Knee Joint Pain - Discover 3 Natural Supplements That Work

Knee joint pain can be caused by many things such as a knee injury from torn ligaments, worn out knee cartilage due to arthritis, or just a plain old knee joint infection. Even though there may be many reasons for knee pain, figuring out what is causing the affliction may require a trip to the doctor. For most people however, knee joint pain is cause by osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a disease that affects the joints by causing deterioration to the cartilage that supports it. When there is degeneration in these areas, it can cause arthritis pain and inflammation. These symptoms can be mild to severe depending on the stage of arthritis you are in.

The cartilage that protects the bones in the knee from rubbing against each other becomes worn out. When this happens, the bones begin to cause excruciating knee joint pain because bone is rubbing against bone. As time goes on, joint deformities, joint stiffness and limited range of motion can also occur.

Because arthritis affects over 40 million Americans, there has been extensive research on several natural supplements that help alleviate joint pain, rebuild cartilage and decrease inflammation. Three such supplements that is used to treat arthritis pain are glucosamine, MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane), and chondroitin.

Glucosamine is a natural substance that is found in the body. It is manufactured into a supplement from a natural compound called chitin found in shell fish like shrimp, lobsters, and crabs. Glucosamine is needed to produce glycosaminoglycan. Glycosaminoglycan is a molecule that helps repair and rebuild cartilage and other connective tissues.

MSM also known as Methylsulfonylmethane, is a natural source of sulfur which has been shown to reduce inflammation and strengthen collagen. Sulfur also helps get rid of excess mineral deposits found in joints and tissues. This supplement is often used in conjunction with glucosamine.

Chondroitin is also a substance that is found naturally in the body. It is manufactured by extracting beef cartilage into a supplement. It has found to be an essential building block for the body to produce new cartilage and it may also block enzymes that cause cartilages to breakdown.

There are other natural supplements like white willow bark that can alleviate knee joint pain. White willow bark was the inspiration behind the now famous aspirin but we all know that aspirin can cause side effects such as stomach irritation. If you decide that a natural supplement is right for you, make sure it has all the ingredients discussed here.

Supplements For Joint Pain Relief

Finding relief from musculoskeletal issues is something anyone can do by making a few lifestyle changes. Changing your diet and exercise schedule are just two ways that you can improve your health. There are supplements made that focus on joint pain relief. Taking natural supplements is a safe way to improve joint health.

There are many symptoms to look out for with joint pains caused by osteoarthritis. Common symptoms are stiffness, swelling, and pain. You may hear a cracking sound (also called crepitation) when moving your joints or you may notice swelling that makes the bones appear to be larger. Osteoarthritis also limits people's range of movement and makes even normal daily movements painful. You will also notice tenderness if you press on your joint. Although osteoarthritis (also known as OA) cannot be cured, there are supplements that can relieve the symptoms. Poor elbow joint health can cause people to not be able to fully extend their arm, bend it in all the way, pick up and carry objects, or flex their muscles. Joints may be inflamed and elbows may hurt when you are resting or at night time.

Glucosamine sulfate is an ingredient in supplements used to help support healthy joint function. It is an amino acid that can be derived from shell fish if your body is not producing it on its own. This ingredient is ultimately beneficial to your cartilage and connective tissues. Glucosamine sulfate is characterized by its ability to strengthen proteoglycans because it is what makes up most of the substances that surround your joints. Proteoglycans are what help provide cushion and absorption around your joints to make for pain free and flexible movement.

Chondroitin sulfate is another ingredient that you should look for in a supplement to help your joints. It is often paired with glucosamine sulfate. Together they work as a team to stop enzymes that threaten the cartilage break down process. This helps slow down the break down of cartilage and helps to reverse the whole process of losing cartilage. This ingredient is backed by The Arthritis Foundation.

Other supplement ingredients to look out for are calcium L-threonate, boswellia serrata, bromelain, vitamin D3 and ginger.

Supplements can help you find relieve in all your joints. Whether your elbows, knees, hands, feet, or other joints are bothering you, you can find relief by taking supplements. They can give your body the nurturing it needs to support healthy cartilage and slow down the break down process. Supplements can also be paired with a healthy diet and exercise if you are looking for ultimate results and relief.

Do Horse Joint Supplements Actually Work?

So, the veterinarian just evaluated your horse and determined that he is suffering from degenerative joint disease. What are you options? Do you simply need to make a few lifestyle changes for your horse or will you need to rely on horse joint supplements?

Before you start using horse supplements, you need to be sure to ask the important questions and determine whether you are really getting your money's worth.

Do Horse Supplements Work?

The effects of horse joint supplements have been studied for years. While these supplements are not always best choice for your horse, they are often the first step to reducing the symptoms of joint disease. Your veterinarian may recommend these joint supplements if your horse is:

• In the early stages of joint disease


• If your horse has recently been diagnosed with joint problems


• If lifestyle changes have not helped reduce the symptoms of joint disease by themselves

In some cases, your veterinarian may discourage the use of these types of supplements. They may tell you that your horse's condition has progressed to a point where supplements will not help. They may also tell you that joint injections would work better to care for the symptoms your horse experiences. While this information may be true, you still want to begin your horse's treatment with regular supplements.

Even if the horse's condition has worsened to the point where the vet believes supplements won't help, if you can afford a two month supply, you can try using them anyway. You may be surprised at the changes you see in your horse. The supplement may help your beloved equine deal with the pain and inflammation often associated with joint diseases like arthritis.

Joint injections can be extremely helpful for horses with joint diseases, but regular injection can increase the risk of an infection. Before you begin using joint injections, try using horse joint supplements. You may be able to obtain the same effects and put off having your horse injected for a while.

Using Horse Joint Supplements

Choosing the right supplements for horse joints is important, as is using them correctly. When you begin looking for these kinds of supplements, take a careful look at the ingredients. The products should have the best ingredients and the recommended level of these ingredients for the right therapeutic effect. The most common ingredients used for therapeutic reasons in these supplements are Glucosamine and MSM. Other ingredients, like vitamin A, copper, magnesium, B vitamins, and zinc may also be used to enhance the effect of the product for joint care.

Each horse supplement product will have its own instructions for recommended use. In general though, the loading dose, which is given during the first two or three weeks, is double the amount of the regular, maintenance dose. The loading dose is used to increase the levels in the horse's body fast. This will allow you to see the effects of the supplement more quickly.

Horse joint supplements do work well for many horses. If you think these kinds of horse supplements may help your horse deal with the symptoms of joint disease, speak to your veterinarian today.

Head and Neck Pain: The Correlation and Causes

For those who frequently suffer from both headaches and neck pain simultaneously, it may not be surprising to learn that these symptoms are often interlinked. In 1983 a Norwegian physician, Dr. Ottar Sjaastad, documented a sub-group of headache patients with head pain that originated within the cervical spine. He dubbed this discovery the "cervicogenic headache".

Cervicogenic Headaches - Likely Causes:

Pain can spread. A problem within the neck can stimulate a nerve that leads to the scalp and subsequently cause a headache. Unfortunately, the duality of this problem can make it difficult to find the root and therefore define a suitable treatment. The majority of cervicogenic headaches are due to tightness in the posterior neck muscles, which can be found at the back of the neck. As a result, anything that can strain the neck muscles can also cause a cervicogenic headache. Below is a list of the main causes:

Stress Induced: Stress can cause the muscles around the neck to tighten, which can lead to tension headaches, neck pain and a feeling of pressure.

Bad Posture: From a pillow with inadequate support to a poor driving position, there are a thousand and one ways to cause neck pain.

Injury or Trauma: An injury to the neck of shoulders can create tension and strain within the muscles around the neck, shoulders and head.

Poor lighting: If you're straining to read due to insufficient light, it can lead to eyestrain and stiffness in your scalp and forehead muscles.

Gum chewing: Vigorous chewing can strain the muscles in your head and neck.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders: Excessive jaw clenching or poor jaw alignment can lead to both headaches and neck pain.

Meningitis: Symptoms of meningitis often include head pain, neck stiffness and fever.

Do I have Cervicogenic Headaches?

Approximately 8% of the global population suffers from cervicogenic headaches - according to the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. If you think you may be suffering from cervicogenic headaches, ask yourself these questions:

1) Does the pain begins at the base of the neck and gradually moves into the head?

2) At the headache's onset, is the neck region tender to touch?

Both of these are classic symptoms. However, there are many causes for headaches and neck pain, so it is important to talk to a health care provider to determine the exact cause. Issues rarely cure themselves and can sometimes be a sign of a more serious condition, so don't ignore the issue.

Top Hip Pain Symptoms That You Need to Watch Out For

Many people understand that if a person's limb is painful, it could be because of a certain issue in the hip area. Likewise, a lot of people disregard hip pain symptoms as they identity them as muscular pain or muscular pulls. Soreness within the hip can also be mistakenly linked to aging. But, individuals of any age could experience this type of discomfort. The discomfort within the hips is caused by several factors which vary from aspects concerning age to sport accidents. Should you suffer from hip pain and are unaware of what caused it, here are some of the common symptoms that can help you understand what bring about your discomfort.

Source of Pain

This can vary for every individual. Some people experience pain within their lower back, legs or groin area. Furthermore, the pain can appear as if it is coming from the muscles of your joint itself.

• Within the Groin or Crotch

It is pain within the inner thigh area. Because this is the overall spot of your hip joint, discomfort around the groin could mean troubles with your hip. This kind of pain could seem like a tightening up or pounding in this area.

