Definition
Osteoarthritis, (OA) is the most prevalent form of arthritis. The condition affects approximately 27 million Americans. Under the age of forty five, more men than women are diagnosed with OA, frequently as a result of accidental injuries. However, after the age of 45, women are 3 times more likely to develop Osteoarthritis than men. Nearly one-third of all adults in the United States have evidence of osteoarthritis in the hands, feet, arms, or legs. For those 65 and older the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis is more than 75%.
Osteoarthritis causes the breakdown of cartilage, which is the smooth, gelatinous tissue which prevents the bones from grinding against each other. Healthy cartilage protects the bones, however, in those with OA, the cartilage is worn away, allowing bones to make direct contact. As the illness progresses, direct contact creates bone spurs and irregular bone hardening, and results in inflammation and severe pain as bones continue to rub together without proper cushioning. Consequently, bones may become more fragile and are subject to fracture.
Types of Osteoarthritis
There are two types of osteoarthritis: Primary and secondary. Primary OA is arthritis that has developed as a result of the aging process. The onset of secondary OA is gradual as the disease usually progresses over the course of many years.
Supplementary osteoarthritis is less common, but has a more apparent, direct cause such as stress, injury, prior inflammation (from rheumatoid arthritis symptoms), congenital combined misalignment, infection, surgery, or prolonged use of medications.
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
Mild early-morning stiffness, stiffness following periods rest, pain that worsens on joint use, loss of joint function, local tenderness, gentle tissue inflammation, creaking as well as cracking of joints upon movement, bone swelling, and restricted range of motion.
Causes of Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is recognized by many to be a natural result of aging. Nearly everyone older than 60 exhibits some indicators of the disease. Excess weight, common wear and tear, along with a lifetime of insufficient diet and exercise are the chief causes of osteoarthritis. Additional causes can be skeletal defects, genetic factors, and hormonal deficiencies (as evidenced by the number of women who get osteoarthritis following menopause).
The degenerative form of arthritis entails an ongoing biochemical processes that negatively adjusts the framework and regrowth of cartilage material and combined tissues. These biochemical processes include free-radical damage, nutritional deficiencies, poor dietary and lifestyle choices, food or environment allergies, genetic predisposition, as well as drug treatments recommended for pain relief. In a variety of combinations, these types of factors often cause or even contribute to alterations in the bio-mechanics of the important joints and muscles.
In some people, a deficiency in the gene that prompts cartilage tissue to produce collagen (the structural proteins of the connective tissue) breaks down. This leads to degenerative joint pain.
Patients with osteoarthritis frequently display a blood insulin resistance or deficiency. Blood insulin resistance, considered a precursor to adult-onset diabetes, is really a blood sugar condition that occurs when the body fails to respond to the effects associated with insulin within the blood. This makes it more difficult for the body to use sugar (glucose) for energy. Changes in insulin manufacturing can also stimulate the body to create more inflammatory prostaglandins, which adversely affect joints.
Biomechanical changes, particularly excessive cell acidity, may also contribute to the introduction of osteoarthritis. Whenever joints lose their full range of motion because of stress, injuries or insufficient activity, the cartilage is decreased and breakdown follows. As a result, well balanced motion is hindered and the surrounding cartilage starves. The body replaces the deterioration in the joints with calcium, leading to the formation of hard, inflexible deposits that cause joint stiffness. Osteoarthritis may also develop as a result of traumatic injuries to cartilage caused by playing sports, accidents, or activity involving repetitive motion.
Organic Cures
Acupuncture: A combination of traditional Chinese medicine with chiropractic care for treating arthritis, specifically in cases of osteoarthritis, is a very common approach for dealing with the disease.
Aromatherapy: The following essential oils are excellent for dealing with osteoarthritis. The essential oils of camphor, peppermint or raw unroasted sesame oil applied externally can also be helpful. Lemon or marjoram oil also works well and may be applied directly to impacted joints, unless of course skin is highly sensitive, whereby mix essential oil with raw sesame, almond or extra virgin olive oil.
Ayurveda Treatments: Osteoarthritis may stem from a metabolic lack of fluids which leaves joints dry. Bacterial parasites that can cause joint problems are another common issue. Ayurveda herbs are recommended to promote digestion and immune function. In particular, triphala can cleanse the intestines and aids in digestion.
To increase joint mobility as well as protect important joints from additional damage, flaxseeds, fish natural oils, and Boswellia are recommended. Oil massages are beneficial with sesame or olive oil. For inflamed joints, massaging with castor oil helps draw toxins from the body.
Breathing exercises to relieve stiffness of the joints and to increase oxygenation are also important. For osteoarthritis patients, a regimen of inhaling and exhaling patterns, flexing of the important joints of the fingers, feet, and elbows, and yoga positions can improve symptoms. After exercising, professionals suggest a warm soak in a bath enhanced with baking soda, sodium, ginger, peppermint, and eucalyptus. For many sufferers, Ayurveda treatment can heal their condition in 3-4 months.
