Wrist Pain - 2 Simple Exercises to Relieve Wrist Pain and Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

When you get wrist pain, it can feel sad and frustrating. You start to worry about carpal tunnel syndrome. Will you need to wear a brace, or worse, get surgery? Luckily, there are some simple wrist exercises that can relieve your pain and your worries.

Muscle, bone and fascial restrictions.
Carpal tunnel symptoms develop from repetitive wrist movement, and keeping your hands in awkward positions. Over time, your forearm muscles become overworked. The bones in your hands and wrists shift positions. Your connective tissue, or fascia, becomes tight and restricted.

As these tissues change, they restrict blood-flow and nerve conduction. Your arms and wrists can get feelings of:

o muscle tension,
o sharp or shooting pains,
o dull aches or nagging soreness,
o numbness and tingling, and
o muscle weakness.

Movement and therapeutic exercises.
One common movement that causes these problems is wrist extension. Your arms are pointed down (toward a keyboard or desk, e.g.), while your hands stay lifted up. The angle of your wrist is compromised.

Holding your wrist in extension for long periods of time, like continuous workday hours without breaks, will quickly give you problems.

But if wrist extension is the root of your pain, then you can prevent these problems and give yourself immediate relief with a few exercises. These exercises will flex the wrists, giving your muscles the opposite workload and maintaining a balance.

Isometric resistance means you do not need weights, tubing, or any fitness equipment. Practice them throughout your day, as often as you need them.

1st Wrist Flexion exercise- Sit at a desk, stand by a countertop, or position yourself next to a flat surface. With your palm-side up and your wrist flat, press your fingertips against the under-side of the flat surface. Keep your fingers straight and flat so the focus is on the wrist. Press firmly against the surface. Hold for 10-20 seconds.

2nd Wrist Flexion exercise- Similar to the 1st exercise, find a flat surface where you can press on its under-side, like your desk, a countertop or a table. Instead of pressing your fingertips, you will press with the heels of your hands. Initiate the pressing from your palms, keeping your wrists straight or slightly-flexed. Again, hold for 10-20 seconds. You should feel this in your forearms more than the 1st exercise.

Feeling it.
You should feel these exercises in your forearm muscles and wrists. Check that your wrists and fingers are straight and flat. The intention of these exercises is wrist- and arm-strengthening, but not finger strength.

If you feel any sharp pains, reposition your arms and wrists so they are straight or slightly flexed. Avoid wrist extension, as described earlier in this article. If you still get pain while maintaining the proper position, try to use less force as you press up. Start gently and increase force as you practice.

If your wrist pain comes from work, then print this article and keep it handy during your workday so you can easily and properly follow these exercises for faster relief.

Important Facts About Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Joint cartilage wearing away in the knee joint is a painful condition called osteoarthritis of the knee. It is the most common type of osteoarthritis, and can have many causes.

When there is a meeting of the two bones, or joint of the knee, there is a cushiony cartilage between the two that serves to pad the area and prevent the two bones from rubbing against one another. In some cases, the cushion wears away, creating friction every time the joint is used as the two bones rub against each other. The consistent rubbing will cause inflammation, pain, stiffness or the formation of bone spurs. This condition is referred to as degenerative joint disease, or osteoarthritis of the knee.

Many causes can be attributed to the development of osteoarthritis of the knee. An injury to the joint that may have occurred by wrenching it during a fall, accident or while playing a sport can be one of the causes of the disorder. Often obesity is the reason that the cushion wears away. Genetics may make it more likely for some people to develop the degeneration than others.

The disorder is often noted by the sufferer himself, experiencing pain that worsens as the joint is used. Resting the knee will bring relief from the pain at least initially, but as the degeneration progresses, the pain becomes more prevalent with little or no relief. It is usually at this point that the individual seeks a doctor's advice. Osteoarthritis of the knee is typically diagnosed after examining the leg and viewing x-rays to determine how advanced the degeneration has become.

The first course of action after making the diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee will be to alleviate the pain. Medication will generally be prescribed, along with some topical applications for pain. Addressing the source of the pain will be next; physical therapy is found to be quite helpful as flexibility and movement of the joint is regained. In serious cases, hyaluronic acid injections or knee surgery may be recommended.

Our knee joints have hyaluronic acid in place already. However, through the degeneration caused by osteoarthritis of the knee, it becomes thinner and less effective. By injecting addition hyaluronic acid into the joint, more protection is afforded the area; resulting in the elimination of pain that can last up to a year. While these injections have great results for some, for others there is no benefit at all. It is estimated that approximately one of every four people with osteoarthritis of the knee will eventually require surgery. This may be accomplished by arthroscopy, osteotomy or arthroplasty.

A preventative measure to protect from acquiring osteoarthritis of the knee is to retain a healthy weight. Also, act promptly in seeking medical attention if an injury results in knee pain to avoid further degeneration.

Canine Pain Relief - Joint Injury Or Arthritis Call For Discount Dog Pain Relief Medicines

When your dog is suffering from pain after surgery or has joints damaged by arthritis, the pain is similar to that his owner might encounter. Providing canine pain relief is necessary just as human pain relief may be needed at time.

Dogs suffer pain after surgery and from traumatic injuries. Other conditions requiring pain relief for dogs are hip dysplasia and the arthritis so common to senior dogs. Studies have shown that pets have the same varying degrees of pain tolerance as humans do. That may explain why one dog doesn't seem to mind a vaccination shot while another reacts as if you are cutting off his paw.

Pain relief for dogs was ignored for many years by veterinary medicine. Dogs undergoing spay or neuter surgery were routinely sent home with no provision for pain relief. Veterinary advances in understanding animal behavior and physiology led to a more humane view of canine pain relief.

When you provide pain relief before the pain becomes severe or chronic, lower doses of the pet meds can be used. This is especially important when providing dog arthritis treatment. The disease is progressive for many older dogs and for dog breeds frequently afflicted with hip dysplasia.

By identifying arthritis during the early stages, pet owners can offer low dose pain meds with the ability to increase the dosage as needed over time. In extreme cases where pain is caused by injury or major surgery, your vet may use narcotic pain meds for a limited time. This has become infrequent due to the paperwork required of vets to obtain controlled substances and the detailed information required to document use of narcotics.

Codeine and hydrocodone are used in veterinary medicine and may be combined with an NSAID such as as Deramaxx. Vicodin is a mixture of hydrocodone and acetaminophen and can be used safely for dog pain relief. Never administer Vicoden or other prescriptive meds except on the advice of your veterinarian. Addiction to narcotics is not a symptom often found to result from canine pet meds - perhaps because dogs cannot access the medications for themselves.

Cosequin, Arthogen and Glucosamine for dogs have provided pain relief for thousands of aging or injured pets. The incidence of arthritis pain increases with age but arthritis can affect the joints of young animals, too. Large breed dogs are prone to developing hip dysplasia and joint problems. For some dogs, it is a breed specific medical problem while for others it is the result of joints strained by carrying the large dog's weight or joints injured by too much activity.

Lameness is a common symptom of joint pain and is accompanied by stiffness in canines suffering from dog arthritis symptoms. Cosequin and Arthogen provide lubrication to the animal's joint which reduces the pain-causing friction in joints where cartilage has been damaged.

Your vet may advise use of baby aspirin to ease temporary pain and inflammation for your pet. Aspirin and acetaminophen are often good pain relievers but should be given only on the advice of your veterinarian as they can cause stomach irritation in some animals.

Corticosteroids do not provide pain relief but the reduction of inflammation in a damaged joint eases pain. There are side effects with corticosteroid treatments which can include weakening of joint cartilage.

In the case of an older dog that has lost quality of life due to advanced arthritis pain and stiffness, use of corticosteroids may be the answer. Long term side effects are not a consideration when treating an animal near the end of his life.

Providing canine relief for your pet is possible when you examine the options available with your vet and choose a pain control that suits your dog's condition and age. Glucosamine for dogs is frequently used to relieve arthritis pain and is often included with other ingredients in branded dog arthritis medicine.

There is no question that dogs suffer pain just as their owners do. Advances in veterinary medicine have provided solutions for canine pain relief that are safe for your pet when used as prescribed. Pain relief medicine for dogs is now affordable as well and can be purchased online at veterinarian owned websites at discounted prices.

Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease, affects the elderly in parts of the body where it hurts the most. A person suffering from knee osteoarthritis will most likely equate it with cardiovascular disease because the breakdown of articular cartilage of knee joints restricts movement and the patient has to follow a set regimen affecting his lifestyle.

Knee Osteoarthritis is due to injury, congenital disorder, or obesity. The deterioration of articular cartilage, a smooth and fibrous connective tissue that acts as a protective cushion, narrows the joint space between bones. In time, the cartilage becomes grooved and fragmented and surrounding bones thicken or sprout into spurs. Sometimes, there is additional swelling in the knees caused when synovium, a membrane producing a thick fluid to nourish the cartilage, becomes inflamed and produces additional fluid known as 'water of the knee'. Changes occur due to constant rubbing of joint bones leading to deformity of joints that is equally painful.

Knee osteoarthritis is diagnosed through physical and pathological examinations of joints on either side of knee including hip joints, checking on posture, and gait. Once knee Osteoarthritis is confirmed, a treatment is suggested depending on nature and extent of damage and on the personal physical history of patient. Women over 60 years of age are high risk factors for knee osteoarthritis as they spend major portion of their lives doing physically demanding work that has direct relationship with knee Osteoarthritis. Wearing high heeled shoes also aggravates the pain. In youngsters, knee osteoarthritis is hereditary or due to some injury.

Precautions such as weight reduction, changing work routine, postures, diet, avoiding injuries, participating in physiotherapy, and exercise are advised. Other methods of relief such as acupuncture, ointments, prescription drugs, magnetic pulse therapy, vitamin regimes, and topical pain relievers are temporary. Using prescription drugs and surgery should be a mutual decision between patient and doctor.