• Low Back Pain

The back bone really ends at the end of the pelvic bone. As a result, the pain from the hip can result in squeezed nerves and lead to lower back pain. It is among the most typical symptoms. This kind of pain is usually a flat pounding ache. Then again, when it is not treated it could badly restrict mobility.

• Leg pains and discomfort

The legs connect to your hips from a ball and socket joint. This gives potential for you to sense discomfort inside your legs if there's a trouble inside your hips. When you have this, it could seem like your legs are tired or prickling. Serious hip complications may also make one to limp.

• Referral Pain and soreness

Referral pain happens when the sensation in a single section of the body is the effect of a condition in yet another portion. It is normal with hip pain. For instance, troubles within the groin could be referenced towards the knee or the pain on the upper hip could be observed on the lower back.

• Right Hip Pain

Right hip pain is a kind which happens across the groin area. The primary reason for this discomfort is usually a sports related trauma. The sensation is primarily caused by muscular stretch or hernia. Right hip pain symptoms consist of sharp pain within the crotch as you are lifting heavy items and intensive soreness which prevents you to jump or run. Other indications include bruises, muscle spasms, muscular pain and swelling.

• Outer Hip Pain

The primary manifestation of this sort is tightness within the joints as well as joint pain. Individuals experiencing this find it hard to lie down on their side because of the excruciating pain. The motion of turning over can also be troublesome. Any kind of physical effort, such as going up the stairways or moving could make the discomfort severe. The pain is often flat but tends to change to an extreme pain whenever you exert effort. A typical giveaway of outer hip pain symptom is the ache brought on when seated on hard areas for a long time.

When you encounter acute hip pain symptoms for days or weeks even without any significant trauma around your hip, consult a doctor for proper medical assistance.

Catch Dog Joint and Muscle Problems Before They Get Out of Control

We love our dogs and try to take care of them as best as possible. But problems occur despite our best intentions and precautions. Common ailments include arthritis, muscle strains and pulls and hip dysplasia. However, your beloved pooch need not be in constant pain and discomfort. The first step is to identify whether there is a joint or muscle problem. Even if in doubt, a visit to the vet is never unwarranted, especially if you are able to catch a problem before it gets too serious.

Different factors can affect the health of your dog's joints. Infection, degenerative disease and physical trauma are all known factors that cause joint problems. Joints work improperly due to bone, muscle, ligament, tendon or nerve damage. Physical signs of joint problems include obvious pain, swelling, rigidity and an increase of body temperature. However, these symptoms are not necessarily due to joint problems. Understanding common joint and muscle problems that dogs have will help you to see the warning signs and help you to understand when your pet starts acting out of the ordinary.

Arthritis: Arthritis is caused by muscle strain near the connection with a tendon. Symptoms of arthritis in dogs include limping or stiffness, having a difficult time rising, reluctant to jump when it was previously not a problem and even obvious pain. Now, noticing these symptoms after a weekend hiking or camping can be quite normal, but any prolonged symptoms are best checked out by your veterinary.

Muscle Sprain or Strain: Muscle injuries are not only one of the most common injuries in dogs, but the most difficult to diagnose. Most often, muscle sprains or strains go undetected simply because dogs do not show pain the same way that humans do. If you are noticing obvious pain, most definitely take your pet to the vet. Dogs mostly show signs of "slowing" or "favoring" rather than yelps or cries in pain. Favoring a leg for more than a few days or acting lethargic are reasons to be concerned.

Hip dysplasia: The basic definition of hip dysplasia is any abnormal formation of the hip joint. This abnormal formation causes looseness to the joint, which results in physical symptoms. Some breeds are more prone to dysplasia than others, but it is beneficial for all dog owners to know what to look for. After regular exercise the puppy may refuse to walk any farther and sit back on its legs. Another warning sign in puppies is that their back legs may look a bit underdeveloped.

Even if your dog appears normal, it does not mean that he or she has escaped hip dysplasia. Some dogs simply accept the pain and you won't notice any sort of complaining until the hip has degenerated into joint disease. The only way to know for sure your dog doesn't have hip dysplasia is through a pelvic x-ray.

When it is Time to go to the Vet:
Any sort of obvious pain is cause to make an appointment with your veterinarian. Even if you're fairly confident that it is simply arthritis, you will not know for sure until your dog is examined.

What to Expect at the Veterinarian:
At the visit, the vet will want to do an overall physical, especially if your dog is a new patient or it has been awhile since the last visit. The physical will include a dental check, physical palpitation for any bumps or lumps and confirmation of spaying or neutering. A dental check-up is more important than some owners realize. Bacteria can lead to infection, which then can spread throughout the entire body if left untreated. When the visit is for possible joint or muscle problems, the vet will most likely want an x-ray to rule-out hip dysplasia and verify any other theories.

Hopefully, all checks out well with your pet and there are no problem other than the need for a little extra rest! We all love our pets and sometimes all does not turn out well after a vet visit. But, there are many ways to treat joint and muscle problems while alleviating discomfort. Ignoring a problem is never the solution and when in doubt, make an appointment and have the vet check it out!

Using a Wheat Bag to Treat Arthritis Pain Through Cold and Heat Therapy

Both hot and cold remedies are recommended by doctors when treating arthritis suffering caused by swelling to help take out the stiffness and inflammation and to lessen the pain. Arthritis can be managed with the right balance between both types of therapies.

Wheat bags are the most recommended method for using heat therapy; they can be quickly warmed in a microwave and then ready to use. They can be conformed or moulded to fit the contours of the body. They may also be used for cold therapy simply by freezing them.

Heat and being warm have been linked to relaxing comfort for centuries, and heat therapy does one better by adding healing and pain relief to its benefits in the treating of joint and muscle pain. Relief is almost instantaneous by applying heat to stiff, sore and tight joints and muscles.

Both cold and heat therapies are successful in getting your own body's healing functions spurred into action. You would use heat when you need to reduce pain in your body, and to lessen the stiffness you might have in your joints. Heat is also great for muscle spasms. What happens is the heat will enlarge your blood vessels, so that more blood can flow through them, speeding up the inflammation necessary to heal. These are the after effects of how your body responds to heat therapy.

What happens when you apply heat to any part of your body is that it joins up with the energy in your body in specific, localized regions. Your metabolism gets higher within all of your various cell types. This heat applied in a local region dilates your blood vessels, which causes more blood flow to occur. Muscle spasms are dealt with my relaxing the tension in key muscle areas, and allow the tendons of the muscle to stretch properly because they are relaxed. This happens because the heat lowers the collagen viscosity in these affected muscles. Collagen is a protein, one of the most common in your body. You can find collagen in tendon and ligaments, skin, the covering of your muscles, cartilage and in your bones. By lowering the viscosity in the collagen when you apply heat to an area, the tendons and muscles soften, allowing those muscles to stretch more comfortably and smoothly. Keep the heat on long enough, and your muscles and tendons enter a very relaxed state so that you can move them better and exercise them back into shape. This is what happens also when you use a wheat bag for heat therapy to heal cramps in your muscles, and in countering the painful effects of joint stiffness. Pain is handled well because heat will slow down and reduce the severity and frequency of pain signals sent from the nerves to the brain. So your brain can easily handle the soreness.

On the other side of things, cold has its benefits as well. Setting a cold compress in an area will counter swelling that is a result of enlarged blood vessels. The cold will do the opposite of heat and constrict those vessels. Cold therapy will numb the injured region and lower the effects of swelling and inflammation. Cold therapy is really good for pain in your joints caused by a flare-up of arthritis. Muscle spasms can also benefit by having the cold increase your body's tolerance for pain.

There are some people who like cold rather than heat therapy to treat the pain of their arthritis. Others will recommend both, by alternating treatments. The best thing you can do is to try each one, and go with the type of therapy that you find the greatest relief from using.

For joint and muscle stiffness, you'll want to apply either ice or heat packs to the suffering area two times per day at a minimum, to get the greatest results of relieving your pain. Each session should last from five to ten minutes on the cold compress, but get to it within forty-eight hours of when you first feel the pain, for it to be the most effective in treating it. Heat can be applied during this 48 hour time period also, so that your muscles can be given a chance to relax. Then use heat for any pain and stiffness that goes beyond the initial 48 hours.

A microwave wheat bag is a soothing way to release stress and ease everyday aches and pains. A wheat bag be easily heated in a microwave and then applied to tired joints and aching muscles with the user enjoying the soothing warmth. Wheat bags, heat pads and wheat cushions are a convenient method of applying heat therapy which has been shown to be an effective method for reducing muscle pain and reducing muscle and joint stiffness. They may soothe frozen shoulder and neck pains, give comfort to back or stomach pains, and ease arthritic pain. Wheat bags can also be chilled in a freezer and used as a cold compress as a method of cold therapy to ease sprains, swelling, bruising, headaches and sports injuries.

The Best Back Pain Relief Products

When I was thirty eight, my back just gave way and it was the most intense pain I had ever felt.  My doctor suggested back pain relief products like lotions, potions and pills, that barely touched the pain. This went on for a few months, then my doctor sent me to a physiotherapist, who recommended using a tens machine and trying muscle balance therapy. 

I can attest to the tens machine being one of the better back pain relief products out there.  The tens machine sends small electrical pulses through your skin and muscles to the nerves, which are carrying the message to your brain, that you are actually feeling the pain. 

What happens, basically is that the electrical pulse beats the normal message, so you feel no pain.  The only thing with the tens machine is that it should not be worn for to long, as you can make movements that will normally hurt, but you won't feel until later.

