Get off that deadly chair: Sitting too long raises fatality risk, experts say – USA Today

Sitting too much could be deadly – CBS news

Too much sitting creates a health hazard – Discovery News

Time watching TV linked to greater risk of death – Wall Street Journal

Too much sitting shortens lives, study suggests – The New York Times

Too much sitting puts the body on idle – USA Today

These and many other articles have popped up in the news in the last week explaining the details of several resent studies that have linked the amount of sitting and TV watching people do with an increased risk of death. The studies found for every hour spent watching TV (sitting still) was associated with an 18% increase in heart disease deaths and an 11% increase in deaths overall. People who watched TV at least 4 hours a day were 80% more likely to die of heart disease than those who watched less than 2 hours a day. By the way, Americans watch an average of 5 hours of TV a day.

This is what Pete Egoscue has been saying for years: humans are build to move and move constantly. In The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion Pete says,

From birth to death, we never stop moving. Even asleep, we toss and turn; the heart beats. Motion – that’s what the human body is all about.

He goes on to say,

You are not moving enough to keep your body and overall health from deteriorating.

Have you ever stopped to think that movement is as much of a biological imperative as food and water? It it. There was a time, and not long ago, when it was easy, instinctive, to obey the biological imperative of motion. Man moved because he had to. Not anymore. Survival doesn’t depend on motion. We can sit at a desk, sit in a car, sit in front of the TV set, and live the “good life.”

But we are paying for this “good life” of ours with illness, disability, pain, and despair. What all of us must do is deliberately and systematically get our bodies back in motion despite a modern lifestyle that discourages movement, and even encourages us to believe that we can survive and prosper as sedentary beings who treat motion as an inconvenience that can be minimized with the help of technology. Just as we would perish without food and water, we will perish once our bodies are deprived of the movement necessary to maintain our vital physiological systems.

As a species, particularly those of us who live in the industrialized world, we are getting closer and closer to the edge, and that’s why I developed the Egoscue Method. It is a way to provide each person with sufficient motion, motion that is no longer built into the daily pattern of our lives the way it was just a few decades ago; and it is a way back to motion that is in accord with the body’s design requirements. Motion doesn’t just happen anymore. From now on we’ll have to work at it. The Egoscue Method is your tool box.

Resources to help get you out of your chair and moving again (and thus saving your life!):

Pain Free at Your PC – Gives Egoscuecises you can do while at work to break up the sitting

Pain Free for Women – This is not just for women! It contains many different routines to jump-start your body including amazing strength routines both with and without weights that will be a challenge to anyone, even a high level athlete.

Egoscue Pain Free Workout Series – These DVD’s lead you through a workout designed to wake up all the dormant muscles and joints in your body and give your heart a boost as well.

Beyond Pain Free Journals – This gives you workouts to do 6 days a week for a month that will take you to a new level of fitness and you’ll have fun while doing it.

Patch Fitness – Come and experience the fun, challenging, and dynamic workout that Patch Fitness gives you. Call our clinic to set up a time to come check it out for free. 503-350-0888

SHE will kill me if I even hint at her name, but I cannot but recount how someone I know became very attached recently to one of her household appliances.

This kindly soul had been feeling the occasional twinge of arthritis in her legs and was concerned about it. She tried the various NHS prescriptions, but with only partial success. Then her thoughts began to turn to the less conventional treatments that we hear about sometimes and which are always pooh-poohed by the medical establishment.

Worth a try, she reckoned. Just see if they make any difference. She heard other sufferers say magnetic bracelets had helped them.

Doctors and scientists gasp at these claims because, under laboratory conditions at any rate, they can find no proof of any benefit. They sneer, claiming that it is all in the mind. Funny, then, that one of these men of science who had written it was all bunkum was found, some years later, to be wearing one of the bracelets himself. Hmm.

So my friend wondered if she should explore this unproven alternative therapy to see if it could have any effect on those annoying pangs in her legs. The solution recommended to her was a larger affair than a bracelet. A sizeable magnet was contained in this surgical support affair which was then wrapped around her knee.

She had it fitted last week. Hoping for quick relief, she then set about making the tea for the family after putting a mixed load in the washing machine. The machine was slooshing away nicely to itself. She got bread from the bin in the cupboard above it and turned for the teapot, but couldn’t. She tried to turn the other way but couldn’t do that, either. She was stuck.

Her right leg had stopped working. She could feel it fine, but it was strangely immobile. Oh-oh. Panic. Was she having some kind of attack? In fact, the whole right side of her body just seemed frozen to the spot. She could move her left leg, but she just didn’t have the strength to move over to the chair. She couldn’t bend down and she couldn’t reach up. What terrible ailment had crippled her?

Thankfully, she wasn’t in pain and knew her husband would be home soon. So she relaxed a bit. Then she realised she was actually stuck fast to the washing machine. Like a magnet. A magnet? It dawned on her. Yes, it was the magnetic knee wrap for her rheumatism that was keeping her thigh firmly attached to the appliance. It was really stuck fast.

Suddenly, a click. The washing machine began its spin cycle. Her efforts to extricate herself must have somehow dislodged the washing machine from its mounting, so, when the spinning began, the whole machine began to really vibrate and jump up and down. And, because she was firmly clamped to it, so did she.

She couldn’t even reach the socket to put it off and, when she tried to reach behind her for the off switch, she only managed to press something which made it go faster.