Dealing With Shoulder Arthritis

Q: My doctor has told me that the pain in my shoulder is due to arthritis. Is there anything that can be done about it?
 
A: Has throwing the ball with the kids become a big pain in the shoulder? As we get older our joints may deteriorate, with loss of the smooth cartilage coating of the bones in the shoulder joint, a process known as arthritis. It can be caused by a variety of factors, but the most common process in the shoulder is degenerative joint disease (DJD). The shoulder is made up of two distinct joints, the large ball-and-socket Gleno-Humeral Joint (GH), where the arm meets socket of the shoulder blade, and the much smaller Acromio-Clavicular (AC) Joint, where the top part of the shoulder blade (the acromion) meets the collar bone (clavicle). Either or both joints can become damaged and painful, and X-rays will be used to detect whether arthritis is present.
 
Once the diagnosis is made, treatment generally starts with oral medications to reduce the pain and inflammation within the joints. This generally starts with medicines like Tylenol or anti-inflammatories known as NSAIDs, either over-the-counter or by prescription. Sometimes it is necessary to use a short course of stronger anti-inflammatory medicines known as steroids, such as prednisone, usually given in a precise regimen that is tapered quickly. Some patients will benefit from Physical Therapy treatments, which can help by improving the range of motion and strength in the shoulder.
 
If this approach is not successful, a patient may need to have a steroid injection in the shoulder, which can be effective by placing the anti-inflammatory material directly into the painful area. The effect may not last long, but the injection can help to confirm that the arthritic area is actually causing the shoulder pain. On the other hand, some shots will lead to long-term pain relief. We have some patients who come to the office every six months for a steroid shot and function well between visits.
 
If this approach is not working, surgery may be needed. An MRI is often obtained to rule out other shoulder damage, such as tendonitis or a rotator cuff tear, and it is also useful to gauge the full extent of the arthritis.
 
If the upper (AC) joint is the primary source of pain, and conservative measures have failed, relatively simple surgery can usually solve the problem. The AC joint pain seems to come from the deformed ends of the bones which rub together once the cartilage coating has worn away. We can remove the ends of the bones and the scar that fills the space will gradually become comfortable. At first, this was done as an open procedure, but now it is done routinely through small stab wounds using a fiber-optic tool known as an arthroscope.
 
When the ball-and-socket shoulder joint (GH) is arthritic and requires surgery, things get more complicated. As an open procedure, requiring an incision that is about six inches long, the damaged joint surfaces can be replaced by an artificial joint made of plastic and metal. This procedure has evolved over the years and is now very reliable. The recovery period will last six to twelve months and will require Physical Therapy. When a patient has fully recovered, the shoulder strength and function should be reasonably good, but patients almost always report that their pain is gone. In fact, some of our happiest patients are those who put up with severe shoulder arthritis for years and after getting a Total Shoulder Replacement could finally get a good night's sleep.
 
We have a dilemma when a patient has severe ball-and-socket shoulder arthritis along with a large rotator cuff tear. The soft tissue envelope of tendons around the shoulder is known as the Rotator Cuff, and if it is massively torn and unrepairable, a conventional shoulder replacement may not work well, because the shoulder will be weak and unstable and the components will tend to become loose and painful. Fortunately, an ingenious solution has been developed to deal with this situation. A Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty is a plastic and metal device which replaces the socket with a ball and replaces the ball with a socket, allowing most patients to regain overhead motion without an intact rotator cuff. The surgery is somewhat more complicated and there are more potential complications, but for certain patients, it is just what the doctor ordered.
 
What to do: If you have shoulder pain that lasts more than a few weeks, try gentle stretching and over-the-counter medicines such as Tylenol or NSAIDs. If you cannot get relief, make plans to see your doctor. These days, most shoulder pain can be resolved. With any luck you will be able to get back to throwing in the backyard in time for spring training.

Sciatica and the Sacroiliac Joint

The sacroiliac joint is the location where your pelvic bones articulate with the sacrum. If you look at someone from behind you will notice a divot or dimple on either side of the spine in the low back above the buttocks. This point is called the PSIS or Posterior Superior Iliac Spine. The sacroiliac joint lies deep to this landmark. When things are functioning properly the two pelvic bones rotate very slightly at this joint when we walk.

If you have injured this joint the deep pelvic muscles that surround the joint will react by increasing their tone and will in turn restrict the rotational movement that would normally be there. In the short term this is probably a good coping mechanism for the body to deal with an acute joint injury as it essentially eliminates any stress to the articular surfaces. However in the longer term, when things don't return to normal biomechanic movement patterns, pain and abnormal movement can persist.

The pain that can arise from this joint is often mistaken for sciatica.

True sciatica is caused by pressure or irritation to the sciatic nerve. The nerve is made up nerve roots that exit the spinal canal in the lumbar spine. Pressure or irritation to this nerve can cause pain down the back of your leg.

There are a few ways to distinguish between true sciatica and sacroiliac pain.True sciatica can be felt all the way down the back of the leg past the knee and sometimes includes pain to the toes. Sacroiliac leg pain typically doesn't travel past the knee. Another distinguishing feature is pain that predominates on one side over the region of the PSIS. This one sided low back pain almost always presents on the same side as the "pseudo sciatica".

There is an easy test that one can try at home to distinguish sacroiliac pain from sciatica. Get a partner to stand behind you with their hands on your hips. Bend forward and then straighten back to the original upright position. If there is mechanical pain in the low back, this movement usually provokes it. Now to distinguish between sciatica and sacroiliac joint pain do the same movement but get your partner to stabilize your hips by blocking movement at the hip. As you bend forward your hip should be pulled tight to your partners leg or hip to prevent forward rotation of your hip. If done correctly this maneuver will either provoke your back pain or make it better depending on which problem is the cause. If the forward bending movement is much less painful when the hip movement is blocked it suggests that the sacroiliac joint is the source. If it greatly increases the pain, it points to lumbar disc issues that can cause sciatica.

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is one of the most common disorders seen in a chiropractic office. Chiropractors are well trained to recognize this condition and should be considered when considering treatment options.

Hip Replacement Surgery - Advantages and Benefits

If your hip has been severely damaged either by an injury or by conditions associated with old age such as arthritis or any other conditions, and the chronic hip/groin pain keeps you awake at night and prevents you from doing day-to-day jobs, undergoing hip replacement surgery may be the best option to fix your hip pain and all related miseries.

An Overview
Also referred to as total hip replacement, hip arthroplasty or hip hemiarthroplasty, hip replacement is a common yet a major surgical procedure in which an orthopaedic surgeon replaces the painful hip-joint with an artificial hip-joint.

While performing this orthopaedic operation, the surgeon removes the damaged head of the thighbone (femur) and replaces the hip's ball-and-socket mechanism with artificial implants. The surgery significantly relieves the pain and improves a patient's mobility and his/her ability to perform daily activities.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recognizes the surgery as one of the most successful operations in all of medicine. According to the U.S. government Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), more than 285,000 patients in the United States get their damaged hip replaced every year.

Advantages
If you have hip damage and you get little or no relief after using anti-inflammatory medicines, physical therapy and exercise for a reasonable period of time, you can take advantage of surgical approach for fixing your hip disorders.

One of the major advantages is that age is no barrier to gain the surgery benefits. The surgery can be just as beneficial for people in their 80s and 90s as it is for 60 year olds or even younger.

Another important factor, with regard to the benefits derived from the replacement surgery, is that it is cost effective.

There are an impressive number of patients who have had success with the surgery, thanks to the advancements in hip replacement, including computer-assisted implant placement, that help surgeons in accurately positioning the replacement devices.

Benefits
• Hip replacement surgery consistently reduces or eliminates the hip pain.
• It can give you many years of freedom from pain and fatigue that kept you awake at night for years.
• The dramatic reduction in hip pain enables a patient to have good night sleep.
• Following the surgery, a patient restores normal hip function with increased ease and comfort.
• It improves physical functioning, including walking and other movements, and benefits a patient's mental health as well.
• People who prior to the surgery felt it difficult to perform major activities of daily living such as sitting in a chair, on a toilet seat, putting on clothes and shoes, shopping, and cooking can experience a significant improvement in their mobility and movements post surgery.
• Correction of increased leg strength is another other benefit one can experience following the hip replacement surgery.

If you have had your hip-joint badly damaged from any cause and you are considering undergoing hip replacement surgery, it is highly advisable to discuss benefits and your expectations from the surgery with your doctor beforehand. Hip replacement is a safe and effective orthopaedic surgery but at the same time it is a major operation. So, before deciding undergoing the surgery, understand the procedure, its benefits and advantages as well its potential risks and complications, only having it explained by your surgeon.

Why Collagen Peptide Is Important and Beneficial to Us

What is Collagen Peptide?

Lately, Collagen has been noticed to revitalize our bodies. Collagen Peptide is in reality a "customized" collagen foundation that is man-made. The amino acid structure of collagen peptide is virtually similar to collagen natural creation in the human body.

Collagen Peptide is a supplement made from natural source raw materials (e. g. fish or salmon skin) without recorded adverse reactions, and it does not react with medications, foods or food ingredients.

A diet including Collagen Peptide has 2 amazing benefits: beauty and joint cartilage health benefits

1) Collagen Peptide for Healthier and More youthful skin

As most of us realize, collagen is a primary structural protein in skin. Collagen accounts for a considerable 75% of our skin and provides the skin its durability and strength, and is the reason for soft, younger, radiant healthy skin. However once we grow old, the making of collagen diminishes and this also will cause the growth of lines and wrinkles as well as appearance of aged skin, as the skin simply cannot support the fatty skin tissues.

Consequently, because of the drop in collagen creation due to age, and if we want to maintain or raise collagen synthesis; we should supplement with collagen stimulating peptides.

