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.