It rattled and rolled as it gave the hankies, dishcloths and frilly underthings inside it a good going over, leaving my friend all shook up. In some of these modern machines, the spin is powerful and goes on for ages. This was one of them.

By the time the throbbing machine finally slowed and began the rinse, the heavy vibration had bedraggled her with sheer exhaustion. That is not good for a woman of her age.

It’s not funny. It’s really not. Well, it is a bit, but it wasn’t for her at the time. Now fully recovered, and demagnetised, she has been playing down her own hour of trauma. She can now manage a weak smile when people say they always knew she had a magnetic personality. They also ask if the machine was made by Toyota. Was the accelerator jammed? People can be so cruel.

It is also cruel that Valentine’s Day is upon us again. It can’t be a year since we last suffered. Do married women of a certain age still expect something on February 14? There has to be a cut-off point when we men can just down tools and be allowed to stop trying to impress. It’s not as if some of us even hooked up with them because we were incurable romantics or even because we looked much better than the back end of Bus na Comhairle.

Our womenfolk obviously thought we had other endearing attributes: a sizzling personality, a vulnerability that brought out the mother in them, or even a look so glaikit that they felt they had to take us indoors out of harm’s way. Whatever it was, I’m cool with it.

But I’d better not chance it. So I’ve got till the weekend to try to come up with something that she will think delightful and precious – in other words, a complete waste of time and money – so she will consider me to have been inspired and thoughtful. Great.

A couple of years ago, I forgot. As the day wore on, the present Mrs Maciver became morose and grumpy. I had no idea what was going on. By teatime, she was slamming doors and serving up chicken goujons one step away from being charcoal. Still nothing dawned on me.

That night, there was something on the news about the record sales of Valentine cards. The penny dropped. Oops, I thought. “Right, I’m off, you uncaring old swine,” she obviously thought.

She did what she always does when she is agitated with me. She drove off in first gear, smoke trailing behind her. She is quite a sight when she does that; stooring off round the corner, engine roaring in a cloud of indignant exhaust fumes and, because she forgets to change gear, she doesn’t manage to get past 10mph.

Hey. I’ve just had an idea. Maybe I should get her a Toyota.

I found this question posted at

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Questions-Marriage-Husband-864/Morbidly-Obese-wife.htm

Question
We have been married for 11 years. She always talks about doing something about her wieght/health issues, but never does. We have 3 children and I once loved her. After years of watching her harm herself and blame me or the kids for things not going right, I’m really sick of it. I don’t risk bringing any sensative subject up at all. She does as little as possible at all costs. From the day we married she constantly questioned my fidelity, which I’ve never broken. My children are 7,8 and 9 years old when it’s time to clean house–they do it all while she directs from the couch! I suppose I could go on but but there’s no point. Basically, no matter what I do to hopefully make things better, they get worse. I not only feel like an utter failure, I also feel as if my life is wasting away. Could you lend me your perspective?

Sound familiar? I thought the answer was in many ways a breath of fresh air.

Answer
Dear Ken,

Yeah, I know any idiot can search the web for this stuff, but isn’t it nice to have somebody like me out there doing it for you? Isn’t nice to have it all bundled up here at MFS? In any case this little Q & A got me thinking. How many of us have been to the doctor with our spouses, checked the medications, asked questions. I may have trotted this out before, but if your spouse had a broken leg or severe depression or god forbid, cancer wouldn’t you be going to the doctor’s office with her. I know people who are married to somebody with Arthritis who, I’m ashamed to say, spend more time on their spouse’s health than I do. They read up on all the meds, insist that their spouse do what the physical therapist tells them to do…I realize obesity is not Arthritis and if your dealing with a smoker or an Arthritic nagging is rarely effective, but taking an active role in mitigating the effects of a serious health issue is a spouse’s responsibility. I have to admit, I could take a far more active role in mu own situation. My wife is being treated and seen for a variety of medical conditions. I’m not familiar with all the medications, but she seems to stay on top of it and gets pretty regular checkups. The denial is still there though. Depression and obesity dance around each other or should I say lie on the couch together wrapped up in each others arms wondering what time it is.

Prednisone is a synthetic form of corticosteroid that can be administered in topical, injectable, or oral form. Corticosteroids are a class of steroid’s which act like hormones that are produced by the adrenal gland. Prednisone is prescribed to very effectively suppress immune system response when treating a variety of inflammatory diseases and disorders. This includes arthritis, eczema, some cancers, irritable bowel symptoms, asthma, allergic reactions, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, chronic pain conditions and many others.

When our bodies are under stress, a natural steroid hormone called cortisol is a released. Cortisol is part of the “fight or flight” response which causes changes to blood pressure, blood sugar, immune and inflammatory response. These changes are not harmful when the body has a chance to recover from the stress inducing event. Stress responses can become very problematic if triggered too frequently.

The immune system cannot operate properly under the influence of excessive cortisol. Impaired immunity leaves the door open to illness and disease. Because prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid it should be used cautiously, infrequently, and sparingly to reduce the likelihood of complications. When used judiciously, it can be a wonderful drug.

