Chondroitin: a non-conventional way to keep those bones from aching!

      O.K. Your back is killing you. You call your doctor, do magnetic resonance, blood tests, X-rays and end up almost broke without a cure in sight.

     “What can I do?” you ask your doctor, desperate to return to the good old days when you could bend over, run, jump and dance the tango.  

   “You’ve got arthritis with a bit of osteoporoses: You’ll just have to learn how to live with it, although I can prescribe some pain killers and you might see a chiropractor…”    

Just to depress you a bit more, you read that one in every three U.S. adults suffer from arthritis and that bone problems are on the rise all over the world. Then you decide to check alternative medical solutions on the web and in your local library and discover to your surprise that  you don’t have to wander around like a living corps.    

You discover the following products:

º Glucosamine-chondroitin sulphate:
Although no doctor will recommend it, number of large-scale, double-blind clinical studies have demonstrated the ability of this supplement to alleviate pain and aid joint reconstruction. A more complete supplement includes Methyl sulfonyl methane, MSM, a natural form of sulphur found in living organisms, whose main benefits are a reduction of inflammation and the ability to penetrate tissues and joints.

º Hyaluronic acid
Your joints contains cartilage composed of complex glycosaminoglycans, which aid in joint health, so a product that can help is hyaluronic acid,  a component of connective tissue whose function is to cushion and lubricate. You doctor will not recommend it!º Magnesium citrate or citrate/malate
Magnesium supplementation has also been shown to reduce inflammation, while a deficiency increases it. It slashes free radicals and blocks the release of inflammatory cytokines as well

º Collagen type II
This is a major component in cartilage, and supplementation has demonstrated benefits in reducing pain and improving joint function.

º Tart cherry extract
A number of studies have shown that concentrated extracts of tart cherries can improve joint function and reduce pain.

 º Curcumin
One of the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory substances known, its effects are comparable to steroids, without the harmful effects.

º Quercetin
A powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant which, when combined with curcumin, produces a powerful anti-inflammatory effect because they each act on different inflammatory biochemical pathways.

 º Borage oil
Borage oil contains a high concentration of gamma-linolenic acid, which has significant antiinflammatory properties and also moistens mucous membranes and the skin.

º Natural vitamin E (Unique-E)
Vitamin E, in natural form, has significant antiinflammatory effects. º Buffered vitamin C (calcium/magnesium ascorbate)
Vitamin C is not only a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, but it also strengthens the tissues and the ligaments surrounding the joint.

 º Vitamin/mineral supplement
A recent study found that selenium was significantly depleted in the joints of people with arthritis, while copper levels increased. High iron levels were found in the damaged joints of osteoarthritis sufferers. Iron is a powerful generator of inflammation and free radicals.

º Stinging nettle extract
This plant extract has been shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Recent studies have found it to be very protective of the brain as well. It is often included in natural supplements used to treat chronic prostate problems for the same reason.      

So, if you can barely get out of bed, have to have your lover help you put on your pants and feel like today might be your last precious day before your whole body disintegrates into dust, why not inch your way to your nearest health store. There are some really great herbal teas also which you might guzzle down every morning.    

But don’t think you can just stick a couple of pills in your mouth and then prance around as if you were in love. None of these remedies will work if you don’t do exercise. If you are really down in the dumps about the only thing you can do is take a long dip in warm mineral water. As you get better you can try a few elemental strokes.     

Also of key importance are breathing exercises or—taking special care—Tai-Chi or other gentle martial arts, and don’t forget to limper up your unaffected joints: use some nice round movements for your neck and shoulders, a figure eight for your hips, and for a special touch light a candle, close your eyes, do an inventory of all your bones and then close your eyes and try to imagine the flame changing colours!