weight.

Minerals, vitamins and antioxidants are vitally important. Vitamin E combined with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids has been shown to reduce the severity of the arthritis and reduce the pain. Fruit and vegetables are a fundamental component of a healthy diet, because they contain a rich supply of antioxidants.

Vitamin D is not present in many foods. It plays a crucial part in helping the body absorb calcium, which is necessary for bone strength and in fighting osteoporosis. So, it's a good idea to take vitamin D supplements, but an even better idea is expose your skin to sunlight daily (always with caution), in order to force your body to produce more vitamin D.

EXERCISE, however painful and distasteful, is essential if the disease is not to get progressively worse. If you don't keep your fingers moving, the stiffness and pain will surely get worse. Just going about your daily household tasks will ensure you get some movement but some specific exercises each day will improve flexibility. Just washing your hands in a basin of hot water will help to increase the circulation and reduce the pain.

HOUSEHOLD AIDS: There is a great and varied selection of devices to help you cope more easily in the home.

One small tool removes pills from various pill packs and collects them in the handle.

A key turner has a curved built in handle to fit yale or mortice type door keys, providing extra leverage.

You can buy a tool, with a long handle, which fits over most types of tap and will give you much more leverage with little effort.

Special Pencil and Pen Grips make writing more controllable.

Wearing oedema gloves during the night may bring comfort and relief from the pain. They provide gentle compression which acts to reduce swelling and the pain of arthritis in the wrists and hands.

A handiplug consists of a standard three pin plug base with a looped handle to facilitate removal.

Mounted table scissors can be operated by the pressure of one hand depressing the "T" shaped handle. Once pressure is released, the scissors open automatically.

Most telephone companies supply phones designed especially for customers with weak or stiff fingers and easy-to-operate light switches are also available.

Physical Therapy for Broken Hip

A broken or fractured hip resulting from a serious fall or accident would require hospitalization. It may not be common among youngsters as they tend to have strong bones which can tolerate the impact better. While surgery may be required for some, physical therapy for broken hip would be necessary for all especially as one would eventually have to overcome pain and restore the body's range of motion.

Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Sessions

Rehabilitation and therapeutic sessions would commence as soon as possible. Physiotherapists start by helping patients walk. This prevents complications such as blood clots, joint stiffness and worsening of pain. A cane or walker would help patients in moving about gradually. Certain therapeutic exercises would help to improve the body's strength and mobility. The physiotherapists would assist patients in gait training for balance and coordination.

The therapy sessions are not limited to the hospital alone; some can be performed at home that may include functional training activities such as stretching and resistance training. This would enhance the body's endurance, thereby making it more capable of withstanding future accidents and reducing the chances of serious injuries.

The intensity, frequency and duration of the sessions required for the patient would be determined by the physiotherapists, taking into consideration the patient's age, type of hip fracture, level of mobility and many other factors. The condition of the patient would improve gradually in progressive stages. Some tend to recover faster while others may need more time and support. However, one should continue physical therapy till one is able to move about independently without pain or difficulty.

Treatment from Licensed Practitioner

Physical therapy for broken hip is very effective and safe if one follows the instructions to the point from a licensed practitioner. There are quite a few healthcare facilities which offer comprehensive treatment programs for all ages. Special counseling sessions are also given to help patients become more aware of their condition and help them exercise caution at all times.

BV Symptoms - The Tell Tale Signs and Symptoms For Bacterial Vaginosis Sufferers

Noticing that some things are off with your body, wondering what's going on, fearing the worst. There are a number of tell tale BV symptoms you can be on the look out for to see if you need to go to the doctor. Below I have listed the most common symptoms for sufferers of BV so that you can see if you may have it.

The first symptom that you will notice and quite possible the one that will make you most self conscious, will be a fishy odour from your vagina, this is pretty much a guarantee that you have BV, immediately go to the doctor and get checked out. This odour will become stronger and more noticeable directly after intercourse. A white and greyish vaginal discharge is also a very common occurrence with vaginosis and as well is more prevalent after sex. These two are the primary symptoms and are almost always present in cases of BV.

Are you noticing redness and itching of the vaginal area, these are also common secondary symptoms. Painful intercourse and painful urination can also be tips that you have BV. If you notice any of these you should consult your doctor immediately.

Once your doctor has discerned whether or not you have vaginosis they will most likely prescribe antibiotics that will clear up the issue...for now. I myself prefer to use natural methods to clear up my BV; these methods have helped me to get rid of it once and for all. Be on the lookout for these BV symptoms as 1 in 3 women will get in their lifetime.

Best Natural Joint Pain Treatments in 2012 - Arthritis Explained

So you're starting to suffer from joint pain, it began recently and it's afflicting your everyday lifestyle - what can you do?

Joint pain breakdown:

What is a Joint?

A joint is the end of the bone that meets another bone, for example the elbow.

What is the cartilage?

The cartilage is that gooey lubricant that exists between two joints, providing a slippery tissue for the joints to maneuver, while cushioning them from hard impacts and sudden shocks.

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is a disease that makes the joints swell, grind, lose mobility and hurt. There are a number of reasons though as to what causes this.

The 2 Most Common Arthritic Causes

1. Rheumatoid Arthritis: In essence, rheumatoid arthritis - RA, is your body's immune system turning against you and attacking healthy cell tissue in the cartilage, called the synovium tissue.

This places more pressure on the ligaments and tendons and they invariably weaken. RA occurs most commonly in the wrist.

2. Osteoarthritis: This is the most common form of this disease and is caused by the wear and tear of the joints over a period of many years, or an innocuous injury from childhood, like falling heavily on your hip in the snow, or twisting your knee badly playing football.

The joints over time thicken and swell, causing an often painful throbbing sensation or jolts which shoot through the joint when stress is placed on it.

Arthritic Symptoms

*Note: There are 100 plus arthritic conditions which can occur in the neck, back, chest and genitalia. This disease spreads to such diverse parts of the body that only a doctor can properly diagnose.

Below are what many people may consider typical arthritic symptoms.

• Joint is warm and tender to touch.


• Joint hurts with or without pressure applied.


• Exact same joints hurt on both sides of the body - often RA condition.


• Nodes on the fingers and toes start to form.


• Joint pain migrates: One minute your shoulder is in pain, the next that exact pain migrates to the knee.


• Joint pain travels: One minute your lower back hurts, then the center of the back, then the upper back and shoulder blades.


• Having trouble breathing, due to pressure on the lungs.


• Every joint in your body hurts.


• Can't stand up or walk for too long for fear your knee joints won't support you.


• No pain, fever, headache above the neck.

Arthritic Treatment

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory Drugs - NSAID's

NSAID's do one thing - they help reduce the swelling in the joint which should relieve the pain somewhat.

This is all they do. Many people become dependent this type of treatment which is dangerous as they can have serious repercussions on the health of your internal organs.

These are only to be used for the short-term - they do nothing to treat the disease or the health of your bone and cartilage.

Control Tested Natural Anti-Inflammatory Supplements

Glucosamine and Chondroitin are the two active anti-inflammatory ingredients that are combined with additional elements Co-Q10, ALA, L-Carnitine, Bioflavonoids and Ginseng, that are now being manufactured in pharmaceutical labs in the U.S.

These work on 2 fronts:

a) They balance your auto-immune system surrounding the joint restricting the disease from further demineralizing the joint and cartilage.

b) They block pain impulses emitted from the inflamed joint from being transmitted to the brain.

TMJ Symptoms And What You Can Do About It

TMJ symptoms are quite pronounced and noticeable to the sufferer. There is hope, though. Before we talk about the cure for TMJ or some simple and inexpensive strategies to solve your TMJ problems, let's talk about some of the specific symptoms you need to be aware of.

TMJ symptoms affect are focused everywhere the joint that connects the lower jaw. Temporomandibular joint syndrome affects people differently, TMJ symptoms like popping and clicking are not healthy jaw sounds. Other symptoms include headaches, which the sufferer usually considers non related to the TMJ problem.

Indeed, TMJ symptoms are not easy to diagnose, because they are often similar to other disorders. Headaches, for example, are "referential pain." This is called a temporal headache and is often misdiagnosed as a migraine headache.

Another symptom includes the characteristic clicking or popping sound coming from the jaw area -- this is an obvious impairment in your jaw's normal function. But there are more.

The most common TMJ symptoms are essentially the following: pain in the jaw joint, a locked jaw, ear aches, swelling in the jaw joint, ringing in the ears, pain in the neck and/or shoulders, and teeth grinding.. These TMJ symptoms vary simply a little bit depending on the person and the severity of the condition.

Don't Confuse TMJ Symptoms with Other Health Issues

Don't confuse temporary jaw clicking or jaw popping with a TMJ problem. Sometimes it's temporary. A friend of mine was hurt in an athletic game (softball) suffering an inadvertent blow to the head. This caused his jaw to have some swelling. A result was that he started experiencing a clicking in his jaw. He thought it was something more serious. It wasn't. It went away with the edema or swelling. Some TMJ-like symptoms also can be precipitated by oral habits like chewing too much gum or grinding the teeth. Some experience TMJ-like symptoms with fingernail biting.

Conditions in the body like arthritis or pinworm infestation can also emulate TMJ-like symptoms. Pinworms? Yes, it's true. One of the symptoms of TMJ is grinding of teeth at night, which is one of the reasons why a TMJ night guard is so popular. What many don't know, though, is that a pinworm infestation in the intestinal tract can cause grinding of the teeth at night. A night guard would work in such an instant to prevent the teeth grinding, but it wouldn't cure the root cause. For those who don't believe in parasite infestation, consider this: A full 80 percent of the human population has a parasite within them, according to Dr. Oz.