However, when prednisone is taken for more than a few weeks, it causes the adrenal glands to shrink, producing fewer natural steroid hormones. That is why discontinuing prednisone and other corticosteroids much be done slowly so that the adrenal gland can return to normal production. Sudden drug withdrawal can trigger dangerous side effects. There are also some terrible possible side effects and complications which can occur when using prednisone:

• increased appetite
• indigestion, stomach upset (including ulcers)
• nervousness, restlessness, increased sweating
• osteoporosis (bone loss)
• hypertension (high blood pressure)
• hypoglycemia (high blood sugar)
• headaches
• darkening or lightening of skin color
• dizziness, sensation of spinning, fainting
• flushing of face or cheeks
• decreased or blurred vision, eye pain, redness, light sensitivity
• cataracts
• frequent urination
• increased thirst
• confusion, excitement, false sense of well-being
• hallucinations
• mental depression, mood swings
• skin rash, hives, acne
• abdominal or stomach pain or burning
• bloody or black, tarry stools
• rounding out of the face
• irregular heartbeat
• menstrual problems
• muscle cramps, pain, weakness
• nausea, vomiting
• reduced calcium absorption
• pain in arms, back, hips, legs, ribs, or shoulders
• reddish purple lines on arms, face, groin, legs, or trunk
• stunting of growth (in children)
• swelling of feet or lower legs
• thin, shiny skin
• insomnia
• unusual bruising
• unusual increase in hair growth
• unusual fatigue or weakness
• rapid weight gain or loss
• wounds that will not heal
• osteonecrosis or avascular necrosis (bone death due to lack of blood supply)
• premature arteriosclerosis
  

Large doses of prednisone (over 40 mg daily) or extended use (four weeks or longer) will increase the amount of time necessary for the body to return to normal after discontinuing use. It can take up to one year for normal adrenal gland function to return when large amounts or extended use of prednisone has occurred.

In a 2009 study published in International Immunopharmacology, the potent pine bark extract antioxidant called Pycnogenol® was demonstrated to inhibit pro-inflammatory enzymes like COX-2 and 5-LOX. This is very impressive because chronic inflammation and oxidative stress is associated with many conditions that prednisone and other corticosteroids are prescribed for such as arthritis, heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Unlike prednisone, Pycnogenol has no dangerous side effects.

According to Dr. Raffaella Canali, “This study reveals that Pycnogenol® can actually decrease pain and reduce inflammatory conditions, as has been previously reported, by shutting down the production of specific enzymes involved with inflammation.”

As the old saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. This is especially true with it comes to dealing with inflammation. Isotonix OPC-3® contains the only form of rapid absorbing isotonic capable Pycnogenal® in the world.  It has been shown to be 20 times more powerful than vitamin C and 50 times more powerful than vitamin E in neutralizing free radicals. Free radicals cause oxidative stress and cellular damage which leads to and prolongs inflammation.

In addition, Isotonix OPC-3® has been clinically shown to improve major risk factors including blood pressure, total cholesterol and fasting blood glucose.

Description

And osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory, not degenerative diseases. It first manifested as inflammation of a joint synovial membrane lines and lubricating joints. Once the inflammation of the membrane thicker, more pain and swelling, which in turn limits the affected joints. Over time, the inflammation spread to other parts of the combined effect, resulting in more stiffness and pain. Finally, the inflammation can spreadOrgans, such as heart, lungs and eyes. He was able to spread to the body, and rheumatoid arthritis, systemic disease that affects the whole body.

Inflammation is harmless each of itself, it is actually your body's condition is a normal reaction, infection and injury, causing white blood cells when your biological invasion of combat operations. Usually eliminate inflammation after infection. However, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune system seems to struggle toThe body, rather than protect them.

Although this disease can attack at any time, it usually occurs in 20 to 50-year-old children. Affects about three times as many women as men.

Relative to a set of symptoms of the disease progress, rheumatoid arthritis is unpredictable. What are the symptoms occur, the frequency of occurrence and impact on joints and organs are very different, depending on the individual. In some stakeholders, the occasional outbreak of rheumatoid arthritis, and thenFollowed by a period of normal health. Between the return on the experience of others is not a fully healthy state of repeated attacks. A lot of experience, as time goes on, the severity of the symptoms of a slow but steady growth.

Some people develop rheumatoid arthritis, a small lump under the arm, elbow, ears and nose, or the back of the scalp skin, in the knees or toes. This so-called rheumatoid nodules painless, non-collision problems range from the size of a peaThe size of table tennis.

Although medical experts have not yet found in rheumatoid arthritis, among other things, inheritance, viral or bacterial infection, and emotional stress a single reason.

Symptoms and signs

Pain, swelling, redness, and warmth of the affected joints, the most common effects of the small joints of hands and feet, but the elbows, knees and ankle joints may be affected

As a rule affect the joint symmetry, two-handed (), for example,

Total hardness, And achiness, especially in the silent periods, such as sleeping sickness, or take long-haul aircraft,

Worsening symptoms of early morning and lower during the day. General malaise / weakness

Anemia

Pain usually occurs during sleep and exercise

Conventional medical

A series of blood tests can confirm a comprehensive physical examination and medical history, do you have rheumatoid arthritis. X-ray examination may also be helpful. StrategyFor the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis depends on whether it is active or eased. In an outbreak of the rest combined, warm and drug requirements. Anti-inflammatory drugsaspirin, especially the first line of treatment, and can relieve symptoms. Currently used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis a number of other drugs. Gold salts can be opened with your doctor penicellamine methotrexate, azathioprine or anti-malaria, depending on the progress of your symptoms.Corticosteroids can temporarily relieve pain and inflammation, but they are generally more serious disease, such reservations.

Physical therapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis to play an important role. This is the most effective swelling and joint and drugs can inhibit inflammation. Physical therapy can reduce the deformity and restore function.

