More On Arthritis And Joint Pain

Posted: August 23rd, 2010 | Author: Dr. Bill Stillwell | No Comments »

I got a pretty big response from yesterday’s post about arthritis
and joint pain, so I’m going to offer you some more of my thoughts
on this subject. Arthritic disease includes 100 different conditions
and is the most common form of disability in the country, one that
afflicts about 30 million Americans.

It’s a disease that starts with minor aches and pains and eventually
leads to chronic pain, stiffness, swelling and limited range of
joint motion, usually in the knees, hips, spine, hands and feet.

My own first line of defense is to carry the formula I talked about
yesterday, Dr. Bill’s Joint Health Formula and also my Powerhouse
Omega Formula. I combine both of these, to get relief from the aches
and pains I suffered when I fell through the ceiling in my home,
years ago:

https://www.favoriteformulas.com/jointhealth?awt_l=GnZNU&awt_m=1kyZeLR0p2z2rW

As the native population (that’s us) has grown older and heavier,
the incidence of arthritis has shot upward, like a missile. That
means that 1 in 10 Americans suffers from some form of arthritis.
Obesity related arthritis is up almost 500% since the disco years
(the 70′s).

The financial toll of arthritis wouldn’t trouble Obama or Congress,
but it’s a whopping $128 billion a year. As Barry Goldwater used to
say, “A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon you’re talking
about real money.”

As I told you yesterday, many arthritis sufferers try to manage
their pain by using high doses of aspirin, or ibuprofen and other
OTC NSAID’s (over the counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs). Who doesn’t have some of these in their medicine cabinet?

The main drawback of NSAID’s is that they can irritate the lining of
the stomach and they can and do cause gastrointestinal bleeding,
which is very difficult to manage and often life threatening. When
Celebrex was introduced (Celebrex is a COX-2 inhibitor, like a
“super aspirin”), it was thought that it would eliminate the G.I.
side effects of the NSAID’s. But studies have since revealed that it
has the same problem and, in addition, it can have serious
cardiovascular consequences.

Now, my new formula is certainly going to help your arthritis, and
so will the fish oil, but there are foods you can eat that will help
manage, or help lessen your pain, too.

Before I tell you that, let me tell you what Dr. Andrew Weil says,
because it’s good to have a fellow physician, of some renown, agree
with you.

Dr. Weil says that “refined, processed and manufactured foods can
intensify arthritic pain, because they contain high amounts of
inflammatory fats, carbohydrates and additives. Processed foods,
such as cookies, crackers and almost all snacks are prepared with
refined soybean oil, which is loaded with pro inflammatory omega 6
fatty acids.”

Thousands of these foods also contain high fructose corn syrup
(HFCS), which disrupts metabolism and stimulates the production of
inflammatory substances.

Here’s the “Boil it down for me Bubba” line: Ditch the junk food.

Now…about those foods that can help.

Chile peppers. The easiest way to do this is to add some hot sauce
to your diet.

Ginger. Ginger contains the enzyme zingibain, which is a powerful
anti-inflammatory. Ginger can be added to all kinds of recipes. It
also contains four COX-2 inhibitors (like Celebrex), but there are
no side effects.

Pomegranate. 8 ounces of the juice will save you the trouble of
playing with the fruit itself. It’s full of anti oxidants and anti
inflammatories.

Green Tea. Green Tea contains seven COX-2 inhibitors, including
catechin, which may slow cartilage breakdown. Try drinking five cups
a day (about 1 quart).

Turmeric. In India, where turmeric is used all the time in cooking,
it is also considered a medicine. The trinity of Indian cooking is
garlic, ginger and turmeric. Turmeric contains curcumin, a very
strong anti oxidant that protects against free radical damage. It
also reduces inflammation, by reducing histamine levels, and
possibly by stimulating the adrenal glands to produce more cortisol,
the body’s stress hormone and a natural painkiller.

Grapefruit, the herb oregano and pineapple can also be helpful.

https://www.favoriteformulas.com/jointhealth?awt_l=GnZNU&awt_m=1kyZeLR0p2z2rW

What’s that old saying? “May food be your medicine and medicine be
your food.” Aristotle…I’m pretty sure. He was on the money,
thousands of years ago.

I’ll be back tomorrow with more.

With my best wishes for your optimum health,

Dr. Bill

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