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healing ways
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Strong and Supple Joints How to Keep Hips and Knees Happy
by Ronica O’Hara
Occasional knee or hip pain affects tendons and ligaments include fatty fish, almost everyone, keeping us from lentils, nuts, vegetables like spinach and daily tasks, making sitting painful broccoli, and colorful fruit like strawberand walking difficult. Causes can range ries and oranges. from over-exercise to injuries, obesity and arthritis as we age. By the time we reach Practice tai chi, qigong or hatha yoga. 65 years or older, 69 percent of women The gentle, low-impact movements and and 56 percent of men have arthritic stretches associated with these approaches symptoms, according to Boston University get synovial fluid flowing in the larger joints, researchers. Costly joint replacement sureffecting smoother mobility and increased gery which carries a high risk of adverse flexibility; numerous studies document that effects is often recommended for advanced they reduce joint pain and stiffness. “The key cases, but by taking simple, natural preis not just to stretch, but to balance strength ventive and remedial measures proactively, and stretching in a safe, mindful way,” says we can strengthen our knee and hip joints, Andrea Trank, a health coach and yoga handle related problems if they arise and teacher in Fort Myers, Florida. Although remain physically strong and active. personal or class instruction is best, how-to Ways to Strengthen videos can be found on YouTube. Hips and Knees Walk every day. In a four-year NorthwestConsume foods that nourish bones and ern University study, people at risk of knee connective tissues. For strong bones, eat osteoarthritis that walked at a moderate or foods rich in calcium, magnesium and brisk pace for at least 10 minutes a day, one potassium, such as dark leafy greens (bok hour a week, had one-eighth the disabled choy, Chinese cabbage, kale and collard mobility of those that walked less. Posgreens), figs, nuts, tofu, avocados and bone ture helps: Walking straight and tall while broth. Six prunes a day boosted bone denextending each leg back as far as it’ll go will sity in women over 70 with osteoporosis, “really let your glut muscles work,” advises research shows. Foods that support flexible chiropractor Aaron Rossi, of Marietta,
Ways to Lower Pain Levels
Consider the right supplements.Obtaining 1,000 milligrams daily of calcium and 600 international units of vitamin D is essential for bone health, according to the National Institutes of Health; consider taking a supplement if the diet is not adequate. In addition, study-proven options that reduce joint pain in the knees and hips include glucosamine and chondroitin, S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SA Me) and avocado soybean unsaponifiable.
The benefits of bodywork.A massage can loosen up tight muscles and realign structural issues in the knees and hips while also lowering stress-producing cortisol and raising levels of pain-reducing serotonin. A study at Canada’s McMaster University found that massage works on the cellular level to reduce inflammation and promote the growth of new mitochondria in muscles. Useful styles are Swedish, deep tissue, myofascial release and shiatsu. Ask for references from friends, medical practitioners, fitness centers and natural health stores or find online a certified practitioner with at least 500 hours of training.
Try acupuncture.A new meta-study of 39 studies with 20,827 patients concluded that acupuncture effectively reduces pain for as long as 12 months, and the National Institutes of Health endorses it for knee pain. “It is believed to stimulate the nervous system and in turn, the way the brain registers pain signals,” says acupuncturist Daryl Thuroff, at the Yinova Center, in New York City. Find an acupuncturist at nccaom.org/ find-a-practitioner-directory.
Consult a chiropractor. People with osteoarthritic knees that underwent two weeks of chiropractic knee adjustments had substantially less pain, better mobility and fewer grinding and clicking sensations in the knees, reported a study in The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association. In a small study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, four out of five patients with hip arthritis noticed Supplements for Suppleness
Glucosamine and chondroitin.
Research suggests this combo relieves pain, improves joint mobility and slows arthritic damage to the joints. One study found it benefits up to 70 percent of people with knee arthritis, and a large multinational trial found the mixture to be as effective at reducing pain, stiffness and swelling in knee osteoarthritis as the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAI D) celecoxib. It appears most suited for treating moderate to severe pain and takes two months to take effect.
SAM e. This naturally occurring S-adenosyl-L-methionine molecule builds strong joints by delivering sulfur to cartilage, and research shows it may be as effective as aspirin and ibuprofen at improving joint function. It takes a month to take effect, but doesn’t have the side effects of NSAI Ds. It’s also been shown to lower depression.