Bodywork: Osteoarthritis is directly related to skeletal and postural difficulties. Tendons and ligaments can be torn or even stretched as a result of injury, exercise, or aging. The fascial tissues (thin sheets of connective tissue that hold muscles, joints, and organs collectively) tend to become thick and rigid from excessive use. When the body tries to compensate, spurs might appear in joints and on bones. Bodywork can alter postural difficulties. Restoration of correct, natural posture through heavy massage and movement can reduce pain.
Therapeutic massage not only helps to break-up muscle waste deposits that may cause pain but also stimulates blood circulation which helps provide oxygen and other necessary healing nutrients. Arthritis sufferers should pursue a therapeutic massage program a minimum of 2-3 times per week in the early stages, after that once a week for many months, with a maintenance routine of twice a month.
Rolfing has helped many joint disease sufferers. The process was originally devised by Ida P. Rolf, Ph.D., the biochemist who used the technique to deal with her own arthritis. She recognized that extending fascial tissues could help heal an arthritic disturbance. Rolfing repositions the body in a balanced position with the law of gravity.
Chiropractic: The preferred, drug-free remedy for joint disease, chiropractic care has proven to be highly effective. Osteoarthritis is usually falsely diagnosed, and the painful symptoms are actually caused by misalignment, or subluxation of spinal vertebrae and important joints. Chiropractic adjustments can restore a full range of movement and free sufferers of pain.
Estimates show that 95% of osteoarthritic cases also have misaligned vertebrae. Misaligned vertebrate can produce abnormal stress, leading to osteoarthritis. Hips, legs, ankles, and other joints may also be out of position, causing bone fragments spurs to form in these important joints. Regular chiropractic care visits coupled with proper nourishment can relieve “wear and tear” on our bodies.
Diet: Diet plan plays an integral part in decreasing or preventing the onset of all types of arthritic problems. A diet that includes excess usage of greasy meats, hydrogenated fats such as margarine or shortening, and conventionally created dairy products creates highly acidic conditions within the blood. For healing to occur, these foods must be minimized if not eliminated entirely in the diet. Caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and all refined sugars, ought to be eliminated. Replace processed sugars with natural sweeteners or naturally sweet fruits. An occasional green tea is okay if caffeine is desired, and alcoholic beverages should only be consumed in moderation, such as a glass of wine for special events only.
Soft drinks are high in phosphoric acid, which can dangerously elevate phosphorus amounts in the bloodstream. The normal percentage of calcium to phosphorus in bone fragments is around 2 to 1, although a 1-to-1 ratio is actually adequate to keep skeletal growth. However, within the average American diet, this ratio is extremely skewed, and is very high in phosphorus relative to calcium. This causes the body to pull calcium supplement from the bone fragments to supplement blood calcium levels, which could exacerbate arthritic conditions.
An important part of dealing with arthritis is maintaining normal body weight, because excess weight places increased stress on joints affected with joint disease. A diet rich in fresh vegetables, with a wide variety of fruits, nuts, and whole grain products is recommended for maximum nutritional benefit. Whole (unprocessed) meals are rich in the nutrients needed to battle destructive free radicals, promote skin and tissue health, restore bones, muscles, and tendons, and enhance bowel frequency. Additionally, consuming a whole foods diet will gently and slowly detox the system, ultimately resulting in higher energy. Feel inspired to eat better, exercise, and follow through with required lifestyle changes in order to achieve a healthy well-being.
Dietary fats are important to be aware of for anyone with arthritis. The wrong kind of fat can increase inflammation in joints, while the “good” fat will help decrease inflammation. Hydrogenated fats and trans-fatty acids can directly bring about inflammation and associated destruction of the joints. Avoid meals that contain these types of fats, such as margarine, vegetable shortening, mayonnaise, crackers, chips, cookies, cakes, pastries, packaged breads, candy, and many refined meals. Read all food labels, and do not buy or consume food that contains partially hydrogenated oils, canola oil or any artificial, chemically generated fats.
Whole foods are typically high in healthy fats, such as the essential fatty acids (such as Omega-3 and omega-6 oils). Cold-water seafood is a good source of essential fatty acids, as are flax and hemp seed oils. All are valuable for the prevention of arthritis because of their anti-inflammatory characteristics. Arthritis patients demonstrated major medical improvement whenever supplementing their diets with cod liver oil, which may reduce the inflammation.
Additionally, the exotic goji, acai berry, and Noni juice, are especially strong antioxidants and are great for counteracting excess inflammation. Pomegranate fruit extracts have been shown to block enzymes which contribute to cartilage degradation, particularly in cases of osteoarthritis.