Muscle balance therapy is perhaps one of the most under looked of the back pain relief products, but it has given thousands of people relief from their aching backs and prevented some more serious back conditions too.

As the name suggests, muscle balance therapy, are exercises that balance out the muscles in our backs.  As humans we tend to use one side of our body more than other, which can result in misalignment of our backs.  This can also by caused by some of our lifestyle choices, if we end up using certain muscles more than others.

This imbalance means that parts of bodies ending up pushing and pulling in the wrong way. You know the song, your leg bones connected to your thigh bone, etc, etc.  Well as you know, your muscles are responsible for keeping those bones together and working in the right way. 

So when our muscles are out of sync, we get problems and our discs and other parts can be moved into the wrong positions, causing things like a prolapsed disc.   With muscle balance therapy, the muscles are toned back into how they should be, which is equal, this in turn keeps the bones in the right place and stops them from twisting, moving or being put out of joint.

Both of these back pain relief  products have been vital in improving my standard of life. Whilst I was undergoing the muscle balance therapy, I used the tens machine to help with the pain.  Now my back and body feel aligned, I feel like a spring chicken.

Fast Joint Pain Relief

Over half the people in the United States over the age of 65 have suffered from joint pain and are seeking relief. Pain in the joints is most likely cause either by an inflammation or swelling of the joint, or it is caused by wearing off of the joint's natural cushioning with likely causes being obesity or loss of blood flow. Luckily there are several know methods of providing fast joint pain relief healing or suppressing joint pain based on the severity and type of pain.

A simple exercise routine is a common treatment for mild pain relief since it increases blood flow and helps shed some unwanted pounds. The increased blood flow that accompanies mild exercise reduces the stiffness surrounding the joint and builds muscle strength to help support the body and relieve the joint of having to support the weight on its own.

Another common method of relieving joint pain is the use of medicines or temperature packs, such as a heating pack or a cold pack. In some cases, a steroid called glucocorticoid or hyaluronic acid is injected into the joint and provides long term pain relief lasting around 4-12 months. Normally, however, tropical rubbing ointments or sprays and pain relief pills are the most common method for fast joint pain relief although they only provide short term relief.

If drastic measures are necessary, surgical replacement of a joint or surgical repair is often the procedure taken. Since artificial joints and joint replacement surgeries are a growing trend in the US and because they are constantly improving, doctors usually choose this method for extreme cases of joint pain or joint damage.

Natural Pain Relief Tips for Arthritis

I got rid of my arthritis and arthritis pain naturally by drastically changing my diet. I stopped eating the standard American diet (SAD.)

Arthritis sufferers today are continually seeking relief from their arthritis pain.

Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease of the joint cartilage and bone, often thought to result from "wear and tear" on a joint, although there are other causes of arthritis such as congenital defects, trauma and metabolic disorders. Unlike some other types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis is not systemic - it does not spread through the entire body. The pain in arthritis can be moderate to severe.

Damaged joints cause pain and sufferers are constantly looking for ways to relieve the pain. Cartilage contains chondrocytes, water, proteoglycans and collagen; chondrocytes are the basic cartilage cells and are necessary for balance and function. The ability to make repairs to cartilage becomes limited as cartilage cells age.

One possible cause of arthritis is the inflammatory response due to the over-reaction of the immune system to an injury or other assault in the body, like an infection. Although osteoarthritis generally accompanies aging, osteoarthritic cartilage is chemically different from normal aged cartilage. As chondrocytes (the cells that make up cartilage) age, they lose their ability to make repairs and produce more cartilage; this process may play an important role in the development and progression of osteoarthritis.

Nutrition experts say it takes a combination of supplements, that no one supplement can relieve arthritis pain, build cartilage, etc. One natural approach is to consume foods that are known to help relieve arthritis pain or prevent arthritis. One natural treatment method involves avoiding all inflammatory foods.

If you're not already doing so, make a big effort to watch your diet. Try avoiding the eight most allergic foods, wheat being the most allergenic; they are wheat, corn, eggs, milk, peanuts, fish, shellfish and some nuts, not all. Natural treatment for arthritis is usually a better choice because it's non-invasive to the body.

Some foods and beverages to avoid that are inflammatory are: caffeine, salt, sugar, meat, dairy products, additives, soft drinks, white flour, white rice, alcoholic beverages, fast food, processed vegetable oils, refined, packaged and processed food. Gluten may be a culprit in arthritic diseases including fibromyalgia; avoid wheat, barley, rye, spelt, triticale, kamut and oats (although not a gluten grain it gets contaminated at the wheat mills).

The first step in managing your arthritis is to change your diet; I think all experts would agree on this. With natural treatments there will be fewer, if any, side effects or adverse reactions.

Whatever you do, keep moving; don't sit when you can stand, don't stand when you can walk. Exercise is good for joints affected by osteoarthritis. Keep a bedside basket of arthritic aids for arthritic hands (Thera-putty, hand grips, Taiji chime balls, etc.) to be used at bedtime or while watching television. A good exercise routine is the key to beating arthritis and arthritis pain.

Use Taiji health balls, with the chimes, to strengthen the finger joints: hold two balls, move in a clockwise circle with your fingers to rotate them, then try counterclockwise and do throughout the day. To be on the safe side always seek your doctor's advice before starting or changing your exercise program. Fight arthritis through proper exercise!

If you're going to go the conventional treatment route and take medications, ask your pharmacist for drug inserts so you can read up on the drugs and understand any side effects or adverse reactions, before taking them. At the very least, understand what the side effects and adverse reactions are for any drug you take. If you're planning to take any of the non-prescription NSAIDS for arthritis, make sure you understand what bad effects they can have on the stomach, liver and/or kidneys and discuss this with your doctor.

Changing your diet to predominately fruits, raw veggies, nuts, and seeds like I did, can turn your arthritis pain around almost overnight. More and more doctors are investigating the benefits of alternative therapies and most don't object to patients trying them. One should not only search for relief of arthritis pain but work on preventing it.

7 Home Remedies for Joint Pain Relief At Home

Living with chronic joint pain?

Many times in life, body pains as such may inevitably affect our living lifestyle and even cause inconvenience to our lives, as moving of joints is almost indispensable.

Basically the causes of joint pain can be triggered by various injuries and conditions besides aging. It may be a result of sports injury, excessive straining due to the overuse of joints, or even be one of the symptoms for arthritis. Hence it is important to understand your body well and detect the symptoms early as an average person may not be able tell if it's the joints or a torn tendon.

Here are a few remedies which can give you a better quality of life and may help to eliminate the consumption of painkillers as medications commonly prescribed for joint pain are usually pain killers and anti inflammatories:

1. Take a shower with warm water

It can effectively reduce your joint discomfort easily.

2. Consumption of banana

Bananas provide strength and grease to your joints, which may help in reducing the pain in joints suffering from pain.

3. Intake of carrot juice

It helps in improving the condition of joint stiffness by making our ligaments stronger.

4. Use hot and cold compresses on the painful areas of your joints

It will help in reducing your pain from the joint.

5. Joint Pain Exercises

Effective in resolving the problem of joint stiffness. Such workouts will help in improving your joint flexibility and also strengthens your bones.

6. Warm olive oil massage

It is a cost-saving solution and natural remedy for joint stiffness.

7. Mixture of carrot juice and lemon juice

This is one of the good home remedies to reduce joint pain.

Although there is no permanent cure for joint pain, but changing your lifestyle and taking good care of your body can yield positive results on a long run. Start keeping up to a weekly or daily exercising habit as workouts can effectively help in reducing the pain in the joints. Researches have shown that working your body with motion exercises will help to improve your mobility and keep your fitness levels up. While performing those exercises, be cautious with the movements and perform it with good control.

However, do not hesitate to seek for medical support if your joint pain still persists after trying out the suggested remedies. It is advisable to seek for professional treatment if your pain is giving you symptoms that can be interpreted into serious health issues.

Natural Arthritis Treatment For Arthritis Pain Relief You Can Put To Work Today

During my long nursing career I was never able to find relief from my own arthritis pain until I turned to natural or alternative medicine. Many people have found there was a way to relieve themselves from the crippling pain of arthritis, especially osteoarthritis, although many people with rheumatoid arthritis have reported that a major diet change has made their rheumatoid arthritis symptoms disappear and they continue on their own rheumatoid arthritis treatment relieved of pain.

The arthritic joints usually appear to be even larger, are stiff and painful, and usually feel worse the more they are used as the day goes on. Hurtful arthritis pain is usually experienced whenever a stiff or swollen joint is used even for the easiest tasks. Unlike other types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondilytis, osteoarthritis is not systemic in basis in other words it can't be detected by using blood tests for diagnosis because it appears to be localized.

The cartilage is made up of chondrocytes, water, proteoglycans and collagen. The chondrocytes are basic cartilage cells and are essential for our balance and function. Collagen is the main protein found in all the connective tissues in the human body, including muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Proteoglycans are the very large molecules that help to make up cartilage. They bond to water, which ensures there will be high-fluid content in the cartilage.

In general, the possible causes and the factors leading to the deterioration of cartilage in arthritis and specifically osteoarthritis are still not known. And injuries can sometimes be the start of a long-term arthritic disease process. Arthritis, or rather osteoarthritis, can develop many years later after a single traumatic injury to a joint or even near a joint. And one possible cause of arthritis is the inflammatory response due to the over-reaction of the immune system to an injury or other assault in the body, such as an infection, even if minor.