Attractive Complexion, Healthier Hair and Nails

- Promotes synthesis of Collagen in skin

- Enhances your skin texture

- Minimizes development of lines and wrinkles

- Improves moisture content in body

- Enhances structure of brittle nails

- Improves hair thickness

2) Collagen Peptide as a Food Supplement for Joints Health and Osteoarthritis

a) Osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis) is a degenerative joint disease. One of the primary causes for Osteoarthritis is definitely the progressive degeneration of articular cartilage. Joint cartilage mass comprises mainly of collagen and proteoglycans. The production of cartilage is regulated by specialized cells called chondrocytes. In the natural process of aging, the chondrocytes are unable to maintain the natural regeneration process and cartilage begins to breakdown.

Bad news is that there's presently no full solution for Osteoarthritis. Nevertheless, the good news is that medical studies & groundwork showed that collagen peptide stimulates collagen synthesis in chondrocytes and thus it helps the joint cartilage. Collagen Peptide is achieving wide recognition globally as a useful food supplement for joint health. The extra bonus is that being a purely natural product, collagen peptide doesn't have complications.

b) Osteoporosis is a disease of the bone leading to an increased possibility of bone fracture. It's a condition where bone substances degenerate to such an extent that the bone density lowers and it's structure gets porous. This is most frequently found on females following menopause. Osteoporosis diminishes the ability of the bone to meet their support function. The on-going and most frequently used solution include providing calcium to compensate nutrient decline, but this is merely one cause and its solution. Losing mineral means loss of collagen also. It's understood that by administering Collagen Peptide, the building blocks needed for renewing Collagen are provided and body then uses them for this function.

In summary the benefits for joints are:

- Better Joint Cartilage Well-being

- Advances cartilage health

- Improves joint flexibility and mobility in joint functionality

- Will reduce joint pain

- Minimizes the consumption of pain relievers

- Sustains joint health in busy individuals

Dog Arthritis - Simple Steps to Comforting Dog Joint Pains

Arthritis in dogs is a quiet common condition. While older canines are more susceptible to joint conditions, more and more pets as young as six years old are suffering from arthritis. Just as arthritis in humans, the pain caused in your pet's joints is caused from several different factors. Once you have identified the problem, you can begin carrying out measures to treat and alleviate the discomfort felt by your canine. In addition to pet medicine and surgery, there are several simple tasks that pet owners can take to make life simpler and easier for their arthritic dog.

Special Sleeping Arrangements for Comforting Dog Joint Pain

When your dog sleeps well at night, its body has time to complete some repair and well needed rest for better functioning in the morning. Cool drafts and hard floors are bad sleeping conditions for sore joints. Choose soft and thick orthopedic dogs beds for your pet's comfort. If the pet is keep outdoors, ensure that you have an insulated doghouse that will prevent your pet from getting too cold. Consider letting your dog sleep indoors during winter months.

Controlling Arthritis in Dogs through Diet

Excessive weight only adds more pressure on already aching muscles and inflamed joints. If your pet is overweight, cut back on the amount of treats that you feed it. Look for foods specially designed for dogs that need fewer calories. In addition, be cautious about feeding your pet table foods. A good healthy weight can help reduce sore joints and increase your dog's activity level.

Reduce Dog Joint Pain with Exercise

While your canine may be reluctant to get up and play, low impact exercise is good for establishing blood flow in inflamed joints. Increasing muscle tone will also help support the weaker arthritis joints. Place your dog on a regular exercise schedule through walking it or some other form of pet and owner interaction.

Special Treatment for Pets with Arthritis

There are a few special actions that you can carry out to help make life easier for pets. Whether it is arthritis in cats or dogs, simply being aware and attentive to the special needs of the animal can go a long way. Try measures such as raising food and water bowls so that the animal does not have to bend over as far. Place ramps connecting the ground and high areas in which your pet likes to reach. Carpeted stairs next to couches and chairs are also a great way to give your pet independence. Allow your animal to use a ramp to get into and out of the vehicle.

In addition to pet medicine, pet owners can carry out a variety of treatments to soothe the aching joints of their arthritic animals. The goal of successfully managing the arthritis of your pet is to lessen as much of the joint pain as possible and give your animal a happy quality of life. Try to create conditions that allow your dog to carry out all of its favorite activities despite of its condition.

New Advance in Back Pain Treatment: Stem Cell Therapy

If you have chronic back pain, it is important to be aware of all your treatment options before considering surgery. A new technique to heal structures of the back uses a component of the patient's body: stem cells.

Stem cells are the blank slate of cells: They can become other cells in the body. The cells used to treat back pain and other chronic pain conditions are called mesenchymal, and they can become bone, cartilage or fat cells depending on the environment they are put in. Adult cells are used, which differ from embryonic cells that can become any other type of cell. Taking the cells from an adult eliminates the controversy surrounding embryonic stem cell research from this form of treatment.

Stem cells may be able to treat a range of conditions due to their versatility, including degenerative disc disease, vertebral fracture, ligament damage and facet joint syndrome. Research is underway to determine the efficacy of this new therapy in treating various types of back pain causes.

The Procedure

Mesenchymal cells are taken from bone marrow, usually from the patient's hip. This may be painful depending on the technique used. The company Regenexx uses a small needle to take a sample from the hip marrow and claims that this is a relatively painless procedure. After the cells have been isolated from the marrow, they are generally combined with platelets from your blood which contain growth factors. To make the procedure a fast one, many practitioners combine the cell and platelet mixture with platelet-rich plasma or another substance to encourage the speedy reproduction of stem cells. The cells and their growth factors are then injected into the area of the body that needs repair. If injected in a joint, cartilage will form; if in a disc, new disc material will grow; if in bone, new bone will form.

Stem cells have also been used to perform spinal fusion surgery, in which case a damaged disc is removed and the cell mixture is placed between two vertebrae to grow into bone and fuse them. Unlike the injection procedure, this is an invasive surgical procedure. Trials are underway to test stem cells' ability to regrow damaged discs. See the case study at
http://www.cellingtreatmentcenters.com/assets/Uploads/Disc-Regeneration-using-Mesenchymal-Stem-Cell-Transplantation.htm to learn more about the potentials of disc regeneration.

Currently, this therapy is new and not the most accessible treatment. It is only offered to those participating in clinical trials or by a couple of companies, such as Regenexx. An exact cost of stem cell therapy is not available and likely depends on your location, condition and the procedure selected to treat it. Non-surgical techniques such as the injection of cells is likely much cheaper than common surgeries like spinal fusion.

It will probably be a couple of years before stem cell therapy is widely available to those with back pain. It is best to undergo available conservative treatments like physical therapy and decompression treatments first. In the coming years, we may see the procedure become commonplace for those looking to avoid surgery.

New advances in back pain treatment offer hope to those who feel they've tried everything. There are many options for ending your pain, and stem cell therapy may be one of them.

Arthritis - Osteoarthritis, Degenerative Disease

Osteoarthritis is identified as a degenerative joint disease. It's the most widespread form of arthritis and causes the highest disability in older adults. This disease is deterioration of tissue or cushioning that protects the joints. When this protection breaks down, bone damage and pain occurs, mostly in weight-bearing joints such as the hips and knees, but the fingers and neck can also become affected. Because osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease, it has the potential to limit the everyday movements of those in distress. Everyday tasks such as walking, bending and even brushing your teeth can be difficult. The disease is not curable, but the proper treatments can ease the pain and prevent things from getting worse. The corrosion or degeneration occurs over a period of time, causing friction between the bones, which is the primary reason for painful movement and other joint problems due to aging, injury or family history.

Even though people of any age can be a magnet for osteoarthritis for different reasons, the emergent of this disease increases with age and affect those mostly in their sixties, but the extent of the disease and difficulty may be different. Various other issues increase a person's chances of getting this disease. Injury or a broken bone near a joint, heredity of imperfect genes can be blamed for inadequate tissue protection of the joints, obesity or excess weight placing stress on crucial joints. Another risk for developing osteoarthritis is overuse or excessive bending of joints required by those in some professions or activities. The main symptoms of osteoarthritis are joint pain from inflammation, stiffness and weak muscle. These symptoms increase with the progression of the disease because of excessive activity or long periods of inactivity. Bone exaggeration can also occur in the fingers and other joints. Although some of the symptoms may not be painful, sensitivity, sporadic swelling and fluid in the joint area can also take place.

The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is accomplished by taking into consideration a combination of important issues such as your description of symptoms. The health specialist or doctor must also consider the location and pattern of pain, specific findings regarding the physical examination and x-rays to confirm how much joint damage has occurred. The doctor may also choose to examine some of the fluid found in the joint area to rule out other diseases.

Treatments for arthritis must be designed to fit the patient's specific needs. For that reason, working with your doctor to find the best treatment program for you is most important. Several things may be necessary to achieve the right solution. The treatments of osteoarthritis include medications, exercise and heat or cold compresses applied to the affected area to relieve pain. Weight control and support devices can take the pressure off stressed joints and surgery, as a last resort, may be necessary to relieve pain when other treatment options are not successful. The type of treatment will be determined by the specific needs of the patient and consideration must be given to age, the patient's overall health and severity of the condition, as well as medical history and location of the disease.

Where prolong use of medications is needed, regular checkups with your doctor is required. Exercise such as walking and cycling are activities to strengthen your muscles and reduce stress on your weight-bearing joints. However, your doctor must approve the activity that is best for you, including physical therapy.

Arthritis & Joint Pain

Today almost every other person you talk too is living with daily joint pain. It does not matter what the age or physical shape of the person, daily pain seems to be a common complaint. Living with chronic pain can wear a person down, affecting energy levels, mood and overall stamina. The cause can vary however Arthritis is typically the root problem. Arthritis comes in more than 100 forms and one does not need to be of old age to have this debilitating disease. The cost of arthritis around the world is approx $400 billion in medical expenses and lost productivity.

Let’s face it preventative health care is boring and as a result most individuals do not provide their body with nutritional supplements until they are sick or in pain. We do not eat properly to get the nutrition required and even if we attempt to do so there is very little in nutrients remaining once we cook our food at high temperatures. Therefore it is very important to begin to nourish our joints at a young age to prevent Arthritis however very often this is not done until we can no longer stand the pain.