In severe cases, surgical removal of the affected joint lining can prevent damage to other joint structures,Cartilage. Another process of integration of the pain, uncushioned bones, but only at the wrists, feet, ankles to repair the thumb, as it restricts movement. Tendon transfer is another damaged tendon and ligament repair surgery of choice, it is to hand the most common. Another approach is joint or joint replacement surgery, usually in the knees, hips will enforce it, and shoulders.

Rheumatoid arthritis or RA can cause inflammation of joints and tissues and some organs of the body. When the immune system attacks the body tissues mistakenly, autoimmune diseases happen. The immune system has different organizations of antibodies and cells to fight harmful toxins in the body. However, people who suffer from autoimmune illnesses have antibodies in the blood that attack body tissues, which can cause inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis is also known as rheumatoid disease because it affects several body organs.

Patients may not experience symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis for a long time but the illness is progressive that can result to functional disability and destruction of joints.

Rheumatoid arthritis or RA has different symptoms from mild to serious. Obvious symptoms can be seen in the joints of the wrists, hands, feet and knees. Effects on oral health are less known. The disease may affect different organs such as kidneys, lungs, and tissues around the heart.

Though RA has no cure, people with RA can take different kinds of anti-inflammatory medications to relieve inflammation and pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Aspirin is known to be effective as an anti-inflammatory. Other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs include naproxophen and ibuprofen. To control inflammation, prednisone is recommended but it can cause several side effects including increased pressure of fluid around the brain. Other side effects are diabetes and infection. Physicians can inject cortisone and steroids for quick relief of the joints. Anti-rheumatic medications that can modify diseases are also available such as methotrexate, gold and hydroxychloroquine can, which can delay the progress of the illness. However, be aware that using these medications can have serious side effects.

Rheumatoid arthritis can also have effects on your oral health. Patients that suffer from the disease can have gum disease and serious tooth decay because the inflamed and swollen wrist joints and hands perform the oral hygiene, which can be painful and tedious. Patients can use electric toothbrushes that have more comfortable and larger handles for a better grasp. With electric toothbrushes, cleaning the teeth is easier and more effective. In addition, RA patients cannot floss and they are recommended to use interdental cleaning. Interdental cleaners can be purchased at different department stores and pharmacies.

Salivary glands are affected by RA, which causes dryness and inflammation. People with rheumatoid arthritis can experience dry mouth or xerostomia and dry eye or keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Natural treatments can treat this problem such as consuming plenty of water and chewing gums that free from sugar or sucking hard candies that are sugar-free to stimulate salivary glands. Tooth decay will occur if there are no cleansing and antibacterial saliva effects. It is necessary to use products that contain high fluoride. In addition, practice good oral hygiene and lessen the consumption of sugar.

If you are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, it is necessary to take good care of oral health. Make sure to brush your teeth at least two times everyday and floss after every meal. Make sure to check your mouth for the obvious signs of dry mouth, teeth stains, decay and plaque. In addition, you need to watch for gum disease, bad breath and bleeding. Visiting your dentist at least three times, every year is essential. It is recommended to discuss your RA as well as your oral health issues with your dentist or medical doctor.

Adults who had experienced physical abuse as children have 56% higher odds of osteoarthritis compared to those who have not been abused, according to a study by University of Toronto researchers.

University of Toronto researchers investigated the relationship between self-reported childhood physical abuse and a diagnosis of osteoarthritis (OA). After analyzing representative data from the 2005 Canadian Community Health Survey, the researchers determined a significant association between childhood physical abuse and osteoarthritis in adulthood.

The study is published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

Osteoarthritis is an often debilitating chronic condition that affects millions of adults. “We found that 10.2% of those with osteoarthritis reported they had been physically abused as children in comparison to 6.5% of those without osteoarthritis,” says lead author Esme Fuller-Thomson of U of T’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and Department of Family and Community Medicine. “This study provides further support for the need to investigate the possible role that childhood abuse plays in the development of chronic illness.”

Co-author Sarah Brennenstuhl, a doctoral student at the University of Toronto, stated that, “We were surprised that the significant association between childhood physical abuse and osteoarthritis persisted even after controlling for major potentially confounding factors such as obesity, physical activity levels as well as age, gender, income and race.”

According to Fuller-Thomson, one important avenue for future research is to investigate the pathways through which arthritis may develop as a consequence of childhood physical abuse.

Interesting reading on similar topic – The Body Never Lies

Food for thought

Do you think there is a link between your diet and…

• Arthritis?
• Vocal issues like GERD?
• Use of marijuana?
• Alcohol use?
• Stage hydration?
• Eating on the road?
• Sleep disturbances?

There is. Think of how much better your performance could be with making subtle changes to your health by eating better.

I hope your appetite is hungry for information, because over the next 3 months I will be working on finding links to the above set questions for y’all. If you have an area of concern or a question, please ask!

Cheers,

The Roadie Nutritionist

Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) is a perennial plant native to China, Mongolia, and Korea. Only the root of the Astragalus plant is used medicinally. It has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Astragalus has been used for several ailments and is being studied further. It’s been shown to have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Is it me, or do others with rheumatoid arthritis see RA possibilities everywhere? I’ve told my bro, who has had neck pain for years and gets inflamed knuckles, that he really should get an RA test, even though it’s incredibly unlikely in a lad his age. (Unlikely but not impossible, as Rhuematoid Arthritis Guy can testify, and not an unreasonable suggestion given that he’s my brother and we do have family with RA.