Some people report that glucosamine, with or without chondroitin, helps and others say they tried them and they didn't help them at all. To see if it might be allergy related - or helps, you can try avoiding the eight most allergic foods, one at a time. They are wheat, which is the most allergenic of all, corn, eggs, milk, nuts, peanuts, fish and shellfish. Keep in mind that if you take a joint supplement it should help to do three things - build up your cartilage, provide pain relief for your joints and enhance your flexibility and movement.

One successful natural treatment method involves avoiding all inflammatory foods. Another is to try massaging your fingers or other affected joints with virgin coconut oil once or twice a day. The supplements that may help any disease or arthritic ailment include sublingual methylcobalamin, vitamin B12, not cyanocobalamin. It dissolve slowly under the tongue, not be chewed and vitamin D3 gel capsules, especially if you can't get a daily dose of 15 to 20 minutes or so of the sun on your arms and legs so you can make your own vitamin D3.

An acidic diet, which is made up of foods that are not alive, is considered to be inflammatory to the joints and other body processes. I started eating a diet of living foods (fruits, raw veggies, raw nuts and raw seeds), years ago, which caused my osteoarthritis to disappear and therefore relieve me of the crippling arthritis pain I had for years. If you attempt this diet it's best to try it for at least 30 days, thereby eliminating any foods that might be the culprits.

If you really do want to get rid of your arthritis pain permanently it may take a major change in your diet and an ongoing commitment to it. Exercise is usually good for any joint affected by osteoarthritis, but check with your arthritis doctor first. And did I mention how important it is to make sure to keep moving, moving, and moving? Now if you have pain and swelling in your fingers, you can try squeezing a wad of Thera-putty which is made for this purpose, or exercising them with two of the Chinese chime balls which you can get cheaply from several sources. There are many exercises that can be used as a therapy or treatment for arthritis regardless of how much restriction of movement there is.

For arthritic fingers, a good exercise for many people is to put the finger tips together and press hard and release then repeat several times. Make sure to fight arthritis through plenty of movement and exercise. Keep a basket of arthritis treatment aids for arthritic hands, such as the Thera-putty, hand grips, and the Taiji Chinese chime balls to be used at bedtime or while you're watching television.

Once you become completely knowledgeable about arthritis whether its osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gouty arthritis, juvenile arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis, you'll be able to plan your own arthritis treatment program, natural or conventional or a combination of both. Conventional arthritis doctors may suggest their standard protocol for your joint pain and may tell you to take over-the-counter NSAIDS or prescribe COX-2 inhibitors which all have some serious side effects. Make sure you do your research before you take any arthritis drugs, medicines or medications. Naturopathic doctors may have other suggestions not listed here. They may have herb recommendations but do research on the herbs also.

A useful tip: if you're going to take any arthritis drugs or prescription medications, make sure to ask your pharmacist for the drug inserts so you can read up on the drugs and understand any side effects or adverse reactions that they have, before you start taking them. Make sure to let your pharmacist know what other drugs, herbs and over the counter medications you're taking too.

Knowing more about symptoms and treatments for arthritis, osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis and how they work will ultimately help contribute to your arthritis pain relief. Once you understand the facts and warnings about arthritis, the symptoms, possible causes and the treatment approaches you can take, you'll be on your way to recovery and hopefully your pain will disappear. Perhaps following some these tips and suggestions, with the approval of your arthritis doctor may help you get back in the swing of things fast and allow you to spend your days enjoying life free of pain once more.

A Complete Treatment and Management Plan for Groin Strain

The following is a very thorough and detailed management plan for the full recovery and rehabilitation of a groin strain.

Considering this management plan was written over ten years ago, my only addition would be the reduction of ice therapy and the addition of massage and heat therapy during the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th phase. Regardless of my suggestions, the following will be extremely useful for anyone who is, or has suffered from a groin strain.

Injury Situation:

A women varsity basketball player had a history of tightness in her groin. During a game she suddenly rotated her trunk while also stretching to the right side. There was a sudden sharp pain and a sense of "giving way" in the left side of the groin that caused the athlete to immediately stop play and limp to the sidelines.

Symptoms & Signs:

As the athlete described it to the athletic trainer, there was severe pain when rotating her trunk to the right and flexing her left hip. Inspection revealed the following:

• There was major point tenderness in the groin, especially in the region of the adductor magnus muscle.


• There was no pain during passive movement of the hip, but severe pain did occur during both active and resistive motion.


• When the groin and hip were tested for injury, the hip joint, illiopsoas, and rectus femoris muscles were ruled out as having been injured; however, when the athlete adducted the hip from a stretch position, it caused here extreme discomfort.

Management Plan:

This detailed management plan comes from one of my old university text books, called Modern Principles of Athletic Training by Daniel D. Arnheim. It's one of those 900 page door-stoppers, but it's the book I refer to most for information on sports injury prevention and rehabilitation. It's extremely detailed and a valuable resource for anyone who works in the health and fitness industry. So...

Based on the athletic trainer's inspection, with findings confirmed by the physician, it was determined that the athlete had sustained a second-degree strain of the groin, particularly to the adductor magnus muscle.

Phase 1

Management Phase: Goals: To control haemorrhage, pain and spasms. Estimated Length of Time (ELT): 2 to 3 days.

Therapy: Immediate Care: ICE-R (20 min) intermittently, six to eight times daily. The athlete wears a 6-inch elastic hip spica.

Exercise Rehabilitation: No Exercise - as complete rest as possible.

Phase 2

Management Phase: Goals: To reduce pain, spasm and restore full ability to contract without stretching the muscle. ELT: 4 to 6 days.

Therapy: Follow up care: Ice massage (1 min) three to four times daily. Bipolar muscle stimulation above and below pain site (7 min).

Exercise Rehabilitation: PNF for hip rehabilitation three to four times daily (beginning approx. 6 days after injury)

Optional: Jogging in chest level water (10 to 20 min) one or two times daily. Must be done within pain free limits. General body maintenance exercises are conducted three times a week as long as they do not aggravate the injury.

Phase 3

Management Phase: Goals: To reduce inflammation and return strength and flexibility.

Therapy: Muscle stimulation using the surge current at 7 or 8, depending on athlete's tolerance, together with ultrasound once daily and cold therapy in the form of ice massage or ice packs (7 min) followed by light exercise, two to three times daily.

Exercise Rehabilitation: PNF hip patterns two to three times daily following cold applications, progressing to progressive-resistance exercise using pulley, isokinetic, or free weight (10 reps, 3 sets) once daily.

Optional: Flutter kick swimming once daily.

General body maintenance exercises are conducted three times a week as long as they do not aggravate the injury.

Phase 4

Management Phase: Goals: To restore full power, endurance, speed and extensibility.

Therapy: If symptom free, precede exercise with ice massage (7 min) or ice pack.

Exercise Rehabilitation: Added to phase 3 program, jogging on flat course slowly progressing to a 3-mile run once daily and then progressing to figure-8s, starting with obstacles 10 feet apart and gradually shortening distance to 5 feet, at full speed.

Phase 5

Management Phase: Goals: To return to sport competition.

Exercise Rehabilitation: Athlete gradually returns to pre-competition exercise and a gradual return to competition while wearing a figure-8 elastic hip spica bandage for protection.

Criteria for Returning to Competitive Basketball:

1. As measured by an isokinetic dynamometer, the athlete's injured hip and groin should have equal strength to that of the uninjured hip.


2. Hip and groin has full range of motion.


3. The athlete is able to run figure-8s around obstacles set 5 feet apart at full speed.

5 Steps to Relieving the Pain in Your Jaw

Jaw Pain, or TMJD (which stands for tempomandibular joint disorder), as a common ailment that affects millions of Americans each year. Most people who get jaw pain, get it for a short period of time due to an intense amount of stress in their lives or injury. Some folks get more chronic jaw pain, which can be particularly difficult to treat and manage as there are not many proven methods of treatment for chronic TMJD that have been effective for more than just a small number of people.

In this article you will learn how to effectively treat your jaw pain in five simple steps, moving from most basic to more complicated. If a lower step is not effective for you, move to the next step.

Disclaimer: If your jaw pain persists, contact a medical professional.

Step 1: Ice. Like most injuries or swelling, ice can numb the pain and help facilitate healing. A twenty minutes on, twenty minutes off cycle should be sufficient. The more you can do this, the faster the healing will be.

Step 2: Ibuprofen or other over-the-counter swelling medications. If simple ice doesn't work, you can move to mild drugs. Most jaw pain is caused by swelling of the jaw joint, due to excessive clenching/grinding (bruxism) or tension. When the you take measures to reduce the swelling, you can help to the joint heal while at the same time removing the pain.

Step 3: Eating soft foods. A soft food diet is often recommended for the first few days or weeks of healing the jaw after pain has occurred. This reduces tension on the jaw. Consider eating foods like yogurt, soups, smoothies, and pasta. Just make sure to keep a healthy diet and continue to avoid sugars as much as possible, as fructose has been known to cause inflammation and hyper-tension.

Step 4: If your jaw pain has not been healed by now, you must start moving into long-term treatment and management. One simple way to start this long-term management is to start jaw exercises. Simple jaw exercises, like moving your jaw side-to-side with your hand pressed against it, can help strengthen your jaw and give you more control over it.

Step 5: Get to the root cause of the pain. If jaw pain is becoming an issue over many weeks or months, there is usually an underlying cause. Often times the underlying cause is stress or clenching (often times at night while you don't even know you're doing it). Consider taking a stress management class, or getting a mouth guard to help avoid nighttime clenching.