The fight against Arthritis is to begin early in life with good nutrition. Good nutrition also means the taking of daily nutritional supplements along with a balanced diet. A person should begin to supplement the diet as early as 30 years of age to fend off Arthritis symptoms later in life. As we get older our joints begin to lose lubrication, this can also happen earlier due to an injury or excessive stress on the joints as a result of sporting activity or repetitive motion. Once the joint begins to lose moisture we experience the loss of flexibility, and an increase in inflammation which results in stiffness and pain. We need to preserve the cartilage and fluid in all of our joints to maintain flexibility and live an active life.

Once symptoms begin the first thing most people resort to is pain medication however this just masks the underlying problem and does not provide nourishment to improve lubrication to the affected area. Natural supplements Celadrin, MSM, Glucosamine, and Chondroitin have been on the market for years and commonly taken to alleviate arthritic symptoms. Taken in pill form these supplements may take up to several months before individuals begin to feel better therefore most people give up before they even begin to see results. Pills are required to be broken down by the digestive system before the necessary ingredients can be absorbed by the bloodstream and intestinal track and it may take that long to get enough of these ingredients into the body to be helpful. Gel-nutrition is a new natural alternative which takes these same proven ingredients and keeps them in a pre-hydrated state so that the body can quickly absorb them into the bloodstream for quick relief of pain and they begins to nourish the body and its joints with-in one hour after ingestion. Positive results have been seen with-in 4 to 72 hours depending on the individual. Now just imagine all 4 natural supplements combined into one powerful gel formula, no more need to take a hand full of pills each day.

Just exactly what are these ingredients and what do they do?

Celadrin – or cetyl myristoleate is a blend of cetylated fatty acids that provides lubrication to the joints. Blended, invented and patented by chemist Harry Diehl PhD cetyl myristoleate was found to circulate in the blood of mice and made them immune to arthritis. Celadrin may also act as an anti-inflammatory agent.

MSM – or methylsulfonylmethane is a naturally occurring, organic, sulfur compound. Taken as a nutritional dietary source of sulfur, which is the 4th most abundant element in the human body, MSM is necessary for making and repairing cartilage. MSM has been shown to relieve pain as a result of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Glucosamine – is a small carbohydrate molecule which is naturally synthesized (produced) in the body. This synthesis declines with aging therefore the need to supplement. Glucosamine supports cartilage maintenance and strength therefore reducing and relieving joint pain.

Chondroitin – or chondroitin sulfate is naturally synthesized in the body and supports strong cartilage. Chondroitin protects existing cartilage by reducing water loss and by slowing the breakdown of the cartilage. Glucosamine and Chondroitin work together to protect the cartilage from wear and tear and help it maintain its strength.

As you can see each ingredient has its own job to do and how all 4 are necessary to maintaining healthy joints and reducing pain. To learn more about gel-nutrition visit [http://www.agelhealthandwellness.com].

My Story – The straw that broke the camels back was the day that I broke into tears at work over a situation that I found to be frustrating. Never in my 27 year career had I lost emotional control in my work environment. Growing up in a stiff British home very seldom did I ever lose emotional control over anything? The problem….chronic pain. After years of working on a computer that was not properly set up for my work station I had developed osteo-degenerative arthritis in my neck. I lived every day with a stiff neck, to the point that I had difficulty driving a vehicle and I was having weekly migraines. I was eating over the counter pain pills like they were candy and my doctor eventually put me on a pain medication called Vioxx. This drug was pulled off the shelves after I had taken it for 18 months and could no longer be prescribed. I spent over 2 years and thousands of dollars trying to get rid of the pain and put some mobility back into my neck. I worked with a message therapist, physio therapist and a chiropractor on a weekly basis to get the situation under control. Sound familiar to any of you. Well the pain became manageable however it never fully went away until I began to take a gel-nutrition formula which contained all of the above noted ingredients. The pain medication just masked the problem and all the therapy in the world was not going to put lubrication back into my joints, calm down the inflammation and strengthen the cartilage between my vertebrae. Now having said that, the therapy was also necessary to ease the muscle tightness which had happened around the affected area.

Like many I had tried MSM and Glucosamine in pill form however became impatient due to the slow results. People who are living with chronic pain want quick results even thought I fully realized this problem took years to create and would not be fixed over night. Today I am happy to say that I am pain free, even my ankles, which suffered many years of abuse from jogging and sport activity. My pain and stiffness eased after giving my body the proper nutrition for only 1 week. My symptoms were gone after 2 weeks.

TMJ Treatment Without Surgery

When it comes to looking for TMJ treatment, many people make the initial mistake of thinking that there is one universal solution for every TMJ sufferer. In fact, TMJ disorder is actually similar with every other medical condition in that the problem needs to be monitored or diagnosed on an individual basis, and treated accordingly.

Fortunately, most TMJ treatments are quite simple. Contrary to popular belief, surgery is not always necessary. In fact, many remedies can be done in the comfort of your home. Having said that, it is crucial that a proper diagnosis is made by a dentist or dental specialist. Routine dental visits are also important to monitor the TMJ symptoms and to make the necessary treatment adjustments.

There are a number of prescription medications that can help ease TMJ pain. However, remember that all prescription drugs should only be administered under the supervision of a medical practitioner or specialist. Some medical studies report that the right medications combined with jaw exercises developed to specifically stretch the jaw muscles can be effective in battling this condition. Unfortunately, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen may not always work to counter the effects of TMJ pain.

Besides medication, one easy way to treat TMJ disorder is to modify your diet. Until your condition gets better, stick with soft foods and stay away from foods that are hard or that require a lot of chewing like gum.

One easy diet tip is to reduce consumption of wheat and dairy, especially whole grains. Reducing foods and supplements with a vast amount of vitamin C or iron has also proven to be effective. Another tip is to increase your magnesium intake by eating more vegetables and beans.

For serious cases of TMJ disorder which involve jaw clenching and teeth grinding (especially at night), using a mouth guard (sometimes referred to as a night guard) may be beneficial. The soft night guard prevents your teeth from wear-and-tear as a result of tension caused by unconscious stress. Be aware, though, that night guards can aggravate sleep apnea symptoms. So, keep a close monitor on your sleeping patterns during the first few days of using a night guard.

In most cases, TMJ disorder is caused by stress, or rather the mis-management of stress. In this scenario, your dentist or doctor may not be able to help you using physical treatments, but may refer you to a psychotherapist. This is a good way to get to the root of your daily stress patterns. The psychotherapist will help you identify the source of stress, manage stress triggers, change behaviors and teach you relaxation techniques.

In lieu of major joint replacement surgery, your dentist may determine that your condition can be solved with regular dental treatments like balancing the biting surfaces of your teeth, replacing missing teeth, or replacing fillings or crowns. These procedures are relatively routine sessions that will not disrupt your daily activities.

When looking for TMJ treatment, remember that "going natural" is always a good first step to take. Eating the right foods coupled with jaw exercises can be the easy and effective TMJ treatment you are looking for.

Joint Pain Remedies

There are many different circumstances that may cause joint pain. These could be caused by a disease or condition, such as arthritis, or simply from overworking them. There are many treatments for joint pain from home remedies and natural products to prescription medication. Many people who suffer from JP have a hard time finding the perfect remedy. The following are only some Joint Pain Remedies.

Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

As the name states, NSAIDs are anti-inflammatory medication. They can often be bought over the counter and the most common type is Ibuprofen. Although these can be used to ease pain, it is not suggested that they be taken every day.

Corticosteroid

Corticosteroid is often used to treat immune system conditions that cause JP such as rheumatoid arthritis. This is a prescription medication that diminishes inflammation and pain. The most common Corticosteroid is Prednisone.

Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs)

Also a prescription medication, it is used to treat various types of joint pains including arthritis. They work by limiting the joint destruction and easing the pain that accompanies diseases that cause this pain. Some of the common DMARDs are: hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil), auranofin (Ridaura), sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), minocycline (Dynacin, Minocin) and methotrexate (Rheumatrex).

Supplements

The supplements for joint pain contain these ingredient that are very well known to help with pain are the following

Glucosamine: Glucosamine which is produced naturally in the body is a supplement that helps with the formation and repair of cartilage. The goal of a glucosamine supplement is to form more cartilage that could help with joint pain.

Chondroitin: Chondroitin is responsible in the flexibility of cartilage as well as stopping the enzymes that destroy cartilage.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM): Although there have not been significant tests to support this supplement, it is said that MSM helps with the treatment of joint pain by keeping ligaments healthy and flexible.

Flexcin

There is however a new ingredient that has been found to help joint pain and it is only available in one type of pain relief supplement and that is Flexcin. This new ingredient, CM8, has been called a triple threat as it does not only act as an anti-inflammatory but also helps with the lubrication of joints and protects against immune diseases that can cause JP.

While reading customer reviews, it is obvious that Flexcin works. Some people report that after having taken it for only a couple weeks the pain had virtually disappeared. This could be explained by the fact that contrary to other joint pain supplements, Flexcin not only takes care of immediate pain, but also prevents it from returning when taken regularly. Although it is suggested to wait a few weeks before it works completely, some people have reported results after only taking it for a couple days.

Other Joint Pain Remedies

Some home remedies suggested for pain are massaging the affected area with any type of oil, eating fruits such as bananas, and drinking a lot of water. Other remedies include topical creams, exercise, and in some cases physical therapy. There are many Remedies on the market that's for sure.

Essential Oils Can Help Rescue Fibromyalgia Sufferers

What exactly is fibromyalgia? Actually it is a syndrome or collection of symptoms that makes it very difficult to define. Generally, people will describe their fibromyalgia as "hurting all over" and the problem is not well understood by the medical community.  There is no test that can conclusively determine whether someone has fibromyalgia or not. Complimentary or alternative medicine seems to make more progress treating these symptoms than taking drugs. Complimentary medicine can offer such things as trigger point therapy, hypnosis, light therapy, low frequency sound therapy, craniosacral therapy, Reiki and Healing Touch therapy, Watsu water therapy, and magnet therapy.  Colon therapy like colonics or digestive cleanses can bring fibromyalgia relief by eliminating toxins in your body which can cause an aggravation of fibromyalgia symptoms.