However, it starts to get a bit silly when you’re sitting chatting to someone and start thinking ‘ooh, they get stiff in the mornings; could be RA.’ Well yeah, I have to remind myself, but when they say stiff they probably mean their muscles ache a bit because they went jogging last night, not that they can’t move their joints. But then again, RA is notoriously hard to diagnose, so when you’re sitting in the OT’s room chatting to another patient who is being treated for ‘carpel tunnel syndrome’ in both wrists, has been referred to the podiatrist because of pain in both feet, finds it hard to grip the steering wheel for any length of time, gets ‘dead arms’ in the middle of the night just like I do and finds it difficult to be a passenger even in the car for long journeys because when she gets out she’s ’stiff all over’ … oh yes, and this all started with ‘the change’ … you can’t help wondering, can you? Or can you? Is it just me?

It’s hard to keep your mouth shut sometimes, but I managed it. For all I know she’s been thoroughly tested for it and hasn’t got it, but I couldn’t ask; I’d never even met her before that day. It makes me wonder even more because when I was diagnosed with RA I’d gone to the doctor saying, ‘Help – I think I’ve got carpel tunnel syndrome!’

I suppose I shall never know, and I really hope I’m barking up the wrong tree altogether, for her sake … but I can’t help wondering. Am I being silly?

~

What you can do

“Moving is the best medicine”

~

For headache and neck and shoulder pain

As reported in the leading headache journal, Cephalalgia, office workers with headache, neck and shoulder pain took part in an education and relaxation program in an Italian study over eight months. They kept diaries and did posture and relaxation exercises every two to three hours. Compared to a control group, headache and neck and shoulder pain decreased by more than 40% and use of analgesic drugs was cut in half.

~

For Arthritis Pain

So much for the resolutions!  I didn’t even find time to get back on here and touch base.  Oh well, I am not really a resolution kind of girl anyway:)  I cannot believe how fast this year is going.  Maybe it’s because we have had way too much ice, cold, and snow – so I am in a winter brain fog. 

I want SpRiNg to get here as soon as possible, but only if it can bypass the old 40th birthday that is destined to plague my March.  I am pretending that it isn’t really happening, and trying to overlook the wrinkles and gray hair that are so very noticeable, the closer 40 actually gets. 

Had some exciting things happen this past month.  Grandma turned 87 – holy buckets!  Then I had 1 laptop and 1 pc try and commit computer suicide.  As soon as the repair guy finished reviving them, the can opener and the stove had meltdowns.  Apparently, appliances can get moody during fits of cabin fever as well.  Luckily, all is well again, and everything seems to be running –  for the time being.

Trying something new for the next two weeks.  I am going GLUTEN FREE – on a trial run basis.  I keep reading that gluten is the culprit behind headaches, bloating, sleeplessness, IBS, arthritis pain, weight gain, belly fat, PMS, sinus issues, foggy brain…..  You name it, gluten is blamed.  It cannot hurt to cut it out of my diet for a couple of weeks and see how I feel, so I will be journaling my progress right here in my blog.  I will weigh in tomorrow morning, track exactly what I eat, and how I feel throughout the day.  White sugar and carbs also get a bad rap, so I am going to try and keep them out of the plan as well.

I have been having a hard time sleeping, lots of headaches, back and joint pain, and I am a real grump.  Oh yeah, as much as it hurts, I plan on measuring my waist as well.  I can almost hear the sobs now….

Until tomorrow…

TMJ, burning eyes, vertigo, ulcers, arthritis – a behcet’s day this morning in the cold wet muggy grey blanket… wake up bunny, there’s lots u must do today…

it will be frenetic today… i need energy, and i hope the combination of stemetil and simple paracetamol will help get me thru…

but beneath the flurry of activity, i can hear scheherazade softly weeping… tears inside an ocean… breaths in the wind… lost in anonymity… she is still loving u inside the mocking silence… a secret life within the mind… hidden… and perhaps shall remain unspoken… for who wld believe or understand, what he was to her?… and there is none that she wld want to share this with… so she holds the pieces in her heart, shreds of cold blue marble, how they now  cut, but yet she turns and turns and turns them in her hand, bleeding inside her pocket… nobody will know, nobody need know… still loving u, in a secret life…

Glucosamine and chondroitin really protect cartilage in the long term. It takes 3 years for glucosamine to get measurable effects and 2 for chondroitin.

See the article

Source: http://www.michaelgundill.com/blog/73

too much pain today… can’t work… so surfing the net for inspiration and chatting with friends in other bits of this leeeetle old world…

full behcet’s attack – ulcer’s that is, thank goodness arthritis is dormant at the moment… BPPD ok as long as i dont swing that head too much

thinking abt bridges… how we make them… and then burn them… and some, burning still as we are trying to cross them…

i will miss u my beloved pixie… u will never know, tho i tried too hard to tell u… perhaps trying too hard just cheapened the whole fantasy experience for u… ? … well i shall never know too…

i always loved little guys with guitars… haha even if they are gay… like paul simon… loved him since i was a kid… so here are a few clips i enjoyed being nostalgic over today… (incidentally, pixie face is a little-ish guy with a guitar too, but i never got to hear him play, and i guess i never shall now)…