Getting back to our core point, don't confuse TMJ-like symptoms for having TMJ. See a dentist.

Continuing, the first step for relieving your jaw pain is to determine the root cause, and the cure lies in finding out if the TMJ symptoms stem from muscular or skeletal damage. You should see a dentist. You should also look for a dentist recommendation as to the cure. Believe it or not, modern day clinical or allopathic research has not yet completely defined all the causes of the various TMJ disorders. It should also be noted that not all TMJ symptoms are physical based. Believe it or not, depression or melancholy is also a common symptom.

Another common symptom in the panoply of specific TMJ symptoms is spasms in the jaw muscles. This can result in limited mouth opening, or deviation of the jaw to one side when it opens. These spasms can cause pain, which can be truly severe. TMJ headaches are also commonplace as well. The most common TMJ-type of headache is located on the side of the head over the area of the temple. Many confuse these type of headaches for migraines and thus their TMJ symptoms worsen without the needed help.
A few particular noticeable TMJ symptoms is a particular soreness in your facial muscles or jaws upon waking (this could be exacerbated by teeth grinding or bruxism). At times during the day, you may discover that you have a challenging and painful time opening and closing your mouth. Also, proper or normal biting may be difficult for you as well.

One very obvious symptom is when the jaw protrudes outward slightly. One good guideline is this: If you have to move your jaw back manually, while you might not be a redneck or a Star Trek alien type creature, you just may have TMJ.

Lastly, one very obvious and unfortunate sign of TMJ is when the areas around the mouth become swollen. Sometimes, due to the influx of blood, you may see much more or a ruddy look to the face in the jaw area as well.

What Can I Do? Here's The Solution
There are things you can do. First, see a TMJ dentist specialist if you legitimately suspect you have TMJ. He/she may recommend simple exercises. The doctor may also recommend a TMJ mouth guard specifically designed to relieve your TMJ issue.

Before buying a TMJ night guard, though, make sure you have a bona fide dentist recommend one to you. That's the safest bet.

TMJ Relief - Get These Dentist Tests, See If You Need Treatment

If you think you have pain related to a TMJ disorder, save yourself time by looking for a TMJ dentist close by in your local area who can perform four specific tests. These four tests are a joint vibrational analysis, jaw tracker analysis, electromyography analysis and a tomographic x-ray analysis. These tests confirm if the source of pain is because of a TMJ problem. The problem is, not all dentists are comfortable treating a TMJ disorder and not all dentists perform these four tests.

If someone has experienced pain for some time in the form of headaches, migraines, jaw pain, facial pain or neck pain then they should consider seeing a practitioner of neuromuscular dentistry (a TMJ dentist) who can confirm if the source of their pain is with the TMJ.

Tension or muscle strains causing pain in any of these areas often show signs of improvement in a matter of days to a few weeks. However, long term pain can be a sign of a more serious problem with the temporomandibular joint that needs to be properly treated as early as possible.

Visiting A TMJ Dentist

When you see a TMJ dentist he will ask you a number of questions to help identify what the source of your pain problem is. Among the many things he will want to know is where the pain is located and when it first began. He will also educate you about the many things that may have originally happened to cause your pain.

The more specific you are about the history your TMJ symptoms the better it is in terms of a diagnosis. The TMJ dentist will perform an initial assessment on you and can then use four pieces of high-tech diagnostic equipment in order to precisely assess the cause of your pain. If the test results show a patient has a TMJ disorder then a TMJ dentist can provide an appropriate treatment plan.

Here are the four tests to determine if someone has a TMJ disorder and could benefit from treatment by a TMJ dentist.

1. Joint Vibrational Analysis

Healthy joints should make almost no sound when moved. If a vibration is detected in the TMJ when opening the jaw this indicates that there is a problem with this joint. The next step with this equipment would be to determine if there is damage to any tissues in this joint.

2. Jaw Tracker Analysis

A jaw tracker determines how fast and how easily the jaw opens and closes. It also indicates how straight the jaw opens. Both of these elements are used to assess the degree of damage to the TMJ.

3. Electromyography Analysis

The amount of tension present in the TMJ related muscles is determined through electromyography as another very important indicator of the state of health of the temporomandibular joint.

4.Tomographic X-Ray Test

Visualization of the jaw joint is assisted with the use of a complex motion tomography x-ray machine. Alignment is checked with this important piece of diagnostic equipment which is very different from a regular x-ray.

The use of these four diagnostic tools assist a TMJ dentist in getting as clear a picture as possible of the cause of someones' pain. A proper and complete diagnosis is the most important step in removing pain for the long term because the proper course of treatment can only begin once the root cause of pain is accurately determined.

Is TMJ Dentist Treatment Better Than Chiropractic For a Headache Or Neck Pain?

While many cases of a headache or neck pain can be effectively treated by chiropractic care, if a TMJ disorder is the cause of pain you should also visit a TMJ dentist.

The science of chiropractic has been around for over a hundred years. Although it got off to a rocky start, it now enjoys a forefront position in the medical community as a viable and very successful methodology for alternative medicine.

However, is it effective in relieving TMJ discomfort and pain? Even though the basic philosophy of chiropractic is to realign and adjust the spine and major joints, it is rather difficult to realign a jaw directly with chiropractic care. The jaw alignment may be helped though with a spinal adjustment. Certain other modalities might be attempted to relieve TMJ pain by a chiropractor, and these include heat, massage and a gentle electric current that stimulates the surrounding muscle. Some patients even claim they do experience relief after a few visits.

However, if you have been diagnosed with a TMJ disorder, or if you believe that you may have TMJ syndrome (a problem related to the way the jaw and surrounding muscles work together), your best bet is to rely on a TMJ dentist or oral surgeon who is experienced in this area of treatment.

It is one thing to make the diagnosis, but it is quite another thing to understand what caused the problem. A TMJ disorder does not just happen on its own unless the person was born with some sort of abnormality in that area. Usually the problem results over time because a few teeth have slipped out of alignment and the bite is off. This can cause severe pain and other symptoms including a severe headache and even neck pain and back pain.

Other causes might be more acute such as accidents, falls, or even a hard slap across the face. Nightly teeth grinding can cause the facial muscles to have spasms during the day. TMJ syndrome and other conditions can be caused by some chronic diseases that effect all muscles.

Without knowing the exact cause of the TMJ disorder, it is difficult to prescribe a treatment modality. A dental professional is the best source of results for this type of diagnosis as well as getting an effective plan for treatment.

If your regular dentist does not happen to be an expert in the area, and not all are, ask if he knows of a colleague he could recommend to you. Referrals are always an excellent way to find the medical help you need.

It could require a few weeks to get pain relief even after a definite diagnosis is made. There are various medications that may provide temporary relief of pain symptoms, but not every patient responds to each drug the same way. In addition to serious pain killers, there are steroids and non-steroids, muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatory pills.

Of course, as with any type of medication, there are side effects to be aware of. For instance, muscle relaxants might help relieve pain for a while, but many cause drowsiness - not a good idea to take if you are driving and hard to take if you're working. Steroids have another set of side effects that many patients find unpleasant such as bloating and rashes.

The best treatment a TMJ dentist provides is a custom made orthotic which is a mouth guard that gently realigns the jaw and bite. Relief from many types of pain such as a headache or neck pain is corrected by this in addition to the root cause of the problem.

The Tingling Trauma of Tinnitis

The literal translation for the word tinnitis from Latin means "to tinkle or ring like a bell." It is loosely defined as hearing noises in the ears that no one else present can hear. These can range from ringing, roaring, clicks, whistling, or hissing.

Tinnitis, also known as tinnitus, is not a disease but rather a symptom which may be caused from a variety of other conditions. It is classified as objective and subjective. Subjective tinnitus is most common and may be caused by neurological, metabolic, or psychogenic disorders.

The objective type is usually caused by muscular or vascular abnormalities, such as hypoxia (insufficient oxygen), and ischemia (insufficient blood supply due to a blocked artery). Smokers are subject to this condition as nicotine has a restricting effect on the vascular system.

Tinnitus can be found in one or both ears and often patients complain that they hear noises in the middle of their heads. It occurs not only in the outer, middle and inner ear but in the brain as well.

Pulsatile tinnitus refers to the sound of your pulse beating in your ears. It is usually a result of high cholesterol levels.

Infections, damage to the eardrum, hearing loss due to physical trauma to the head or neck, or wax in the inner ear canal may also bring it on, generally for a short duration.

Both tinnitus and deafness are the result of damage to the microscopic ends of the auditory nerve in the inner ear. However, although they often coexist, the one does not cause the other. Both conditions can also be caused by Menier's disease, the mumps, certain drugs, and even severe cases of jaundice.

Although most common in the elderly due to nerve impairment, more and more younger people are subject to both deafness and tinnitus due to long term subjection to excessively loud sounds.

The ringing sensation ranges from being a nuisance for most sufferers to a chronic condition causing loss of concentration, sleep problems, and psychological distress. In all cases it has been found that intoxication heightens the severity of the distress.

There is no simple cure and must be treated according to each individual case. It's important to see an otolaryngologist for the best treatment. If the exact cause can be determined, there may be a cure.

Medical treatments vary from hearing aids, electrical stimulation through the use of cochlear implants, drug therapy, masking, cognitive therapy, tinnitis retraining therapy, and TMJ treatment.

TMJ, the acronym for temporomandibular joint, refers to the part of the jaw located just below the ear, causing both tinnitis and ear pain when damaged. The therapy is considered to be a dental treatment.