One theory is that fibromyalgia is an "acid" condition in the body due to a toxic liver. The best natural treatments for fibromyalgia are the omega-3 fats such as flax seed, proteolytic enzymes such as bromelain and pancreatin and MSM.

What Kind of Symptoms Are We Talking About?

Not all of these symptoms will apply to all patients. Some common signs and symptoms include: widespread pain, nausea, dizziness, morning stiffness, sleep disorders, TMJ problems, skin complaints, depression, myofascial pain, weather changes, chronic headaches, multiple chemical sensitivities, chest symptoms, dysmenorrhea, muscle twitches and weakness, restless leg syndrome, fatigue, urinary and pelvic problems, cold symptoms, "fibrofog" or cognitive  or memory impairment, vision problems, weight gain and anxiety.

How Can Essential Oils Help with These Symptoms?

Essential oils can help relieve many of the fibromyalgia symptoms in a massage, in a bath, as well as simple diffusion or inhalation. For a therapeutic massage use 10-12 drops of a blend of oils in a one-ounce base of carrier oil. Or you could mix the oils in a 50-50 dilution and massage 2-4 drops on painful locations. Use a warm compress. Raindrop technique which uses nine essential oils can be helpful weekly. I only recommend therapeutic grade essential oils produced by a company that test every single batch of oils. Don't just take their word for it--go and see for yourself.

The essential oils most useful in treating the symptoms of fibromyalgia are:

For pain relief: lavender, sweet marjoram, petitgrain, Roman and German chamomiles, clary sage, lemongrass, helichrysum, peppermint, ginger, and black pepper. Lavender with peppermint and helichrysum creates an anti-inflammatory synergy. Other anti-inflammatory oils include nutmeg, balsam fir, white fir, and wintergreen.

For stress/anxiety relief: rose, frankincense, clary sage, sweet orange, bergamot, grapefruit, ylang ylang, sandalwood, neroli, sweet marjoram, petitgrain, tangerine, lavender, geranium, and jasmine.

For a peaceful sleep: lavender, neroli, jasmine, marjoram, Roman chamomile, valerian or RutaVaLa (a blend of lavender, valerian and ruta or rue).

For headaches: lavender, peppermint, marjoram, basil, or Roman chamomile.

For increased circulation: rosemary, ginger, black pepper, peppermint, lemongrass or geranium.

Osteoarthritis - One of the Most Common Diseases in Dogs

Osteoarthritis is a painful disease that frequently affects small animals, and very frequently older pets. While arthritis is an inflammation of the joints, osteoarthritis is the most common skeletal disease in dogs. It is also called degenerative joint disease and it is a progressive deterioration of the cartilage in moveable joints. The changes in joints cause pain, stiffness and a reduction of flexibility. The cartilage is eroded and there are areas of deposition of bone which are abnormal.

There are breeds of dogs that tend to develop arthritis because of genetic make-up. German Shepherd, for example, are prone to it and to hip dysplasia as well.

Secondary osteoarthritis occurs when an injury to the joint, an infection, fracture, trauma or excessive stress have been present.

Owners usually notice the problem when the dog becomes lame. If only one joint is affected the problem is more easily noticeable. When more than one joint is affected, the dog might just walk more carefully and slowly, or becomes less active. This is why it is more difficult to spot.

The classic signs of osteoarthritis are stiffness and difficulty of movement after rest or sleep. The animal moves better after some time, so owners might not be able to recognize the problem. Sometimes they only become aware if the dog cannot jump into the car anymore or go up the stairs. Dogs are more irritable and nervous and generally less active as they feel chronic pain.

Veterinarians can diagnose osteoarthritis even without using x-rays or other tests. By checking for swellings in the joints or evidence of pain they can tell if the dog is suffering from this condition.

For dogs suffering from osteoarthritis, it is important that they do not become overweight. This could lead to more stress for the joints. A moderate amount of exercise is necessary even for dogs who have this disease. The dog will tend to be less active and try to rest most of the time and having a less active lifestyle, weight can easily become a problem.

Pet owners will have to look for foods that promote weight loss and encourage exercise for their dogs. Easy and short walks will be very helpful. The more frequent such walks, the better. However, long hikes at the weekend are not a good idea when you have a dog suffering from osteoarthritis.

There is medication to treat osteoarthritis, but the disease will not be cured. The drugs used for osteoarthritis only offer alleviation from pain and help the animal function normally. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed for osteoarthritis can have side effects though. The most common are gastrointestinal problems.

If the dog has problems with kidneys, liver or heart, medication can cause blood clotting or gastric ulcer. The benefits of administered drugs should be weighed against the additional problems they may cause. There is also the possibility of surgical treatment when the arthritis is limited to one joint and it has proven to be highly successful for arthritic problems of the hip joint. Surgery should be considered only if other methods of treatment were inefficient.

Seniors Knee Pain - You Can Stop Arthritis Joint Pain Without Taking Those Dangerous NSAID Drugs

As seniors, we may find that the "Golden Years" might not be quite as golden as we expected. One of the most common problems affecting seniors is osteoarthritis-a wearing away of joint cartilage. Osteoarthritis is found in over 75% of the senior population and we are the most vulnerable group.

Sometimes, injury can cause this problem, but it's most likely to be a wear and tear type of condition, that only gets worse if not treated. Over many years, we just use our joints a lot and the protective cartilage that we need, keeps wearing down.

As we continue to lose cartilage, the pain only gets worse. If it gets to where there is no cartilage left, then the only options available are painful joint replacement surgery, or more years of limited mobility.

What other treatment options do we have? Usually, most doctors offer a NSAID type of drug to help with pain control- and they can do that. However, they only work on the symptoms, but not the cause. So, while you may think this is beneficial, your vital cartilage keeps disappearing and you're getting close to your last options.

If you're not familiar with the NSAID type of drugs, they are heavily advertised, as they bring in huge profits for the pharmaceutical companies who manufacture them. The next time you see one of their ads, pay particular attention to all the deadly side effects they have. Some, such as potential internal bleeding, fatal heart attack or stroke, are just a few. They can also even speed up your joint deterioration. Think about all that for a minute. Is that "treatment" something you want to risk?

Fortunately, there is a much better way to deal with osteoarthritis. You can experience knee joint regeneration when you use a good natural supplement. You can stop the pain and begin to bring back the cartilage you need, without the use of any NSAID drugs

You're getting a real treatment, instead of a band aid approach that only stops the pain. And, you don't have to fear any negative side effects, as you would with the prescription drugs. A natural treatment has no side effects at all and will not interact with any medications you may now be taking. Get the knee relief you need.

In addition to the natural approach, try to work in some low impact exercise such as walking and also take another look at your diet. Walking can help build muscle around the joint and help provide additional support.

Your diet is important too. If it's like the typical Western diet, some simple changes can make a big difference, not only in how you feel, but improving your general health as well. Also, if you have any extra pounds to lose, diet and exercise can help there too.

A Pain in the Neck - Literally!

One morning, you wake-up with a burning or tingling sensation in your neck. Perhaps it feels stiff or tender and you just can't figure out why! Did you sleep "funny" or catch a draft on your neck? Maybe it was when your car was rear-ended or when you twisted the wrong way at the gym. Whatever is causing your neck pain, all you know is... it hurts and you want it to go away, before it gets worse!

Neck pain - also referred to as cervical pain, can strike anywhere from the bottom of your head to the top of your shoulders. It can quickly spread to your upper back or arms, limiting head and neck movement. You may experience crippling headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, depression and fatigue - which can last for days, weeks, months or years, especially if left untreated. Long-term pain has the potential to limit daily activities and reduce your quality of life. The possibility for neck pain and injury are constant, therefore, a little anatomy is needed.

Your neck is amazing! It begins at the base of the skull, and contains 7 small bones or vertebrae. Between each vertebrae are intervertebral discs (tough shock-absorbing pads). In addition, the neck has joints, muscles and ligaments that allow movement and provide stability. It carries the weight of your head... 8 - 12 pounds and has the ability to nod up and down (90簞 of forward and backward motion) and turn right and left (180簞 of side to side motion, and almost 120簞 of tilt to each shoulder). The nerves in your neck help the brain communicate with your shoulders, arms and chest. The arteries and veins circulate blood between the brain and the heart. With so much freedom of movement, comes the risk for pain and injury!

Finding this cause, begins with a thorough health history, understanding of the patient's symptoms, along with a structural and muscular examination. Physical Therapists and Chiropractors may work together to perform a manual exam, palpate the spine and conduct specialized testing to analyze posture, range-of-motion, muscle strength and nerve function. Other diagnostic tests may include laboratory blood studies to determine if there is an underlying disorder, x-rays, CAT scan, MRI, electromyography and nerve conduction studies.

It is important to understand that neck pain symptoms can signify different things! For instance, the same symptom could indicate an inflammatory concern, nerve entrapment issue, disc or muscular problem - that is why finding the exact cause is so vital!

Most neck pain can be caused by activities that result in repeated or prolonged movements to the neck's muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones or joints. This can result in a strain (overstretched or overused muscles), sprain (injury to a ligament), a spasm of the neck muscles or inflammation of the neck joints. Poor Posture (improper position when sitting, reading, sleeping or working at a computer), Injury (auto, sports or slip and fall), Improper Bending and Lifting Techniques, Inadequate Muscle Strength, Shortened Muscles, Strained Muscles or Ligaments, Scoliosis, Osteoarthritis, Being Overweight, Facet Joint Syndrome, Pinched Nerve, Cervical Spinal Stenosis, Bulging or Herniated Disc or Segmental Instability (excess movement between two vertebrae, causing pinching or irritation of the nerve roots) are factors to be explored and analyzed. The stress and emotional tension of having neck pain can lead to more neck pain... muscles become tight and contract. Choices have to be made, decisions regarding surgery, medication and alternative therapy must be considered.

