Boswellia

Arthritis Information

Current statistics show that 43 million people currently suffer with arthritis up from 37 million just 3 years ago in 2001. Add to this that 87 million Americans over age 50 have a slow down of joint cartilage rebuilding and another 50 million suffer from muscle or joint pain from conditions other than arthritis.

Why is arthritis on the increase?

• Americans are living longer. Arthritis is the oldest documented disease.
• Americans are more active
• repetitive joint syndrome more prevalent
• more over weight persons

Arthritis refers to the condition that causes inflammation and damage to the joints and their connective tissue. A collection of immune system cells and molecules at a target site is broadly referred to as inflammation. Inflammation is not always a bad thing. If a finger, for example, has an infected paper cut, inflammation is the body's way of attracting white blood cells to go to the infected area, release antibodies, and spur the immune system to kill the invaders and promote healing. Sometimes inflammation persists past the point of healing and this is considered chronic inflammation. Osteoarthritis is considered a chronic inflammatory disease. However, if a person has an autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakenly attacks self, targeting the cells, tissues, and organs of a person's own body. Rheumatoid arthritis is considered an autoimmune disease and also has a chronic inflammation component.

There are two major forms of arthritis:

1. osteoarthritis which normally occurs in older persons and effects the weight bearing joints and the hands.
• primary - no identifiable cause
• secondary - former injury (i.e. sports injury)
2. rheumatoid arthritis which is usually seen in younger persons

Arthritis Risk Factors

• Age: smooth cartilage softens, becomes frayed and pitted. In youth this cartilage is repaired.
• Increased body weight
• Women affected more than men in general
• Single men more affected than married men.
• Family history

The goal of treatment is to reduce the symptoms.

To be successful in symptom relief, all five elements of inflammation must be considered.

5 elements of inflammation:

1. heat
2. swelling
3. redness
4. pain
5. limited range of motion

Chronic pain is end result of inflammation.

Chronic pain can leads to:

• depression
• anxiety
• loss of sleep
• loss of productivity

Inflammation is a response of the tissue to injury or over stress. Block the inflammation and the pain is stopped!

Aspirin and ibuprofen are non-steroidal pain relievers (NSAIDs). To understand how these pain relievers work we must understand how pain is generated.

As we all know, hormones are chemical messengers between organs. Hormones excreted by one organ will stimulate or suppress the target organ. Prostaglandins are messengers between cells or the cells within an organ. Prostaglandins are assembled in an assembly line like process requiring raw materials along the way. Enzymes are required to construct the raw materials into prostaglandins. The two main enzymes required for prostaglandin construction are COX 1 and COX 2.

COX 1 is the good guy. It maintains the stomach lining preventing ulcer formation. COX 2 is the bad guy since it promotes inflammation.

NSAIDS block Cox 2 but also block Cox 1 thereby causing stomach irritation.

Minimize Arthritis Pain

Minimize arthritis pain by developing the following habits:

• Use good body mechanics
• Use your hands wisely and carefully
• Use the strongest joint available for the job
• Keep your joints moving. Synovial fluid, normally a viscous (thick), straw colored substance found in small amounts in joints, bursae, and tendon sheaths, nourishes joints as there is no blood supply into cartilage. During exercise, vital nutrients necessary for cartilage repair are “worked” into the cartilage by the synovial fluid. Exercises which do not involve weight bearing may provide the best results. These exercises include swimming, water aerobics or biking. Check with local fitness facilities for classes especially designed for persons with arthritis.
• Avoid overworking your joints
• Listen to your pain
• Use a soothing joint and muscle pain relief cream. It's applied where it hurts and it works in minutes. This cream is based on a patent-pending liposome technology for enhanced penetration. It provides temporary relief from minor joint and muscle pain, including arthritis pain, back aches, sports injuries, sore muscles, and more. It is so fast, soothing, and effective; you'll want one for your medicine cabinet, purse, and gym bag, too! This non-greasy, fast-absorbing, deeply penetrating, topical cream soothes in minutes.
• Consider complementary therapies, such as acupuncture and massage, that can help you feel better
• There are numerous studies documenting the deleterious effects of stress on health. Make time for friends and family. Find ways of relaxing throughout the day. Consider meditation, deep breathing exercises, visualization techniques or prayer.
• Maintain optimal nutrition. All illness increase nutritional needs, arthritis is no different.

Diet is very important.

Foods that increase inflammation:

• red meat. Eat only once a week
• processed meat
• organ meat
• fried foods
• high fat dairy (low fat dairy usually okay)
• some sensitive to gluten (wheat protein)
• Reduce or eliminate alcohol, caffeine and refined sugar. Carbonated drinks should be severely restricted.