Certain surgical techniques are being studied to alleviate certain vascular-neurological problems. Since stress tends to worsen the condition, keeping stress and tension under control is crucial. The electrical stimulation procedure is still an experimental technique.

From a natural health point of view, zinc has been found to be very effective. Natural supplements containing vitamins A, C, the B group, E, and Zinc have also proven successful for many sufferers.

In order to help alleviate the severity of tinnitus, there are several things you can do.
It's important to avoid exposure to loud sounds and noises;
Do relaxation and circulation exercises set out by your healing practitioner;
Listen to a competing sound at a constant low level, like a ticking clock or radio static (white noise) as these may mask the tinnitus. This will make it less noticeable and for some may even suppress the head noise for several hours after it is used. The main principle here is that the masking sound is a more pleasant substitute for the tinnitis sound.

Remember: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Disclaimer:

All material provided is for informational and educational purposes only, and is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction.

It is of utmost importance that you do your own due diligence. Consult with your physician or a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health and well-being or regarding any findings expressed within this website.

If you are taking any prescription medication, consult with your physician about possible side effects before taking any supplements.

Alzheimer's and Heart Disease - The XO Connection, One Treatment?

What do canker sores, bone spurs or chest pain reveal about your susceptibility to Alzheimer's or heart disease?

Curiously, each condition seems to be connected.

Forty-plus years of research suggest that the relatively minor conditions pulsate the warning that your tissues are dry kindling for fire of Alzheimer's or heart disease, if not a who's who list of chronic degenerative conditions, including: arthritis, gout, diabetes, non-healing wounds, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis (MS), and even cancer.

You're not alone. The lava of chronic ills bubbles under the crust of apparent good health in just about everyone. The leading cause of death, they're not to be taken, lightly. Fortunately, something can be done to prevent or reverse them.

Forty years ago, when cardiologist, Kurt A. Oster, M.D., and Fairfield University professor, Donald J. Ross, Ph.D., began their study of atherosclerosis by examining the initial injury to the artery lining, they discovered an enzyme, XO, worming Swiss cheese holes within it, making affected sections a brittle garden hose prone to leaks.

Noting that the composition of arteries is similar to the myelin coating of nerves, to connective tissue under the skin, and to brain tissue, they realized that each tissue is also vulnerable to the action of XO. It led to an understanding of considerable consequence.

Oster and Ross concluded that inflammation introduces xanthine oxidase, (XO), and that the enzyme is involved in a nearly identical, cascade of events at the start of each chronic illness. In other words, nearly the same disease process occurs in diverse tissues and organs yet each condition is assigned a different name according to the nature and to the locale where symptoms become manifest.

The two researchers published the hypothesis that "a multitude of apparently unrelated diseases may be actually only one many-faceted disease."1,2

In the last two decades, investigators at the cutting edge of inflammation research in dozens of institutes, worldwide, have largely validated the thesis that inflammation is the common denominator of virtually all chronic degenerative diseases. Inflammation has become the focus of intense study.

And the word is getting out. The significance of inflammation at the start of all chronic degenerative diseases has propelled the subject to the cover of Time magazine (Feb. 23, 2004).

-A Look at Ground Zero of Chronic Illnesses-

Oster and Ross advanced the thesis that internal inflammation is characterized by the activation of the bee venom-like enzyme, PLA2, triggered by calcium and stress hormones. The action of PLA2 on the fat component of cell membranes, they pointed out, frees up space for XO to move in and complete the digestion of the fat component. In other words, it's a two-phase, ignition process, starting with what amounts to the fire insulation within a cell membrane being stripped, followed by the spark of XO igniting the cell.

Digging deeper, after XO torches the fat component of cell membranes, fire alarms are sounded and chaos ensues on the cellular level, with inflammation signals apparently reaching distant parts of the body, where they resonate in different ways. In the brain, inflammation may resonate as a headache.

In any event, tissues don't burn cleanly. A smoky fire generates free radical byproducts. Cigarette smoke and sunlight also produce free radicals but nowhere near as many as XO.3 A chain reaction of cell death ensues, accelerated by nitrites and sulfites from commonly consumed, preserved foods and drinks. Lesions are created when damage outpaces repair. When lesions outpace healing, oxidative stress to a tissue interferes with function.4 A diagnosis is then made - diabetes, arthritis, Lupus and the like. The name of the disease depends, most often, on where XO nests up.

"Link Between Heart Disease, Alzheimer's," is a story aired on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, (January 14, 2004). In it, reporter John McKenzie investigates evidence of an apparent connection between the two.

The broadcast focuses on observations made by a scientist whose job is to determine the cause of death in deceased persons as well as the timing - when death occurred - by staining and analyzing relevant tissues under the microscope. Comparing brain and artery slides, he makes a noteworthy finding. Quoting from the transcript:

"While working in the Kentucky medical examiner's office, Larry Sparks was checking brain tissues looking for early signs of Alzheimer's disease."

"He noticed that those who had the telltale plaques of Alzheimer's had one thing in common:

'I took the slides... and put them into two piles, those with heart disease and those without heart disease. And all the plaques and tangles showed up in the pile with heart disease,' said Sparks."5

The information represents yet another cog in the thesis that Alzheimer's, heart disease and other chronic conditions are the same illness in different locations.

-Reassessing Traditional Theory and Taking Charge of Health-

Curiously enough, the ranks of a new generation investigating XO include a good number who have never heard of Oster and Ross yet their latest findings dovetail with those made by the two pioneers.

Independent confirmations are powerful testimony in science.

After decades of advice to lower cholesterol and saturated fat, an epidemic of epidemic chronic degenerative diseases is maiming society like cannon-fire at close range. An out-of-control health situation is raising questions.

"Might it be that the nutritional advice has been wrong, all along? Might it be that it is the cause of the train wreck in health?"

Considering the rather abysmal record of the medical-pharmaceutical industry in reversing chronic illness, ordinary folks are starting to take charge of their health by reading up, by getting second opinions and by making educated choices.

In pioneering days, self-sufficiency was synonymous with survival. Curiously, it's no less true with respect to health, today.

However, the sheer volume of information plus separating fact from fiction is no ordinary task for persons without a science background. How does one find a nugget of health truth when 1 million search responses weigh down the screen, along with one's patience?

As an aspiring researcher and author, I happened to stumble upon a gold nugget after taking the first step, about 30 years ago. The information became the title: "Homogenized Milk & Atherosclerosis." Nearly, 1 million copies were printed.6

True, numbers don't always correlate to substance but walls of shoeboxes bulging with letters of gratitude suggest that it wasn't just the cover that readers came to value.

Theory that was so contrarian, back then, is becoming Wikipedia mainstream, today. But it's not a fad. They come and go. The topic of XO has begun to clog servers as fast as it has been clogging arteries. "You see, it's not cholesterol."

Just tapping "xanthine oxidase" (XO) into a search engine gives a decibel appreciation for the laboratory buzz. The info rush is tied to the finding that XO is responsible for more than just heart disease.

"In medical schools across the U.S., cardiologists, rheumatologists, oncologists, allergists and neurologists are all suddenly talking to one another - and they're discovering that they're looking at the same thing."7

While researchers continue to debate whether XO originates from homogenized cow's milk, in which it's plentiful, or from the human liver, it's not excluded that both sources are involved in chronic illness. However, cow's milk XO is roughly 15 times more potent, apparently, the tipping point factor in overcoming the body's anti-radical defenses and forming lesions. Cow's milk XO is hard liquor; human XO is 2.8% beer.8

Virtually, any tissue or organ except the liver is prey to its action - arteries, nerves, joints, skin, and the brain. Even the lens of the eye is vulnerable. Clearly, XO is big.

Much like a callus or a bunion forms over a blister or layers of pearl form around an irritating grain of sand, the body reacts to caustic XO by layering plaque around it.

The symptoms of a chronic degenerative disease can be viewed as complications resulting from cyclical episodes of XO-instigated damage and healing. Cholesterol actually contributes to the healing phase. It's why its levels sometimes increase. The irritant, XO, remains. Resulting plaque and scars that encase it are gunk that interferes with the hum of a fine-tuned organ. Illnesses ending with "sclerosis," like multiple sclerosis (MS) or atherosclerosis, are so named because of a thickening or hardening of a body part. The hardening occurs around the irritant - XO.

Again, the name of the disease depends, simply enough, on where XO nests up. For life.

Plaques and tangles cannot be the result of something as inert as cholesterol or fat. To blame cholesterol is like blaming Bambi for devouring a lamb. The only lions in the human system with adequate bite and a large enough appetite for tissues that pathologists see chewed up, regularly, are enzymes. XO is a digestive enzyme. When it ends up outside of the digestive system it starts to digest body parts instead of food.

In the title, Something Called XO, the novel thesis is advanced that canker sores - those little, whitish sores in the mouth - are also XO-instigated lesions but without attendant plaque, scars or organ meltdown.9

Such is the bite into the bad news.

The Nobel laureate good news is that one disease pathway means that each condition - more than 50 of them - is amenable to nearly the same treatment. Oster and Ross suggested the same. A common therapy makes the discovery of XO's role in many chronic degenerative diseases the "mother lode of health breakthroughs."

And canker sore flare-ups are markers - warning lights on the dashboard of common sense suggesting that tissues are ripe for inflammation and that body chemistry is in need of urgent correction.

-The Proof of the Pudding is in the ORS Method-

Everyone knows that guarantees don't exist in health but if one, effective therapy could be found for reversing many diseases, wouldn't it dramatically improve the odds for millions afflicted with incurable conditions? Many drugs for many diseases are money-makers for industry, something that might be tolerable if the drugs worked, yet they are largely hit-or-miss, mostly miss. A single, viable therapy would certainly make them a thing of the past.

