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Osteoarthritis

Susan Clark

Probably the most common of all the joint diseases, osteoarthritis is believed to affect up to a third of the 45 to 65-year-old age group and 75% of those older than this. It affects the hips, knees, or spine and the primary cause is the degeneration of the joint cartilage - which should both protect the joint and enable bones to move without friction. When cartilage is worn away, it leaves the bone endings exposed, which can then cause pain, stiffness, and swelling of the joints.
Glucosamine is a natural component of cartilage. It stimulates the production of connective tissue in the body - but as we get older, we cannot make enough of it naturally. The upshot is that the cartilage can no longer retain water and act as a shock absorber. So although this is not a cure, when taken as a supplement glucosamine can greatly relieve the symptoms of this painful condition.
In some studies, it has even been shown to halt the progress of the disease by tackling the underlying cause and restoring lost cartilage. So, while anti-inflammatory drugs will act faster, glucosamine is more effective over time. In addition, it is safe and has no side effects except in rare cases (where it may cause nausea or heartburn), and even this can be countered by taking it with food.
David Wilkie, the Olympic swimming champion - in 1976, he was the first British male swimmer for 68 years to win an Olympic title when he set a world record of 2:15,11 in the 200m breaststroke - and now the managing director of Health Perception, the company that first brought glucosamine to Europe back in 1989, says he first began taking the supplement in his twenties to relieve a bad back when he was training in America. He has seen sales rocket by 300% since launching glucosamine, formulated with vitamin C and bone-building calcium, in the UK and says the supplement has become hugely popular with sportsmen and women anxious to get back to their sport after suffering an injury.
One problem is that the supplement has now become so popular that the market has frequently been flooded with inferior products in which the dosage has not been standardized. This is because there is a fast buck to be made from selling cheaper versions. This would also explain why you might hear conflicting reports as to the efficacy of glucosamine. Also, you will not feel the benefits immediately but may have to take it for three months to see a significant improvement. So if you do decide to try it, remember, you generally get what you pay for.
*If you prefer to tackle your condition through true nutrition, a mucousless diet may help

Osteoarthritis Remedy

Herbal Balance - Osteoarthritis Remedy - is a newly reformulated alternative medicine blend which incorporates proven botanical catalysts, including glucosamine sulfate, to provide biological balance to the body’s natural mechanisms which continuously generate, and degenerate, cartilage tissue found between the joining structures of the skeletal bones. Arthritis (formerly called degenerative joint disease) is not one disease, but rather a group of diseases whose common thread is that they cause pain, inflammation, and limited movement of the joints. There are currently more than 100 known diseases that so effect the joints, the most common of which is osteoarthritis. In a joint afflicted with osteoarthritis, the cartilage that covers and cushions the ends of the bone degenerates, allowing the bones to ‘rub’ together. The major symptom of this disease is pain. Inflammation is usually only a problem late in the course of the disease.

For mild cases, doctors typically prescribe painkillers such as Tylenol or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as aspirin or cortisone) to patients. Steroid injections are used in more painful cases. These traditional approaches temporarily relieve the pain, but in the long run they simply ‘cover up’ the symptoms while doing nothing to curtail the progression of the disease. This herbal remedy can do more than just deaden the pain - the botanical ingredients in this blend provide nutrients, enzymes and catalysts for the body.

PURPOSE OF FORMULATION: The herbal ingredients in this blend supply the body with nutrients and enzymes which help protect existing cartilage from premature breakdown, as well as provide active principles that soothe joint distress.

OTHER APPLICATIONS: Botanical support for muscle sprains/strains, arthritis & rheumatism, stiffness, and gout. Also menstrual problems, including PMS, osteoporosis and menopausal symptoms.

FORM: Capsules (600 mg. each)

HERBAL INGREDIENTS: Standardized herbal extracts of  Horsetail (Erigeron canadense), Vitamin C, Glucosamine Sulfate, Magnesium Gluconate, Magnesium Citrate, Magnesium Ascorbate, Magnesium Aspertate, and Wild Yam (Dioscorea villosa).