Keep a food diary to see if certain foods increase pain. Upon arising in the morning, rate your symptoms. Symptoms are usually worse after inactivity or over use of joint. If you’re having an especially bad morning and you haven’t abused your joints, check your food diary to see what you ate yesterday. After a while a pattern may immerge. You can try eliminating foods one at a time.

Eat a healthy, balanced diet that concentrates on whole, unprocessed foods. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. In general, the more fruits and vegetables are processed, the less nutritive value they have. Eat whole grains or foods made from whole grains. Beans (legumes) are a healthy, low fat source of protein and vitamins. Seeds and nuts contain essential fatty acids.

Nutrients helpful in easing arthritis

• EPA requirements are greatly increased in arthritics. Greenland’s Eskimo’s have only 4% of our rate of arthritis. Their diet is much higher in omega-3 (EPA) than the average American diet. Some researchers feel that arthritis is a nutritional deficit of EPA! Be aware that farm raised salmon is lower in EPA than wild salmon. 10 EPA a day is equal to one serving of salmon.
• GLA Some preliminary information indicates that GLA, from borage oil, or black currant seed oil, may diminish joint pain, swelling, and morning stiffness. GLA may also allow for reduction in the amount of pain medication used by those with rheumatoid arthritis. The studies to date, however, have been small in size. Additional research would be helpful, including testing a proposed theory that using GLA and EPA (an omega-3 fatty acid from fish and fish oil) together would be helpful for rheumatoid arthritis. The recommended dosage for rheumatoid arthritis is 1,400 mg per day of GLA.
• Glucosamine can act in as little as one week. It protects and helps rebuild the structure of the joint. It can arrest the progression of the disease. It is especially effective when combined with cat’s claw. Cat’s claw is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and reduces pain on exertion.
  
  

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  New Information: You might have read about some nutrition studies recently in the newspaper. I am posting this information in hopes it will help clarify the issues brought up by the studies. The following information was put out by Dr.Jamie McManus, Chairman, Medical Affairs, Health Sciences & Education, Shaklee Corporation.

  The GAIT study (Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial), conducted by NIH, looked at people with osteoarthritis and gave them either glucosamine, chondroitin a combination of these two, or Celebrex or a placebo. The headlines read that neither supplements showed any benefits (the end point of the study was a reduction in knee pain)---but the details are far different. Again, we know that both of these supplements have a large number of studies that have shown benefit for people with mild to moderate arthritis. In the GAIT study, when you look at those people who had mild to moderate (rather than severe) osteoarthritis, both glucosamine alone and the combination of glucosamine and chondroitin showed benefit. The end point of the study was a subjective one (decrease in pain) and, interestingly saw a 60% reduction in pain with placebo (again speaking to the subjective nature of the study design)! So, again, the limitations of the study affects the data. Additionally, remember that our Joint Health Complex contains glucosamine as well as Cat's Claw, which is a special ingredient unique to our product that is clinically proven to support joint flexibility and function---and maintaining function and flexibility is exceedingly important to slowing the progression of arthritis.
  

  
  

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• Vitamin E is important to protect the polyunsaturated fats found in EPA and GLA. Inflammation increases oxidation. Therefore EPA and GLA are at greater risk of oxidation. Many doctors worry that consuming more than 800 IU of Vitamin E a day may lead to toxicity. However, a five year Cornell University study followed people taking up to 3200 IU of Vitamin E a day and found no ill effects or toxicity.
• Vitamin C is needed to protect Vitamin E. Vitamin C need is increased under stress. It is also essential for formation of collagen which eventually becomes cartilage. Some nutritionists recommend taking 4000 to 6000 mg a day. This doesn’t seem extreme when you consider that the zoo RDA for vitamin C for monkeys is 3400 mg.
• B vitamins have long been considered the “Happy Vitamins”. B vitamins are essential to combat stress. Aspirin also increases the need for B complex. B vitamins are also needed to release energy from food.
• Vitamin D supplementation is important in areas with low sun light, such as the northern states, or elderly who don't get enough sun. Consider 1200 mg per day.
• Calcium and magnesium are needed for healthy muscle contraction. They help with stiffness.
• Alfalfa has historically been used for allergy, arthritis and asthma. Consider taking 14 capsules a day. This is about equivalent to a heaping teaspoon or the amount of alfalfa in an alfalfa salad. Some theorize that it alkalizes the blood.

Bowel health is necessary to eliminate toxins.

To promote bowel health:

• Drink 8 – 10 glasses of clean water. Proper hydration is necessary for synovial fluid production.
• Eat food high in fiber or take a fiber supplement
• Exercise to facilitate movement of food through the bowel
• Supplement with probiotics to promote optimal balance of healthy organisms in the bowel. Check for guarantee of live organism delivered to intestine. Most only say they were live in factory.
• Take a laxative when necessary

Joint & Muscle Pain Solutions!

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.