Avocado soybean unsaponifiable (ASU).Routinely used to treat osteoarthritis in Europe, ASU improves symptoms of hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA ) and reduces or eliminates the use of NSAI Ds, a meta-analylsis concluded; it also appears to reduce OA ’s progression.
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National Chiropractic Health Month
jopanuwatd/AdobeStock.com The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has designated October as National Chiropractic Health Month to raise public awareness of the importance of musculoskeletal health and the benefits of chiropractic care and its natural, whole-person, patient-centered and drug-free approach to health and wellness.
This year’s theme is Active and Adaptive, focusing on helping people adapt to the new normal of the COVI D-19 pandemic. The ACA states, “Many people are moving less, and some are experiencing pain as a result.” This year’s focus encourages people to adjust to the challenges of staying fit and pain-free with a smaller lifestyle footprint by becoming more mindful of movement and posture, and by highlighting tips and strategies to help them adapt in healthy ways.
Find a searchable directory of chiropractors at HandsDownBetter.org/find-a-doctor.
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We use advanced technologies that are safe and natural to find the cause of your problem. improved symptoms after nine or fewer chiropractic treatments. Many chiropractors offer not only spinal adjustments, but also a range of treatments from exercises to prolotherapy.
Explore injection therapies. Known as regenerative medicine, these therapies use injections in the knee or hip to naturally stimulate the body to produce collagen and rejuvenate tissue. In a British Medical Bulletin meta-study, 82 percent of patients with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee were satisfied with prolotherapy, which uses dextrose injections. Plateletrich plasma injections use centrifuged platelets from the patient’s body, and have been used by athletes like Tiger Woods and Rafael Nadal to treat sports injuries.
Ronica O’Hara is a Denver-based health writer. Connect at OHaraRonica@gmail.com.
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Common Conditions: • • • • • • • Chronic Pain Endocrine Gastro-intestinal Musculoskeletal Nutrition Pregnancy & Prenatal Wellness …and more Naturopathic & Chiropractic Family Health LLC 1255 S Market Street, Suite 210 Elizabethtown, PA 17022 717-381-5773 | NCFamHealth.com
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Pain Relief with Chiropractic
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In addition to the traditional chiropractic focus on adjusting the spine to ease joint pain, many doctors today are using a wide array of approaches to ameliorate hip and knee pain, whether the cause is an injury, inflammation, arthritis or another chronic condition.
Determining the cause is the first step, says chiropractor Derrell Blackburn, senior manager of chiropractic relations and training for The Joint Chiropractic, a nationwide chain of 500 clinics. If both hips or knees go bad, he says, it’s probably due to aging. If the problem involves a hip or knee on one side, “the underlying truth is overuse or compensation,” which can be helped by realigning the sacroiliac joint or pelvic girdle.
Chiropractor Gil Kentof, of the Dr. Gil Center for Back, Neck, and Chronic Pain Relief, in Franklin, Tennessee, first recommends that patients with hip pain join a basic yoga class, find a good video or search “hip stretches” online and exercise according to what they research five times a week. “If there is no improvement in three weeks, or if there is more pain while doing the exercises, an examination is in order to determine the origin of the pain and the best treatment option,” he says.
The exam often includes X-rays and sometimes an MRI . Treatment options can include specific chiropractic adjustments, deep tissue laser therapy, stem cell injections into the hip joint and in severe cases, a referral for surgery, but, “Surgery is always a last resort,” he says. For knees, “Good success has been obtained with stem cell treatment and platelet-rich plasma injected into the knee,” he advises. “This procedure is performed by our medical team and is minimally invasive with very little downtime.” He also suggests that knee-pain patients stretch their hamstrings, quadriceps and calves on a regular basis and use a pull-on brace or ice packs for temporary relief.
We provide a totally safe environment during your treatment. Please call us with any questions or concerns.
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Your Mattress The Problem?
How to get a good night's sleep, without harmful chemicals
Take this quiz: 1. do you have back pain when you wake up? 2. Neck pain? Stiffness or soreness? 3. does it take you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep? 4. do you experience restless sleep? Toss and turn atnight?