RECOMMENDED DOSAGE: Dosage for this blend is a function of your body weight:

<120 lbs - take two (2) capsules 2-times per day (total of 4 capsules per day)

120-200 lbs - take two (2) capsules 3-times per day (total of 6 capsules per day)

>200 lbs - take two (2) capsules 4-times per day (total of 8 capsules per day)

MAGNESIUM compounds are classified as minerals. In nutrition, the term "minerals" refers to chemical elements that are necessary for proper functioning of the body. Our supply of minerals comes almost exclusively through the food chain - plants take them from the ground and incorporate them into organic compounds that we consume by eating either the plants or the animals that ate the plants. The main exception is table salt, which provides sodium and chlorine (and iodine if iodized) in inorganic form. Minerals are grouped into two types: macrominerals are found in relatively large amounts in the body; microminerals are found in smaller amounts (less than .005 percent of body weight). Along with three microminerals (cobalt, molybdenum, and selenium) macrominerals of specific importance to good health include calcium, chlorine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulfur. Magnesium occurs in both plant and animal tissue. It is essential as an enzyme activator, and is involved in the formation & maintenance of body protein. The magnesium compounds included in this blend act as a catalyst for the glucosamine sulfate activity.

VITAMIN C is a plant vitamin, occurring to some degree in almost all plants. The body neither makes nor stores vitamin C; a continuous supply must be provided in the food we eat. Normal body cell functioning requires ascorbic acid, as does the formation of healthy collagen (the basic protein of connective tissue), bones, teeth, cartilage, skin, and capillary walls. In this blend, vitamin C also acts as a catalyst for the glucosamine sulfate activity. Vitamin C also promotes the body’s effective use of other nutrients, such as iron, B vitamins, vitamins A and E, calcium, and certain amino acids. By promoting the formation of strong connective tissue, it helps to heal wounds and burns. Stress, fever, and infection increase the body’s need for vitamin C.

HORSETAIL is a rush-like perennial related to ferns. The hollow, jointed stems of this flowerless plant contain large amounts of silica and silicic acids (5-8%). Silica is used by the body in the production and repair of connective tissues while accelerating the healing of broken bones. Our bodies use silica to maintain and repair the nails, hair, skin, eyes and cell walls. Horsetail is also used for its diuretic and astringent properties, making it a useful treatment for cystitis, bladder and prostate problems, and kidney stones. Horsetail (silica) reduces the risk of excessive bleeding and contributes to the building of healthy blood cells. Research has shown that Horsetail increases the number of phagocytes (enzymes that kill germs and other foreign substances), which improves the functioning of the entire immune system. Horsetail contains 5% of the saponin equisetonin, and several flavone glycosides, including isoquercitrin, galuteolin, and equisetrin, which most likely account for its diuretic activity. Horsetail also contains Aconitic acid, calcium, PABA, fatty acids, fluorine, vitamin B-5 and zinc.

WILD YAM contains a multitude of hormone-like compounds that have been used to effectively treat a variety of medical problems. Researchers have long believed that certain species of the Dioscorea plant (wild yam) are due to the existence of specialized phytochemicals called "hormone precursors". Hormone precursors assist in the body's production of prohormones, such as DHEA and Pregnenalone. These substances help regulate the body's metabolism. Unfortunately, the body's natural levels of prohormones begins to decrease in the 20's. Research has shown a direct correlation between this drop in prohormone levels and obesity, lethargy, and other degenerative health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Herbal Balance contains a Dioscorea complex with standardized levels of these prohormone precursors that provides effective building blocks for supporting the body's production of these substances. The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia recognizes wild yam root as a spasmolytic, mild diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, and it is listed for use in the treatment of the following: intestinal colic, diverticulitis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, muscular rheumatism, cramps, intermittent claudication, and ovarian & uterine pain.