The Use of Glucosamine for Joint Pain and Inflammation

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Glucosamine is a naturally occurring chemical in the body that is found in the fluid around the joints. The body produces this amino sugar which is then distributed to the cartilages and other connective tissues. It is now one of the most common dietary supplements used by adults. There are various types of glucosamine including glucosamine sulfate, glucosamine hydrochrloride, and N-acetyl-glucosamine.

For arthritis and joint pain, glucosamine sulfate is frequently used. Because the glucosamine found naturally in the body is utilized to make and repair joint cartilage, glucosamine supplement is widely used to augment the glucosamine supply in the body and help repair damaged cartilage.

In osteoarthritis, the cartilage, or the material that cushions the joints, loses its natural elasticity. It can become very stiff, thus prone to damage. When there is damage to the cartilage, it can lead to swelling, pain, and loss of movement. It usually occurs later in life and most commonly affects the hands and knees.

Aging brings along natural wear and tear that leads to degeneration of joints and loss of cartilage. The cartilage cushions the ends of bones and over time, the smooth surface of the cartilage becomes rough. As the cartilage wears down, the ends of the bones are damaged and this is then felt as joint pain and stiffness.

There is really no cure for osteoarthritis. The goals of management are to relieve pain, preserve function of the joints, and reduce physical disability. Among the medications used are pain killers and cortisone shots. Therapy is likewise helpful. To avoid excessive stress on the joints, maintain ideal weight and use assistive devices.

Some studies have revealed that glucosamine sulfate provided joint pain relief. It is recognized as one of the leading supplements for keeping the joints healthy by providing strength and elasticity. It has also gained popularity as a safe alternative to NSAIDs for relieving pain and inflammation.

Alcohol and Gout - What You Need to Know

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Gout is a medical condition that is characterized by recurrent bouts of sudden stiffness, burning pain, and swelling of a joint, most commonly the big toe. The attacks of gout can recur and over time, the condition can harm the joints, tendons, and other tissues if not treated early.

Although it most often affects the large joint of the big toe, gout can affect other joints including the knees, ankles, feet, elbows, wrists, and hands. It frequently affects one joint at a time. But in chronic cases, it can affect several joints.

Gout is caused by excessive uric acid in the blood, but not all people with elevated uric acid levels develop gout. Gout can seem to flare up without any specific cause.

Some factors are known to bring about gout attacks such as obesity. A high purine diet or a diet that is rich in meat and seafood is another contributing factor. Other factors that may elevate uric acid in the body are certain medicines, rapid weight loss, chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure, and hypothyroidism.

It has been noted that men who drink alcohol may double their likelihood of developing gout. Researchers believe that although genes and environmental factors may lead to gout, regular alcohol consumption has caused an increase in cases of gout in the past three decades. Compared to other alcoholic beverages, beer contains much higher amounts of purines.

The researchers believe that alcohol consumption increases the risk of gout. Alcohol has high purine content that leads to an increased purine load. The digestive process then breaks down the purine compounds, leading to the formation of uric acid. When the uric acid is deposited in the joints, it leads to gout formation by stimulating an intense inflammatory reaction. The result is painful, red, and swollen joints.

Alcohol may also contribute to obesity, which in turn is associated with inadequate excretion of uric acid.
To prevent gout, avoid fish, particularly anchovies, crab, mackerel, sardines, and shrimps. Other foods to avoid are meat, organ meats, and meat extracts. People with history of gout should avoid excessive alcohol consumption or refrain from drinking alcohol altogether.

A gout supplement with cherry extract can help alleviate gout symptoms and has helped many gout sufferers.

Maintaining Healthy Joints with Glucosamine Supplement

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Glucosamine is a naturally occurring chemical in the body found in the fluid that is around the joints. The body produces this amino sugar and distributes it to the cartilages and other connective tissues. It is now one of the most common dietary supplements used by adults. There are several forms of glucosamine including glucosamine sulfate, glucosamine hydrochrloride, and N-acetyl-glucosamine.

Glucosamine sulfate is commonly used for arthritis and joint pain. Since the natural glucosamine found in the body is used to make and repair joint cartilage, glucosamine supplement is widely used to augment the glucosamine supply in the body and help repair damaged cartilage.

In osteoarthritis, the cartilage, or the material that protects the joints, loses its natural elasticity. It may become very stiff, making it prone to damage. When the cartilage is damaged, it can lead to loss of movement, pain, and swelling. Most often, it occurs later in life and usually affects the hands and knees.

The natural wear and tear that comes with aging leads to joint degeneration and loss of cartilage. The cartilage cushions the ends of bones and over time, the smooth surface of the cartilage becomes rough. When the cartilage wears down, the ends of the bones are damaged and this is felt as joint pain and stiffness.

There is no real treatment for osteoarthritis. The goals of management are to relieve pain, preserve joint function, and reduce physical disability. Medications include pain killers and cortisone shots. Therapy is likewise helpful. Avoid stressing the joints, maintain ideal weight, and use assistive devices to reduce stress on the joints.