In Oster's private practice and at St. Vincent's/Park City Hospital in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where Oster served for 25 years as Chairman of the Department of Medicine and Chief, Section of Cardiology, Emeritus, for an additional 14 years, he transformed theory into real-life results in hundreds of patients by blocking the action of XO, allowing incurable conditions to be reversed with remarkable success.

Oster is on record for having successfully treated, without surgery, non-healing leg wounds, complications of atherosclerosis and diabetes.10 Each year, 5.7 million persons in the U.S., alone, are affected by the condition, the majority of them needlessly losing a limb because of physician ignorance about amputation alternatives.

Oster employed the vitamin folic acid not as a nutritional supplement but as a drug, in mega doses, to inhibit the activity of XO allowing healing to outpace tissue damage. Patients were prescribed 80 mg, daily. Despite well-documented results published in esteemed medical journals, along with photos and support materials, the FDA has yet to catch on to Oster's success story or, perhaps, it did catch on, opting to remain beholden to lobbyists, pampered by industry. The medical-pharmaceutical-food industry complex, after all, is no small octopus.

Drugs that inhibit XO, such as Allopurinol, have very nasty side-effects, making it essential to accomplish the same, naturally.

Working closely with Oster and Ross, over a seven-year period, in addition to the privilege of having edited their work, Homogenized Milk May Cause Your Heart Attack: The XO Factor, provided access to materials and personal insights that led to the formulation of an ideal solution - a natural means to inhibit XO.

It's called the ORS Method. It can be viewed as the penicillin of chronic illnesses only it's not a drug.

Its guidelines steer persons seeking to prevent or reverse chronic illness away from foods containing XO, while inhibiting renegade XO already resident in the body. Each degenerative disease has its nuances in terms of how each one should be treated yet the general guidelines comprising the ORS Method are applicable to virtually, every chronic condition. The ORS Method not only eliminates the spark that lights the fire in cells but it also reduces their flammability. The nutritional guidelines do the equivalent of reducing the flammability of firewood by soaking it in water.

Thus, controlling and managing XO boils down to reworking kitchen recipes.

Guidelines in the ORS Method also identify nutritional supplements that activate XO and those that inhibit it. Correct, certain commonly, consumed vitamin and mineral supplements increase XO activity so consuming them can be highly counterproductive.

As just one example, multivitamins containing riboflavin (B2) nourish XO and increase the risk of free radical overload, especially consequential during inflammatory events. Even much-trusted vitamin C can be both an antioxidant and an oxidant under certain conditions, meaning that it can be healthy as well as harmful with respect to chronic illnesses. No less important, vitamin C heightens the immune response, which is undesirable because collateral damage increases. Because of this, physicians prescribe immunosuppressant drugs to lower rather than heighten the immune response during inflammatory episodes.

Without the fine-tuning that the ORS Method provides for controlling XO, attempts to prevent or reverse chronic degenerative diseases by way of diets, supplements or drugs are destined to remain as ineffective as the voodoo of a medical system struggling to redefine itself.

I have been asked why anyone should spend even just $20 on two eBooks when the basic information can be covered in some 4 pages plus one crib sheet listing what to consume and what not to consume.

Chronic degenerative diseases are serious, life-threatening conditions. There is much at stake on both sides of the equation, that is, for patients and for industry. David ended the arrogance and conceit of Goliath with one stone. The life-work of three persons has to be the stone that hits the mark. Only then can its value be appreciated. It's why nearly 400 pages, backed by some 250 references, are needed.

I've now seen enough evidence to guarantee results. And, yes, the punctuation mark maligns, like canker sores or bone spurs, can be easily treated - the same way as the long-winded diseases, like atherosclerosis.

A comma and a period may be small but they tell us much. Without them a sentence is incomplete.

Copyright 穢 2011 N. Sampsidis
Permission to reprint this article is granted free-of-charge by the Publisher upon receipt of requests, in writing.

-References-

1. "Is an Enzyme in Homogenized Milk the Culprit in Dietary-induced Atherosclerosis," Medical Counterpoint, K.A. Oster, 5:26-36, Nov 1973.

2. "Homogenized Milk May Cause Your Heart Attack: the XO Factor," Oster, Ross, Dawkins, Park City Press, 1983, pp. 77, 264, in "Homogenized Milk & Atherosclerosis - Healing Heart Disease from A to XO," Nicholas Sampsidis, Sunflower Publishing Company (Sweden), 2011.

3. "Modulation of Radiation-Induced Changes in the Xanthine Oxidoreductase System in the Livers of Mice by its Inhibitors," Radiation Research, M. Srivastava, D. Chandra, R.K. Kale, 157(3):290-297; 2002.

4. "Free Radicals: their History and Current Status in Aging and Disease," Ann Clin Lab Sci, J.A. Knight, 28(6):331-46, Nov-Dec 1998.

5. "Link between Alzheimer's, Heart Disease," ABC World News Diane Sawyer, John McKenzie, Jan. 14, 2004.

6. "Homogenized Milk & Atherosclerosis," Copyright 穢 1980, 1983, N. Sampsidis (First Editions) Sunflower Publishing Co., New York, ISBN 0-943550-00-9 Book format.

7. Time magazine cover story (Feb 23, 2004).

8. "Molecular Characterization of Human Xanthine Oxidoreductase: The Enzyme is Grossly Deficient in Molybdenum and Substantially Deficient in Iron-sulphur Centres," Jour. Biochem, B.L. Godber, G. Schwarz, R.R. Mendel,D.J. Lowe, R.C. Bray, R. Eisenthal, R. Harrison, June 1, 2005, 1;388 (Pt 2):501-8.

9. "Something Called XO," Nicholas Sampsidis, Sunflower Publishing Company (Sweden), 2011.

10. The Health Hazards of Milk, - "Xanthine Oxidase - Therapy by Pharmacological Doses of Folic Acid a Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitor," K.A. Oster, Edited by David L.J. Freed, Bailli癡re Tindall, London, 1984, pp 250-251.

Understanding Hip Dysplasia in Dogs

Weakness, dysfunction, and irregular formation of the hip joints, also known as Dysplacia is a growing concern amongst virtually every breed of dog. Particularly in larger breeds, weak and displaced hip joints are common. Hip Dysplasia is a congenital, or inherited condition that is usually impossible to detect it younger dogs. While more common in males than females, certain breeds tend to have a higher risk. German shepherds and retrievers will have a much higher risk for developing this condition.

The symptoms while difficult to detect in younger pups, will begin showing signs at about the one-year mark. Some of the symptoms will include difficulty getting up from a laying position, trouble climbing stairs, inability to stand straight to prolonged periods, and difficulty walking straight. Some dogs with this condition are able to overcome naturally when the leg muscles and tendons start to increase in strength and their ability to hold the hip joint in place.

Since this is a congenital condition, dogs affected by weak joints are normally not fit for breeding. Though it is still likely that they can live full and healthy lives whilst overcoming this disability. Golden Retrievers in particular will experience this condition, especially later in life. Some will not even begin to show signs and till about four to five years old. Because the ball and socket joint do not fit together properly, the resulting friction can eventually cause pain and severe arthritis.

A common result will be to develop arthritis and severe inflammation of the hip joint in their older years. Veterinarians can prescribe certain medications as to reduce the pain and swelling and add to your dogs quality of life. Options for surgery are also available, but should only be considered for extremely serious cases. For many breeds, particularly the larger breeds the signs that they are in pain will not be obvious. Your only clue will be to observe and notice how they move and how easily they are able to make simple motions such as standing up from a laying position.

There are some circumstances, such as rapid and irregular growth which can contribute to the severity of Displacya. Keeping control of their weight and general fitness is essential to combat the debilitating effects of this condition. Frequent veterinary checkups and consultation will be required. With proper checkups, medication, and therapy, your dog can live a long and fulfilling life.

How to Relieve Your Dog of Joint Pain - Home Remedies to Safely Relieve Your Dog From Joint Pain

Is your dog suffering from joint pain? Seeing your pet, a loving member of your family, in pain can be very emotional. Sometimes they will just lay there and whine, while others will stare off with a blank stare. Even just to see him or her limping to get around the house can be enough to make you in tears, but do not worry; now there is something you can do for your dog when he or she is suffering from joint pain.

Dogs can suffer from joint pain for various reasons. My puppy suffers because of severe hip dysplasia, while other older dogs may suffer from hip dysplasia, arthritis, or just old age. There are many reasons for joint pain in dogs, and it is a very common issue. And now there are home remedies you can do to help relieve your dog of their arthritis like pains!

Home remedies are great to help relieve your dog of joint pain because they are 100% completely safe. While medications the veterinarian prescribe your dog are great, and may be needed at times, it is best to try to avoid them. Medications like Rymadyl will help relieve your dog's pain because it is an anti-inflammatory. But did you know you can help reduce the inflammation in your dog's joints with home remedies?

A few things that have severely helped my dog is massaging, ice, and heat therapy. He will generally fall asleep while I do this for him because he loves it so much. And that is saying a lot because before I do anything he is laying there with glossy eyes and a blank stare (like a baby with a dangerously high fever!).

My dog can be in substantial pain, but these home remedies relieve him of all his pain so he can get comfortable, sleep, and heal from his rough day. The next day, or maybe even with a few hours of rest, your dog will be back up and walking and running again. You will be addicted to these home remedies for joint pain, just like me!

Ultimate Relaxation During A Full Body Massage

Body massage starts from the early days of life; you may not remember the days when you were an infant but you must have seen mothers giving a soft massage to their infant with baby oil. Or probably you must have given a massage to your baby before a bath or even after a cozy bath. It is just because the human touch or the massage therapy gives the pleasure of being cared and pampered and helps relieve stress and pain.

