Total Health Breakthroughs: Free Natural Health Newsletter and Alternative Health Articles

I learned something recently about osteoarthritis (OA).  According to Dr. Mark Bromson, women seem to be more affected by the disease after age 55 and men before age 45. 

Do you find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning because of too much pain? Does it take an hour or two for your body to “warm up” and your joints and muscles to loosen before you can tackle the tasks of the day? If you answered yes, you are not alone.

According to the American College of Rheumatology, fibromyalgia affects 3 to 6 million Americans. That’s 1 in 50 Americans, with seven times more frequency in women than in men. And according to the NHIS, by 2030 an estimated 67 million Americans are projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.

Morning stiffness is one of the more common complaints doctors hear about from patients with fibromyalgia, arthritis, rheumatism and those whose bodies no longer rebound after a day of activity — even gardening — like it used to.

Don’t let morning stiffness cut your day short by starting it later… And while most people reach for muscle relaxants like Motrin, and pain relievers like Aleve to get them going, you don’t need to.

The team at my Wellness Research Foundation discovered a powerful new weapon in the battle against chronic pain. Today, I’m happy to report that I’ve finally found a formula that meets my standards for quality and purity.

It’s completely natural, with no side effects. It has a history that’s thousands of years old. Most doctors don’t know about it. Best of all, it works even better than expensive prescription drugs.

We know the ancient Egyptians used tree bark to treat inflammation. But it was the Greek physician Hippocrates, considered by many to be the “Father of Medicine,” who really put it on the map. He found it was so effective in eliminating pain of all kinds that he felt compelled to write about it — way back in the 5th century BC.

History remembered Hippocrates, but forgot one of his most crucial discoveries. Until now.

It turns out that the bark of the white willow tree contains salicin. This natural pain fighter is similar to the active ingredient in aspirin, but with a crucial difference: It doesn’t do any harm to your body.

Why?

After complaining to my husband, Jose, about what felt like an “air pocket” trapped in my back, I asked him to get a Motrin for me. To my surprise, instead of handing me that little orange tablet we’ve become all too familiar with, he showed me a small, yellow stone that he proceeded to roll around the affected area of my back. Almost immediately, I felt relief similar to when a chiropractor or massage therapist cracks your back or rubs out a knot.

Considering arthroscopic surgery for that persistent arthritic knee pain that just won’t leave you alone? Maybe you should think again. And I’m a former knee surgeon, telling you this. The truth is, you may do just as well with conventional, alternative, or complementary conservative treatments and save yourself pain, risk, and money.

In a study published in the September 11th, 2008 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, a group of Canadian researchers from the Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Center of the University of Western Ontario compared two groups of patients with known moderate to severe osteoarthritis.¹

One hundred seventy-eight (178) patients were randomly assigned to receive either surgery (arthroscopic lavage — a washout of the joint by saline and debridement — essentially a “clean out” of the joint), followed by optimized physical and medical therapy, or non-surgical treatment, i.e., physical and medical therapy alone.

Many patients come to me seeking pain relief. Whether it is back pain, neck and shoulder pain, or arthritis pain, my patients need solutions. Sometimes, the solution involves treating an underlying condition and putting an end to the pain. Sometimes, it means learning to manage chronic pain over the long term. Often, it simply means offering quick relief so people can get on with daily life. It’s this third solution that we’ll be discussing today.

Pain and Your Nerves

A back injury may be very different from chronic arthritis, but these conditions are similar in one aspect: both trigger a series of exchanges between the three major parts of your nervous system. These exchanges or messages are relayed through the body by neurons, the billions of cells that make up the nervous system. The result is the sensation you know as pain.

Pycnogenol is an extract derived from the bark of the French maritime pine tree. Many lab studies have shown that it has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. One study included 100 Slovakian adults with mild knee arthritis who were randomly assigned to take either 150 milligrams of pine bark extract or a placebo every day.

What’s Causing Your Pain?

When I say the word “inflammation,” it’s likely to evoke thoughts of painful joints and muscles, swelling, and a loss of mobility. But did you know that recent research shows that chronic inflammation in your body can lead to serious diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, and Alzheimer’s disease, to name just a few?

The amount of inflammation in your body varies and is dependent on a number of factors including your activity level, the amount of sleep you get, the degree of stress in your life, and even the foods you eat. What you have to realize is that these factors are cumulative — meaning they build up over time. And the more that any or all of these factors get out of whack, the higher the risk for disease.

Early in life, these levels can be so low that you might not even be aware that you have any inflammation in your body. That’s because our bodies do a fairly decent job of controlling the inflammation — at least for a while. Then one day you wake up and you’re in your 40s and something is just not right. That’s when the fear begins to set in, and you think to yourself, What did I do wrong? or, What can I do now to help myself?

The first step is to get your C-reactive protein (CRP) levels tested. CRP is produced by the liver, and it rises when there is systemic inflammation in the body. Ask your doctor about this test (you may have to demand having it done). All it requires is a blood sample that will be evaluated by your doctor. And because diet can play a large role in how much or how little inflammation you have, you may want these levels looked at by a registered dietician who can help you formulate an appropriate eating plan.

Long before the medical establishment decided to get on board, I was hearing about glucosamine from vets. It helps dogs and people with the pain and stiffness of arthritis. Since almost all dogs eventually suffer from arthritis, and larger dogs frequently suffer with a painful joint condition called hip dysplasia, the use of glucosamine sulfate [...]

The vast majority of headaches are related to emotional stress, toxicity (just ask anyone who has experienced a hangover!), and/or structural (and body usage) issues. They may be painful and annoying, but most headaches are not emergencies that require immediate medical attention.*
With that said, here is a plan of action you can safely apply in [...]