Neck pain sufferers may not realize how some of their activities and lifestyle choices have directly or indirectly caused their neck pain. Perhaps they fell asleep on a chair or couch while watching television or maybe they have a tendency to sleep on their stomach. Other people might not realize that the weight of their pocketbook or holding their cell phone jammed between their ear and shoulder has caused their neck pain. Finally, many individuals find themselves sitting at the computer for many hours with poor posture. This poor posture continues as they travel home - either by car, bus or train.

After finding the cause, the proper treatment can be instituted to achieve neck pain relief. Treatment may include medication management, as well as injections of ligaments, muscles, bursae, joints and specialized injections such as epidural injections or facet joint block injection. Physical Therapy, Chiropractic or Acupuncture may be an integral part of the neck pain treatment program.

Neck pain relief is a major reason people treat with chiropractic physicians. They find that pain is relieved, muscle tightness is reduced and healing begins by manually applying a controlled force to joints that have become restricted by muscle injury, strain, inflammation and/or pain. In addition, spinal decompression - traction that may help relieve neck pain, may be considered. Spinal decompression works by gently stretching the spine - taking pressure off spinal discs (gel-like cushions between the bones in your spine). Additionally, spinal decompression is successful in treating back pain, bulging or herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, posterior facet syndrome (worn spinal joints) and radiculopathy (injured or diseased spinal nerve roots). This revolutionary treatment method, which may be covered by health insurance - has resulted in canceling surgeries and allowing people to live life to the fullest. Many neck pain sufferers experience substantial, immediate relief of their symptoms after their first treatment.

There are several forms of physical therapy utilized for neck pain relief. For acute pain, the physical therapist may focus on decreasing pain with passive physical therapy (modalities). They are considered passive therapies because they are done to the patient, rather than the patient rehabilitating with exercise. Examples of modalities include: Ice (makes blood vessels constrict which decreases the blood flow - helping to control inflammation, muscle spasm and pain), Heat (makes blood vessels dilate, which increases the blood flow - helping flush away chemicals that cause pain, as well as bringing in healing nutrients and oxygen.), Ultrasound (uses high-frequency sound waves to reach sore muscles and other tissues that are over two inches below the surface of your skin, which help flush the sore area and bring in a new supply of blood that is rich in nutrients and oxygen.) Electrical Stimulation (can ease pain by sending impulses to the brain that are felt instead of pain.), Soft Tissue Massage (reduces pain and spasm by helping muscles relax - by bringing in a fresh supply of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood and by flushing the area of chemical irritants that come from inflammation.), Joint Mobilization (changing pressure and movements to the joints to help lubricate joint surfaces to ease stiffness and reduce pain.) and Traction (sore joints and muscles often feel better when traction is used.).

In addition to passive therapies, active physical therapy (exercise) is also necessary to rehabilitate the spine. Generally, a patient's exercise program will encompass a combination of stretching exercises, strengthening exercises and low impact aerobics. Strength and flexibility must be built up gradually - on a gradient level. Doing too much too soon often causes muscle strain. Physical therapists use functional training to help patients with daily activities. This will include a healthy posture program to keep the spine in safe alignment, reducing strain on the joints and soft tissues around the spine.

Other neck pain relief recommendations include staying hydrated. Drink plenty of water to help flush away acidic waste products from the muscles. High levels of acidic waste products in the muscles can cause muscle irritation and pain. Poor dietary choices can lead to chronic inflammation - increasing pain sensitivity. Daily supplementation of Vitamin D can help alleviate a deficiency and pain, according to recent studies.

If this describes you, a family member or friend... you can get better. After a few short weeks of correct care, you can begin to get on with the rest of your life, as you rid yourself of neck pain.

Natural Pet Treatment For Hip Dysplasia

Even though you may use an organic flea bath for your cat or dog, you may not realize that you can also use natural pet treatment to manage joint pain and dysplasia. Without a question, if you suspect that your pet is susceptible to dysplasia, it will be worthwhile to find out as soon as possible. While your veterinarian may not be willing to do routine joint X-rays, you can still make good use of common remedies such as Flex Pet, Old Bones, and Joint Rescue.

If you have ever suffered from arthritis or other types of joint pain, you will realize that dampness and temperature can cause all kinds of flare-ups. In a similar way, you may find that your cat or dog has a harder time moving around on cold mornings, or before it is about to rain. In some cases, you may even notice these tendencies while your pet is still young.

That said, if you make use of natural pet treatment products for joint pain, you may see an immediate improvement. You may even find that some of these products can help protect joints from the kinds of excessive wear that will lead to crippling pain. Regardless of whether or not you can fully prevent these conditions, at least you can try your best for as long as possible.

No pet owner wants to hear that euthanasia is the best option. Unfortunately, something as common as joint pain can completely ruin you pet's quality of life even before a diagnosis is made. Therefore, if you have not yet tried natural pet products for joint pain, you may want to do so at your earliest convenience. Aside from helping your pets stay pain free, you may just get a chance to enjoy all the playfulness your pet exhibited as a puppy or kitten.

Causes of Joint Pain

Joint pain is a feeling of uneasiness, stiffness, achiness, inflammation and soreness around the joints of the body. The pain is usually a sign of mild or serious diseases, conditions and disorders in your joints, which can result from trauma, autoimmune diseases, infections and other unusual diseases. This pain can sometimes be mild or moderate or severe and may last for short or longer period of time.

Joint pain may occur due to a benign circumstance like mild sprain. It can occur as a result of temperate condition, infection or disorder such as ankylosing spondylitis, bursitis, a dislocation or a moderate ligament sprain. Also the pain can be as a result of severe circumstances that can actually threaten one's life if not taken care of as fast as possible. Those circumstances may include bone cancer and leukemia. Joint pain sometimes occurs through a variety of traumatic situations like joint separations, ligament sprains, tennis elbow, swimmer's shoulder, sport injuries, dislocations, sprained ankle, autoimmune disorder, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, septic arthritis and rheumatic fever.

JOINT INJURY.

This is an injury to any part of the joint in your body causing pain. The injury can affect or hurt the bone, ligament and other tissues in your bone joints. The injury could be severe and persistent. Most of these injuries occur during sports. Those that requires urgent attention come with warnings, symptoms and signs. Acute sport injuries are always noticeable injuries that often creep up gradually and then progress to worse situations that can lead to chronic joint pain, particularly when not taken proper care of at the initial stage. But when such injuries are properly attended to at an early stage, serious damage or long term pain will be avoided. It is important to understand that sport injuries, no matter how mild they seem to appear at the initial stage, should be quickly attended to with the use of proper exercise to avoid acute and chronic joint pain.

VIRAL INFECTIONS.

A viral disease is any kind infection or illness coursed by a virus which is a species of microbe. The microbes are usually tiny organisms that cannot be seen except with the use of microscopes. Other similar problems include fungi, bacteria, and some kinds of parasites. Infection occurs as any of the above mentioned organisms enter into your body either through breathing air that is already infected, eating contaminated foods or having sexual contact with those that are infected. When such organisms finds their way to your joints it can cause a mild, moderate or severe joint pain. The most common kind of disease that results from viral disease is arthritis particularly reactive arthritis. This disease causes stiffness, swelling and joint pains. Other infections like the common cold, flu and bacterial infections can also cause aching joints.

Joint pain is usually caused by variety of conditions like body or bone injury which is most common with sports, infections, illness, joint strain as well as joint sprain. This pain might appear to be mild, moderate or severe at the initial stage, whichever case it may be; immediate attention needs to be given to it with a proper exercise to avoid acute and chronic joint pain.

Jaw Joint Pain

Jaw joint pain is caused by stress of the muscles and joints. The most common disorder occurs where the upper and the lower jaw meet. This disorder is known as temporo mandibular joint disorder. The jaw has a lot of obligations and, this is the reason why pain is very prevalent. There are other factors that can cause the joint pain.

When there is eruption of wisdom teeth, you will find that jaw joint pain is pretty common. A visit to the orthodontist will help a lot; this is especially when there is a misalignment. You will suffer from jaw joint pain when you are injured. There are so many other things that follow when you start to experience the pain.

You will start to experience headaches which may become very severe as the jaw joint pain advances. You will notice increased tension in the neck. There are some who will experience earaches. All these problems could be solved by painkillers but, you must address the joint pain first for you to solve the problem in the long term.

Repeated joint pain is more common in people who play very aggressive sports like rugby and boxing. All these blows can cause serious problems like bone fractures. Also, disruption of the jaw and even arthritis will be caused by the impact of the sport.

Untreated malocclusion cases will be responsible for the pain in the long term. There has been claims that chewing gum can cause the joint pain of the jaws. There is no clear evidence to back this. However, you will definitely experience some pain hours after you chew gum. Usually, this pain goes away on its own and, is mostly temporary.

You can prevent pain in the jaw by going for a dental x ray. Another method that can help analyze the condition is a special magnetic resonance test. The above tests are vital when the cause has not been determined. Some of this may prove very expensive. If your doctor recommends such a test, you can always go for a second even a third opinion.

There are very many treatment regiments that you can follow. When you have the pain, do not strain the condition by eating hard foods. Go for soft foods which will not aggravate your condition. It will be very vital for you to apply ice bags on the affected area. You should not strain your mouth therefore, yawn with great care and avoid intense laughing. Avoid chewing gum and you will get better.

Use Cetylated Fatty Acids to Relieve Your Chronic Joint Pain

Is pain holding you back from living an active life? Have you had to stop participating in physical activities due to chronic joint pain? If joint pain and stiffness are the only things holding you back from living a physically active life, there is a solution.

If you suffer from chronic joint pain and have found little or no relief, there's some good news. Cetylated Fatty Acids--also known as CFA supplements--provide relief in as little as 30 minutes. When used over time, people who take CFA orally or use CFA cream topically dramatically reduce inflammation and pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis and other pain-causing conditions.