Although we find many ways to relieve our tensions for example taking pain killers, going out for a dinner, watching movie or even through caffeine or alcohol. But these ways simply cover up the stress for a while. What you need is to get rid of the stress and feel relaxed from within. You won't feel healthy and fresh unless you take out all the stress and tiredness from your body. At times you do not work physically but the mental stress makes you look exhausted and pooped; you can't even sleep properly if you are not relaxed. The best way to exterminate all the tiredness and stress from your mind, soul and body is to have a good massage.

There are plenty of spas and massage centers that give you a relaxing massage and make you feel much fresh and relaxed physically and mentally both with their expert techniques of body massage. They offer different kinds of massage in a comfortable and soothing atmosphere; professional massage parlors create a great ambiance with soothing music and refreshing aroma all around you so your body and mind get maximum relaxation.

Full body massage in a good environment gives you the feeling of ultimate relaxation because the professional massagers know about the pressure points in the body which are linked with specific body organs. They manipulate these pressure points to give you maximum relaxation.

There are different types of full body massages such as:

Hot stone massage is given by placing hot basalt stones on specific points to melt away the knots, stress and tension.

Acupressure massage is a technique which relaxes the body by balancing the energy inside the body.

There are other massages with different oils and herbs to sooth your body. You can get a good full body massage for 60 to 90 minutes in a professional body massage center with positive results that will give you the ultimate relaxation that you really need.

Golden Retriever Health - Useful Information on the Most Common Health Problems

As much as Golden Retrievers can bring incredible levels of joy and pride to a family, this venerable breed also comes with a few important peculiarities, most of them, sadly, pertaining to health issues. Though, Golden Retrievers have a life expectancy that can reach up to 15 years, recent studies have shown that the dogs typically die from health complications without even reaching the prime age of 10. Much like other breeds, the Golden Retriever can become subject to multiple health issues which affect not only its general health, but also its disposition and behavior.

Although not particularly a leading cause of death, a common condition afflicting Golden Retriever health is canine hip-dysplasia (CHD). This type of genetic joint disease results in the misalignment of the hip socket, a condition which in human terms can be most closely associated to arthritis. Goldens, like many other dog breeds, are quite susceptible to this degenerative disorder, causing much pain to a dog. In case the condition is more severe, hip dysplasia can result to partial lameness. As the Golden is considered one of the most active breeds of dogs, loss of motor functions is especially dangerous to its mental condition.

Less common but acutely important to Golden Retriever health are cataracts which clouds the eye and can ultimately lead to loss of vision. Largely hereditary, cataracts among canines are usually treatable, but obviously very troublesome and costly. Even an attempt to surgically treat a cataract condition likewise requires the dog in question to be in suitable health, not to mention the pain of searching for a veterinary clinic with the adequate equipment and tools necessary for the procedure. Retrievers with untreated eye problems can gradually lose the ability to see in night and low-light conditions, significantly affecting balance and temperament.

Allergies are also a constant bother to Golden Retriever health, manifesting mostly in the skin but sometimes in other body parts as well. While all dog breeds suffer from allergies, its affliction to a dog is especially noticeable as it affects the famous fur coat the breed is known for. Canine allergies typically follow flea bites although it is possible that a Golden develops an allergic reaction to food or even household items. Tests to determine allergies do exist with the most common being intradermal skin testing.

A chief and grave concern among owners is a bleeding disorder called the von Willebrand disease (vWD). Also a common occurrence among humans, the von Willebrand disease results in the inability of platelets to function properly for the process of blood clotting. The presence of this disease in a Golden typically renders the owner to be extra careful of the dog, with a typical side-effect being the avoidance of major physical activities which Golden Retrievers live for. Likewise, vWD normally inhibits the ability of a dog to undergo any kind of surgery, giving owners little to no option for treating other health conditions such as cataracts.

As major Golden Retriever health issues are hereditary in nature, new owners should take particular note of the reputation and track record of the breeders from which they plan to get a puppy from. Top-quality breeders do the legwork for diagnosing early symptoms of major diseases and health defects and will usually provide advice for treatment and consultation. If possible, asking for a health certification before taking a pup home is a very prudent option.

Unfortunately Golden Retrievers health problems are not limited to hereditary issues. Cancer is the leading cause of untimely death during last decades. Despite the fact that in some cases it can be treatable the death rate among diseased remains very high.

Otherwise, the lifespan of a Golden Retriever is highly dependent on diet options and its access to physical activities. Routine check-ups with a veterinarian are likewise advisable.

Treatment For Arthritis - Relieving Joint Pain

Do you have difficulty in bending your arms and knees? How about in moving your shoulders and legs? If so, then you may be suffering from arthritis. It is a condition wherein moving the joints creates severe pain.

There are many different types of arthritis. The most popular of them all is rheumatoid arthritis. This type affects most of your joints in the body. It makes it difficult to move because of stiffness. Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, usually results to swelling of the joints especially those in the hip, knee and finger area.

Although arthritis can happen to almost anyone in this world, it can be prevented. If you know how to do this, you will not have to suffer from this painful condition. Some ways to prevent it is through protecting your joints from any type of physical injury. You should also keep your body as fit as possible in order to make your joints and muscles stronger. Controlling your weight is also essential to avoid putting too much pressure on the joints.

If you are already putting up with arthritis, here are the things you can to relive the pain.

Get rest. There is no better way to alleviate the pain than to rest. Resting allows your joints and the muscles around it to relax. It also allows the body to repair any damages. You can do this by not overworking too much on the physical and by getting a good number of sleep hours per night.

Become flexible. When you were younger, you were still very flexible because the joints and cartilages had not hardened totally yet. However, as a person ages, flexibility also decreases. This is why it is very important to stay flexible for as long as you can. You can increase your flexibility by joining activities such as yoga or stretching.

Become physically active. Exercise is as important as the abovementioned methods of relieving arthritis pain. Walking for at least 20 minutes to 1 hour a day is important to make the joints and muscles stronger. It will also be advisable to do exercises involving water such as swimming. This is because swimming is not too vigorous for the joints.

Apply compress. This can either be hot or cold compress. Use heat applicators three times a day while massaging the area experiencing pain. The heat will make the muscles loose and it can relieve the stiffness in the area. On the other hand, you can use cold compress for about 20 minutes only when the joints are painful. This will numb the area so you will not feel so much pain.

Avoid staying in one position. If you have joint pain, be sure to move your body once in a while. Staying in only one position for a long time can increase the pressure on the joints. This can also cause stiffness for that area. You need to stretch and relax your muscles every now and then. Be sure to move around to exercise your joints. This way, they will not feel pain that often.

Joint Pain in Dogs - Home Remedies to Relieve Your Dog From Joint Pain

Dogs commonly suffer from joint pain, especially the larger breeds. Pain in a dog's joints can be caused for many reasons, but it is most commonly caused by arthritis, hip or elbow dysplasia, or just old age and obesity. If you have a breed that is known for joint problems, then you should start early. There are many ways to prevent joint pain in your dog, and you can start as a puppy.

1. Provide your puppy with the daily nutrition that they need-buy your puppy a great dog food. This will ensure healthy bones, joints, and growth development.
2. Reward them with healthy treats that are good for hip and joint development, these are found at any pet store, and maybe even some supermarkets.
3. Allow your dog to exercise, and be sure to not let your pet get overweight. When dogs are overweight it causes them more joint pain due to the extra weight.

Even the best dogs with the best owners may wind up with joint pain. If your dog is suffering from pain in his or her joints, then do not fear, there are steps you can take to relieve your pet of joint pain or arthritis pain.

Many owners will take their dog to the vet to check for complications or diseases such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, or arthritis. To diagnose anything, they will do x-rays of your dog's hips or problem area. If they find something that is causing your dog specific pain, then they may prescribe your pet with medication, such as Rymadyl.

If medication is not prescribed, or if you are avoiding using the medication, there are many home remedy techniques that are very helpful to dogs with joint pain or arthritis pain. Letting your dog swim will bring them much joy and relief as well! It will even allow dogs with bad arthritis to get some exercise. Or a simple massage can help your dog relieve the tension in their joints, relax, and fall asleep!

Natural Gout Remedies - Part 2

In Part 1 of this article, we looked at some natural gout remedies. Now, in part 2, I'll share some common gout treatments that may be growing in your own front yard!

Dandelions

The two main functions of using dandelion medicinally are to promote the formation of bile and to remove excess water from the body. It is also considered to improve inflammatory and rheumatic conditions. Fresh, young dandelion leaves have high vitamin A and C content. When eaten raw in salads, they help turn the body repair damaged tissue. Dandelion wine is also considered to have therapeutic benefits for gout. If making dandelion wine sounds like a chore, a simple recipe is to mash one cup of flowers and add it to four cups of white wine. Let it sit for a month then strain and sweeten to taste if necessary.

Devil's Claw

This edible herb (found in health food stores in dried, powder, or tablet form) provides pain relief similar to cortisone as the root acts mainly as an anti-inflammatory. Clinical research indicates that devil's claw may be of benefit in the prevention of gout - in addition to relieving joint pain, it also reduces serum cholesterol and uric acid levels.

Gravel root

Gravel root stimulates the elimination of uric acid. It is primarily used for kidney stones, urinary infections, rheumatism, and gout. To prepare the gravel root, add one teaspoon of the herb into a cup of water, bring to a boil, and simmer for ten minutes. It is recommended that you drink this three times a day for effectiveness.