How to Cure TMJ Pain Permanently With No Surgery

Temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJDs), commonly called TMJ, are a collection of poorly understood conditions characterized by pain in the jaw and surrounding tissues and limitations in jaw movements. TMJ is a disorder that arises when the jaw is improperly aligned, and it can cause many different painful symptoms. TMJ is the commonly used acronym for temporomandibular joint disorder. Treatment for TMJ depends on the severity and extent of the individual's condition. Treatment with drugs that prevent chronic tension-type headache is often effective, particularly the tricyclic antidepressants.

Between 5 and 15 percent of people in the United States experience pain associated with TMJ disorders, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health. Some patients have experienced worsening conditions due to guards- If your TMJ is caused by having a bad bite then your specialist may require dental therapy or restoration. TMJ treatment may range from conservative dental and medical care to complex surgery. Symptoms may relate to your bite and how they can successfully be treated by a health care professional that has special education in managing these disorders. Symptoms of TMJ disorder The most common symptom of TMJ disorder is pain, with intense discomfort not just in the face and jaw joint, but also the neck and shoulders.

Many medical and dental insurance plans do not pay for treatment of jaw joint and muscle disorders, or only pay for some procedures. TMJ is a disorder that arises when the jaw is improperly aligned, and it can cause many different painful symptoms. TMJ disorders can bring headaches, facial paint enderness in the jaw clicking and grinding noises in the jaw difficulty in opening the mouth as if the jaw were locked and even or uncomfortable bite trouble chewing certain food saching in or near the ear.

Depending on the severity of the TMJ, there are many effective treatments that range from specific muscle relaxing exercises to costly surgery. People tried The TMJ no more program and the TMJ help program, but they recommend the TMJ Help program. The program first explains your TMJ problem and then gives you a simple, step-by-step program that is aimed specifically at your causes for TMJ.

Surgery to cure temporomandibular joint pain may be performed as the last resort, provided that you have tried all the alternative treatment options. The treatments that ended up helping TMJ the most involved improving overall posture and body alignment and loosening up my tight muscles.

Why You Shouldn't Ignore Teeth Grinding

Most people shrug off teeth clenching or teeth grinding as just an annoying habit that does not cause any real harm. However, the truth is that while mild teeth grinding or bruxism as it is medically referred to, may not have any alarming consequences, more severe cases can cause a range of complications. Getting the appropriate treatment in time can help ease the symptoms and prevent any further damage.

Here are some of the consequences of bruxism and why it should not be ignored:

Damage to Teeth

When you clench or grind your teeth constantly, the biting surfaces of the upper as well as the lower teeth tend to get worn out and can get chipped or damaged. If you have crowns or overlays, these can get damaged and will need to be replaced and dentures can get fractured. You will end up having to pay a lot of money to get your teeth restored to their former condition. If you are aware that you grind your teeth during the day or are told that you do so in your sleep, see a dentist at the earliest to prevent further damage to your teeth.

Chronic Headaches

Stress has been proven to be the number one factor that causes a person to grind their teeth in their sleep. This continual grinding and the related mouth and jaw movements cause severe headaches that recur from time to time. While over the counter medications can help to alleviate the pain, because they are recurrent, they can be inconvenient, uncomfortable and annoying and can also trigger off other problems such as depression and anxiety. Taking steps to stop the bruxism will usually stop the headaches as well.

Temporomandibular Disorders

The almost continual moving of the mouth when grinding the teeth moves the temporomandibular joints more than it should. The temporomandibular joints, or TMJ, are the ball and socket joints that join the jawbones or the mandible to the temporal bone of the skull. Disproportionate mouth movements can cause problems with these joints and they can even get dislocated in case of severe bruxism.

Changes in Bite Pattern

Grinding the teeth continually will wear away your teeth slowly and eventually change the shape of your teeth. This will force you to change your bite as you unconsciously or consciously favor your undamaged teeth for biting. This can hamper your dietary intake as it makes eating certain foods a little more difficult.

Facial Pains

Continuously clenching your teeth can strain the facial muscles and trigger off a lot of facial pains that over time will accelerate the formation of wrinkles and cause the skin to sag faster.

With so many harmful injuries of bruxism, it is a good idea to attend to them immediately and prevent any further complications.

The Treatment of Big Toe Joint Arthritis Using An Artificial Joint Implant

Arthritis of the big toe joint can be a very disabling condition, as painful motion of this joint can hamper the ability to comfortably walk. Conservative treatment options of this joint are somewhat limited owing to the strain placed on it by the body during walking. Surgery is usually performed for treatment, and the use of joint implants is very popular. This article will review the types of joint implants available to treat big toe joint arthritis.

Arthritis of the big toe joint, also called the 1st metatarsal phalangeal joint, is very common, and is the most common place of symptomatic arthritis in the foot. The big toe joint is comprised of the roundish head of the first metatarsal, and the concave base part of the proximal phalanx, the first bone of two in the big toe itself. Arthritis occurs when the cartilage that covers the ends of the above two bones erodes away, resulting in a loss of the normal smooth motion of the joint. Bone grinds on bone, and the tissue in and around the joint becomes inflamed. Large spurs on top of and around the joint form, and can limit motion even further. The destruction in the big toe joint usually begins as a result of long term wear and tear on the cartilage due to a first metatarsal that is formed either too long, too short, or too elevated. Bunions can also result in arthritis where the big toe is angled too far toward the second toe, and the 1st metatarsal sticks out too far in the other direction. Trauma, particularly prior fractures that involved the joint or one of its bones, can eventually result in joint destruction and arthritis. There are also a number of other diseases that result in more significant (and some cases unsalvageable) joint destruction, including psoriasis, body-wide immune system-related arthritic conditions, bone infections, loss of blood supply to the bone, and nerve disease associated with certain conditions.

Nonsurgical treatment of big toe joint arthritis can have limited help compared with arthritis in larger joints like the knees and hips. These can include stiff shoes and inserts to limit the motion of the joint, as well as anti-inflammatory medications and injections. These measures rarely provide lasting relief.

Surgical treatment of big toe joint arthritis involves procedures that either preserve the joint, replace the joint, or destroy the joint all together. Joint preserving procedures are used in mild cases of arthritis, or in those who have high functional demands (like competing athletes) or cannot undergo a joint implant or destruction procedure due to poor health or bone density. These procedures involve removal of bone spurs and loose bone particles, and possibly a correction of any abnormal 1st metatarsal position. Joint destruction, which amounts to a removal of all cartilage and fusing the joint so it does not move at all (eliminating the pain), is done when arthritis is severe, and also in more moderate cases depending on the philosophy of the surgeon. Some surgeons prefer to use this option in all painful arthritic cases, others prefer implants to artificially restore motion.

Since the scope of this article is joint implants, the discussion will be centered on this option. Joint implants for the big toe joint have been around for well over fifty years. Joint implants can replace both sides of the joint, or only one side, leaving the other side's cartilage intact. A variety of materials have been used to make these implants, including silicone, metal of various alloys, and ceramics. Some implants have withstood the test of time, and others have faded into obscurity due to design issues or implant failures.

One of the first implant designs, and one that is still in use today by some surgeons, is essentially a hinge with stems that run into the 1st metatarsal and proximal phalanx, respectively. This implant is made of a firm silicone gel, that is stiff enough to withstand the forces acting on the big toe, and flexible enough to allow for a bending motion at the hinge. This implant has been used for nearly forty years, and has a fairly decent success rate. The nature of the silicone gel material can lead to complications, including silicone degeneration and depositing of particles in the surrounding soft tissue, as well as stem fracturing and implant slippage if not tightly seated in the bone due to stem hole widening.

Perhaps the most popular implant design today is historically the earliest implant. This implant design has been in use since the 1950's, and has proven itself durable, effective, and generally complication free when properly installed. This implant design replaces the 'cup' of the proximal phalanx part of the joint, and consists of a concave plate attached to a stem that is impacted into the bone. This implant fits in tightly, and has a thin profile so that not a lot of anatomic bone has to be removed in order to fit it into the joint. The original design is still in use, and many companies have implants that are very similar in shape and function. This implant, while it replaces the only one side of the joint, is very effective at restoring joint motion without pain, even if the other side of the joint has a large amount of cartilage loss as well. Complications can include extended joint swelling follow the surgery for awhile, as well as implant slippage out of position or toe bone fracturing in a very low number of cases. This author has personally used this design for years with good success.

A more recent design developed in the last decade provides a surface replacement for the metatarsal side of the joint. Anatomically, this is the side that wears down the most, and so theoretically this is the most optimal part of the joint to replace. Unfortunately, this bone is much more difficult to design a partial implant for given it's size, shape, and role within the joint's motion. A recent design has overcome these challenges, and has success in resurfacing the metatarsal portion of the joint to resolve the arthritis pain and degeneration. This type of implant essentially consists of a round 'head' portion that replaces much, but not all, of the end of the 1st metatarsal. It is secured to the end of the bone via a stem that is either screwed or impacted into the canal of the bone. The base part of the proximal phalanx will then move over this implant, with the end result being better motion and reduced pain. Like implants in the other bone, this design can cause bone fracturing, and if improperly placed (or if the bone quality is not ideal), the stem can move in the bone canal, leading to implant surface motion.