ok first without the hot guitar, just a beautiful timeless song… i learnt to play this on piano when i was a wee bonnie lass… it meant different things to me then, but even then it brought tears to my eyes and hope in my heart, esp when things WERE rough, with behcet’s it has always been rough… and thru the years, i’ve yearned for such a friend, but i only knew recently that i already had gathered more than one of such friends, not bad at all for an aspie who cannot communicate and with hardly much theory of mind… this version is clearly a recent one, no longer as powerful as the youthful duo… but with age, this brings deeper sweeter meaning…

this one makes me tremble… an old 1966 clip… now i m living alone, and it is not easy, with behcet’s… there were times i really thought i’d die and rot in here and nobody wld know, cos as an aspie, i hate the phone, nobody calls me and my friends leave me alone until i call them cos they know how i am… a most peculiar girl?… maybe… but no calimero, no pixie, u got me wrong…

and one from the 80s – one of the most powerful albums of that time… this was magic to me at the time… and still holds me in awe…

i long for a bridge… from my inner world, to the outside… my friends, those who support me and love me, they are my bridges of comfort, but nobody has a pathway into and out of my mind… and that is lonely… a silent scream… and i was always fascinated by this song, i heard it as a child, another one i wld hum to myself in my head when the ulcers were too painful to even open my mouth let alone sing… anyway i never knew i COULD sing until the late nineties… but i did hv a dream about it when i was a child… i dreamt that inside the silence, i had a beautiful sweet lilting voice… and guess what, over 30 years later, i discovered that voice, it was the same as the one i heard in my dream, my voice… inside the silence…

here we are … the sound of silence… heartbreakingly poignant… for the aspie in me, and the behcet’s kid…

I’ve just started on “Metho” and will take it now for the next couple of years.  I had no idea how it would make me feel.  I’ve also been prescribed Celebrex and Prednisolone (steroid) and Folic Acid.  I took my first course on Friday night, mainly because I was getting really anxious waiting to take it.  I ate dinner, then took it before going to bed.  I felt okay the next day and wasn’t nauseous, other than feeling like I’d been punched in the stomach, or done too many sit-ups.

My hands are more painful now and I’m not sure that’s because I know in my mind that this is REAL, or whether it’s because I’ve stopped taking the Mobicosa (Green Lipped Mussel) which I found made a slight difference to my range of movement in my fingers. 

I’m amazed at the mental side of things.  I’ve got a range of medicaton to take and I’m very slow on the uptake.  My rationale is that if I took all the medication in one day (like recommended) and then felt a bit ill, I wouldn’t know which one it was that made me feel like that, and couldn’t possible get another substitute.  I’m going to try taking different combinations of medications each day so I can work out how each one of them affects me and works (or doesn’t work) in my system.  I’m a stubborn patient, but it is my life and my body and I’m prepared to be responsible for that.

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Arthritis affects about one in five people in the United States after the National Institutes of Health, which a lot of people … and how the aging population, there will be more people.

In fact, arthritis is not a single disease but a category that many diseases and conditions related to your article. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common of these diseases.

Most of us do not realize how good nutrition to improve the way in which we canfeel. Many doctors do not support the power as part of the treatment of arthritis, because they feel the clinical evidence is not strong enough for them to interpret their patients. However, some studies show that foods can irritate arthritis (saturated fatty acids) of trans fats and make it even worse and there are some foods that can ease the pain.

Here are some of the foods the way you can improve with arthritis:

Food omega-3 fatty acidsAcids

Omega-3 fatty acids to reduce inflammation by inhibiting the production of cytokines (cytokines are small proteins that help regulate Ret erode the immunity and inflammation.) And other enzymes, cartilage. Several studies have reported that omega-3 fish oil may reduce the painful symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. There is strong evidence that fish oil may affect arthritis, but most doctors recommend an omega-3-rich diet, as these positive effects. FoodOmega-3 fatty acids are salmon, herring, sardines, flaxseed, walnuts and trout.

Food, extra virgin olive oil and canola oil

Cooking with olive oil instead of vegetable oil or butter is good for you, because olive oil is good, monounsaturated fatty acids. Protects the body against inflammation because it contains antioxidants called polyphenols (polyphenols act as antioxidants. They protect cells and body chemicals against damage caused by free radicals and reactiveAtoms that contribute to the damage of body tissues.) Be careful not to spill. This is an oil and calories.

Antioxidants – vitamin C, selenium, beta carotene, bioflavonoids

Free radicals derived from inflammation associated with the natural processes of the body. Antioxidants protect the body from the effects of free radicals and are an important part of an anti-inflammatory diet. Some of the most important free radicals are:

Vitamin C:

Vitamin Cis important for the production of collagen, which is an important component of cartilage. People who are fed a low vitamin C, a higher risk of developing arthritis. On the other hand, long-term high-dose vitamin C supplements for arthritis may be worse. This is one reason why many doctors advise their patients that their vitamin C from foods rather than supplements. Foods that contain a good source of vitamin C: guava, sweetPeppers, organs, grapefruit, broccoli, cabbage, kiwi, brussels sprouts and mustard.

Selenium:

Patients with low selenium have a higher risk for severe arthritis
than those who ate a diet rich in selenium. Good food, selenium are tuna, crab, lean beef, shrimp, whole grains, Turkey and wheat germ.

Carotene:

Many fruits and vegetables contain carotenoids, a group of powerful antioxidants. Carotene is the best known among them. Somebest foods for beta-carotene are sweet potatoes, carrots, cabbage, spinach, red pepper, apricot and melon. Research in the United Kingdom found that people ate, the diet with high carotene were half as likely to develop inflammatory arthritis.