If you answered “yes” two
times or more, this may be the most important article you read all year.
Here’s why…
While you sleep, your immune system recovers and prepares for the day ahead. It replenishes every cell in your body.
Low-quality, uncomfortable mattresses have been linked to discomfort and pain, which can prevent quality sleep.
People who struggle with sleep deprivation may suffer from irritability, depression, over-eating— and even face a higher risk for Alzheimer’s.
If your mattress is filled with chemical toxins, airborne allergens, or worse, your body is doing battle with those things rather than repairing itself. You’re losing valuable energy each night instead of healing your body and revitalizing your mind.
And all of that can wreak havoc on your health and well being.
What’s In Yourmattress?
The following information may be disturbing to some. That’s because the Environmental Protection Agency has identified at least fourpossibly dangerous chemicals commonly found in some synthetic mattresses— benzene, propane, naphthalene and styrene—especially bedding made in China and overseas, where such governing agencies do not exist.
Consider these facts: ● Typical mattresses made from artificial materials are known to emit potentiallyharmful gases in your bedroom—a phenomenon known as off-gassing. ● Laboratory researchers in the U.S. and Europe have identified up to 61 potentially harmful chemicals that off-gas from typical synthetic mattresses. ● Exposure to these 61 chemicals has been associated with irritation of the skin, eyes and digestive systems. ● Additionally, the chemicals offgassed by synthetic mattresses have been associated with headache, fatigue, depression and even hearing loss. ● Your skin, the most porous entry point into your body, has contact with a mattress for 8 hours every night, on average. ● Children, who breathe faster than adults, are especially vulnerable to chemical exposure.
Every night, we lie down with minimal clothing for a seemingly good night’s sleep. But in reality, while lying on a conventional mattress, we are breathing in and absorbing through our skin a range of chemicals from synthetic materials—chemicals that can disrupt our sleep cycles and negatively impact our health. our mattresses emitgases from a toxic brew of components used to create them. From the polyurethane foam used in the padding to fire retardants and other additives, conventional mattresses continue to release chemicals in gaseous form long after they roll out of the factory.
Even after they have finished off-gassing, the chemically based construction of a conventional mattress provides an ideal environment for dust and dust mites, whose excrement is the #1 trigger for asthma attacks.
And get this. You know those white labels on a mattress that say, “do Not remove”? Incredibly, the law actually allows manufacturers to include potentially hazardous chemicals in your mattress without disclosing the facton any label.
But if a true list of ingredients were available for conventional mattresses, it would likely include TDI (a common component), a known carcinogen, which can cause respiratory ailments such as bronchitis and asthma.
In addition, liver damage and breathing problems have been linked to vinyl chloride monomers, another common mattress material.
The list goes on. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that you would be given information aboutany of these chemicals from a manufacturer of conventional, synthetic mattresses.
The Natural Alternative
one of the most significant actions we can take to reduce our exposure to toxins and improve our overall health is to make changes to the one household item that is in direct contact with our bodies for one third of our lives—our mattresses.
“There are more ways than ever to sleep better and wake up painfree on a natural, organic mattress,” says Ben McClure, president of
Gardner’s Mattress & More, in Lanc aster, PA.
“Many people, like me, are in search ofa natural sleep system. I was shocked to learn that toxic emissions from mattresses are a major source of daily pollution in our lives,” says McClure.
An all-natural, organicmattress is free of potentially harmful chemicals. Instead, natural materials like natural rubberare used. Rubberis naturally hypoallergenic and resistantto dust mites, making it ideal for allergy sufferers.
Also, natural rubberis antimicrobial, inhibiting the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew, which can cause asthma and respiratory distress. No synthetic materials are added to provide these benefits.
“All rubberused in our natural mattresses is from the sap of a rubber tree, which can yield rubber for up to 30 years. When a tree is done producing rubber, it is taken down and turned into furniture. A new tree is then planted in its place, thus making natural rubber a sustainable bedding component,” says McClure.
What’s the difference between an organic mattress and a
conventional one? “Organic mattresses are crafted from natural materials. Conventional mattresses are made mostly of artificial materials from nonrenewable sources, such as plastic and other petrochemicals,” says McClure.