As mentioned above, arthritis victims commonly have high levels of acidity which increases their potential for developing inflammatory conditions. Reduce your intake of acid-developing foods and increase your consumption of alkaline-reducing foods in order to decrease acidity. (See our pH area for comprehensive information, at home testing, and diet methods.) The most acidic foods are sugar, alcohol, vinegar, espresso, meat, trans fats, citrus fruits, and dairy products. Meals known to increase the alkalinity in the body include all vegetables, especially large amounts of fresh raw salad greens, kale, chard, collards, aloe vera, and eco-friendly foods, such as chlorella, plankton, barley grass, wheat grass, parsley, and alfalfa.
Undergo testing for potential food allergies and sensitivities and avoid those meals to which you test positive. Consider a rotation diet or even elimination diet plan to reduce the likelihood of food allergies.
Nutrition and diet are key factors in the recovery and elimination of imbalance and disease. For a complete, nourishment packed, whole foods eating plan, browse the Whole Foods Diet. You can print these complete articles for easy reference.
The Raw Food Diet – The raw food diet is a food plan that can have great advantages. After a few months of following the suggested basic whole foods diet, one can then transition into a high level raw or 100% raw food diet, as desired. This particular diet consists of raw as well as live meals only, and includes a wide selection of uncooked fruits, vegetables, soaked and sprouted nuts and seeds and ocean vegetables, with a wide variety of creative combinations. If choosing an uncooked food plan, we highly recommend daily consumption of fresh green juices, produced from an array of green vegetables, such as celery, romaine lettuce, spinach, carrots, kale, and parsley, with an ever rotating periodic selection of other organic vegetables. Daily salad meals, dehydrated flax crackers, seed and nut pates, blended soups, smoothies and marinated veggie salads, frequently mixed with drenched sea veggies are the base of the raw food diet. Since virtually no cooked meals are consumed, a raw diet has the advantage of instant elimination of numerous common things that trigger allergies. No cooked wheat, whole wheat byproducts or grains (usually) are consumed, and very small, if any, dairy products. Uncooked foodists can sometimes include small quantities of dairy, typically as cultured uncooked goat or sheep’s whole milk yogurt or kefir, which is usually homemade (these items can occasionally be found online or even from local sources).
Raw food creates rapid outcomes because of its capability to thoroughly detoxify and liberate your body’s previously untapped energy. Dr. Gabriel Cousens, of the Tree of Life Center in Patagonia Arizona, endorses the raw food plan as the ultimate recovery diet, and offers delicious 100% uncooked meals at the café at all of the recovery retreats he offers.
We recommend the raw meals diet for long term cleaning and detoxing. Eating primarily raw meals for 3-12 months can be an incredible way to help improve energy, detoxify your body, and provide support for letting go of long time meals addictions. Most of us consume a variety of addictive foods, from sugar to pasta. The addictive nature of these foods is often ignored, even in the healthiest of food programs. When consuming raw, these items are instantly eliminated, hence freeing up power the body may use to recover.
It is important to note when choosing the raw food diet you may have to deal with trade-offs. You might miss cooked foods, although you will not miss your disease. More often than not the raw meals diet is an incredible tool that can be used to promote greater health and well-being.
Environmental Medicine: Allergic reactions and allergy-like sensitivities in many cases are factors that contribute to the painful signs and symptoms in arthritis patients. Theron G. Randolph, M.D., the creator of environmental medicine, discovered the link between arthritis/allergic reactions and environmental chemical substances in foods. His research with over 100,000 joint disease patients found commonly consumed foods which contained chemical compounds (ranging from gas, paints, perfume, and hairspray to pesticides, tobacco, and tobacco smoke) caused a lot of his patients’ symptoms.
Additional research has discovered that meals, chemicals, grasses, pollen, molds, and other air-borne substances caused allergic reactions within the joints of nearly 85% of the arthritics in one study. Food additives, in addition to foreign invaders like protozoa, bacteria, yeast, and fungus, can also trigger or worsen arthritic symptoms.
Although any food can theoretically bring about an allergic reaction in a person, this checklist includes the most typical food allergens of arthritis patients: Milk products, beef, wheat, yeast (baker’s as well as brewers), eggs, chocolate, grapefruits, sugar, nut products (especially peanuts), corn, green or yellow-colored wax coffee beans, and dark vegetables (eggplants, Irish potatoes, all types of peppers, paprika, tomato plants and tobacco).
All arthritis patients should be tested for food allergic reactions. Once you have identified the foods you’re allergic to, the next step is to eliminate them from your diet. Initially, you should completely refrain from eating all allergenic foods for 60-90 days. After this period, you can begin to slowly reintroduce all of them into your diet plan. You should also vary the foods that you simply eat on a daily basis to avoid building new allergic reactions.
