---

What you can do: pain management

What you can do: pain management -- Posted by Zee on 01-05-05 15:27

http://tinyurl.com/6s32a
http://www.telegraph.co.uk

As drugs used to ease osteoarthritis are withdrawn, what should
sufferers do? Christine Doyle reports

------snip----------

Now, some specialists predict a new era with a greater emphasis on
prevention through lifestyle changes and a simpler approach to
treatment. Take regular exercise, lose weight and take paracetamol as
the first line of treatment rather than NSAIDs, is the advice of
Michael Doherty, professor of rheumatology at the City Hospital,
Nottingham. With epidemiologist Dr Ken Muir, Prof Doherty is currently
leading a Ł400,000 ARC clinical trial of 400 obese people to discover
whether exercise and slimming will reduce their knee pain.

Unsupervised exercise in 800 people with arthritic knee pain led to a
substantial fall in pain and disability over two years, according to
an NHS-sponsored trial. Prof Doherty advocates advice from nurses and
doctors about simple changes that could make a big difference. He also
says doctors need better education. "Many lack both the training and
confidence to deal effectively with the many arthritic conditions they
see on a daily basis."

In the January issue of ARC's magazine, Paul Dieppe, Medical Research
Council professor at Bristol University, says: "Worldwide sales of the
new NSAIDs are colossal, in excess of Ł20 billion a year." He is
critical of drug companies and the drug regulatory agencies. "They
should be under a legal obligation to reveal data on all
side-effects."

Of all the forms of arthritis, osteoarthritis is the commonest cause
of misery. Although paracetamol is a mild painkiller, it can be taken
at the recommended dose of up to eight 500mg tablets a day without
causing liver damage. If pain is really severe, the next step is a
form which contains codeine, a stronger painkiller.

Marilyn Brown, 58, a solicitor, says. "I have moderate osteoarthitis
which waxes and wanes. I decided against the new generation of drugs
and have stuck with paracetamol, regular exercise and a herbal remedy,
called Tabritis. I have occasional sessions of acupuncture for my
knees, and take glucosamine. I am doing really well. I think there is
a lot that people can do for themselves."

The power of new shoes and exercise

Keep moving: regular exercise is critical for supple joints. Hard
training or marathon running, however, is not always a good idea.
Athletes and professional footballers who place huge demands on their
joints at an early age are more prone to arthritic damage. Try to
walk, swim or cycle for at least 30 minutes a day. Gradually build up
speed. Add in daily stretching and strengthening exercises.

Unwind your spine: the spine is prone to arthritic degeneration. At
least 10 times a day, consciously unwind your spine from a slump, tuck
in your stomach and draw yourself up to your full height - it could be
two inches more than usual. Maintain the pose for 30 seconds. Take up
yoga or join a pilates class.

Keep trim: maintain the weight range appropriate for your height and
frame. Even being moderately overweight, especially in those over 40,
will add to inherited or acquired risks of decrepit joints. The extra
pounds bear down through your hips, knees, ankles and feet.

Eat your omegas: a healthy, balanced diet both prevents and slows down
osteoarthritis. Follow a low-fat, low-sugar diet with plenty of
colourful fruit and vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli and
beetroot. Eat more oily fish and poultry than red meat. Mackerel,
sardines, salmon, tuna and other oily fish contain omega-3, an
essential fatty acid that helps control inflammation.

Omega-6, mostly found in plant seed oils, such as evening primrose and
sunflower seeds, also helps. "One of the most exciting recent
discoveries is that these oils help some people with arthritis," says
the ARC. "The benefits might be small, but they could be cumulative
over time."

Food flare-ups: there are many claims for exclusion diet miracle cures
- but very little hard evidence. Anecdotally, however, some people
link a flare-up of symptoms with dairy products, wheat and plants in
the nightshade family, including potatoes, tomatoes and aubergines.
Others believe that they react to spinach and grapefruit.

