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Arthritis, What Works?
As painful as crippling, arthritis can be a destructive element of everyday life. But there are ways to cope with it, and to diminish its impact.
One of them is weight loss. The majority of people affected is overweight if not obese. The sheer weight puts too much strain on joints, especially knee and hip. So the first rule is to shed all the surplus, to allow the structure of the body some relief.
Exercise is the panacea number two. The benefits are potentially overwhelming, and are somewhat linked to the weight loss. In particular, strengthening exercises are important: the muscles around the joints need to be powerful to sustain the function. According to the Osteoarthritis Research Society, an international organization, if people fail to do the first two step described, "they miss out on a huge opportunity to modify their symptoms and modify the course of their disease".
Glucosamine are commonly said to help relieve pain and limit cartilage damage, but their action is questioned. On the contrary there is good evidence to suggest that omega-3 fatty acids like fish oil are helpful in reducing inflammation and pain caused by arthritis.
All this should come before painkillers. Resorting to chemical drugs should be the last thing we do, only when everything else failed.
One of them is weight loss. The majority of people affected is overweight if not obese. The sheer weight puts too much strain on joints, especially knee and hip. So the first rule is to shed all the surplus, to allow the structure of the body some relief.
Exercise is the panacea number two. The benefits are potentially overwhelming, and are somewhat linked to the weight loss. In particular, strengthening exercises are important: the muscles around the joints need to be powerful to sustain the function. According to the Osteoarthritis Research Society, an international organization, if people fail to do the first two step described, "they miss out on a huge opportunity to modify their symptoms and modify the course of their disease".
Glucosamine are commonly said to help relieve pain and limit cartilage damage, but their action is questioned. On the contrary there is good evidence to suggest that omega-3 fatty acids like fish oil are helpful in reducing inflammation and pain caused by arthritis.
All this should come before painkillers. Resorting to chemical drugs should be the last thing we do, only when everything else failed.