Cleansing and Detoxification might help arthritis sufferers reverse the accumulation of toxins which otherwise promote the damage of combined tissues and contribute to other degenerative problems. Many methods of detoxification are available, including colon as well as bowel cleaning therapies, kidney and gallbladder flushes, and homeopathic remedies. Related therapies for detoxing include bodywork, lymphatic drainage, aromatherapy, antioxidant support, and nutritional and herbal supplements to bolster the organs which detoxify the body.
Fasting is another detoxing strategy used to reduce allergy symptoms and the related arthritic signs and symptoms. During a fast, a patient usually consumes only high-nutrient soup broths, purified water, and vegetable/ fruit juices. Following this kind of treatment under an alternative doctor’s care for several weeks can prove very useful, and decreases the number of immune complexes (the substances formed when antibodies attach to antigens) circulating within the blood.
Physical Exercise and Physiotherapy: Isometric workouts, stretching, and yoga can help ease arthritis pain.
Herbal Treatments: Lignum vitae (Guiacum officinale and Guiacum sanctum) is a tree native to South Florida, the Caribbean, and South America. The gum of the tree (guaia) contains healing resins and oils used as a pain reliever for arthritis, rheumatism, and gout pain.
Other recommended herbs consist of licorice and alfalfa.
Liquid Therapy: With regard to treating osteoarthritis, the following liquid combinations are recommended: Celery juice throughout the acute inflammation stage, then carrot, celery, and cabbage juice or carrot, beet, and cucumber.
Microcurrent Treatment: Devices that produce low-degree electrical current that is suitable for the body, like the TENS device, may help to reduce swelling, jerks, and increase muscle versatility. Most optional health clinics employ some form of electrotherapy for pain control, this may include, though is not limited to, microcurrent therapy, or discomfort eliminator technology.
Nutritional Supplements: Vitamin C might help repair healthy connective tissue, and is essential for collagen production and the maintenance of joint tissue.
Vitamins A, B1, B6, E, and B3 are all highly effective for treating and preventing arthritis. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient, considered to be both a vitamin and a hormone. This controls the absorption of calcium as well as phosphorus utilized in bone formation.
Cartilage-building dietary supplements provide the energy needed to rebuild damaged cartilage material and stop the unnecessary destruction of wholesome cells. In addition, sulfate supplementation can be especially effective for helping reverse arthritis. Glucosamine plays an integral part in stimulating ligament and brand new cartilage development essential to repair damage caused by arthritis.
Research in Milan, Italy, treated 80 osteoarthritis patients with glucosamine sulfate. Most patients experienced reduction in discomfort, tenderness, and overall signs and symptoms. Examination of cartilage samples in the patients treated with glucosamine sulfates showed they shared many structural aspects of healthy cartilage material. The researchers concluded that glucosamine sulfate rebuilt broken cartilage, thereby reducing discomfort and other symptoms. Chondroitin sulfate is another supplement, often used in conjunction with glucosamine, which appears to protect joints from wearing down.
Calcium and magnesium are also essential nutrients in the fight against joint disease. Calcium is essential for bone fragments, joint, muscle, and ligament health, while magnesium is necessary for calcium’s proper incorporation into bone, by preventing a buildup of calcium within the soft tissue and joints. Most people consume too much calcium and never enough magnesium. High proteins diets, which are common for many Americans, contain a lot of phosphorus, which binds up the mineral magnesium and makes it unavailable for the body to use.
Boron helps maintain bone fragments and joint function and activates the metabolism of vitamin D. There are low levels of boron in the soil – and thus in foods grown in that soil –which has been connected in many countries to increased osteoarthritis amounts. Boron supplementation helps to reduce the excretion of calcium and magnesium which are both important in bone structure as well as muscle function.
Cetyl myristoleate, a rare anti-arthritis substance created artificially, acts as a lubrication for important joints and muscle tissue and has anti-inflammatory effects.
Sulfur contains compounds utilized by the entire body to regenerate cartilage tissue, maintain mobile functions, and produce the peptide L-glutathione, which is an antioxidant used by the liver in order to process toxins. S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) is an organic substance made by the human body. In a single double-blind research, SAMe reduced pain in osteoarthritis sufferers as effectively as the drug ibuprofen, and produced less side effects.
Alternative Professional Treatment
The following therapies are useful for treating osteoarthritis: Acupressure, traditional Chinese medicine, Bodywork, Chiropractic care, Craniosacral Treatment, Energy Medicine (electrodermal screening), Enzyme Treatment, Magentic Area Therapy, Mind/Body Medicine, Naturopathic Medicine, Orthomolecular Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Prolotherapy, Qigong, Reflexology, Tai Chi, and Yoga. (See Resources for additional information regarding these Alternative Therapies).