Are You Asking for Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent type of arthritis, and it results from either injury or wear and tear on your joints. If your hips or knees ache when you climb out of bed in the morning, and you were a jock or a dancer in high school or college, it’s all but guaranteed that OA is the culprit.

But you don’t have to be a hung-ho athlete to put yourself at high risk for developing OA. There could be potent dangers lurking in your everyday routine. Like these, for example:

The shoes you wear. If you opt for high heels day in and day out — whether they’re pencil-thin stilettos or chunkier versions — you’re all but begging for OA in your knees. Plus, high-heeled shoes (or boots) that are pointy or tight can also lead to arthritis of the toes. Wearing dress-up pumps on special occasions isn’t likely to cause damage, but for daily wear, choose footgear with ample toe room and sturdy heels that are no more than 1 to 2 inches high.

The loads you tote. Walking with heavy bags in your hands, with your arms stretched downward, puts an undue strain on shoulders, elbows, wrists, and fingers. So when your shopping haul weighs any more than a couple of pounds, cradle the bag in both arms, or use one or two long-handled canvas sacks slung over your shoulder(s).

The pounds you pack. Obesity is the leading cause of OA because excess weight puts enormous stress on your knees and hips. Shedding just 10 pounds eases the stress on each knee by a full 40 pounds!

The moves you don’t make. Couch potatoes are prime targets for OA. Even if you’re not overweight, regular physical activity is a must for strengthening the muscles that support your joints — and keeping the joints themselves flexible. But there is one caveat: Running, especially on hard pavement, is murder on your knees. So opt for more easygoing activities, such as walking, yoga, or even bowling. 

Walk On!

It’s finally warm enough to get outside to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine! So start fitting a daily walk into your schedule. Do you think your knees or hips are too stiff and sore to handle it? Think again — taking a nice, gentle stroll will send blood flowing to your aching muscles and help relieve that nagging pain.

One of the best ways to make walking easier on creaky joints is to simply do it more often. Here are 7 simple solutions to help your sneakers see a little more action:

1. Take the stairs. Take it easy at first and stick to jaunts of just one flight. Before you know it you’ll be walking right past the elevator and flying up three or four flights.

2. Go for an after-dinner stroll. Twenty quick minutes is all it takes, and it’s a great way to get outdoors and enjoy the day.

3. Commune with nature. Stroll through a nearby park or nature area a few days a week.

4. Make a date. Meet friends at a public garden and go for a stroll instead of meeting at a local café.

5. Try a lunch combo. Spend half of your lunch hour eating, and the other half walking. You’ll get 30 minutes of extra exercise in — and feel energized for the rest of the day.

6. Watching TV? March in place while you watch your favorite program.

7. Take a break. Anytime you feel drowsy, angry, bored, or stressed, go for a five-minute walk. You’ll work out emotional issues while you “work out” your joints.

Don’t forget to hydrate before, during, and after you exercise. You can down one of many commercial products — or make your own DIY sports drink at a small fraction of the cost.

Ingredients:

½ tablespoon of sugar

½ teaspoon of baking soda

½ teaspoon of table salt

¼ teaspoon of potassium-based salt substitute*

1 quart of water

Unsweetened Kool-Aid® powder or other flavoring to taste

Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly, and drink up frequently.

*such as Morton® Lite Salt™ Mixture or Morton® Salt Substitute

Give Arthritis the Cold Shoulder

Mother Nature is plunging most of the country into the deep freeze this week, and for some of us that means our arthritis pain is going to act up, too. It makes you wonder: Does cold weather really make arthritis worse, or is it all in our heads?

When our joints get cold, inflamed tissue shrinks down and pulls against the nerves. But that’s not the main reason arthritis seems worse during winter months. You can blame our more sedentary lifestyles for that. And I have to admit, reading by the fire or working on a needlepoint project is a whole lot more appealing than bundling up and heading outside for a walk. Being less active leads to stiffer joints.

But you don’t have to weather the elements to work exercise into your day. Many shopping malls open their doors before the stores are open just so folks can enjoy protection from the great outdoors while they walk. If the weather’s too bad for you to drive, set up a mini-walking course in your house, or march in place while you’re watching TV.