CFA supplements work so well because they do more than just attack the pain. Cetylated Fatty Acids lubricate the joints, adding a cushion of relief for the pain sufferer. Many people who use CFA supplements report that they get relief in a matter of minutes. The longer they use Cetylated Fatty Acids, the more their pain diminishes.

CFA supplements also reduce inflammation associated with chronic joint pain. When used alone or combined with prescription therapies, Cetylated Fatty Acids show a marked improvement compared to non-CFA treatment. In fact, many patients choose to get rid of their prescription pain killers and replace them with CFA supplements. Whether used alone or in combination with another therapy, Cetylated Fatty Acids has been shown to provide relief in 100% of the people who used them in clinical trials.

Another benefit for using Cetylated Fatty Acids is that there have been no reported side effects when used alone or in combination with another treatment. Because CFA supplements are available over the counter, you won't need to see a doctor to take advantage of Cetylated Fatty Acids.

CFA supplements provide these added benefits:

* Restores flexibility. People who use Cetylated Fatty Acids exhibit restored flexibility over time. By lubricating joints, CFA supplements reduce the risk of reinjury caused by muscle stress or medical conditions.

* Repairs sports injuries. CFA supplements reduce inflammation and pain associated with minor sports injuries.

* Relieves muscle aches. CFAs provide the same pain-relieving benefits to people who suffer from muscle aches and weakness by reducing inflammation associating with pain.

* Reduces back pain. People who suffer from lower back pain experience significant relief when using CFA supplement.

* Relieves psoriasis. CFA supplements relieve soreness and pain from psoriasis and other skin conditions.

* Improves range of motion. For people who experience limited range of motion in their joints due to pain and stiffness, CFA supplements have been proven to improve flexibility.

Cetylated Fatty Acids are a viable solution to pain and stiffness associated with arthritis as well as sports injuries. For people who have been unable to live fully active lives, CFA supplements may be the key to living a fuller, more active life. Whether taken orally or topically, they provide all-natural relief for chronic joint pain without the side effects and with all the benefits that you want.

Joint Pain Relief - What Doesn't Kill You Only Makes You Stronger

OK, so I admit the title of this article is a little off but I wanted to give you some information on joint pain relief and my experience with a few of the natural ingredients that are normally used in joint supplements.

My particular problem was with finger joint pain. I first went to the chiropractor who didn't really think it was a joint problem, or a bone problem because I didn't have any noticeable inflammation. But he sent me to the hand specialist anyway.

The hand specialist also couldn't find anything wrong after doing a few tests, so he sent me to the arthritis specialist (even though he had done arthritis test and found nothing). But I wanted my pain diagnosed and treated so off I went to another doctor - who, of course, did a few more of the same tests and found nothing.

Since he didn't have anything to work with, he sent me home with a prescription for an over the counter chondroitin sulfate joint pain reliever. I bought some from the local drug store and took it until it was gone. It was helping a little. But then I found a glucosamine mixed with chondroitin sulfate at Costco which was much cheaper so I bought a large bottle of that.

It seemed to be working, but then my whole body started to ache. I assumed that my undiagnosed joint problem was really something else and that I was surely dying! I ached all over and could barely move some mornings. But since I had already been to three doctors, I didn't want to start that process over again, so I just stopped taking everything!

Well, almost everything. I did start taking some Omega 3 fish oil tablets since I heard those were good for joint pain. After a few days, my body got better! Unfortunately, my fingers still hurt but at least my entire body didn't hurt anymore.

And that's when I learned an important lesson. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. I stayed on the fish oil and went back to just the chondroitin sulfate and I am happy to report that now my fingers have no pain. So don't just try one thing and give up. Each person responds differently to different substances and you will need to find something your body will accept without having it go into a different area of the body.

TMJ Relief - Exercises to Relieve TMJ Symptoms

If you are one of many people suffering from the pain and discomfort of TMJ, or Temporomandibular Joint disorder, you may be looking for a way to relieve the symptoms. This condition is often accompanied by soreness in the jaw, swelling and inflammation, and can even cause pain and stiffness in your neck and ears. You may also experience clicking or popping when you open and close your jaw, as well as headaches and difficulty eating.

While there are many approaches to TMJ relief, many of them are invasive or require a professional to alter your mouth surgically or dentally. These treatments can be expensive, and not always solve the problem. However, TMJ exercises are one way that you can treat yourself for free, and without need for invasive procedures. These exercises focus on correcting any misalignment of your jawbone, as well as stretching and strengthening the muscles in the jaw region.?

One of the simplest TMJ exercises available requires you to open and close your mouth repeatedly while focusing on keeping your jaw completely straight. This will help correct some cases where your jaw may shift to one side or the other as you close your mouth. You should open and close your mouth a few times in succession, doing so slowly and controlling the alignment of your teeth. Repeat a few times a day, and over the course of time you will find that it becomes easier to maintain control, and you will find that the pain subsides.

If you are not having any issues with misalignment of the jaw, you may just need to stretch the muscles. If this is the case, practice opening your mouth slowly, until it is open as wide as possible. Then close your mouth and repeat. This particular TMJ exercise will work to relieve tension on the muscles and tendons. It is important that you are opening your mouth as wide as you possibly can, otherwise the tendons will not be stretched completely, and you will not accomplish the TMJ relief you are wanting.

Another exercise that can be used to relieve clicking and popping in your jaw is also available. Start with your mouth closed, and push your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Then roll your tongue to the very back. Now, slowly open your mouth until your tongue is no longer touching the roof of your mouth. Hold this position for ten seconds, and then release. Repeat several times a day to achieve the maximum benefit.

The more time you spend working with the muscles in your mouth and jaw, the faster you will find relief, and the longer you will be able to live without the symptoms of TMJ.

Finding the Right TMJ Pain Relief

Whenever you eat, chew, speak, or generally just open and move your mouth, there's a pair of joints that make everything function smoothly: the temporomandibular joint. This is located on either side of your jaw, just beneath your ear, and works in a way that lets your mouth move normally. Sometimes, though, something goes "click"--quite literally, at that--which makes your jaws screech to a grinding halt. TMJ pain occurs seemingly without warning, making you experience chronic pain in your face, your back, your head, and your shoulder. This is why treatment for TMJ pain is an absolute must, because it can affect various portions of your body, plus it also makes it extremely difficult for you to speak or eat normally.

If you're feeling some sort of pain in your jaws and neck or find that you're having headaches a lot more often than usual, you can figure out if you're suffering from TMJ pain if you have the following symptoms.

- a clicking, popping, or grinding sound whenever you open your mouth wide
- persistent facial pain, jaw pain, headaches or migraines, neck, shoulder, and back pain
- ringing in the ears

These are not the only TMJ pain symptoms you will experience, but these are enough for you to get yourself checked if you have TMJ disorder.

A direct blow to the jaw joint area is sufficient enough to cause TMJ disorder, but not all TMJ pain sufferers have experienced this. Teeth grinding or clenching is one particular activity that often results in TMJ disorder, particularly if you have a habit of constantly biting things, such as pencils or your fingernails. Degenerative joint disease could also be a culprit, as well as misaligned teeth, which could be caused by incorrect dental setting.

Treatment for TMJ pain comes in many forms. One easy way to reduce your discomfort is to take painkillers, but that is not a permanent solution, only one that helps you cope as you undergo other TMJ pain relief options. You can try jaw exercises at home, which consist of opening and closing the jaw and moving it back and forth, applying warm compress to the affected area the whole time. Keeping your jaw rested is also key; eat soft foods and steer clear of hard candy. A physical therapist can also help you work to ease the body pain caused by TMJ disorder, and counseling could help you undo the stress that makes you clench your teeth and takes a toll on your jaw.

Your doctor can also fit you with a mouth guard you can use when you sleep to prevent you from grinding your teeth. In extreme cases, you may need to undergo surgery to realign your jaw joints.

Get Rid of That Awful Toothache

There are just a few experiences in life that may present as many issues as an agonizing toothache, and if a Dentist isn't straight away available the issue magnifies swiftly. The power to eat, sleep, talk or engage with others is severely limited due to excruciating agony, and the influenced individual will attempt anything to make it stop. Before applying any home cure to a toothache, stop and think, a little commonsense can help lose the discomfort much quicker than hasty, desperate actions.

There are dozens of over the counter toothache cures commercially made, and to varying degrees, most work. However, you want to evaluate the reason behind the toothache before taking action. The wrong move could make the discomfort worse. First, inspect the problem tooth or have somebody do it for you - the agony may be because of a little piece of food crammed into a hole. If this is the case, simply rinsing the mouth with some warm water may dislodge the food particle, and relief is sort of instant.

An abscessed tooth needs a little different approach, as the agony may be because of a swelling pressing on nerves that result in discomfort. If this is the case, try taking a well-cleaned finger and rubbing the pile at the base of the tooth. This helps by diminishing the puss, so relieving strain on the tooth. While this is only a temporary measure, it may provide enough relief to eat or sleep till a dentist becomes available. If a pustule is present it's important to use an anti-bacterial mouthwash often, like perhaps six or more times daily.

Some of the old school home-made treatments for a toothache work the best if they're all that you've got to work with. A drop of powerful Whiskey held in the mouth and swished around for a couple of minutes can not only kill bacteria, but have a pain-killer effect. Cloves, either the clove themselves or clove oils have been the standard of home pain alleviation in dentistry for centuries, and if you can get past the taste, they work best. A fine powder of crushed clove placed at once on the tooth and gum influenced can frequently provide fast pain alleviation.

A single clove of garlic crushed and placed on a painful tooth has been a favorite home cure, and the utilization of onion in a similar manner has been known to give relief too. Perhaps the best homemade remedies for a toothache incorporate many of the aforementioned ideas in combo until the right one is located.