Do organic mattresses come
in different firmness? “Yes, there are two main types of organic mattresses: Natural rubber and inner-spring. Both styles are available with varying firmness options to suit anyone’s sleep needs,” says McClure.
What To Look For
When researching natural, organic mattresses, look atthese areas: 1. Visit a store that carries the top certified natural and organic brands including Naturepedic, Posh + Lavish, Hypnos, Gold Bond and iAdjust. “Each of these manufacturers crafts bedding that is safe and sustainable,” McClure recommends. 2. Try outa new mattress forat least 15 minutes. Lie down in various positions, to simulate a night of sleep. Look for a store that offers a clean pillow to test out. “We offer the only adve rt orial Dream Room, where you can spend 15 minutes to 4 hours resting or even sleeping on a mattress, with 100% sanitary linens, blankets and pillows so people can truly ‘test drive” any natural bedding,” says McClure. 3. Protect yourself by insisting on a strong guarantee. “I know people are tired of sleeping on a worn-out, chemical-laden mattress. That’s why we give every customer a 120 night Wake Up Happy Comfort Guarantee to exchange if it doesn’t deliver the sleep you want,” says McClure.
If you’re not sleeping well or you’re worried about toxic chemicals in your bedroom, consider this: The two things in life you spend the most time on are work and sleep. How much of your remaining hours on earth do you want to waste losing sleep on an uncomfortable, chemical-laden mattress? That’s a question that many are asking.
Now Explore Your Options
“To help Natural Awakenings readers make the right choices, we’re offering a package of 4 Free Gifts for a limited time,” says McClure.
Readers may bring this article to the Gardner’s Mattress & More location to see the latest natural organic sleep systems and claim the following gifts:
FREE Gift #1: All-Natural
Rubber Pillow ($40 value). You get this just for visiting the store. There’s no obligation to buy anything. Here’s why this is important: A good pillow is essential to your health, because it can gentlysupport you in a healthy sleep position while providing comfort to your neck and shoulders.
Doctors and chiropractors agree—nearly all neck and back problems are made worse by improper sleeping habits and bad or worn-out pillows. The All-Natural Pillow, reserved and waiting foryou, is filled with soft, 100% natural rubber.
Fact: About 10% of the weight of a 2-year-old pillow is actually dust mite droppings—excrement. With one big exception: Dust mites hate natural rubberpillows, like the one waiting for you to pick up at Gardner’s. (Ask why when you visit—the answer will surprise you!)
FREE Gift #2: Natural Mattress Guide ($9.95 value).
Inside, you’ll discover little-known facts about how men and women are sleeping better on Natural and Organic Mattresses—waking up energized and more productive— and why ignoring problems with your current mattress can lead to depression, permanent health problems, and even damage family relationships.
FREE Gift #3: "Good Night"
Sleep Mask ($9.95 value). Here’s a natural way to fall asleep faster and wake up feeling better! The “Good Night” Sleep Mask helps create a state of pure darkness by keeping light away from your eyes. Get the restful, relaxing sleep you need, without pills.
FREE Gift #4: $200 Savings
Voucher, good toward the purchase of any Natural Organic Mattress in our store. This special $200 discount is notavailable to the general public. It’s only for you, as a reader of Natural Awakenings.
“To see the difference that natural and organic sleep systems have made in people’s lives is nothing short of miraculous,” says McClure.
Freelance writer Kevin Donlin is based in Minneapolis.
FREE READER’S GIFTS
As a reader of Natural Awakenings, you are entitled to 4 FREE GIFTS by visiting our store and answering three simple questions. Bring this coupon (code: LB1020) to Gardner’s Mattress & More to receive:
• FREE Gift #1: All-Natural Rubber Pillow ($60 value); 2nd is 50% off! • FREE Gift #2: Natural RubberMattress Guide ($9.95 value) • FREE Gift #3: "Good Night" Sleep Mask ($9.95 value) • FREE Gift #4: $200 Savings Voucher on an Organic Natural Mattress Bring this coupon to the store at 830 Plaza Blvd. in Lancaster (behind Park City Mall, next to VanScoy Jewelers). There’s no obligation to buy anything -- just answer three simple questions. Your Readers’ Gifts expire Oct. 31, 2020 .