Go shoe-shopping: buy the best-fitting shoes you can afford,
especially if your joints are starting to creak. "Many trainers have
excellent shock-absorbing qualities," says Prof Dieppe. "Some ordinary
shoes are well-cushioned, but we need more manufacturers to take up
the challenge of producing well-fitting, well-designed shoes. There
would be plenty of customers."

Supplementary evidence: "I have taken glucosamine for five years and I
no longer feel my hips are seizing up," says Sally Herbert, 50. "I
walk and cycle and take the supplement to keep my joints youthful."
Once controversial, glucosamine, which is derived from shellfish, is
rapidly moving into the mainstream. New studies, to be published soon,
are expected to confirm that it reduces the need for hip and knee
replacements.

Cod liver oil, the war-time staple, is a favourite with ballet
dancers. Until feet, which have 26 bones and more than 200 interacting
muscles, ligaments and joints, start to suffer, they are often
ignored, says the ARC, which supported research showing that cod liver
oil slows the destruction of joint cartilage in patients with
osteoarthritis.

Complementary techniques: many people swear by Chinese acupuncture to
prevent their knees losing their spring. This belief is backed by
recent research showing that acupuncture reduces the pain of
osteoarthritis and improves mobility. Magnetic bracelets, which cost
between Ł30 and Ł50, are the latest technique to gain scientific
approval. A study among almost 200 patients in Devon found a
significant fall in arthritic pain up to 12 weeks later. Massage,
aromatherapy and relaxation techniques can also help to ease pain.

Re: What you can do: pain management -- Posted by firechief on 01-05-05 22:15

Zee wrote:

> Magnetic bracelets, which cost between Ł30 and Ł50,
> are the latest technique to gain scientific approval.

By the Emu-Ironman Secret Scientific Association?

Re: What you can do: pain management -- Posted by Zee on 01-05-05 23:07

firechief wrote:
> Zee wrote:
>
> > Magnetic bracelets, which cost between =A330 and =A350,
> > are the latest technique to gain scientific approval.
>
> By the Emu-Ironman Secret Scientific Association?

Heh~ There really *was* a study that showed some efficacy. But you
won't catch me buying one. I'm holding out for the 'diamonds' study.
http://tinyurl.com/4ymd9
www.reuters.com