Remedies for Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis - How to Prevent and Reverse Them Naturally

Although both conditions have genetic undertones there are several factors which may contribute or even trigger this degenerative bone disease (osteoporosis takes place where the bone density decreases over time with the potential risks of easy fractures - this can occur with or without osteoarthritis). These are lack of exercise to strengthen muscle and joint structures, nutritional deficiencies, side effects of a number of drugs and, of course, the hormonal changes after the menopause in women. Ageing can affect both genders but osteoporosis occurs much more often in women than in men.

There are several things you can do besides traditional medicine to slow the progress of the disease and perhaps even reverse bone damage. In this section we'll see what homeopathic remedies can do against both conditions and then (second part of this page) what herbal remedies can do against this degenerative bone disease. Bone degeneration and (in the case of osteoarthritis) cartilage degeneration share some similarities, especially in a homeopathic sense. Before continuing, though, bear in mind that this type of alternative medicine works best when it tackles not only the whole cluster of symptoms but also the individual's history, personality, tendencies, preferences, dislikes, fears and so on.

The following is a generic guideline to help your body use minerals and nutrients more effectively to help your bones as well as prevent fractures and promote healing of the bone structure and joints in general.

Calcarea carbonica: a great salt tissue remedy, often useful to those who suffer from bone and joint degeneration but also from chronic tiredness, from anxiety (even if mild) and tend to feel overwhelmed (from work, from stressful or challenging situations and so on). These individuals are often flabby or overweight and their symptoms aggravate in cold and damp environments. Occasionally they may have not only back pain and swollen joints but also specific cravings for eggs and sweets.

Calcarea phosphorica: often indicated for individuals who suffer from bone and joint degeneration but also from sore, stiff, and generally weak bones and joints. They may feel pain in the neck, upper back and in the hips; extreme tiredness may be present and this does not change after exercise. Bone fractures take a long time to heal though some areas of the bones may present irregular calcium deposits (suggesting imbalance in the bone nutritional process and bone repair). The personality of those for whom calcarea phosphorica may be indicated tend to be generally dissatisfied about their life and tend to prefer travelling and change as an attempt to remedy their inner dissatisfaction.

What You Should Know About Muscle And Joint Pain In Lupus

Studies revealed that 90% of people with lupus experience joint and/or muscle pain at some time during this illness.Very often, the aching pain in joints and muscles can determine the patient believe he has a viral or flu-like illness, while other patients may have symptoms similar with those produced by arthritis. There exist also another category of patients with intense muscle inflammation, and they can also experience progressive weakness and loss of strength.

It must be said that muscle and joint pains are symptoms of lupus but usually it's not the systemic lupus erythematosus responsible for them. They are more frequently caused by other illnesses.

Usually, the joint pain caused by lupus arthritis comes, may last for days or weeks, and then disappear, returning at a later time. It is known that the joints farthest from the trunk of the body are most frequently affected. Characteristic to lupus is stiffness and pain in the morning which improves during the day and can return later in the day when the person is tired, and also the fact that the pain is usually symmetrical, similar joints on both sides of the body are affected. It is good to know that even if a person has been diagnosed with lupus, there can appear pains that have nothing to do with this disease. For example, backaches or neck pains, a single, chronically painful are not provoked by lupus.A fact that also should be remembered is that usually, lupus arthritis doesn't cause deformities or destruction of the joints.Best clues in order to determine if the pain is caused by the systemic lupus erythematosus is the pattern of joint pain and the setting in which it occurs.There can be made X-ras of the painful joints and an examination of the synovial fluid within a swollen joint, to rule out other possible causes for the joint. It is known that if arthritis is the only symptom of lupus, diagnosis can be extremely difficult.It is good to mention that sometimes, performing the anti-nuclear antibody test and the test for rheumatoid factor can be helpful.

For treating lupus arthritis, there are usually used non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin. Usually, these medications have effect, but if this therapy is not effective, there can be added antimalarial drugs such as hydroxychloroquine.In rare cases, if the joints remain swollen and painful despite other treatment, there begins the treatment with corticosteroids.It is important that people learn joint protection procedures in order to rest the joints during flares of lupus arthritis, and another fact that must be known is that cytotoxic medications should not be used to treat only lupus arthritis.

It is known that the systemic lupus erythematosus can seriously damage the muscles, and as a result, there can appear muscle weakness and loss of strength. Inflamed muscles can be painful and tender to the touch, but the most common symptom that lupus myositis shows is muscle weakness. Usually, the muscles at he trunk of the body are affected , such as neck, pelvic girdle and thighs, shoulder girdle and upper arms.

There are some tests that can determine the severity of muscle involvement. These tests measure the level of some chemical enzymes in the blood. Normally, that enzymes are being concentrated within muscle fibers. They escape into the blood circulation when the muscle fibers are being damaged by inflammation.There can also be made an electromyogram to determine the character of muscle damage in lupus myositis, and also biopsy may be performed in order to confirm the presence of inflammation and to identify how severe it is.

As a treatment, corticosteroids are used initially in high doses, to keep the inflammation under control, and then, after it subsides, it is gradually reduced. Most of the patients responde well to this treatment, but there are rare cases when it is necessary to add cytotoxic or immunosuppressive medications.A well directed exercise program should be started after the inflammation passed, in order to regain normal muscle strength and function.

It may happen when the patient is prescribed high doses of corticosteroids with or without cytotoxic agents to appear bone damage and muscle weakness. These complications in rare cases appear due to the effects of the medications alone, they usually come because of a combination of factors.It was found that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus which took steroids for a long time can develop ischemic necrosis of bone. Altered blood flow to a portion of bone causes the death of that area, and as the bone repairs the area, a weakening of the bone occurs and a portion of the bone surface may collapse. Most affected are the hips, shoulders and knees.The first symptom of ischemic necrosis is pain when the joints are being moved or bearing weight, and the pain can be felt even when the person is resting, at night, when the condition progresses.Osteoporosis can also appear if a patient uses corticosteroids for a long time. Having osteoporosis means that the bone mass is decreased and a higher risk of bone fracture and compression of vertebrae in the spine appears. It is known that women are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis and using calcium and vitamin D in addition to regular exercise may help prevent osteoporosis.

It is important to remember that people with lupus myositis should take a regular, well-designed exercise program in order to prevent muscle weakness.

What Are Some Measures to Prevent or Reduce Risks of Diseases or Conditions Related to Bone Health

The main concerns of bone health are osteoporosis (including osteopenia) and osteoarthritis. Although several factors contribute to these conditions, measures can be taken to reduce their risk or increase the chances of preventing them.

Osteoporosis is a condition that is characterized by a low bone mineral density (BMD). Osteoporosis and ostopenia are different in the sense that if you have osteopenia (also referred to as low bone mass) you have less bone loss than you would if you have osteoporosis.

Since bone is constantly changing, it is noted that in osteoporosis, the osteoclasts cells remove bone faster than the good cells osteoblasts which form new bone. This results in more bone loss since there is no equalization between the osteoclasts and the osteoblasts.

When bone density decreases, there is a marked loss in the strength of the bones which now become fragile. As bones become fragile, there is a greater risk of fractures as well as loss of balance, resulting in falls and other injuries. Bones become more fragile as we age, especially after age 50, requiring regular BMD testing. The relevant measure of BMD is referred to in terms of T-score. T- Score is your BMD measurement compared to the reference mean of a young normal adult. A normal T-score is -1.0 or higher; however, in osteopenia, it is defined to be between -1.0 and -2.5 and in osteoporosis it is defined to be -2.5.

Osteoarthritis (OA) - also known as osteoarthrosis, degenerative arthritis, or degenerative joint disease:

- can affect not only the joints but also their surrounding tissues [including the capsule (the cover of the joint), ligaments, lining, and muscles];

- can be painful;

- is a degenerative disease;

- is a disease caused by loss of cartilage in the joints;

- is a normal result of aging which often affects the feet, fingers, hips, knees, or spine;

- is a progressive disease;

- is due to wearing away of a joint;

- is not a single disease but the result of several disorders causing the failure of the functioning of joints;

- is the most common of the joint disorders;

- may not always be able to prevent it or cure it but you can take control in order to prevent its development or progression;

- progresses with destruction (obliteration) of the joint space.

Several conditions and factors that may be caused by or can increase the risk of Osteoporosis (and osteopenia) as well as osteoarthritis include:

- Asian or Caucasian race;

- bone cancer;

- calcium deficiency;

- chemotherapy;

- eating disorders (for example, anorexia nervosa, bulimia);

- excessive alcohol consumption;

- heredity;

- injury to a joint (for example, macrotrauma);

- lack of certain hormones (estrogen in women & androgen in men);

- lack of exercise (including weight-bearing exercises) or inactive lifestyle;

- liver disease;

- medications (for example, certain blood thinners, anti-seizure, long-term use of certain medications);

- obesity;

- overuse of a joint;

- overuse of corticosteroids;

- poor nutrition;

- radiation therapy;

- rheumatoid arthritis;

- smoking;

- thyroid problems;

- vitamin D deficiency;

- women (have a higher risk since women start off with lower bone density than men and lose bone mass quicker as they age).

The following are a few of the things that can be done to either prevent or reduce the risk of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis:

- avoid repetitive stress on the joints whether at home or at work (one example would be to use an ergonomic keyboard);

- adjust your work area in order to avoid stress on your joints;

- avoid overuse of joints (especially painful joints);

- avoid smoking;

- eat a balanced diet;

- eat an all-around healthy diet (for example, eat nuts, fish, and food rich in calcium);

- exercise in water such as swimming;

- exercise to strengthen your bones - including weight bearing exercises;

- get sufficient rest;

- get sufficient sleep;

- maintain a healthy body weight;

- take precautions not to fall such as making sure your home is safe in all areas, having your eyes checked regularly, using walking aids if necessary, wearing safe shoes that offer support;

- take supplements if necessary to ensure that you have sufficient minerals and vitamins in your system for strong bones.

Although it is not always possible to prevent bone health problems, it is always important to try to reduce the risks or to take any preventative measures.