Juniper berry

Juniper Berry is also known by the names juniper bush and juniper bark. It is a diuretic herb that helps reduce uric acid. The anti-inflammatory properties are beneficial for relieving pain and inflammation related to arthritis. It comes in capsules or as a tea.

Stinging nettle

Stinging nettle has been used since ancient times for medicinal purposes. I medieval Europe it was used in diuretics and remedies for joint pain. It has also been used in some cultures in a whipping fashion to stimulate the organs and relieve the pain of sore muscles.

The nettle's stinging hairs contain the chemicals histamine and formic acid, which irritate the skin on contact. But if the nettles contact an area already in pain, the chemicals can decrease it. In this process the nettle is a counter-irritant.

Some German researchers have shown that nettle can relieve the pain of gout. The study concluded that nettle may facilitate the movement of uric acid from the joints and help elimination through the kidneys. Nettle root is also considered beneficial for gout and is available at most health food stores.

Turmeric

Turmeric, an essential ingredient in curry powder, is a close relative of ginger. Because of its powerful anti-inflammatory action it is used medicinally for inflammatory conditions like gout. As one teaspoon or more of the powdered spice, three times a day, would be needed to reap the health benefits, most people opt for capsules or liquid extracts.

Conclusion

Some people swear by natural remedies and others believe they are of little or no value. Experimenting yourself after discussing any potential side effects with your doctor will be the best way to determine what works for you.

And remember, most cases of gout can be prevented completely by switching to a predominantly whole-foods, plant-based diet.

How To Fight Pain Associated With Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is characterized by pain in the joint, stiffness, and even loss of movement. It is a degenerative joint disease and slowly evolves as part of the aging process. Osteoarthritis has been around for a very long time, going back as far as the dinosaur bones and Egyptian mummies which show evidence of the disease. The disease is classified as a non-inflammatory type of arthritis; but recent research shows this not to be true. Early on in the disease inflammation is usually not a problem; but as the cartilage starts to wear away and fragment, the loose pieces of cartilage cause an immune response and inflammation.

Osteoarthritis can be caused by an injury to the joint, repetitive strain on a joint, or it can be passed on through our genes. The joints most commonly affected with the disease are the hands, the hips, the lower back, knees and the big toes. Pain is the most predominant feature of osteoarthritis. Early in the disease, pain will accompany movement, is aggravated by prolonged activity, and can be made better with rest. Pain is often caused by stretching of the lining of the bone at the sites of new bone growth. The pain could also be from nerve irritation or compression.

Stiffness is another symptom that people with Osteoarthritis suffer. Usually stiffness occurs in the morning when you get up. Swelling occurs when the cartilage is damaged,and is associated with inflammation, heat, and redness. Deformity of the joints is another symptom of osteoarthritis. Deformity is most often noticed in the hands. The bony enlargement of the joint of a finger is called a node. It usually begins as a swelling like a cyst filled with jelly like material. They can become inflamed and painful; and once the inflammation has settled, they stop hurting and become hard and bony. There are also deformities of the knees and the big toe as well; this is the common bunion.

The goal here is to try to manage your joint pain by getting the proper amounts of rest. Taking breaks is very important so that you are not excessively overworking a sore joint to the point of having pain. If you are experiencing pain, stop and take a break.

You could do some aerobic exercises in warm water at your local gymnasium. Quite often they have instructors and the classes are a lot of fun. Doing exercise in water is low-impact and does not put stress on the joints, but at the same time, increases flexibility and mobility. Any form of aerobic exercise is going to strengthen the muscles and the joints. The most important thing that you can do for osteoarthritis is to get regular exercise for at least three days per week and for a duration of thirty minutes. Incorporate omega 3 Fatty acids into your diet. Clinical tests have shown omega 3's to have anti-inflammatory properties. Eating a balanced diet of fruit and vegetables; fish, such as salmon and tuna; while avoiding processed foods which contain high doses of sugar and salt. Maintaining a healthy body weight is another measure of importance as obesity puts extra stress on the joints and can contribute to your pain and inflammation.

Green Lipped Mussel Supplement For Dogs Gives Pain Relief From Arthritis

When it comes to combating the painful effects of joint inflammation and arthritis, there are few things more effective than the green lipped mussel. We have known about the positive effect that the shellfish has on the joints, and many sufferers have now gone the route of a green lipped mussel powder supplement, which helps them get pain relief over the long haul. What may be surprising to most is that the green lipped mussel doesn't only work well on us humans, but also on our four-legged friends as well.

Think about how our bodies start to break down when we hit our 40's and 50's, and when you compare that to your dog, you have to understand that the same things will start to happen to him when he hits the age of 7. We all start to slow down and suffer from stiff joints as we get older, and that's no different for your pooch. It's easy to forget that he is on that same age level as we are, but if you pay attention to the signs, you'll really start to notice when he slows down. The great news is that you can now help him the way you help yourself, by giving him a green lipped mussel supplement that will help with joint inflammation in the same way that it helps us.

Anyone who owns a dog understands the joy of taking him for a walk and playing fetch, but that gets more difficult for him to do when those old bones start to creak. The same goes for us, and it becomes increasingly difficult to enjoy those long walks when we suffer from arthritis or some other inflammation of the joints. The difference is that we can feel when we start to feel stiff or sore, but it's not so easy with your dog. It may be a very gradual decrease in mobility and energy for him, and unless he is visibly limping or hobbling around, we may not notice the pain he is in until it's too late to really help.

Green lipped mussel powder extract is the most effective way to slow down or halt the effects of arthritis and inflammation, and it can also have other very positive health benefits. People who take a regular supplement have noticed improvement in a number of areas, including in the nervous and immune systems, clearer skin, the bones and teeth and even in some cases, fertility. The green lipped mussel anti-inflammatory benefit is where it truly excels though, and that is something that can have you and your dog taking walks for a long, long time.

If you decide to give the supplements a try, then you must make sure that you get the kind that is best for both you and your dog. Make sure that you are taking a supplement that is made of green lipped mussel powder, and not from oil extracts. This will give you the most beneficial results, because this is the type of supplement that would come the closest to actually eating the raw mussels - and thus be the green lipped mussel supplement for dogs that will provide the greatest relief from joint problems and arthritis.

High Heels - Pros and Cons

High heel shoes have been around since the 1500`s, where they begin as a foot wear for men. And while that quick trend for men didn`t last, it did make its way over to women who have been wearing them ever since. High heels have been an important part of wardrobe planning for the last few decades and shoe stores are lined with various heels. However, there are some pros and cons to using high heels that are worth noting.

Back in the eighties and nineties, high heels were big and they were accessorized with bright colors. It wasn`t odd to see people wearing bright red or pink thick heels that just looked very chunky. And not only were they made bigger but some of them were designed with bows and rose shapes, straps and dangling string. It was almost like an extension of their purse, which was also big and colorful. Luckily for current heel wearers the trend has shifted toward something more sophisticated and glamorous.

These days` heels look much different than they did in the past. And they can look different based on the function there being worn to. For example a women going out at night for dinner might have on a sexy looking shoe that reveals skin, where as a women going to work might have a plainer heel that still looks great.

There are some cons to wearing high heel shoes that are important for women to know. High heel shoes can cause knee joint issues and wearing the shoes all the time can create a greater risk for developing degenerative joint disease in the knees. In heels you can`t run very well, which makes a difference when you`re running to your car because it`s raining. They can also cause an unsteady gait, foot pain, and even foot deformities such as hammer toes and bunions.

The good news is that there are pros to wearing the shoes that seem to be more on peoples mind. They can change the angle of a food and make the calves and muscles in the legs look more defined and nicer. They give a taller look and the appearance of longer legs with shorter toes, and not only do they do all that but they also just look nice.

High heels can have different heel shapes and designs. There is the cone shape which has a round heel that grows broad and then meets the sole. A kitten heel is when the heel is short and slim where the maximum height would be two inches. A prism heel is a flat three shape that looks like a triangle. A spool heel is a where it is broad and then meets at the sole. A stiletto is a tall and very skinny heel that is minimum two inches, and a wedge heel is one that uses up all the space under the arch.

Heels are usually worn out to fancy places such as restaurants or bars. They are also worn at weddings and anything formal like that. Many women wear high heels to work to feel professional and show off a great little shoe. High heels can also be worn under dress pants or with a skirt to wear just about anywhere that you can imagine, as long as you are comfortable and do not have to do any running.

High heels help a women feel more confident and pretty. They boost up the height and almost make women feel like models. High heel shoes can look really nice and show off the mood that you are feeling. A stiletto is a huge difference from a wedge high heel, perhaps one might be worn to a restaurant while the other to the mall shopping.

Natural Supplements For Pain Relief

Is Joint Pain Ruining Your Life?

Many diseases and conditions can cause joint pain, these may include arthritis, bursitis, tendinitis and fibromyalgia. You can help to eliminate or reduce your chronic pain by identifying the type and cause of joint pain you have.

There are various causes of joint pain and the treatment is also various from one patient to another. Like any kind of therapy, your reaction to a given medication is not actually how another individual will respond. Some individuals may not do well with one medication but do excellent with another. The symptoms and the causes also are a deciding factor for what treatment should be used.

Natural remedies for pain relief

Most victims of arthritis and joint pain often turn to the natural herbal remedies for pain relief when other pain relief methods fail. More and more sufferers are trying out natural pain relief methods successfully which is the prior reason why other victims are trying this route as well.

Alfalfa- this herb is loaded with magnesium, calcium and many other important nutrients. It is a great way to acquire the nutrients that your body needs to combat inflammation. It also reduces the acid level in the body.

Angelica Dong Quai - has anti-swelling properties and is also used to lessen pain. It can be consumed as a tea for some weeks. Not suggested for constant usage.