Zee

Re: What you can do: pain management -- Posted by debbie m. on 01-06-05 04:09

some good ideas

debbie m.
http://www.angelfire.com/ga2/angels1/

"Zee" wrote in message
news:e5f4a9c2.0501051527.bfd3667@posting.google.com...
> http://tinyurl.com/6s32a
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk
>
> As drugs used to ease osteoarthritis are withdrawn, what should
> sufferers do? Christine Doyle reports
>
> ------snip----------
>
>
> Now, some specialists predict a new era with a greater emphasis on
> prevention through lifestyle changes and a simpler approach to
> treatment. Take regular exercise, lose weight and take paracetamol as
> the first line of treatment rather than NSAIDs, is the advice of
> Michael Doherty, professor of rheumatology at the City Hospital,
> Nottingham. With epidemiologist Dr Ken Muir, Prof Doherty is currently
> leading a Ł400,000 ARC clinical trial of 400 obese people to discover
> whether exercise and slimming will reduce their knee pain.
>
> Unsupervised exercise in 800 people with arthritic knee pain led to a
> substantial fall in pain and disability over two years, according to
> an NHS-sponsored trial. Prof Doherty advocates advice from nurses and
> doctors about simple changes that could make a big difference. He also
> says doctors need better education. "Many lack both the training and
> confidence to deal effectively with the many arthritic conditions they
> see on a daily basis."
>
> In the January issue of ARC's magazine, Paul Dieppe, Medical Research
> Council professor at Bristol University, says: "Worldwide sales of the
> new NSAIDs are colossal, in excess of Ł20 billion a year." He is
> critical of drug companies and the drug regulatory agencies. "They
> should be under a legal obligation to reveal data on all
> side-effects."
>
> Of all the forms of arthritis, osteoarthritis is the commonest cause
> of misery. Although paracetamol is a mild painkiller, it can be taken
> at the recommended dose of up to eight 500mg tablets a day without
> causing liver damage. If pain is really severe, the next step is a
> form which contains codeine, a stronger painkiller.
>
> Marilyn Brown, 58, a solicitor, says. "I have moderate osteoarthitis
> which waxes and wanes. I decided against the new generation of drugs
> and have stuck with paracetamol, regular exercise and a herbal remedy,
> called Tabritis. I have occasional sessions of acupuncture for my
> knees, and take glucosamine. I am doing really well. I think there is
> a lot that people can do for themselves."
>
> The power of new shoes and exercise
>
> Keep moving: regular exercise is critical for supple joints. Hard
> training or marathon running, however, is not always a good idea.
> Athletes and professional footballers who place huge demands on their
> joints at an early age are more prone to arthritic damage. Try to
> walk, swim or cycle for at least 30 minutes a day. Gradually build up
> speed. Add in daily stretching and strengthening exercises.
>
> Unwind your spine: the spine is prone to arthritic degeneration. At
> least 10 times a day, consciously unwind your spine from a slump, tuck
> in your stomach and draw yourself up to your full height - it could be
> two inches more than usual. Maintain the pose for 30 seconds. Take up
> yoga or join a pilates class.
>
> Keep trim: maintain the weight range appropriate for your height and
> frame. Even being moderately overweight, especially in those over 40,
> will add to inherited or acquired risks of decrepit joints. The extra
> pounds bear down through your hips, knees, ankles and feet.
>
> Eat your omegas: a healthy, balanced diet both prevents and slows down
> osteoarthritis. Follow a low-fat, low-sugar diet with plenty of
> colourful fruit and vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli and
> beetroot. Eat more oily fish and poultry than red meat. Mackerel,
> sardines, salmon, tuna and other oily fish contain omega-3, an
> essential fatty acid that helps control inflammation.
>
> Omega-6, mostly found in plant seed oils, such as evening primrose and
> sunflower seeds, also helps. "One of the most exciting recent
> discoveries is that these oils help some people with arthritis," says
> the ARC. "The benefits might be small, but they could be cumulative
> over time."
>
> Food flare-ups: there are many claims for exclusion diet miracle cures
> - but very little hard evidence. Anecdotally, however, some people
> link a flare-up of symptoms with dairy products, wheat and plants in
> the nightshade family, including potatoes, tomatoes and aubergines.
> Others believe that they react to spinach and grapefruit.
>
> Go shoe-shopping: buy the best-fitting shoes you can afford,
> especially if your joints are starting to creak. "Many trainers have
> excellent shock-absorbing qualities," says Prof Dieppe. "Some ordinary
> shoes are well-cushioned, but we need more manufacturers to take up
> the challenge of producing well-fitting, well-designed shoes. There
> would be plenty of customers."
>
> Supplementary evidence: "I have taken glucosamine for five years and I
> no longer feel my hips are seizing up," says Sally Herbert, 50. "I
> walk and cycle and take the supplement to keep my joints youthful."
> Once controversial, glucosamine, which is derived from shellfish, is
> rapidly moving into the mainstream. New studies, to be published soon,
> are expected to confirm that it reduces the need for hip and knee
> replacements.
>
> Cod liver oil, the war-time staple, is a favourite with ballet
> dancers. Until feet, which have 26 bones and more than 200 interacting
> muscles, ligaments and joints, start to suffer, they are often
> ignored, says the ARC, which supported research showing that cod liver
> oil slows the destruction of joint cartilage in patients with
> osteoarthritis.
>
> Complementary techniques: many people swear by Chinese acupuncture to
> prevent their knees losing their spring. This belief is backed by
> recent research showing that acupuncture reduces the pain of
> osteoarthritis and improves mobility. Magnetic bracelets, which cost
> between Ł30 and Ł50, are the latest technique to gain scientific
> approval. A study among almost 200 patients in Devon found a
> significant fall in arthritic pain up to 12 weeks later. Massage,
> aromatherapy and relaxation techniques can also help to ease pain.

