Natural Relief For Arthritis And Joint Pain?

The years of teaching high impact aerobics are catching up with me Sure it’s been great for the ticker, but the knees on the other hand are showing signs of age and making icky noises What my Physical Therapist friends call “creep” and “crepitus” (which is just nice technical way of saying “grinding”) had become loud enough to be heard by the naked ear! At the rate I was going – I was sure I’d need a knee replacement by 40 Of course this just won’t do So I’ve taken to doing leg extensions regularly and… taking glucosamine
Glucosamine – What’s That?
“Glucosamine” is a natural constituent of cartilage which has been shown to stimulate the production of connective tissue! In more technical terms, glucosamine is considered an “amino sugar” An amino sugar is the component of a carbohydrate which does not contribute to the body’s energy – instead it gets incorporated into body tissues, forming such structures as tendons, ligaments, bones, skin, nails, eyes and heart valves
What is Glucosamine Used For?
Glucosamine supplements have been used most recently (according to the research I consulted) for everything from joint pain to connective tissue repair It’s best know for its contribution to tendon and ligament support, for building joint cartilage as well as reducing destruction of cartilage It has also shown promise in reducing inflammation due to asthma and bursitis, lessen the incidence of food allergies, tendonitis and skin problems! As if that isn’t enough – what I find most exciting about glucosamine is its use in relief of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
How Glucosamine Works
It’s fairly basic We produce less glucosamine as we age, therefore our cartilage has difficulty retaining water Depletion of this fluid, which ads “cushion” to the joints and other tissues, can create everything from joint pain to arthritis Glucosamine (together with its counterpart chondroitin – another naturally occurring substance) – helps to counteract this water loss as well as restore cartilage
Side Effects
So What’s the bad news? I always want to know Here’s what I found: Since these substances are naturally occurring – they work on the body differently than synthetic drugs (think Prednisone) or anti-inflam’s like Naproxen This said – it takes a while to notice signs of joint help – more than likely it could take up to a year of regular supplementation before the benefits take hold Once they do, however, 50% of all regular users have reported definite decreases in symptoms of joint pain – I will let you know! The only other downside I could find to the glucosamine/chondroitin complex users were nausea and heartburn – although they are rare and counteracted by eating prior to supplementation
How To?
As I’ve just stated, always take the glucosamine/chondroitin complex with meals to avoid side effects I take one, 500 mg tablet once a day Dr Mindell (I am a big fan of his work: see below) recommends taking just 1-3 500 mg tabs daily for three weeks (to get a boost), then take one, 500 mg tab daily
My Usual Disclaimer:
As always, please check with your healthcare provider before supplementation – discuss with him/her any medications you are taking to avoid interactions Although herbs and other naturally occurring substances are considered “food” (simply because they can’t be patented and trademarked thus cannot come under scrutiny of the FDA) they are still very strong substances in the body and should not be taken lightly! Check out more literature – educate yourself!
My Favorite Resources (and research sources for this article) Include:
Balch, Phyllis A, CNC Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing New York: Penguin Putnam, 2004
Khalsa, Dharma Singh, MD Food As Medicine New York: Simon Schuster, 2003
Mindell, Earl, RPh, PhD The Vitamin Bible New York: Warner Books, 2004
Mindell, Earl, RPh, PhD Prescription Alternatives New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003

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Laura Turner is a natural health practitioner and author She hosts wwwbeauty-and-bodycom and publishes the New Body News and Wellness Letter, The Online Magazine Healthy People Read ( wwwnew-body-newscom ) Subscribe for free and receive her Special Report: “Take Charge of Your Health!” and check out her latest book: Spiritual Fitness!

Tags | arthritis, crepitus, glucosamine, natural, repair, replacement, result, rheumatoid, tissue, water