Turmeric- contains a substance that gives this herb yellow color. Studies have shown that it offers relief from difficulty and swelling of the joints without any side effects that cause intestinal distress.

Black Cohosh Viburnum- is a strong herb with properties similar to aspirin and is used to decrease pain and irritation.

Ginger- it is a unique tasting spice, also sold in the form of supplement that has anti inflammatory properties useful for curing arthritis.

Horsetail- is rich in minerals, selenium and silica that are important in supporting and strengthening the connective tissue.

Warm water- warmness is very helpful for joint pain. You can take a shower or put warm water over the affected area. It reduces the joint pain.

Eucalyptus Oil- this performs really well for many people. Just rub the eucalyptus oil over the location to help relieve the pain. To improve the efficiency you can implement a heated hand towel to the place which allows the oil to penetrate through and decrease the ache.

One can try these natural remedies at home and see the difference in their lives.

Joint Pain Relief Using Affordable Exercise Equipment

For joint pain relief, your best bet is to get out of the house and get a good walk. There's nothing better for your joints, and state of mind, than getting out of doors for a walk, even if it is just to go around the block.

However when you seek joint pain relief during the winter months when it's too cold to go outside, you are going to need to go shopping instead. Bargain shopping that is, for good easy to find exercise equipment to use indoors. Because sometimes the only choice other than just vegetating in front of the TV or computer is to get moving with the help of some sort of stationary exercise equipment, something you can easily find for not a lot of money. I once bought a contraption I could mount my 10 speed bike to in order to pedal indoors for 20.00 dollars, I found it uncomfortable perched on top of my bike seat and didn't care for it much, so I switched to a recumbent bicycle which was a bit better and only 10.00 dollars more. I also have an old treadmill I bought used at one of those Use It Again Sports Stores for only 150.00 dollars. As a matter of fact all of my equipment has been bought used.

The best bargains for used exercise equipment can be had for obvious reasons, people who have the best intentions to use said equipment, simply never get around to actually using it. Regarding getting motivated to use your exercise equipment; now that is a subject for another article. Suffice it to say; if you are reading this you have decided that you are ready to take action. Great! Take advantage of those whose motivation waned years ago; look in your local online Classifieds, just type "(yourcity).craigslist.org" and there you are... couldn't be simpler. Most posts have photos so you can see exactly what you are getting, and most sellers will gladly show you what they have for sale. Don't forget to negotiate the price, by the time people are ready to get rid of their equipment, they are going to be happy to just clear their space, and you will usually end up with top of the line, hardly used equipment for a fraction of new.

Something to keep in mind when buying equipment with electric motors like a treadmill is to make sure you have the owner plug it in, so you can see that it runs smoothly. You should actually walk on it too, look for looseness of the belt and get a feel for it. Look it over to insure there are no missing parts, check for loose screws or bolts. Choose a treadmill that has side bars to hold on to, ask for the model number on the phone so you can look up information and reviews about it before you buy: A good website to try is http://www.consumersearch.com/treadmills. Once you get it home, you may consider my wife's favorite location for the equipment, in front of the TV, this will motivate you to use it, and give you something to do instead of just laying there watching the tube.

So what is stopping you? Go and open a new page on your computer right now and look up some used equipment while you are thinking of it. Don't put it off another day, even if you are not ready to actually go out and buy something immediately. Just go and take a look at what is available, it doesn't take much effort to hit a couple of keys and check it out. You are taking the first step, the one you know you have to take, to start doing what will bring you real joint pain relief, and as a result a longer healthier life. Movement of your limbs through exercise is the key.

Joint Pain Relief - What You Can Do

Joint pain relief is a topic of import for people of all ages. At one time, the phrase joint pain brought to mind images of granny squatting down in her garden to pull weeds. This is no longer the case.

Victims of such pain are increasingly of all ages. In children, this is mostly due to the computer age. Kids who spend a lot of time on computers and playing video games are getting neck pain at a very young age. But what can you do to relief the pain of your joints?

The first thing to focus on for the pain of your joints, as with any medical condition, is prevention. Many doctors recommend reducing as much as possible the repetitive strain by taking frequent breaks from whatever physical activity, whether work or play. While taking these breaks, they say it's a good idea to take time to stretch the muscles around the joints as well.

Massage therapists often have to deal with clients who are looking for joint pain relief as well. While they work the muscles around the joints, there is not much they can do for the joints themselves. They often recommend using herbal topical ointments such as ones containing arnica, which seem to help decrease the pain.

Several people I know have tried acupuncture and have had good results. A coworker once twisted her ankle but had acupuncture immediately and was right back on her feet. A friend of mine suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for years and was able to decrease many of her drugs because she got more joint pain relief from acupuncture treatments.

Particularly when knee and hip pain comes from degenerative problems, such as osteoarthritis, the condition can't be cured. At the very least, there are topical creams and treatments like acupuncture that may decrease the pain and therefore improve the quality of life for people with these conditions.

There is a lot of arguing back and forth over whether cold or heat is best for joint pain relief. Generally, people with rheumatoid arthritis report feeling their affected joints are hot, therefore, cold may help with this condition. With osteoarthritis, these people report that the condition is worse with cold, therefore, they tend to feel better when heat is applied.

Also worth looking into is dietary changes. It appears that certain foods may affect the symptoms of joint conditions. Therefore, some people say that they have experienced joint pain relief merely through modifying their diet.

The good news is, with more and more people being affected by such pain on their jointsw and earlier in their lives, more note is being taken. It is no longer a condition that is treated as being inevitable with age. This means that, in the future, we will continue seeing more alternatives to joint pain relief become available.

Home TMJ Treatment - Effectively Treating TMJ Yourself

TMJ is a disorder that can usually be treated by exercises that realign the jaw joint, stress relieving measures, and teaching the jaw muscles to work properly again. It is widely believed that doctors have misused and overused unnecessary treatment techniques such as surgery, medications, and other overly aggressive measures to treat this disease, often with varying results.

Hence, it is believed that home TMJ treatment, or effectively treating TMJ yourself, is may be safer, more effective, more curative, and less damaging overall. A home TMJ treatment plan also has a higher long term success rate as well; treating TMJ yourself consists of relieving the symptoms of this disorder through exercises.

Many times, a TMJ disorder is a direct result of high levels of stress, so a home treatment of TMJ almost always includes the reduction of stress. Here are some stress reducing habits to effectively aid in home TMJ treatment:

1. Change your diet habits - this includes not eating hard foods, and eating foods high in magnesium (or taking a magnesium supplement).

2. Avoid excessive or repetitive chewing, or chewing hard - this includes not chewing gum or chewing food to the point where the teeth meet and grind excessively.

3. Do yoga or other exercise daily to reduce stress.

4. Reduce mental stress by practicing anger and stress management techniques - a common cause of tooth grinding and clenching is poor anger management, and controlling anger can greatly reduce the severity and habitualness of teeth grinding. Learn to take note of when you are stressed, and check to see if you are clenching your teeth at this time; if so, concentrate on how relaxing and unwinding with visualization techniques, and apply jaw exercises at this time.

5. Avoid wide opening of the mouth - this includes wide yawning, excessive stretching of the mouth when brushing the teeth and flossing, and taking especially large bites.

6. Use a mouthguard specifically designed for TMJ at night to prevent tooth grinding or other movement, and to ensure that your jaw rests in a position that doesn't stress the joint.

7. In a number of cases, the tmj is caused by the excessive pulling on the shoulder muscle, which in turn will pull, and strain and weaken the jaw muscle; avoiding the use of heavy purses and backpacks worn on one shoulder. In other cases, tmj is caused by poor posture for long periods of time or neck strain in unnatural positons for long periods of time, whch throw both the neck, spine, and subsequently, jaw bones out of alignment. Sitting straight when working at the for keyboard for long periods of time, avoiding cradling the phone when talking, and generally practice good posture at all times can also make a crucial difference as well.

8. Apply heat to this area to ease symptoms and improve circulation.

The above techniques will contribute greatly to your effectively treating TMJ yourself at home, with a significant reduction in both the number and severity of your symptoms. One must also remember that continued practice of these habits even after all TMJ symptoms have disappeared will greatly lessen the likelihood of a recurrence of this disorder.

TMJ Pain Management - 4 Mistakes to Avoid in Managing the Pain of TMJ!

As someone suffering from TMJ disorder, you would know better than anyone else about the intensity of the pain caused by TMJ. The current medical set up in most world countries isn't cut out to give good TMJ pain management to those who seek. But that does not imply a lack of treatment methods or medications. What is lacking is understanding and care about a serious disorder which is highly prevalent.

TMJ poses multi-dimensional challenges to both the patient and the doctor. On one hand, there is pain relief, which by itself is a strenuous task and on the other hand, recovery from the disorder which both aids and abates TMJ pain management. Just how should one tackle this situation? What are the do-s and don't-s to follow?

1. Waiting to seek treatment till the condition becomes highly painful - The first and foremost mistake a person suffering from TMJ can make. There might be valid reasons to not seek treatment as early as possible - financial circumstances, failing to identify TMJ and so on. But remember that once TMJ becomes chronic, it becomes hard to deal with and almost always ends up requiring Surgery.


2. Taking over the counter pain killing medication - Self help treatments are not suggested for a condition like TMJ. You could soon end up requiring much stronger drugs and not make any progress in curing the problem. TMJ pain management requires proper therapies crafted from exhaustive research and experience.


3. Assuming that if one therapeutic system didn't work for you, neither would others - A big NO! TMJ has a variety of treatment methods and each person might have a sweet-spot for a particular type of treatment. If your current treatment doesn't seem to be working its magic, its time to change your treatment or your doctor.