Re: What you can do: pain management -- Posted by Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD on 01-07-05 04:00

Zee wrote:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/6s32a
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk
>
> As drugs used to ease osteoarthritis are withdrawn, what should
> sufferers do? Christine Doyle reports
>
> ------snip----------
>
> Now, some specialists predict a new era with a greater emphasis on
> prevention through lifestyle changes and a simpler approach to
> treatment. Take regular exercise, lose weight and take paracetamol as
> the first line of treatment rather than NSAIDs, is the advice of
> Michael Doherty, professor of rheumatology at the City Hospital,
> Nottingham. With epidemiologist Dr Ken Muir, Prof Doherty is currently
> leading a Ł400,000 ARC clinical trial of 400 obese people to discover
> whether exercise and slimming will reduce their knee pain.
>
> Unsupervised exercise in 800 people with arthritic knee pain led to a
> substantial fall in pain and disability over two years, according to
> an NHS-sponsored trial. Prof Doherty advocates advice from nurses and
> doctors about simple changes that could make a big difference. He also
> says doctors need better education. "Many lack both the training and
> confidence to deal effectively with the many arthritic conditions they
> see on a daily basis."
>
> In the January issue of ARC's magazine, Paul Dieppe, Medical Research
> Council professor at Bristol University, says: "Worldwide sales of the
> new NSAIDs are colossal, in excess of Ł20 billion a year." He is
> critical of drug companies and the drug regulatory agencies. "They
> should be under a legal obligation to reveal data on all
> side-effects."
>
> Of all the forms of arthritis, osteoarthritis is the commonest cause
> of misery. Although paracetamol is a mild painkiller, it can be taken
> at the recommended dose of up to eight 500mg tablets a day without
> causing liver damage. If pain is really severe, the next step is a
> form which contains codeine, a stronger painkiller.
>
> Marilyn Brown, 58, a solicitor, says. "I have moderate osteoarthitis
> which waxes and wanes. I decided against the new generation of drugs
> and have stuck with paracetamol, regular exercise and a herbal remedy,
> called Tabritis. I have occasional sessions of acupuncture for my
> knees, and take glucosamine. I am doing really well. I think there is
> a lot that people can do for themselves."
>
> The power of new shoes and exercise
>
> Keep moving: regular exercise is critical for supple joints. Hard
> training or marathon running, however, is not always a good idea.
> Athletes and professional footballers who place huge demands on their
> joints at an early age are more prone to arthritic damage. Try to
> walk, swim or cycle for at least 30 minutes a day. Gradually build up
> speed. Add in daily stretching and strengthening exercises.
>
> Unwind your spine: the spine is prone to arthritic degeneration. At
> least 10 times a day, consciously unwind your spine from a slump, tuck
> in your stomach and draw yourself up to your full height - it could be
> two inches more than usual. Maintain the pose for 30 seconds. Take up
> yoga or join a pilates class.
>
> Keep trim: maintain the weight range appropriate for your height and
> frame. Even being moderately overweight, especially in those over 40,
> will add to inherited or acquired risks of decrepit joints. The extra
> pounds bear down through your hips, knees, ankles and feet.
>
> Eat your omegas: a healthy, balanced diet both prevents and slows down
> osteoarthritis. Follow a low-fat, low-sugar diet with plenty of
> colourful fruit and vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli and
> beetroot. Eat more oily fish and poultry than red meat. Mackerel,
> sardines, salmon, tuna and other oily fish contain omega-3, an
> essential fatty acid that helps control inflammation.
>
> Omega-6, mostly found in plant seed oils, such as evening primrose and
> sunflower seeds, also helps. "One of the most exciting recent
> discoveries is that these oils help some people with arthritis," says
> the ARC. "The benefits might be small, but they could be cumulative
> over time."
>
> Food flare-ups: there are many claims for exclusion diet miracle cures
> - but very little hard evidence. Anecdotally, however, some people
> link a flare-up of symptoms with dairy products, wheat and plants in
> the nightshade family, including potatoes, tomatoes and aubergines.
> Others believe that they react to spinach and grapefruit.
>
> Go shoe-shopping: buy the best-fitting shoes you can afford,
> especially if your joints are starting to creak. "Many trainers have
> excellent shock-absorbing qualities," says Prof Dieppe. "Some ordinary
> shoes are well-cushioned, but we need more manufacturers to take up
> the challenge of producing well-fitting, well-designed shoes. There
> would be plenty of customers."
>
> Supplementary evidence: "I have taken glucosamine for five years and I
> no longer feel my hips are seizing up," says Sally Herbert, 50. "I
> walk and cycle and take the supplement to keep my joints youthful."
> Once controversial, glucosamine, which is derived from shellfish, is
> rapidly moving into the mainstream. New studies, to be published soon,
> are expected to confirm that it reduces the need for hip and knee
> replacements.
>
> Cod liver oil, the war-time staple, is a favourite with ballet
> dancers. Until feet, which have 26 bones and more than 200 interacting
> muscles, ligaments and joints, start to suffer, they are often
> ignored, says the ARC, which supported research showing that cod liver
> oil slows the destruction of joint cartilage in patients with
> osteoarthritis.
>
> Complementary techniques: many people swear by Chinese acupuncture to
> prevent their knees losing their spring. This belief is backed by
> recent research showing that acupuncture reduces the pain of
> osteoarthritis and improves mobility. Magnetic bracelets, which cost
> between Ł30 and Ł50, are the latest technique to gain scientific
> approval. A study among almost 200 patients in Devon found a
> significant fall in arthritic pain up to 12 weeks later. Massage,
> aromatherapy and relaxation techniques can also help to ease pain.