You can spend a whole lot of time, money, and energy trying different ways to relieve arthritis pain and stiffness. But you may be able to solve the problem yourself with one (or more!) of these DIY remedies:

• Eat 15 to 20 sweet bing cherries every day.
• Drink plenty of green tea.
• Eat fruits and nuts — like pears, apples, and almonds — that contain the trace element boron.
• Try the gin-soaked raisin remedy. To make it, put 1 cup of golden raisins (not black!) in a shallow glass bowl, and pour in just enough gin to cover them completely. Cover the bowl lightly, and let the raisins soak for a week or so, until they’ve absorbed all of the gin. Store them in a covered glass jar at room temperature, and eat nine raisins every day. Some folks report improvement after less than a week, while it takes others a month or more to get relief. Full disclosure: There are people for whom this remedy doesn’t work at all. But it’s easy and inexpensive to make, it’s delicious, and it has none of the side effects that many prescription meds can deliver.

Overdo It This Summer?

Aaahhh... There’s nothing like late summer’s cooler breezes to get us out of the house to enjoy the day. Unfortunately, sometimes we become overly enthusiastic, underestimate our fitness abilities, and wind up spraining or straining an ankle! Here’s how to keep one step ahead of muscle or tendon pain:

• Pump out the fluid—reduce swelling by gently moving your ankle through its full range of motion. Simply sit in a chair and gently raise and lower your foot, then rotate it as much as the pain allows.
• Wrap it up—a natural way to help your injured ankle back to health is with a comfrey wrap. Buy three or four whole leaves of this traditional trauma-treating herb from health food store. Blanch the leaves by dipping them briefly in boiling water. Let them cool a bit, then drape them over the injured area and cover with an elastic bandage. Replace the leaves daily until the sprain heals.
• RICE is right—E.R. docs see a lot of sprained ankles. Their advice is almost always to take the following four steps: 1) Rest it; 2) Ice it; 3) Compress it. 4) Elevate it. Continue these steps, for at least two days after the injury.

If arthritis, damaged cartilage, or painful swelling and stiffness are making your outdoor activities miserable, then Baker’s Best Maximum Strength Joint Formula is just the relief you’ve been looking for. Its terrific trio of ingredients—glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM—packs a triple-punch to revitalize your joints and put a youthful bounce back in your step.

Are your hinges (joints) so creaky in the morning that you feel like the Tin Woodman without his trusty oilcan? By age 40 or so, many of us begin showing a few signs of arthritis. Here’s how to ease the strain while strengthening your muscles—and make you feel like a new person!

1.   Hide the high heels. Wearing heels higher than 2 inches shifts your body weight onto your hips and the inner part of your knee joints, often making arthritis the result.

2.   Cut the calories. Gaining a single pound makes it feel like four times that much on your knees. If you lose as few as 11 pounds, you can reduce knee pain by 50 percent.

3.   Lay off the lattes. Drink more than four cups of coffee a day and you’re doubling your risk. The caffeine alters the mineral balance that’s needed to make cartilage and dries up the fluid that keeps your joints lubricated.

4.   Stretch yourself. Stretching for 20 minutes a day will make you feel a whole lot better. Check with your doctor to make sure you’re doing the most appropriate exercises for your form of arthritis.

5.   Exercise your options. Regular exercise lubricates your joints and helps with weight loss.

Of course, exercise is a tricky issue if you have arthritis. You obviously don’t want to push yourself too hard when you’re hurting. On the other hand, regular exercise lubricates your joints and helps with weight loss. If you’re ready to start an exercise program—and you have the go-ahead from your doctor—keep the following points in mind:

·        You’ll get the most benefit by alternating high-impact forms of exercise, such as jogging, with low-impact workouts, such as yoga or cycling. Obviously, this is true only if your arthritis is pretty mild.

·        Walking is almost always a good choice. If you have too much knee or ankle pain to walk, ride a stationary bike.

·        Swimming is a very safe and effective form of exercise. And because water supports your body weight, there’s little or no painful pressure.

Don’t let arthritis, damaged cartilage, or painful swelling and stiffness make you miserable. Our Maximum Strength Joint Formula is a special blend of not one, not two, but three clinically tested ingredients in one powerful new supplement. It’s specially designed to help maximize joint health, ease arthritis pain, increase flexibility, and give your sore joints a whole new lease on life. Try it—FREE for 21 days!