Bone and Joints

Welcome to the Bone & Joint Decade!
One area of great interest today is Bone and Joint Diseases. People are growing older and at the same time they are increasing their physical activity. Physical activity is an important behavior for overall health and well being but it puts greater demands on our bones and joints.
The combination of these two factors sets us on a collision course with pain and suffering that will affect the well-being of tens of millions and push health care cost further into the stratosphere.
To create public awareness and focus attention on this dilemma, the United States, governments and institutions around the world proclaimed that the first decade of the 21st century would be the Bone and Joint Decade.
Their message is simple; the problem with bone and joints is real and it’s going to affect all of us in some way, but there are things we can and should be doing. Osteoarthritis: is everyone going to get it?Osteoarthritis (OA) is a “wear and tear” disease that robs cartilage from joints throughout the body.
The medical community calls OA a “universal disease” because all the evidence shows that essentially everyone is at risk of getting it. Indeed, it’s already a widespread and growing health care crisis, affecting more than 70 million in North America alone, adding billions in health care costs.
Osteoarthritic bone and joint deterioration is primarily caused by: repetitive motion and physical stress associated with athletic activity; being significantly overweight; trauma from accidents or injury, and aging.
The underlying biochemistry of prevention and correction is the body’s natural cartilage creation, maintenance and repair capacities, all of which are dependent on an abundant supply of their primary building material, glucosamine. Science finds the nutritional solution. Because of the widely broadcast knowledge about the need for a calcium rich diet, to first build and then maintain healthy bone density throughout life, dietary Osteoporosis prevention is an effective, everyday practice of millions.
Now leading edge science surrounding bone and joints tells us we can do the same for its sister disease Osteoarthritis. The first studies showing a connection between glucosamine and joint repair/pain reduction took place in Italy in the early 1980’s (Drovanti, et al., Clin Ther 1980; 3: 260-272). The results showed for subjects given a laboratory prepared version of glucosamine sulfate, joint pain significantly lowered in as little as 7 days and restriction of active movement lowered in 14 days.
Consistent adverse side effects in the gastrointestinal tract in this research and others that followed into the 1990’s brought into question the appropriateness of glucosamine supplementation within the realms of bone and joint research and caused some researchers to look to intramuscular injection as a means of delivery.
In 1994, German scientists (Reichelt, et al., Arzneimittelforschung 1994; 44(1):75-80) found that 55% of patients suffering with knee osteoarthritis who were injected with glucosamine sulfate responded positively to the treatment.
Once again however, adverse reactions were an issue, including transient nausea and vomiting, even though the material was injected into the muscle. More recent research utilizing the hydrochloride form of glucosamine showed the same functional benefits without the adverse side effects. Australian researchers reporting the British Journal of Sports Medicine (Braham, et al., Br J Sports Med 2003; 37:45-49) noted that the beneficial effect to those receiving the glucosamine hydrochloride supplement increased over time in this 12 week study. At week four, 36% reported some degree of pain relief. By week eight that number had grown to 68% and by week 12 fully 88% of test subjects reported benefits. Adverse side effects were not an issue and were essentially the same as those taking a placebo.
The latest research in this realm of bone and joints confirms Glucosamine works. In the March/April 2004 issue of the journal Menopause, researchers reported that a 1,500 mg. dose of glucosamine stopped cartilage loss in a 3 year study of women while for those receiving a placebo cartilage destruction continued. In addition, pain bone and joint function significantly improved among the women taking glucosamine while those taking the placebo continued to worsen. In a summary review of double-blind, placebo controlled research investigating the effects of long-term treatment and the progression of knee osteoarthritis (the most common form) published in the June 2005 Annals of Pharmacotherapy (39(6):1080- 1087) Poolsup, et al., reported that in all instances they investigated, glucosamine supplementation was more effective than placebos in stopping joint destruction (the risk of disease progression was reduced 54%), and concluded that the evidence shows that glucosamine is effective and safe in slowing or halting the progression and improving the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
There is no question that in the area of bone and joints glucosamine works.
Check out these cool videos for more info, just click on the camera. So, what has this bone and joint decade declaration produced?
