Most people associate arthritis with old age and it is true that people are affected more as they grow older. But, actually, arthritis can affect anyone from very young children right up to the very old.
Osteoarthritis is the type of arthritis, which most commonly affects older people. It involves the breakdown of the protective cushion of the cartilage covering the ends of bones where they meet to form a joint. We tend to use the terms rheumatism and arthritis interchangeably and they are sister diseases.
Rheumatism is a general term, which includes not only problems with the joints, but also any problem affecting the muscles or soft tissues of the body. Some of the areas associated with rheumatism include: Fibrositis, bursitis, tendonitis, muscle strain, sprains, lumbago, sciatica, whiplash injury and disc disease. The most common forms of these diseases are Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis
The medical profession contends that neither rheumatism nor arthritis can be cured. Once they have taken hold, one can only hope to alleviate the pain. A cure is not possible. Nevertheless, some types of arthritis and rheumatism can be prevented and we believe that effective treatment is possible for all forms of these diseases.
So, what is the treatment? How do we stop the pain? Well, first we tackle the source. Certain people are more at risk than others. We will address these people first.
It makes sense to look at your lifestyle and see how it is possible to set yourself up for maximum health. Right now, if you have either rheumatism or arthritis, you need to be able to reduce the stiffness, pain and swelling you currently experience. All the symptoms of rheumatism and arthritis are exacerbated by obesity. If you are overweight, you must reduce. So, how do you reduce?
Follow these steps:
1. Reduce your weight. Looks simple. It is simple. How do you reduce? Well, don’t even think of a crash diet. That would be counterproductive. You need to lower your weight by the simplest and most effective method possible.
And here it is! Reduce the amount of food on your plate. If you normally order a super sized meal, order a large or medium instead. Better still, cook at home. That way, you know exactly what you’re eating and it will be good. If you can’t cook, contact us and we’ll send simple and nutritious recipes to you. Food you’ll really love. See our contact details below!
Our only interest is getting you well and pain free. As part of this reduction, you need to forget about sodas. Cut them from your diet and do it cold turkey. This is something many people find difficult. But you have to do it. Sodas have absolutely no food value and they’re BAD for you. You will be amazed how water can taste like the nectar of the gods. It just takes a little time. Clear your refrigerator. No more soda. Instead, keep lots of chilled water. Every time you pass the refrigerator, drink some water. This is really important. Water is essential to health and it’s absolutely essential to your reduction. And it quickly becomes indispensable! I promise! So, even if you’re addicted to soft drinks, you must cease and desist. Right now. This is the only hard part of your reduction and it quickly becomes automatic.
2. Exercise. We don’t want you to jump up and down or run 10 miles a day. All we want you to do is make more movements every day than you do now. Again, it’s simple. If you’re going to the 5th floor, take the elevator to the 4th floor and walk up one floor. Do the same coming down. Just walk one floor. That’s not hard. Next week try two floors. At home, walk to the mailbox and back a few times. Nothing strenuous. After a week, walk around the block. Just once.
If these are beyond you, right now, no problem. When you’re sitting in your chair, move your arms. Out to the side and up and down. Move one leg up and down. Move the other leg up and down. Stand up. Sit down. When you’re on your feet, walk to the television. Walk back. Do this a few times. Stand at your chair, hold on, turn to the left, turn to the right. Just make a few simple movements and increase them every day. It’s not rocket science and it will have an effect on your weight. The less weight you carry, the more the swelling and stiffness in your joints will subside. The less swelling and stiffness, the less pain you have.
3. If you have a pool, oh lucky you! The very best exercise you can get is swimming or just underwater movement. Every day, please.
4. Clothing. Be comfortable. No tight clothing. Thank goodness no one wears corsets any more but if you have any kind of constraining underwear, get rid of it. Loose clothing only. Let your body breathe. Comfortable shoes are essential. No high heels. Go back to high heels when
you can dance again. Until then, wear soft shoes like cross trainers. These need not be expensive. Soft soled trainers are on sale everywhere for around $15.00. You need to wear soft soles. The more cushioning the better. And have them big enough so your toes can spread out. No compression.
Comfort, comfort is the key.
5. Attitude. You’ve heard all your life about the power of positive thinking. Well, it’s true. Positive thinking actually works. You are what you think and believe. You find it difficult to move in the morning. Even getting out of bed is a problem. You must channel this pain constructively. Be aware that every day you can make a small reduction in your pain by reacting positively and not with fear. You must say, I can move this much today. Tomorrow, I will move this much plus a little more. It works. Tomorrow your subconscious will trigger a little more adrenaline and your movements will be a little easier. Do this every day and you will be amazed at the range of movement you can make in just a week. Nothing is easy and no matter how simple our suggestions are, they take time, energy and total commitment. But the results you’ll obtain will far outweigh the effort you make. The medical profession believes that you should take steroids to reduce the awful inflammation in your joints and lots of pain killers to reduce the pain. Sometimes, both those remedies are necessary.
But, essentially, we believe in the holistic approach to disease and prevention and cure. Disease is just that, dis-ease. To regain ease, we consider that the body responds to natural forces, which treat the problem at source rather than chemicals which either mask the symptoms or block the pain by acting on the nervous system.