Some studies have shown that glucosamine sulfate gave relief from joint pain. It is recognized as one of the more popular supplements for keeping the joints healthy by providing strength and elasticity. It has also gained popularity as a safe alternative to NSAIDs for relieving pain and inflammation.

Things You Need to Know About Ankle Arthritis

Image via WikipediaArthritis is the swelling and inflammation of the joints. It comes from the Greek work "arthro" meaning joint and "itis" which means inflammation.

Ankle arthritis is a condition where the ankle joint has been worn out due to the natural wear and tear process and can cause moderate to severe heel pain. Our bones are lined with cartilages inside the joints, very similar to the white stuff seen on a chicken drum stick. If you will notice, this cartilage is very smooth and slippery, very important in reducing any friction during articulation.

Now if your ankle joint develops arthritis, the cartilage bone loses its smooth and slippery qualities. This causes severe pain and can lead to secondary complications in the joint called synovitis. This also occurs when the soft tissues within the joints get inflamed.

Common conditions that can lead to ankle arthritis:

    * Previous injury to the ankle like frequent sprains can damage the cartilages.

    * Being obese can put a lot of stress to the ankle. These patients also accelerate the extent of damage to the joints.

    * Infections. Infection to the joints can eat away the smooth surface of the cartilages.

    * Genetics

There are several treatments for ankle arthritis. Resting is the simplest yet effective way  to manage ankle pain due to arthritis. Taking pain killers help but are not recommended since you are masking the pain therefore can lead to further injury. Ankle Distraction is a technique where the ankle joint is literally pulled apart for several weeks. This promotes healing of the damaged cartilage and has a very good success rate in reducing pain.

Also, our joints begin to stiffen as we age. During this time, Omega-3 fatty acids also help support healthy joints, joint flexibility and range of motion.Glucosamine is a natural compound that is found in healthy cartilage. It has been used in the complementary therapies in osteoarthritis, available joint smoother supplements.

Knowing Ankle Arthritis and How To Treat It

Image via WikipediaArthritis is commonly seen among the elderly and can affect any joints in the body. The usual symptom of arthritis is joint pain. There are two types of pain associated with arthritis: acute and chronic pain. Acute pain is temporary. Chronic pain is persisting pain, it doesn't go away. The severity of pain may lessen but it's still there. Chronic pain is always associated is osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Chronic pain is always occurs on weight bearing joints. Arthritis affecting the ankles is an excellent example. This involves joints between the shin bone and ankle bone or better known as tibiotalar joint and can cause severe heel pain.

Ankle arthritis almost always affects the elderly because of the natural degeneration of the joints. Every joint has a special tissue called cartilage bone. Every joint has this type of bone and it has a very smooth surface. As we get older, the smooth surface kind of roughens a bit and this is the cause of the arthritis pain. In worse cases, the cartilage can get totally worn out and the actual bones are rubbing against each other. Obviously this causes excruciating pain.

Ankle arthritis can also be found in the younger age group especially if the joint got injured. Cartilages can get damaged due to frequent sprains and causes a condition called osteochndritis dissicans. Being overweight can also put too much stress to the joints and the cartilages get to rub hard at each other because of the weight.

ESWT: The Safest Way To Treat Foot and Joint Pains

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Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy or ESWT is a new treatment modality used for heel pain or foot pain and different kinds of joint pains. This new medical device is approved in the US by the FDA for treating foot pain due to plantar fasciitis and tennis elbow. There are many more future approvals from the FDA with the use of ESWT for other health conditions like Achilles tendinitis, patella tendinitis and a lot more.

ESWT is a unique treatment because it stimulates the natural healing properties of the body and can cure chronic pain. There are two theories on how this device promotes tissue healing:

1. The shock waves produced by ESWT machine induce microscopic injuries to the affected area, creating new growth of vascularisation. Increased vascularisation means more blood flow to the injured muscle tissues, ligaments and tendons.
2. Since there are minute injuries due to the shock wave, the body naturally treats the newly induced injuries and at the same time heals old joint injuries that the body has been ignoring or desensitized to. This makes ESWT very ideal for treating chronic pain.

Extracorporeal is a medical term which means that a medical procedure is done outside the body. It is a low-risk and non-invasive procedure with minimal or no side effects.

The procedure is simple and is very similar to ultrasound. First, the damaged tissue is located around the painful area of the body. Once the targeted tissue is found, multiple shockwaves are introduced to create micro injuries which actually help to induce the natural healing process, creating new tissue growth and therefore repairing new or chronically damaged tendons.

This is all done in just 30 minutes and depending on the extent of damage, it may require successive sessions to treat the pain. For some patients, the pain relief is observed with a single treatment, for some pain relief is gradual. There are complaints of minimal pain after the procedure but this is rare.