In response to the growing occurrence of OA related pain and discomfort, pharmaceutical companies have produced a wide range of pain relievers including NSAID’s (non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen and COX-2 (cyclo-oxygenase- 2) inhibitors* such as Celebrex or Vioxx.
Though they do offer the benefit of pain relief, like a lot of drugs they all address the symptom but not the cause.
Several studies conducted on 1,500 mg/day glucosamine supplementation shows that pain relief benefits from cartilage repair are ultimately greater than drugs alone (Qui, et al., Arzneimittelforschung 1998; 48:469-474. Rovati, et al., Second International Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society, 1994. Muller-Fassbender, et al.,Osteoarthritis Cartilage 1994;2:61-69). (*COX-2 inhibitors have been implicated in increased cardiovascular disease risk in users.)
Additionally, when it comes to pain management for osteoarthritis, natural alternatives offer both short-term relief and long-term advantage.
For example, the herb Boswellia serrata has been shown in a double-blind crossover study to provide anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic and analgesic activities. Similarly, Bromelain, an enzyme extract of pineapple, was shown first in 1990 (Planta Medica 1990 Jun; 56(3):249-253) and later in 1999 (In Vivo 1999 Jan-Feb; 13(1):7-12) to provide anti-inflammatory activity.
Neither has been shown to contribute to any of the adverse reactions associated with drugs.
As part of Bone and joint history the mineral link to new cartilage has been for a long time thought by many scientists not important for cartilage health, recent research has however proven them wrong.
Minerals do play important roles in the care of bone and joints and the development of the connective molecules that hold cartilage together. The best evidence comes from these important facts about 3 specific minerals and the cartilage tissue of OA sufferers:
• Low levels of Zinc are found in almost all OA inflicted joints. Zinc is critical for the production of cellular SOD (superoxidedismutase), which provides powerful natural antioxidant/ anti-inflammatory activities within the cell.
Yet again, we see it all starts with the cells. Better health starts with the cells! You have to get Cells healthy and functioning properly again.
• Lower than normal Boron concentrations are found in the bones, cartilage and synovial fluids of arthritic patients. Also, epidemiological evidence shows that populations with low boron intakes have high arthritic incidence.
• Silica is a recognized essential trace element in human nutrition. Babies have a vast supply in their tissue at birth but it’s availability drops quickly with aging. It is found in all the bodies’ connective tissues. It is fundamental to the proper functioning of prolyhydroxylase, an enzyme directly involved in the formation of cartilage, collagen and connective tissues and is associated with healing and repair of damaged cartilage.
Comprehensive supplementation:The state of the science of bone and joint health.
As is almost always the case in Nature, it is not just one thing that is fundamental to maximizing joint health, but rather a balanced combination of elements working together over time.
Joint degeneration is a condition that develops slowly.However, research shows that when given the right nutritional building blocks in the right form and balance, the body has the capacity to respond quite quickly and get on the path to regeneration and repair.
Bone and joint issue #1 Osteoarthritis: The Athlete’s Biggest Competitor!
You start your morning run, but your knees are too sore to finish the planned distance.
You play on a softball team, but your warm-up still doesn’t help with the nagging soreness in your elbows and knees.
You’ve been playing in a basketball league for years, but the pain in your back and knees forces you to sit this season out.
Do these scenarios sound familiar?
The common theme is painful joints impairing enjoyment of sports participation — something all too familiar with thousands of athletes.
While at one time, the subjects of aging and athletics were not normally discussed together, today, athletes are breaking records at the world-class level at ages that were once considered too old to be competitive.
This positive trend brings along with it new issues for health and performance, and one major issue for the older athlete is joint pain and soreness.
As we age, the capacity for bones and joints to function without pain or soreness decreases. In fact, for many athletes joint pain is a debilitating factor that precludes them from participating in a sport they may have enjoyed for years. Even young athletes suffer from joint degeneration because of overuse and injury.
My latest success story was a 17year old boy who played hockey from the age of 5 years and at 16 was only able to function by taking two advil in the morning and two at night or the pain in his knees was enough to stop him walking.
AT 17 CAN YOU IMAGINE.