Thankfully, there is now also the option of taking Limbrel.

At His service,

Andrew

--
Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
Board-Certified Cardiologist

**
Suggested Reading:
(1) http://makeashorterlink.com/?L26062048
(2) http://makeashorterlink.com/?O2F325D1A
(3) http://makeashorterlink.com/?X1C62661A
(4) http://makeashorterlink.com/?U1E13130A
(5) http://makeashorterlink.com/?K6F72510A
(6) http://makeashorterlink.com/?I24E5151A
(7) http://makeashorterlink.com/?I22222129

Re: What you can do: pain management -- Posted by ziajade on 01-11-05 21:27

My sincerest thanks to you ZEE for introducing us to this publication.
It is not only informative, up-to-date, but goes even beyond. I agree
lifestyle changes are the wave of the future and also in the "now" for
those of us who already have the bloody affliction, I think we will be
forced to make significant changes in habits.

I, too, take Glucosamine with Condroitin, Omega 3s, eat only fish and
no other meat of any kind and haven't for the last 11 years. I am into
32 oz of green tea a day, preferably gunpowder green tea. I have been
forced to live in my motorhome rather than my real house which is on
top of a mountain in the midst of 300 acres of woods that are entirely
infested with the deer ticks causing Lyme's. The house is, of course
for sale.

So, it is hard to find much space to exercise in a motor home and my
husband has purchased a small building which will be my workout room
which will house a home gym that will allow me to work with weights as
I have done successfully in the past. The room serves a dual purpose as
we will use it for our recording studio for our music. The interior of
the building is almost done and within 2 weeks, it will be finished. I
do not need to lose any weight but I do need to tone up. I am
reverting back to fresh salads for lunch and healthy food at night
which will include steamed veggies. I am just determined to get the
best of all the approaches. It will be my main focus to do whatever is
necessary to avoid knee surgery again and ultimately avoid knee
replacements.

By the way, what is paracetamol exactly? Does it compare to any drug
approved in the US? I've not heard of it before.

Again, thank you for the intro to the publication and the reminder that
there are many alternatives.

ziajade

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