A final design in implants for big toe joint arthritis has been the one most technically challenged, and historically least successful and consistent in design. These implants have two pieces that replace both sides of the joint respectively. Essentially, there is a cup component for the proximal phalanx and a 'ball' component for the 1st metatarsal. These designs require the removal of a lot of bone in order for them to fit in properly, and historically have had a higher failure rate that the one-sided implants. This joint takes on a great amount of force during walking, and the presence of metal in the bones at this joint increases the stress on the respective bones. When the metal is present on both sides of the joint,a higher rate of bone stress can develop, as well as a higher rate of implant fracture and bone fracture. Design improvements persist even now, and there are many surgeons who prefer to use implants with two sides rather than one-side despite this history, usually given their own success with using the two-sided design. While this author does not prefer the use of total joint implants in the big toe joint, contemporary designs are still very much a legitimate and effective way to improve joint motion and reduce pain, especially in the case of severe erosion of both sides of the joint surface.

Joint implants for big toe joint arthritis is a valuable option for relieving pain and improving foot function. There are some patients who should not use these implants, no matter what the design. These include very heavy and obese people and people with poor bone density or who heavily smoke and have decreased bone density as a result of nicotine on blood flow to the bone. They also include diabetics or others with significant nerve disease, as decreased sensation can lead to excessive foot joint pressures and eventual destruction. People with big toe joint implants also need to keep in mind that motion is rarely ever 100% improved, and most of the time squatting over one's toes is not comfortable due to some restriction of motion that the presence of an artificial joint creates. However, in the big picture, these implants are more reliable, more durable, and are less likely to become infected than larger implants like those in the hips and knees, and they rarely ever have to be removed or replaced.

Fibromyalgia: The Mystery Illness

Fibromyalgia is an illness of mystery. Although it is a mysterious illness, Fibromyalgia sufferers can experience debilitating pain among other symptoms. Many people used to consider it "Women's Hysteria", however it is very real and can not be cured. Besides some symptoms listed in this article, there are many symptoms that people are unaware of and you will be surprised at all the symptoms that Fibromyalgia can cause.

There are many facts and fictions about Fibromyalgia, which can impact a person's life. The severe pain can lead them to isolation because no one believes it is a real illness. Here are facts and fiction about Fibromyalgia:

Fiction:

• Fibromyalgia is not a real illness.


• It can be fatal.


• It is a new illness and rare.


• Causes serious damage to your body.


• It only affects women.


• It occurs in the elderly only

Facts:

• Fibromyalgia is real with a variety of symptoms.


• It has been around for hundreds of years.


• It does not cause serious body damage.


• It does mostly affect women, but men can get it too.


• Fibromyalgia is usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50 years of age, but can be seen at any age.

There are many symptoms of Fibromyalgia, common symptoms are:

• Widespread body aches, including muscles and joints.


• Chest pains.


• Stiffness in the morning.


• Extreme fatigue.


• Sleep apnea and insomnia.


• Feeling anxious often.


• Difficulty concentrating.


• Depression can also go with Fibromyalgia.


• Stomach problems.


• More painful menstrual cramps


• Blurry vision.


• Feeling nauseaus and dizzy.


• Gaining and losing weight.


• Persistent daily headaches that do not usually go away with pain relievers.


• Problems with your skin.


• Weakness in your muscles, including twitching.


• Face and jaw pain, also known as TMJ Disorder.

They are the most common major symptoms of Fibromyalgia, but there are other symptoms as well. You may experience all or only some of the following symptoms.

• You may experience delayed reactions to physical exertion and stressful events. It can take days to weeks after the event.


• Excessive sweating.


• Excessive perspiration


• Strange cravings for chocolate or carbohydrates.


• Cravings for carbs and chocolate.


• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.


• Isolation and loneliness.

Fibromyalgia can also mimic other serious disorders, so it is best that you see a physician to rule out any major diseases. Once diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, you may be prescribed certain medications, including Lyrica. But the best treatment, is a healthy diet, exercise, and rest as needed. You may need to seek counseling to aid you with symptoms of depression and how to cope with pain. If you feel you have any of these symptoms, seek the advice of a doctor.

Athletes, Injuries, and Liquid Glucosamine for Joint Pain

The explosion of sports activities in the United States continues. Athletes at the high school, collegiate, professional, or weekend warrior level are put at risk for joint injury. Recovery in our youth is fast, and returning to our favorite sport usually requires a little rest and a few weeks to recover. The problem is these injuries can have lifelong effects, many of which lead to osteoarthritis to the damaged joint.

As cartilage ages or injured, its' ability to act as a cushion and lubricant to our joint is compromised. The cartilage can no longer protect the joint properly. Knees especially take a pounding and eventually, enough cartilage wears away causing bone on bone contact and the onset of osteoarthritis joint pain.

Today, more and more athletes are adding glucosamine with chondroitin to their daily intake of vitamins and other health supplements. Serious athletes at a more competitive level, put in long hours of joint pounding practice, and use a glucosamine chondroitin combination to give their joints the nutrition they need to help prevent deterioration of healthy cartilage. Healthy, pain free joints let them train longer.

All of us have seen retired football players (Mike Ditka) from the NFL limping around. The physical punishment their bodies have endured is beyond comprehension. But these same types of injuries can occur in anyone, and damaged joint cartilage is a recipe for arthritis. Cartilage breaking down is a natural occurrence, whether from aging or genetics. Injury to a knee, ankle, or shoulder joint can damage the soft tissue know as cartilage and speed up the process of osteoarthritis.

Recommendations are for athletes to take 1500 milligrams of glucosamine with chondroitin daily. Both substances are naturally occurring in our bodies, but sometimes our body can stop producing the necessary levels need to maintain healthy cartilage. Studies have shown that the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin act as an anti-inflammatory, while supplying nutrients necessary for cartilage regeneration. While there are drugs available that do the same thing, they are anything but natural. Common prescriptions for inflamed joints are NSAIDs. (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) NSAID's like Celebrex, come with a long list of potential side effects. One NSAID was recently pulled from the market due to the devastating effects it was having on some consumers.

Recent studies have shown that glucosamine has the same effects on reducing moderate to severe joint pain as Celecoxib (Celebrex). That's quite a statement. Glucosamine chondroitin products have virtually no side effects. They contain no pain medication or ant-inflammatory drugs, only naturally occurring substances. Synflex 1500 Liquid Glucosamine contains these essential ingredients, but continues the formula with several anti-inflammation supplements including White Willow Bark that has been used since the 5th century BC, when Hippocrates noted and recommended its use for pain and inflammation.

Many athletes have begun using Synflex 1500 to improve their joint health. In fact, Olympic Biathlete Tim Burke found that at the age of 20 he was suffering from the onset of arthritis and needed to find pain relief continue with his training. Trying many different brands of glucosamine, Tim found that Synflex controlled his arthritis pain enabling him to continue with his training and competitions.

Whether competitive in sports or enjoying retired life, if arthritis joint pain has you sidelined, Synflex 1500 Liquid Glucosamine can get you back in the game and control the joint pain you've been enduring.

TMJ Disorder - Little Known Symptoms and Treatments

TMJ Disorder, otherwise known as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, deals with the joints that connect your jaw to your cranium. This disorder covers several different minor problems, whether it is mere inflammation of the joint or severe problems with jaw placement. This disorder causes a great deal of pain for people while chewing or talking. For some, it is a constant source of pain.

Frequent causes of TMJ are arthritis or trauma to the jaw. If you have been the victim of an event where you received head trauma (like a car accident or a fight), you should immediately visit a doctor or dentist to see if there have been any slight dislocations or problems with this joint.

It can also be the result of losing teeth. Some children may develop this at an early age when they lose their baby teeth. Adults may develop it if teeth are pulled. Your jaw is designed to rest at an angle, leaving just enough room for your upper and lower teeth to touch. If teeth are suddenly missing, there is nothing to support that angle. The jaw may sag and pull at the muscles and joint, inflaming it. This is why you should take good care of your teeth.

You can get this disorder just like you can develop tendonitis or carpel tunnel syndrome. If you repeatedly chew gum or other sticky substances, take bites of food that are too big for your mouth, have nervous ticks or habits that lead you to chew strangely, or constantly move your jaw, then you can wear out this joint. Sometimes it is merely an effect of a degenerative disease. If you have such a disease, ask your doctor or dentist if you are at risk for TMJ.

The problem occurs in a very central part of your body. It is technically a bone and joint issue, but many of your head muscles are affected when your jaw moves. It can also lead to hearing or vision problems, since the head is a tightly wired space with many overlapping and diverse anatomical systems. TMJ could lead you to having to see a neurologist, a dentist, an optometrist, a surgeon, and various other specialists.

Take note of any pain in your head. Even normal headaches could be a sign of a deeper problem. The more specific you can be about your pain, the better the chances of correcting it. Frequent symptoms include a clicking jaw or a jaw that locks up and cannot be opened without some difficulty. It may hurt to chew, especially for harder foods.

Your ears may be very sensitive to this problem and the muscles and tissue around your ears could be sore. This is because of their close proximity to the joint. You may feel a great deal of strain in your neck, like you pulled a muscle.

Treatments include wearing things like a mouth guard, braces or retainers. You may have to attend physical therapy to learn how to move your jaw correctly and stop any bad habits. Surgery is an option for very bad cases, while mild pain killers are enough for some slight cases.

Natural Treatments For Scoliosis Pain Relief

Scoliosis, or the sideways curvature of the spine, can cause back pain. The medical community has struggled to find an effective treatment for this type of pain, with most doctors believing that surgery is the only way to reduce the curvature. If you are unwilling to have surgery, then, you are left with pain medication to mask your symptoms and leave the causes untreated.

Fortunately, there are conservative treatments that not only ease the pain of scoliosis but actually reduce the curvature as well.

