Tip Of The Week: Stiff Joints As We Age, What Can You Do?
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One of the things many of us face as we age is that it is harder to move around. An ache here a pain there can’t bend without going OY, but why? Well as you age, your cartilage, you know the spongy material that protects the ends of your bones begins to dry out and stiffen. Your body also makes less synovial fluid, the stuff that acts like oil to keep your joints moving smoothly.
So your joints may not move as freely as they used to. But the best thing you can do is keep moving because Synovial fluid requires movement to keep your joints loose.
When you’re asleep and lying still for several hours, the fluid that helps your joints move easily can’t do its job. That’s why you wake up with knees or hands that are stiff and swollen. To make it feel better just move around more during the day.
Now sometimes the cartilage just wears away, that’s what happened to my hip and I had to get a total hip replacement. The cartilage can wear away over time or after an injury. When it’s gone, the bones hit one another, and sometimes, tiny pieces break off. The result is a stiff, painful joint, and believe me, it was quite painful.
Excess weight will not do your joints any good, weight matters when it comes to joint pain.
The following is from The Arthritis Foundation:
Curcuma longa; also known as Turmeric
Origin: The main chemical in turmeric, the root of a plant related to ginger. Turmeric is a staple of traditional Chinese and Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine and a prime ingredient in curries.
Claims: Reduces pain, inflammation, and stiffness related to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA); treats bursitis.
What we know: A potent anti-inflammatory, curcumin blocks inflammatory cytokines and enzymes, including 5-LOX and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the target of the drug celecoxib.
Studies: In 2016, an industry-sponsored systematic review of randomized controlled trials found that 1,000 mg a day of curcumin reduced OA pain and inflammation as well as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like diclofenac and ibuprofen. Another 2016 study suggests curcumin might help prevent a bone breakdown in people with RA.
Dosage: Choose curcumin extract – the whole turmeric is often contaminated with led. 500 mg capsules twice daily. Curcumin makes up only a small percentage of turmeric and can be hard to absorb. Be sure to check the standardized amount of curcumin when looking for a supplement, and choose brands that use phospholipids (Meriva, BCM-95), antioxidants (CircuWin) or nanoparticles (Theracurmin) for better absorption.
*High doses of turmeric can act as a blood thinner and cause an upset stomach.
*Avoid turmeric/curcumin if you take blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin), are about to have surgery, are pregnant or have gallbladder disease.