Bioflavonoids – quercetin and anthocyanidins:

Both are antioxidants. The anti-inflammatory effects of quercetin are similar to drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen. Good sources of quercetin are onions, leeks, tomatoes,Broccoli and apricots, anti-inflammatory anthocyanins seem to produce some inflammatory chemicals to prevent it. Good food sources of this antioxidant are blueberries, eggplant, cherries, strawberries and plums.

Spices – ginger and turmeric

Condiments such as salt, part of the diet. They are derived from plant sources, and may have positive effects on health. Some spices like ginger and turmeric, have anti-inflammatory effect and can reduce arthriticDiscomfort. However, ginger can also act as blood thinners, players take a blood-thinning, the drug must add ginger to their diet with your doctor before taking them to do something.

Read more ginger in your diet, grate fresh ginger into stir fries-play, or enjoy a ginger tea and low-fat ginger muffins.

Always remove the possibility of a food allergy, if you try something new. To reduce the pain from arthritis to provide justice to eat lots of foods with fish oil andinclude ginger in your diet.

There are dozens of foods that can help the symptoms of arthritis and to avoid, probably, in the first place. We hope these suggestions give some relief.

NECK PAIN DUE TO AN AUTO ACCIDENT:

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ATTORNEYS FOR AUTO ACCIDENT VICTIMS:

WHIPLASH INJURIES:  car collision

CHRONIC NECK PAIN = DISC INJURY

Neck pain can be the result of muscle strain, ligament sprains, arthritis or a pinched nerve.  The cervical spine is formed by seven bones, the cervical vertebrae beginning at the top C1, C2, C3 and down to C7.  The cervical vertebrae form a strong spinal canal that protects the spinal cord.  In between the neck bones is an area which functions as a shock absorber. A car accident may be responsble for injury to the ligaments which causes  neck pain, weakness, and cervical strain.  Protrusion through the outer capsule of the spine is called a herniated disc.  Whiplash injury caused by the traumatic events of a car accident is responsible for the abrupt forward and backward motion of the cervical spine.  Surgery can  relieve the pain of a herniated disc as well as a pinched nerve.  Acupuncture, cervical collar, ice, heat, massage, and anti-inflammatory medications are treatments for neck injuries.  X-ray, computer tomography (CT scan), electrodiagnostic test (EMG), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are tests performed to determine the nature of an accident victim’s injuries. 

If you have been in a car accident and are experiencing neck pain caused by the carelessness and recklessness of another driver, please call KULLMANN, KLEIN AND DIONEDA today to schedule your free legal consultation.  (314) 772-0000 or toll free 1-800-536-8844.  Our attorneys offer our clients one-on-one personal service along with competent legal representation on your personal injury case.  We will give  you the legal advice you need.  With over twenty years of experience representing injury victims, KULLMANN, KLEIN AND DIONEDA has handled many types of personal injury cases.

CALL US TODAY, AT (314) 772-0000 or toll free at:

1-800-536-8844  FOR A FREE CONSULTATION.

Gary Kullmann, Andrew Klein and Steve Dioneda, Personal Injury Attorneys – Car Accidents

KULLMANN, KLEIN AND DIONEDA, ATTORNEYS  – PERSONAL INJURY LAW

“WE ARE EXPERIENCED IN HANDLING THIS COMPLEX AREA OF THE LAW.  CALL US TODAY.”

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Annals of Rheumatic Diseases 2010 (Vol. 69 No. 2) contents page

Fade Fave: Postpartum onset of rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic arthritides: results from a patient register linked to a medical birth registry

Fade Skinny: Identifies proportions of incident cases with onset 0–24 months after delivery were not different between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and rheumatoid arthritis (OCA). A peak in incidence during 0–24 months was seen in the RA group, both when considering all pregnancies and only the first pregnancy.

(NHS Athens is required to access this article online)

The simple answer to that question, “What is Iritis?” is that it is an inflammation of the iris! Yup! Not so informative, but I wanted to get something written down today – I wanted to give some more information about this eye condition.

These Iritis blog entries are not photography related, but I feel a responsibility to share whatever information I can find about Iritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, AAU (Acute Anterior Uveitis) and RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis), because these affect me.

http://nawfalnur.wordpress.com/ (A look into my photography, special projects and my scannography project).

As a photographer, a person who sits in front of the computer for many hours at a time, and a person who gets recurring Iritis, the combination is quite frustrating – AND PAINFUL!

Moderation, that is one of the keys. Yes, moderation.

For a more detailed answer to what Iritis is, I found a good answer from Robert H. Shmerling, M.D., who is an associate physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and associate professor at Harvard Medical School. He answers a question about, “What is the link between RA and these eye conditions?”

Click here  for the link to Dr. Shmerling’s answer. The answer comes from an HONcode Web-site, and this is a really cool NGO that gives a sort of accreditation to Medical Web-sites to make sure the information is accurate and medically sound.

Thus, if I link to any sites with information of a ‘medical nature’, I’ll attempt to find sites that have the HONcode logo, or some other type of accredited source.

Anyway, if I can find medical advice from PROFESSIONALS in the field (of whatever topic), then I’ll attempt to find the information to share and provide a link.

Otherwise, I’ll just be continuing to share some of my own thoughts and experiences on the topic of Iritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Being a Photographer with Iritis and AS…

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Foods to avoid

You must ensure that the ratio of calcium to phosphorus is one of the foods we eat, the lowest possible – this is more of phosphorus, because the loss of calcium from the body to increase and worsen the condition. The more phosphorus-containing foods you eat, the more you have with a good source of calcium.