Well I am proud to say this is not the case now following a week or so on the supplement that works And then on to our product designed for just this sort of problem Bone and Joint supplement Full Motion He is a fully functional young man again.
Knee damage is a major concern for football, hockey and soccer players, who constantly face injury from the rapid — and usually sudden—changes in direction.
Years of this physical stress,coupled with the natural degradation of joint tissue, adds up to joints that are often prematurely worn out. This ultimately leads to either bone or joint pain, and loss of quality of life.Traditional joint pain therapies for athletes, and non-athletes alike, have been limited and non-curative.
Anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s) have been the primary method of treatment for chronic joint pain, but they have serious negative side effects and do not significantly help to repair damage to cartilage.
According to an article printed in Clinical Sports Medicine,
“The use of these drugs has significant effects on pain and swelling associated with injury; however, this use does have significant risks to the gastrointestinal, hepatic, and renal organ systems. In the athlete with degenerative changes in the joints, the use of these medications can become chronic and lead to an increased risk of adverse effects.” 1
More Independent Bone and joint info:
Once anti-inflammatory drugs cease to be effective, athletes have very few options. One option, in the case of knees and hips,is to have the joint replaced. But in most cases, many athletes simply must quit their sport because they no longer can participate due to the pain. A recent study specifically targeting joint injury supports this assertion.
“Osteoarthritis of non-knee joints, although less common than knee osteoarthritis, remains a significant and disabling condition for many present and former athletes.”2
Luckily, for athletes of all ages, there is now an option that not only can relieve joint pain, it can repair and replace cartilage lost from overuse and aging.
It’s Glucosamine! A combination of the amino acid glutamine and glucose, glucosamine is a major building block of joint cartilage.
Supporting the regeneration of new cartilage, glucosamine can provide much needed help to athletes and prolong athletic careers.
1. “The use of NSAIDs and nutritional supplements in athletes with osteoarthritis: prevalence, benefits, and consequences”, Clinical Sports Medicine (2005 Jan; pp. 71-82)
2. “Osteoarthritis in other joints (hip, elbow, foot, ankle, toes, wrist) after sports injuries,,” Clinical Sports Medicine (2005 Jan; pp 57-70,)
3. “Disease-modifying therapies for osteoarthritis: current status,” Drugs and Aging (2005, vol.22 (2):141-61
4. Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition, Academic Press, pp 138-143, 1999
More Bone & Joint Health Tips
Vitamin-D can save your hips! Researchers in Scotland reported in the July 2005 issue of the journal Current Medical Research and Opinion that in essentially every (97.8%) hip fracture case they investigated (548), the patients were deficient, often severely, in vitamin-D. In about 25% of the subjects, vitamin-D levels were to low to detect accurately. In their report, the researchers concluded that vitamin-D represents a correctable risk factor for bone fragility as we age, particularly as it relates to the risk of hip fracture.
Your “creaking” joints may be a sign you’re rusting. Researchers at the Duke University Medical Center have been tracking down free radicals as accomplices in the biological processes that rob us of joint health.
In their report (Matrix Biology, 21(2):175-184, 2002) they point out that Vitamin-C can not only slow the progression of Osteoarthritis by blocking free radical damage, but it also stimulates collagen synthesis, an important aspect of cartilage renewal.More good news about vitamin-C and your joints.
Researchers from the Framingham Osteoarthritis Cohort Study linked its antioxidant power to a reduced risk of Osteoarthritis (OA) when they showed that people in the middle and top intake levels (top 60%) exhibited a three-fold reduced risk of OA progression,which they tied to a reduced risk of cartilage loss.
Omega-3s: Good for bones & good for joints. The benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for arthritis sufferers have been well established for years. Omega-3s reduce pain and inflammation by rebalancing inflammation/anti-inflammation systems in the body (Calder, et al., Dietary modification of inflammation with lipids. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 16(3):345-358, 2002).
Now new evidence says it’s good for bone too. In a recent presentation to the World Health Organization,
Purdue University Professor Bruce Watkins states:
“Our lab and others have shown that omega-3 fatty acids help promote bone formation.”
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