This newsletter contains the following articles:

• Osteoarthritis, the reasons we get it and various medical and non medical treatments that can help you.
• Colds and flu and ways of preventing them with hygiene and herbs to ward off mild symptoms.

Housekeeping 

To advise you that the clinic will be closed from Tuesday 24 September and will reopen on Friday 25 October.

Osteoarthritis, symptoms, contributing factors and 4 medical and non drug treatments

There  are over 100 different types of arthritis and I am going to discuss osteoarthritis the the most commonly found type of arthritis. In Australia 12% of women and 6.8% of men suffer from ostearthritis. Knees are the most affected followed by the hips and hands. And amPain during activity or at the end of thge dayazingly, 22% of Australians over the age of 45 years are affected by osteoarthritis. 

Symptoms

• Pain during activity or at the end of the day. 
• Joint stiffness first thing or after sitting for long periods
• Limited range of moivement that may decrease after exercise.
• Clicking or popping sound when a joint bends -  could be due to tendons or ligaments passing over the rough surfaces of arthritis
• Swelling around the joint.

So what causes osteoarthritis and damage to cartilage? 

• Age - mostly 50 yrears  plus. Before 50 most injuries are sporting injuries in men, after 50 women can have more arthritis due to peri- menopause or menopause and a drop in oestrogen.
• Joint injury from falls, sport etc
• Overuse
• Musculoskeletal abnormalities e.g. misalignment of bones/joints
• Muscle strength imbalance
• Genetics
• Environment - occupation, activity, prior joint injury, quadriceps strength, bone density.
• Obesity triggers excess load on the joints and wears down the cartilage
• Inflammation where the immune system is involved.

Treatment

Medical

1. Use of drugs such as panadol osteo, NSAIDs such as Neurofen, Mobic, corticosteroids
2. . PRP - Platelet rich plasma is injected into the joint to decrease pain and inflammation.
3. Stem cells - growing cartilage and subcondral bone tissue for transplant into the joint.
4. Surgery - As a last resort. 

Non drug trteatments 

1. Exercise - 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous exercise is ideal. Exercises to strengthen muscles, increase range of motion, balance and cardio work.  Moderate exercise may not be possible as long as it is within your pain range.

2. Weight loss - so important for hips and knees.

3. Manual therapies - for mobilisation, stretch and strengthen.

4.Emotional factors - Very important to keep stress under control in your life. " Twice as likely to describe their health as "poor" among those over 45 years " Australian Institute of Health and Welfare". People are afraid of having an affliction which could create a life of pain and disability .

5. Herbal remedies such as Cucurmin, Boswellia, Willow bark, PEA, fish oils  and many more.

How I can help

1. Looking at hip joint alignment

a) Hip heights, hip rotation, SIJ issues in order to balance the body.

2. Isometric/isotonic exercises to strengthen muscles. Self care exercises with compression and release.

3.Massage to take the tension out of muscles near sore joints plus ROM round a joint.

4. Emotional fears of immobility/disability - assurance.

10 ways to prevent a cold symptoms from getting wiorse

The cold and flu season is well under way and here I am going to suggest some tried and true ways to prevent getting a cold and also some herbs and vitamins to use to stave off the first signs of a cold.

5 ways to prevent a cold/flu developing

1. Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene - Wash your hands/ hand sanitise all the time - after washing cutlery/crockery, after wiping down surfaces and particularly when out socialising in restaurants and at other peoples homes.  Cover your mouth when sneezing/coughing so as not to spread germs.
2. Make sure your Vitamin D levels are at the right level. Get tested at your doctor. .Should be 80nm/L minimum. If not take some Vitamin D capsules.
3. Make sure your zinc levels are OK too. 
4. Take Echinaceae from April to October. 5mL 3X a day or 1 tablet 2X a day. Echinaceae is an immune modulator so helping the immune system to keep balanced. Plus a probiotic to keep your gut in balance.
5. Lifestyle inventory - Do I need to make changes re diet, drinking, smoking and stress levels in my work/life balance?

 

5 ways to reduce the start of symptoms

1. Use a mix of Andrographis, Holy Basil  plus Echinaceae in a complex.. Well known for reducing symptoms of mild respiratory infections.
2. Lots of rest with warm fluids for 2 to -4 days such as green tea, other herbal teas and warm water.
3. Do not eat white foods such as bread, dairy, bananas, pasta as these increase the amount of phlegm in the lungs/throat/sinuses.
4. Also cut out any simple sugars that are in cakes and chocolate as they are inflammatory.
5. Take Vitamin C in high doses - 1000mg/day

 

I hope this helps. There are many other herbal mixes you can use too such as various mushroom mixes, olives and honey. But that can be for another day.

If you need any help for cold mixes or osteoarthritis please give me a call

Quote of the Quarter

' Life is like a wild Tiger

You can either lie down and let it

Lay its paw on your head

Or sit on its back and ride it"

From Ride the Wild Tiger

Wishing you an active Winter to keep the joints and blood circulating well. And happy holidays for those who are travelling overseas.

Kind Regards

Penny Wade

0424719246