Why can't more be done for osteoarthritis? (kidney, blood, wheelchair)
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Nice to know about vitamins, but I'm really looking for osteoarthritis-specific info. Thanks
The problem with osteoarthritis is finding something that will protect the joint from the effects of daily use, thereby preventing it. One of the biggest things you can do is maintain a healthy weight. Exercise. Avoid repetitive motions. For example, if you like tennis you may want to not play every day. Mix it up with some different activities. There is no supplement or medication, however, that will undo damage that has already happened.
Once the joint has deteriorated enough to cause severe pain, the damage is pretty much irreversible. Then all we are left with is treatment of the symptoms.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) deteriorate bones. Secondly they can cause internal bleeding that can be deadly. In fact it is estimated that NSAIDs kill over 16,000 people a year mainly due to internal bleeding.
On the other hand there are steroidal drugs, and steroids can make the person feel better by reducing the inflammation and suppressing the immune system, but they make the underlying conditions worse by suppressing the adrenals, nutrient loss and bone loss.
Osteoarthritis is best treated in large part by the restoration of collagen. Silica is the most important supplement for the restoration of collagen and elastin. Silica is essential for the formation of cartilage, and its strength. Declining levels of silica lead to softening of cartilage, and increased risk of damage or deterioration to spinal discs and joint cartilage. In addition, silica has mild natural anti-inflammatory properties, which further helps prevent cartilage degradation.
The second most important nutrient is vitamin C. It is best to get vitamin C from natural sources though since natural sources are generally stronger and more stable than the commonly sold synthetic vitamin C (ascorbic acid). An exception is camu camu, which is not very stable.
1. NSAIDS do have significant risks GI bleeding being the most significant along with now known cardiac risks, they do not however "deteriorate bones"
2. Oral steroids also have significant risks, adrenal suppression being one but they are rarely used for osteoarthritis though commonly used for rheumatoid arthritis. Locally acting steroids i.e. injections can be a godsend for osteoarthritis and carry few risks.
3. Osteoarthritis WOULD be best served by the restoration of collagen, too bad its not possible. Silica and Vitamin C do not restore/rebuild cartilage. This isn't the Alternative Forum you can't just make up "facts" here without corroborating evidence.
4. vitamin C is vitamin C whether "naturally occurring" or found in supplements, your body can't tell the difference that has been proven.
" all steady state comparative bioavailability studies in humans have shown no differences between synthetic and natural vitamin C, regardless of the subject population, study design or intervention used." Synthetic or Food-Derived Vitamin C
Vitamin C is the same whether you get it from a pill or a food. Your body cannot tell the difference. As far as the source affecting the "stability", that would have more to do with the storage conditions, as you mention, but that is true whether the source is a food or a vitamin pill.
If you read my other posts here, you will discover that I tell folks that most of us do not need to take vitamins at all if you eat a balanced diet. That is true of vitamin C as well. But if you choose to take vitamin C as a pill, your body will use the vitamin C from the pill in exactly the same way it uses vitamin C from an orange. Any pills should be stored properly, whether prescription drug or a vitamin.
3. Osteoarthritis WOULD be best served by the restoration of collagen, too bad its not possible. Silica and Vitamin C do not restore/rebuild cartilage. This isn't the Alternative Forum you can't just make up "facts" here without corroborating evidence.
It's not any more true now than when you first posted it.
Vitamin C and ascorbic acid are two names for the same chemical. The human body cannot tell whether it comes from a food source or a vitamin pill.
Most people will get all they need from food sources, but, assuming you store it properly, what you get from a pill is just as "stable" as what you get from food, since vitamin C can be lost from foods depending on how they are stored and prepared.
Just hope you are not suggesting Tylenol like my primary doctor who I had to get rid of after that dumb advice.
I'd think Tylenol should help. My wife takes Motrin nightly; I use Aleve and have been doing so off and on (currently ON) for nearly 20 years. It's not going to help the base problem, but it does reduce inflammation, and that pretty much gets rid of my pain. My parents used aspirin.
What I've found is that it must be taken regularly -- not just when the pain gets bad. I take 400 mg of Aleve every night. If I forget it for a couple days, I'm going to suffer from it.
I think I was in my early 40s when my doctor first said I "probably" had some osteoarthritis. He said nearly everyone has some signs of it by middle age -- maybe not enough that they even notice it, but he said it's there, just a part of living. We'll twist a joint a little, get some inflammation, then the arthritis makes it worse.
They aren't a cure but they seemed to help her for years avoid surgery in her knees. I would take her in and it was quick, with little discomfort. They really made a difference for her. I hear they don't work for some but it's a risk worth trying before surgery. She's 86 this year and still walking around so far and she's bone on bone.
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