Why It Hurts

While some people with scoliosis experience no symptoms, others may experience back pain, neck pain, headaches, difficulty walking or standing for long periods of time, reproductive dysfunction and difficulty breathing. The symptoms depend largely on the location and degree of curvature, but also on your behaviors. If your head is off-center or one shoulder or hip is higher than the other, you may have scoliosis.

Some are treated in adolescence with bracing and surgery to reduce the spinal curvature, while others go untreated. Adults who experience scoliosis pain may feel it from muscles, spinal discs or both. The muscles of the back try to pull the spine back into alignment so they can return to their normal length and tension. These muscles are constantly overworked, trying to support the upper body without a stable spine to help. The discs of a curved spine also undergo asymmetric loading, which can cause bulging and herniation. These disc problems are often associated with nerve impingement, causing sharp, traveling pain.

Adults may have scoliosis from birth, or may acquire it due to osteoarthritis (if one side of the spine's joints deteriorate faster than those on the other side). Those who acquire it will have added pain due to joint inflammation and friction.

Natural Treatments

If your doctor tells you that your only option is surgery, he or she may be wrong. Scoliosis pain has been shown to decrease with chiropractic care and physical therapy. While many doctors prescribe physical therapy as part of a pain management strategy for scoliosis, combining it with other treatments is not always considered. Contrary to what most seem to think, these treatments have proven their abilities to reduce spinal curvature as well as back pain.

Physical therapy is effective for scoliosis pain when it focuses on the relaxation of chronically-strained muscles and postural retraining. Yoga, for example, may be helpful. Chiropractic care is administered to restore alignment and improve nerve function. You may be given traction treatments as well, which stretch the spine and its surrounding ligaments and muscles and increase disc space. An example of a scoliosis treatment regimen can be seen here: http://www.scoliosis-treatments.com/OurScoliosisTreatment/tabid/58/Default.aspx.

As with many forms of alternative medicine, studies into the non-surgical treatment of scoliotic curvature are few and small. However, the existing studies give us compelling evidence that surgery is not the only answer. A study of 19 individuals showed spinal manipulation, traction and muscular work to significantly reduce spinal curvature after 4-6 weeks. More on this can be found at http://www.scoliosiscorrectioncenter.com/casereport.html.

There are a number of reasons to avoid surgery: cost, recovery time, invasiveness, risk of failure and a curve that gradually returns over the years. Talk to your doctor about a referral to a chiropractor with experience treating people with scoliosis. Talk to a physical therapist about retraining posture and restoring muscle balance. There are natural ways to relieve your pain.

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

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

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

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

Visiting A TMJ Dentist

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

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

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

1. Joint Vibrational Analysis

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

2. Jaw Tracker Analysis

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

3. Electromyography Analysis

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

4.Tomographic X-Ray Test

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

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

Tension Headache As a Result of Tinnitus

Tension headaches like other types of headaches are experienced by many people. Although studies show that more women tend to experience it more than men, these can be a problem in carrying out your everyday activities.

These horrible headaches can sometimes be caused as a result of the tension created by another ailment, inner ear problems or ringing in the ears.

Tension headaches are medically known as tension-type headaches. These ailments occur mostly in women than in men. Some individuals tend to mix up tension type headaches with migraine headaches and end up taking the wrong medication.

As stated before; tension type headaches can become a serious problem and hinder a person's lifestyle. If you have a loss of appetite, feel tenderness in the scalp area, your neck and shoulder muscles in addition to the pain in your head, you could be suffering from a headache caused by tension.

There are chronic and episodic tension headaches a person could experience. How do we identify each? If you have been suffering from the headache for the last 15 days and have noticed a pattern in the past few months, you are likely to be suffering from a chronic tension headache. Episodic tension type headaches are of a milder version and lasts for a lesser period.

Determining the causes of tension that result in these headaches is quite difficult for doctors. But it is believed that an individual's stress and tension level play a bigger role in the occurrence of a bout of head pain. In addition to having a stressed out life, a person 穩s high intake of caffeine or alcohol, feeling anxious or depressed can all increase the severity of the discomfort you have.

No person can work well when they suffer from headaches. Tension headaches are no different from all other headaches. If you get this type of headache, you will obviously notice a decrease in the total productivity level.

There are some people who do not take any type of treatment for these nuisances and end up in worse situations. Treatment for tension headaches usually includes medical prescriptions for pain killers such as Analgesics and a combination of other medications. Getting a proper diagnosis done is more important than consuming any medicine.

Arthritis - Coping With This Crippling Disease

Many people would associate arthritis with the onset of old age. Although old people may suffer from arthritis, it isn't only the elderly who are affected by arthritis. Many younger people, including some in their teens suffer from some kind of arthritis. Dictionaries define arthritis as being an inflammation of the joints due to infectious, metabolic, or constitutional causes. Obviously that can include a large number of different causes of this illness.

Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints and the cartilage of the joints; furthermore it is an ongoing, degenerative disease. This is probably one of the most difficult aspects of the disease to cope with: although today may be painful, the future will possibly only be worse.

There are more than one hundred different types of arthritis. Two of the most common types are osteoarthritis, caused by the wear and tear exerted on the joints through a lifetime and rheumatoid arthritis, caused by an autoimmune response in the body. Osteoarthritis is the arthritis associated with getting older. This is the version of arthritis that most people think of when talking about arthritis. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, the body is tricked into acting as though there were an infection in the joint. As a result there is swelling, inflammation and pain in that joint as the body endeavors to fight the phantom infection.

The most common medical treatment offered to arthritis patients are NSAID's or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These include aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen. The drawback with these drugs is that they can cause irritation in the intestinal tract and some researchers believe may even make the deterioration of the joints worse.

Alternative treatments for arthritis include the use of Glucosamine Sulfate, turmeric and fish oils. Studies have suggested that glucosamine helps to build cartilage and therefore rebuild the damage done to joints both from wear and tear as well as arthritis. Turmeric, a yellow spice used in curries and prepared mustard, has anti-inflammatory qualities. One of the compounds in turmeric that is so helpful, called curcumin, can be bought in capsule form. Fish oils, particularly EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid), help to fight inflammation. In addition, as omega-3 fatty acids, they contribute to general health in the body.

Coping with arthritis is an ongoing process, given that arthritis tends to get worse over time. Obviously two priorities exist in this coping effort; to help the patient deal with the pain and to aid them in living as independently as possible. The issue of coping with pain will be part of the therapeutic process, using either pain medication and/or alternative methods. Some arthritis gets so bad that surgery is used to affect repair to the joints involved. As far as maintaining independence is concerned, successful therapy will help. If attempts to control the arthritis don't work, then a plan to adjust to limited mobility is called for.

Any degenerative illness like arthritis is a real challenge to the health of the person suffering from it. Not only is the arthritis a painful and crippling disease in the first place; but exercise, something that is necessary for maintaining a healthy weight as well cardiovascular health, can become all but impossible. Although seeking a cure to an arthritic condition may be laudable, a far more effective strategy may be to aim at reducing the pain, healing what can be healed and planning to maintain independent living as long as possible. A cure would be wonderful, but learning to cope with arthritis in the meantime is a good idea.

Stretches and Exercises to Help With Hip Pain

Hip pain is one of the most persistent and painful which a runner can get. If it doesn't force you to stop running, it will surely slow you down. You can, however do the following stretches and exercises to help alleviate your hip pain.

Yoga pigeon - Lay one leg in front of you on the floor with your foot angled towards your pelvis. Put your other leg on the floor behind you with the top of the toes on the floor, and toes pointing directly behind you. While keeping your hips square to the floor, extend forward to stretch. Hold the position and relax for sixty seconds.

Hip hike - Stand sideways on step or curb with one foot off the ledge. Using only your hips, lift and lower the foot that is hanging off the ledge. Do ten reps to start with and build yourself up to thirty during the following weeks.

Side leg raise - Lie on your side with your legs and hips stacked. Keep your toes pointing toward the wall. Slowly raise your top leg as high as you can, keeping strict form all the way up and all the way down. Start with ten repetitions. Build to thirty repetitions during the following weeks.

Knee lean - Lunge forward and put your front leg at a ninety degree angle. Touch your back knee and shin to the floor, and drop your hips. Hold the position for ten seconds to start with. Build to thirty seconds during the following weeks.

How to Get Rid of Gout Tophi Naturally

Tophi gout is that painful stage in gout where horrible-looking 'lumps' appear at the joints. And if left untreated they can cause some serious issues. Luckily, there are drugs that can help, but they can have side effects, and, they need to be taken regularly. But, there are natural treatment alternatives for tophi gout you should discuss with your doctor.

Tophi (tophaceous) gout is caused by the build-up of uric acid salts (monosodium urate crystals) in and around the joints affected by gout. This usually happens as a result of prolonged, frequent, and repetitive gout attacks arising from elevated uric acid levels in the bloodstream.

They are normally seen as chalky-colored, bulging lumps under the skin at the joint(s) affected. And although by far the most common joint for gout is the big toe, tophi can appear in almost any joint. They can also be seen at the ear ridges.

Apart from the fact that they are horrible and unsightly, untreated tophi can eventually lead to serious complications such as permanently damage to joints and surrounding tissue. They can also become ulcerated and septic, so septicemia is a possibility that would need urgent medical attention.

Since tophi is caused by continuously elevated uric acid levels, the key is to reduce those levels and keep them at a level that prevents tophi forming. Of course, this also means that recurring gout attacks are prevented.