4. Resorting to psychoactive substances as a last resort for TMJ pain management - Out of depression and unmanageable pain, some people resort to Marijuana or other addictive drugs to kill pain. These substances don't kill pain, they just knock out the sensation of pain from the body while letting TMJ get worse. Soon, you will have two problems to take care of, TMJ and addiction.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin - Effective Joint Pain Relief Due to Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative arthritis that causes the breakdown and eventual loss of cartilage between the bones and joints. This debilitating condition causes pain to over 20 million people in the United States. Primary osteoarthritis is commonly related to the aging process. Other causes include genetic factors, weight, and sports/work trauma.

The cartilage degenerates due to the increase in water content and a decrease in protein. Loss of cartilage, the protective cushion between joints, results in pain, swelling, inflammation, and the loss of mobility.

Glucosamine is a natural sugar that is produced by the body. It is also found in certain foods. Notably, this natural sugar has a significant function in the production, maintenance and repair of cartilage. Glucosamine stimulates the production of glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans (two vital building blocks of cartilage).

Chondroitin Sulfate is also a crucial element in the creation of cartilage. (One source of chondroitin sulfate is shark cartilage and shell fish. It is important to consult a health care professional before taking this product if you have shellfish allergies.) The chondroitin sulfate attracts fluids which assists you in three ways:

It draws nutrients into your cartilage
It increases the flow of fluid into the cartilage to add resiliency
It acts to block enzymes that destroy cartilage

The glucosamine is believed to promote the formation and repair of cartilage while chondroitin is thought to promote water retention and elasticity in cartilage as well as inhibit enzymes that breakdown the cartilage. Therefore, use of glucosamine and chondrotin taken together over the course of several weeks is effective in soothing aching joints, maintaining joint flexibility, reducing inflammation, improving mobility and assisting in rehabilitation of damaged cartilage.

Several studies have shown that glucosamine and chondroitin are effective in reducing the pain of osteoarthritis. Taken in a liquid form, it has an 80% to 85% absorption rate. This creates maximum bioavailability and fast relief. There have been no reports of serious side effects that are usually associated with Cox-11 inhibitors.

Cell Anti-Aging Natural Therapy With Electro Micro-Current

What is it and why does it work? Micro-current is a sub current that dives right in to repair and stimulate or provide a charge at the cellular level. Application is through the use of probes or wands, brass plates, and or in combination with acupuncture needles or rollers using various currents, voltages, intensities, polarities and waveforms. This instrument and its application heal by picking up where the body's own electrical current has failed.

To understand the breadth of this treatment and its potential for healing many, many issues, we must start and understand ourselves at the cellular level. The Nobel Prize was earned by two Germans in 1991 for discovering that the cell membrane wall is the actual intelligence of the whole being. To be truly healthy the 18-44 gates or pathways through this membrane wall in each cell of each organ system of our body need to be working effectively. The number or openings or gates depends upon the specialty of that cell allowing specific nutrients to enter and certain waste products to exit.

Following a trauma, (which interestingly, can be emotional or physical such as surgery, injury or the evolvement of aging), ingestion of life-giving oxygen, minerals and nutrients malfunctions or drops considerably. Our cells tend to become more or less paralyzed and do not functional normally to ingest nutrients and subsequently expel waste products. The powerhouse or mitochondrial function of the cell declines significantly. It is known that the more efficiently your cells function to transport essential nutrients through the cell wall into the mitochondria (our cellular powerhouse) and quickly remove toxic wastes out of the cell, the quicker your cells can receive vital nutrients to promote health and prevent aging. Studies from Universities in Germany have shown that the most important event in alleviating long term chronic pain is to restore the normal cellular electrical potential to the cell's membrane (thus restoring normal functionality). The major factor that nearly all researchers are missing in anti-aging programs is this factor of fuel burning. By repairing and increasing the function of these cellular walls by as little as 1% we may increase life span by as much as 10 years.

The major reasons for aging are oxidative stress and free radical damage from environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides, all contributing to our building load of free radicals which only accelerates with the aging process. .

We don't exactly think of ourselves as electrical beings but we very much are. Throughout our bodies all communication is electrical and moves by positively and negatively charged ions. Remember that electrical currents like to take the path of least resistance. Now what happens with injury, surgery, trauma and aging when these paths are disrupted or even disconnected? Essentially, that area we have traumatized no longer functions properly. Current now moves around the injury or defect rather than through it. The cells making up the traumatized area no longer are sufficiently charged and do not function either effectively or efficiently. The person gets "better" but the body has reached a lesser functioning point by compensation and does not truly become repaired in that place of injury. Later on, in many cases that "old injury resurfaces" to our surprise and frustration. We never healed it in the first place and usually due to some "stress" in our mid-lives, it returns to offer us that opportunity to do the real healing we need to do. We have to repair the cell.

Other than acupuncture, some type of electrical healing, faith healing, rife frequencies, hands-on, or just plain voodoo, electro micro-current in my experience is the most effective of all. Why?

How does it work to heal wounds? Many studies have been conducted on wound healing. In reviewing the evidence and in comparison to other means of wound care healing, it has been demonstrated that electro micro current healing out-performs all others. The "out-performance" is most dramatically experienced in the realm of accelerated healing. One of the best scientific papers is from a Dr. Mark Biedebach, of the University of California at Irvine entitled, "ACCELERATED HEALING OF ISCHEMIC SKIN ULCERS THROUGH USAGE OF MICRO CURRENT ELECTRICAL STIMULATION AND THE INTRACELLULAR MECHANISMS INVOLVED."

In looking at the various types of electrical current: the waveforms, the output characteristics (Voltage and Amperage), the frequencies, duration of treatments and many other variables, the Electro-Tech Micro Current systems combines the best of the micro-current waveforms, frequencies and other output characteristics with the treatment modalities to produce the latest and best results in the current marketplace and seems to outperform other systems. Wound care results have provided results well above any expectations.

In looking at the actual mechanisms of wound care healing (which are entirely observable with this technique) there is an orderly sequence of mechanisms that takes place. First, a connective tissue sheath forms. This is observable from beginning to end and the formation of the sheath is very often observed during the very first treatment. Once the sheath or fascial layer begins to regenerate the skin will continue to heal at a high rate of speed. We know that new collagen and protein are being formed by the body to affect this change.

Micro-Current increases production of new skin cells at the germinative layer. As a teen we produce new skin very cells quickly and these rise to the surface and are exfoliated in around 7 days. With aging, at around 50, this same process may take 7 weeks leaving those cells to dehydrate and degenerate. Studies at the University of Washington show that with 10 consecutive days of Micro-Current therapy collagen can increase by 37%.

We know with wound care patients, if this collagen is reformulating, then this should also apply to Micro-Current facial treatments. Facial rejuvenation has blossomed using micro-current technology. Though change can be seen with just one treatment, over a series of sessions - wrinkles fade, skin tightens, one can experience a "lifted" look to the facial features and contours, and the skin becomes re-hydrated to that of more youthful times.

What is really happening here?

- Product is being penetrated to the deeper layers of the skin surface

- Skin is becoming more hydrated

- Collagen is being formed and becoming re-hydrated

- Elastin is being formed

- A new connective tissue layer is re-forming, particularly that between the skin and the underlying muscle

- The muscle cells and skin cells in the targeted areas are receiving more nutrients across the cell membrane

- Waste products from normal cellular activity are being released at an accelerated rate

- New skin cells are being formed at an accelerated rate down at the germinative layer

- The neuro-muscular re-education aspects of treatment are causing a lifted appearance to facial features

- The balancing techniques are creating more facial symmetry from right-to-left sides of the face

- Beneficial Neurotransmitters (helpful brain chemicals) are being released, causing overall relaxation and central nervous system stimulation which has positive effects on one's overall health and well-being, way beyond that of a simple face treatment".

With micro-current treatments cell activity is repaired, and tissue hydration and detoxification are accomplished. What will be the effect of treatments before and after surgery? Will the difference and effort pay off? Wound healing time will be reduced by more than half, scaring will be all but prevented, pain will be reduced dramatically, swelling reduced, and bruise-time reduced significantly. Micro-current therapy is perhaps the most NATURAL form of therapy available today as it is simply putting back what was once there. Through this return of electrical activity to an area that has lost it, we can foster a real and rapid healing.

Who uses micro-current electrical therapy? Many versions of it have been around for the last hundred years. Machines have been developed for proprietary use; others have been steadily improved for a more broad adaptable use dependent upon the therapist's training and the desired use.

Physical therapists have used micro-current for all neck, back, knee pain issues, for strains, tendonitis, sciatica, TMJ, joint issues, shoulders, plantar faciitis, whiplash, chronic and acute pain, neuropathies, disc disease, soft tissue injuries, arthritis and even stroke rehabilitation.

Athletic trainers have used micro-current for: injury rehabilitation, for strength training, pain, inflammation, neuromuscular disorder, pulled muscle, tennis elbow, ton ligament, and rotator cuff.

Estheticians are currently using micro-current for facial rejuvenation, for wrinkle removal, skin toning, acne, lymph drainage, spider veins, varicose veins and dermatitis.

Other uses: Wound care, bond healing, osteoporosis, swelling reduction, bruising, scar tissue, burn victims, esophageal sphincter repair, Bell's Palsy, surgical incisions, abdominal cramps, macular degeneration, facelifts, post surgical repair.

Cell atrophy, and possibly cell death can possibly be reversed using electro micro-current therapy. I believe this treatment technique is one of the most profound in the arena of anti-aging and should be considered by all who are entering the baby boom years.