Reduce the intake of:

• Red meat, fish, red protruding

• Most cereals, especially wheat.

To delete:

• SoftDrinks – high in phosphoric acid

• offal (liver, kidney), processed meat – particularly high content of phosphorus

• Caffeine – increases the rate of loss of minerals and nutrients

• fried foods and vegetable oil – a high intake of fried foods and omega-6 can be made from vegetable oil, the inflammation worse

• Sugar – results in poor absorption of nutrients

• Antacids neutralize – stomach acidity and insufficient intake of calcium (heartburn andDigestive disorders due to poor diet and too little stomach acid causes!)

Important notice: removal of bad fats such as margarine, cooking with vegetable oil and fried foods too much from your diet. A high consumption of vegetable oil (source of omega-6) should be avoided as not to exacerbate inflammation.

Arthritis Foods

Arthritis best diet foods are rich in calcium and magnesium and other trace elements – this will ensure the health of bones and the matrix structure.Specific nutrients are also needed for the construction of the bones and structure.
Football: Do not call fat milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, peas, soybeans, tofu, sardines, salmon, walnuts and almonds, sunflower seeds, sprouts and other green leafy vegetables, broccoli, alfalfa seeds – to name only few. The milk is not a great source of calcium, because it has a low content of magnesium and magnesium is necessary to get the calcium in bones.

Magnesium: many fruits and vegetables, whole grains, leafy vegetables,Dried fruit, beans, bananas and apricots – all these make great food arthritis.
Vitamin D is necessary for calcium in the bones. The best source is the sun – about 10 minutes a day is fine. Other sources are dairy products and fatty fish.

Trace elements: boron and manganese are important for the body to absorb calcium aids in the best sources of boron are green leafy vegetables, apples, pears, almonds, and legumes. For manganese, look for ginger and oatsArthritis food.

Collagen and tissue support: Collagen is a part of our bone matrix, the cartilage of joints and in the fluid that protects and lubricates joints. It 'also part of our skin, hair and connective tissue of the body.

Arthritis food that the following nutrients for bone support nutrition: zinc, copper, selenium and beta carotene (vitamin A). Green leafy vegetables and pumpkin seeds have found a good source of zinc, selenium in BrazilFrom Brazil nuts (because of its high content of selenium in the soil), while vitamin C in citrus fruits, berries, red and green peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and spinach to be found. Eggs and meat are good sources of amino acids that form part of the structure of collagen.
Essential fatty acids – are good food and arthritis are pain relief of the body and natural anti-inflammatory reactions. They are part of the protective function of the synovial fluid. The best sources are fish(particularly fatty fish like salmon and mackerel), animal fats and oils such as flaxseed (for omega-3) and borage oil (omega-6).

In terms of essential fatty acids, in theory it should consume Omega 6 and Omega-3 EFA EFA in a ratio of 2:1. Many people find it very difficult to do correctly (the average rate in the United States and the United Kingdom is about 10:1), so we propose an EFA supplement from a quality source.

Final note for arthritis Foods

Although it is possible to make someTheir dietary needs from the foods you eat when you are serious about prevention or reversal of arthritis, you need to consume these dietary supplements for arthritis in combination with nutrients.

Also consider that for most of the foods we eat contain mineral depleted soils are grown – not as an almond, all calcium and magnesium, may be, sad but true!

If you have a way of life to do, eat "junk food" and / or do not get enough fresh foods in your daily life,then you should consider supplementing with all 90 essential nutrients including plant derived colloidal minerals and supplemented with vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids.

Calcium and magnesium are often difficult to absorb from our diet and arthritis through food supplements, liquid calcium supplements are calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin D-glucosamine and a good way to supplement your diet.

Additions thatin particular advice on maintenance and repair of the municipalities, such as glucosamine, are also an advantage. If you are in pain and inflammation, then CM Cream is scientifically and clinically proven to relieve pain and improve mobility.

The use of a digestive enzyme supplement – is the absorption of arthritis that you eat good food and maximize the benefits you leave supplements. How can we reach all 40 years, we begin our fall in gastric acid concentrationThis can lead to complications from other chronic diseases such as arthritis.

Abstract

1. Avoid foods high in phosphorus – SOFT DRINK particularly processed products, processed meat and offal. N. fried foods, oil or margarine – butter using a small amount of extra virgin olive oil.

2. Delete antacids caffeine and sugar from your diet and taking.

3. The behavior of consumers with a wide choice of fruits and vegetables and eggs. Reduce the intake ofmeat and fish.

4. Consider the use of supplements to support and back maximize arthritis and digestive enzymes for food and taking supplements.

it’s a day… and yet another record of behcet’s syndrome… ulcer flare up pretty severe today… fatigue… headache… back ache… my right shoulder and right wrist arthritic – probably too much computer work… eyes tired already… slight vertigo…

asperger’s means driving obsessions, but behcet’s makes it hard to pursue these obsessions the way normal aspies do… hahaha “normal aspies”… shows that i m very happy now with being aspie… i won’t exchange it for the neurotypical brain… but i’d love to be relieved of behcet’s…

gonna try to do some work today… another day… another few hours of opportunity to embrace wonder and obey my compulsions to create… i love my work… i live inside my work… but i wish behcet’s wld go away and give me the chance to just be crazy deeply intensely creatively aspie!