There are various drugs available (such as allopurinol) that can help to lower and maintain uric acid at healthier levels. And they seem to work pretty well. But, they are only effective whilst being taken. Once they are stopped there is nothing to prevent uric acid levels rising again. Which is why many sufferers end up taking them for years on end. And, unfortunately, they do have some nasty side effects for many people.

Which is why more and more people are turning to more natural alternatives to get rid of tophi gout. There are many natural remedies that can help to neutralize and lower uric acid levels. There are also remedies that have natural anti-inflammatory properties. Typical are herbs such as alfalfa, burdoch and buchu. Also things like natural kidney cleanses.

But underpinning the whole natural approach is your diet. Since uric acid is actually produced by the breakdown of purines in our bodies and food, gout sufferers, and especially those with tophi gout, need to go on a low-purine diet. Otherwise you are just producing more and more uric acid which your kidneys can't process and excrete efficiently enough.

Dietary information is too detailed to go into here but, generally speaking, gout victims need to avoid high-purine foods within the following groups; red meats, gravy, meat extracts, poultry, fish, shellfish, vegetables, etc. plus, yeast products and alcohol.

The Many Uses of Lemon As a Health Supplement

The lemon is a hybrid citrus tree of cultivated origin. This fruit is used to make juice while its pulp and rind are meant for other uses. Citric acid makes up about 5% of lemon juice which has an acidic (sour) taste and a pH of about 2 or 3. Due to the acidity, lemon juice makes a readily available acid for use in high school chemistry laboratory experiments. Lemons thrive in tropical and sub-tropical climates but can not flourish in frost and extremely cold temperatures. They require an abundance of water but should be permitted to dry out between watering.

Lemon juice is normally sprinkled onto fish dishes because its acidity can neutralize the basicity of the amines found in fish thereby converting them an ammonium salt complex. Furthermore, lemon juice is widely used, in conjunction with other ingredients, when marinating meat before cooking. The citric acid can denature, or break down, the cadherin and cadhesin proteins that hold the meat's muscle fibers together. Therefore, use of lemon juice allows the meat to become tender. It is a myth that lemon juice makes a good antibiotic. In reality, lemon juice that is sprinkled on freshly cut fruit such as pears helps to prevent oxidation (or browning of fruit).

Some people choose to eat lemon as a fruit. By doing so, be sure to consume water afterwards to help wash the citric acid and sugar from the teeth. Failure to do so can promote a favorable environment for tooth decay and other diseases of the dentition. One hundred mL of lemon juice contain about 50 mg of vitamin C and 5 g of citric acid. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is believed that a cup of hot water with lemon juice in it can cleanse and purify the liver.

Lemons are ovoid in shape and light yellow in color and have a thick, rough skin when ripe. When buying lemons, be sure to choose smooth-skinned lemons in case you plan to store lemons for a period of time in your refrigerator. Lemons are plentiful in many food nutrients such as citric acid. They are widely used for medicinal purposes due to their citric acid and vitamin C content. In addition, they are highly regarded for their juice which is many times used as an accessory to food. Lemon juice has the ability to improve the flavor and increase the taste of many different dishes.

According to Jethro Kloss in his book Back to Eden, he writes that lemon is "an antiseptic, or is an agent that prevents sepsis (the presence of pathogenic bacteria) or putrefaction (tissue decomposition).

For those who have symptoms of indigestion such as bloating, heartburn, and belching, they will find that lemon juice can promote relief. By drinking lemon juice on a regular basis, the bowels can eliminate waste more efficiently thus minimizing constipation and diarrhea.

Other nutrients found in lemon include potassium 48.3%, calcium 29.9%, phosphorus 11.1%, and magnesium 4.4%. Lemons have been found useful in treating conditions such as asthma, colds, coughs, diphtheria, liver problems, scurvy, and rheumatism.

Scientists advise that lemon water should be used in every person that has a tolerance for it. That is, if there is no allergic reaction to lemon (as a small percentage of the population does have a true allergic reaction to lemon) and no active ulcers, then all children and adults should ingest lemon water. The juice in lemon provides a natural strengthening reagent to liver enzymes by helping to affix oxygen and calcium in the liver to regulate blood carbohydrate levels, which, in turn, affects blood oxygen levels. The liver can manufacture more enzymes out of fresh lemon juice than any other kind of food.

To treat a sore throat, mix one part lemon juice with one part water and gargle frequently. For those who have asthma, ingest one tablespoon of lemon juice one hour before every meal. For those with liver problems, mix the juice of one lemon with hot water and drink it down one hour before eating breakfast every morning. To break up the flu or influenza, mix the juice of one lemon with hot water and drink it down while at the same time soak your feet in water with mustard added to it. To relieve heartburn, mix two teaspoons of lemon juice with a glass of water and drink. To treat rheumatism, one or two ounces of lemon juice diluted in water should be taken three times a day...one hour before each meal and once at bedtime. To treat scurvy, take one to two ounces of lemon juice diluted with water.

There are many benefits to drinking lemon juice including the prevention of different kinds of disorders, viruses, and diseases.

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  Oral diseases: Due to the high concentration of vitamin C, this property of lemon juice helps to strengthen the gums and teeth. It is also highly effective in the prevention of acute inflammations of the margins of the gums, cavities, and other oral diseases.


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  Digestive problems: Lemon juice promotes the flow of saliva and gastric juice and is looked upon as an excellent digestive agent. It helps to kill intestinal parasites and eliminates gases that form in the gastrointestinal tract. This juice is very beneficial in treating several digestive anomalies such as dyspepsia (acid reflux) and constipation. Drinking fresh lemon juice with water easily relieves acid reflux.


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  Rheumatic affections: Even though lemon has a sour taste, its reaction in the body is basic (or alkaline). Taking advantage of this valuable information can allow one to treat rheumatic affections such as gout, sciatica, low back pain, hip joint pain, and rheumatism, which all result from too much acidity in the body. Taking in adequate amounts of lemon juice can prevent the deposition of uric acid crystals in the tissues and thus help eliminate the possibility of an attack of gout.


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  Circulatory problems: Lemon juice is not only abundant in vitamin C, it is also a rich source of vitamin P (bioflavonoids), which is found both in the juice and the peel of the fruit. Vitamin P is essential for controlling bleeding in a variety of conditions and for promoting capillary integrity. Lemon is highly regarded as a valuable food medicine in the treatment of high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis.


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  Foot relaxation: Soaking your sore feet in hot water is a great way to relax the feet. Then you rub your feet with fresh lemon juice. The heat from the water will promote opening of the pores while subsequent application of lemon juice will provide a cooling, astringent effect. It is believed that this method also promotes healthy sleep.


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  Throat problems: Throat disorders such as catarrh, choking sensations, and itching sensitivities can be relieved by the properties found in lemon juice. A ripe unpeeled lemon should be roasted slowly until it starts to crack open. Then harvest one teaspoon of its juice, add a small amount of honey, and ingest it about once every hour. Sip it slowly.


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  Fevers: Lemon juice is a great thirst-quencher when you are suffering from pox, scarlet, measles, and other fevers. These fevers promote dehydration, polydipsia (extreme thirst), and very hot and dry skin.


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  Cold: If you suffer from a bad cold, juice two lemons and combine with 500 mL of boiling water. Add honey, and take at bedtime. Again, sip it slowly.


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  Cholera: The properties of lemons can kill cholera bacilli instantaneously. Lemons are very effective for this purpose when freshly juiced.

As you can see, lemon juice has many uses as a health supplement. If you are looking for a natural healing alternative to prevent some of the conditions listed here, pick up some lemons at your local grocery store.

Causes of Knee Joint Pain That Can Affect You Daily Life

Knee is said to be the largest and the most complicated joint. It is used in various purposes like standing up, in walking, sitting, running etc. This joint is weight - bearing joint which bends, straightens, rotates and twists. The risk of acute or overuse knee injuries increases with the increase in the motion. It is the most easily injured part of the body.

Acute knee injuries include torn cartilage and torn ligaments. Falling or twisting of the knee is the main cause of this problem. There are certain sports activities which increase the risk of an acute knee injury like running and jumping, sudden stopping and turning, like, soccer, basketball, volleyball, baseball, tennis. It also includes contact sports like wrestling, football and hockey which increase the risk of an acute knee injury.

Sudden knee injuries are caused due to overuse which includes tendinitis, bursitis and muscle strain. In this case, initially the pain is mild and intermittent but over the period the condition gradually worsens. In this condition there occur microscopic tears, even the tendons and the muscles are slightly stressed beyond their capabilities. Pain is caused due to inflammation, which is a part of the healing process. It is necessary to treat overuse injuries in the early stage to prevent chronic problems.

Sometimes knee pain may be the result of excess walking, running or jumping on hard surfaces or uneven ground, in case of excessive running up and down stairs.

A common cause of the knee pain is osteoarthritis. This form of arthritis involves degeneration of cartilage. To maintain strength and flexibility of muscles which supports the knee, exercise is vital. It reduces the stress on the knee joint. Person suffering from this problem has to take pain medications.

It is necessary to prevent knee pain by keeping the muscles which supports the knee, strong and flexible. Brisk walk, before you start to run or slow run before you pace up your speed. Please start slowly. If you are going to engage yourself in a strenuous high impact activities like jogging or running, go for walking at least for a week. If, while walking you feels a knee pain than don't go for walking. Knee exercises are must to avoid the problem of knee pain. Keep your weight under control. Overweight increases the possibility of knee joint pain.

Most of the knee pain is treated conservatively, but there are some situations in which there is a requirement of surgery. Athletes are at an elevated risk for sudden injuries which requires surgery.