Exercising with arthritis: Improve your joint pain and stiffness

As you consider starting an arthritis exercise program, understand what's within your limits and what level of exercise is likely to give you results.

Exercise is crucial for people with arthritis. It increases strength and flexibility, reduces joint pain, and helps combat fatigue. Of course, when stiff and painful joints are already bogging you down, the thought of walking around the block or swimming a few laps might make you cringe.

You don't need to run a marathon or swim like an Olympic competitor to help reduce the symptoms of your arthritis. Even moderate exercise can ease your pain and help you maintain a healthy weight. When arthritis threatens to immobilize you, exercise keeps you moving. Not convinced? Read on.

Why exercise is vital
Exercise can help you improve your health and fitness without hurting your joints. Along with your current treatment program, exercise can:

• Strengthen the muscles around your joints
• Help you maintain bone strength
• Give you more strength and energy to get through the day
• Make it easier to get a good night's sleep
• Help you control your weight
• Make you feel better about yourself and improve your sense of well-being

Though you might think exercise will aggravate your joint pain and stiffness, that's not the case. Lack of exercise actually can make your joints even more painful and stiff. That's because keeping your muscles and surrounding tissue strong is crucial to maintaining support for your bones. Not exercising weakens those supporting muscles, making your bones more prone to breaking.

Check with your doctor first
Talk to your doctor about how exercise can fit into your treatment plan. What types of exercises are best for you depends on your type of arthritis and which joints are involved. Your doctor or a physical therapist can work with you to find the best exercise plan to give you the most benefit with the least aggravation of your joint pain.

Exercises for arthritis
Your doctor or physical therapist can recommend exercises that are best for you, which might include:

Range-of-motion exercises
These exercises relieve stiffness and increase your ability to move your joints through their full range of motion. Range-of-motion exercises involve moving your joints through their normal range of movement, such as raising your arms over your head or rolling your shoulders forward and backward. These exercises can be done daily or at least every other day.

Strengthening exercises
These exercises help you build strong muscles that help support and protect your joints. Weight training is an example of a strengthening exercise that can help you maintain your current muscle strength or increase it. Do your strengthening exercises every other day — but take an extra day off if your joints are painful or if you notice any swelling.

Aerobic exercise
Aerobic or endurance exercises help with your overall fitness. They can improve your cardiovascular health, help you control your weight and give you more stamina. That way you'll have more energy to get through your day. Examples of low-impact aerobic exercises that are easier on your joints include walking, biking and swimming. Try to work your way up to 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week. You can split up that time into 10-minute blocks if that's easier on your joints.

Other activities
Any movement, no matter how small, can help. If a particular workout or activity appeals to you, don't hesitate to ask your doctor whether it's right for you. Your doctor might give you the OK to try gentle forms of yoga and tai chi. Tai chi may improve balance and help prevent falls. Be sure to tell your instructor about your condition and avoid positions or movements that can cause pain.

Tips to protect your joints
Start slowly to ease your joints into exercise if you haven't been active for a while. If you push yourself too hard, you can overwork your muscles. This aggravates your joint pain.

Consider these tips as you get started:

-Apply heat to the joints you'll be working before you exercise. Heat can relax your joints and muscles and relieve any pain you have before you begin. Heat treatments — warm towels, hot packs or a shower — should be warm, not painfully hot, and should be applied for about 20 minutes.

-Move your joints gently at first to warm up. You might begin with range-of-motion exercises for five to 10 minutes before you move on to strengthening or aerobic exercises.

-Exercise with slow and easy movements. If you start noticing pain, take a break. Sharp pain and pain that is stronger than your usual joint pain might indicate something is wrong. Slow down if you notice inflammation or redness in your joints.

-Ice your joints after exercising. This can reduce swelling and pain. Use a cold pack on your joints for 10 to 15 minutes. Trust your instincts and don't exert more energy than you think your joints can handle. Take it easy and slowly increase both the amount of time and intensity of your workout.

Don't overdo it
You might notice some pain after you exercise if you haven't been active for a while. In general, if your pain lasts longer than an hour after you exercise, you were probably exercising too strenuously. Talk to your doctor about what pain is normal and what pain is a sign of something more serious.

Tell your doctor if your exercise causes:

• Persistent fatigue or increased weakness
• Reduced range of motion in your joints
• Joint swelling
• Continuing pain

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, whether you should exercise during general or local flares is up to you and your doctor. Consider working through your joint flares by doing only range-of-motion exercises, just to keep your body moving.

Exercise programs for people with arthritis
Check with your doctor about exercise programs in your area for people with arthritis. Hospitals and clinics sometimes offer special programs, as do local health clubs.

5 Tropical Fruits That Can Change Your Life

In many parts of the country, snow and ice still have a deathgrip on the local climate. In my neck of the woods, we still have massive piles of ice and snow on every street corner and at the end of every driveway. So it’s only natural that many of us are looking for a way to bust through the winter blues.

One thing that often works is to enjoy more tropical fruits, such as mangoes, bananas, coconuts, or papayas. These fruits are usually available all winter long, and are like an early preview of summer’s warmth. But beyond these warm feelings, many tropical fruits have far more powerful abilities.

Did you know that one tropical fruit can be used as a substitute for IV fluid in an emergency? Or that another tropical treat has been shown in studies to kill cancer cells? Aside from their health benefits, there are plenty of other reasons to love the following tropical fruits…and some of these benefits will definitely surprise you.

1. Coconuts

You might think of coconut as the sweet topping on German chocolate cake, but this fruit has plenty of health benefits as well. Coconut water has a ton of health benefits. It’s a sterile source of clean water, useful for survival hydration. On top of this, coconut water has the same level of electrolytic balance human blood. In the Pacific Theatre during World War II, coconut water was frequently used in the field as an emergency plasma transfusion for wounded combatants.

Coconut water makes a better sports drink than commercial products, as it is lower in salts and sugars and higher in potassium. And, of course, the flesh and oil of the coconut is also edible and good for you!

2. Mangosteen

The mangosteen is a small fruit with white flesh, popular throughout Asia. One group of scientists has proposed that alpha-mangostin, an antioxidant found only in mangosteen, can cause cell death in leukemia cells, effectively treating the disease. While more research needs to be done, mangosteen is also said to have powerful anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiseptic properties.

3. Avocado

You might think of it as a vegetable, but this is actually a fruit. And not just any fruit, but a fruit that has been shown to lower cholesterol. They are also rich in folic acid, which can prevent some kinds of common birth defects. Even more interesting is that avocados are the ultimate life hack fruit: when you eat an avocado with other vegetables, you absorb more nutrients from the meal than you would have from eating the vegetables alone. Top your salad with a few slices of avocado, and you’ll be increasing your intake of vitamins and minerals from the meal.

4. Mango

A single mango will contain half of your recommended daily allowance of both Vitamin A and Vitamin C, as well as some B-Vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, beta-carotene, and…well, maybe it would have been quicker for me to list the few nutrients that this little fruit DOESN’T contain…

I picked up an interesting tip about quickly ripening mangoes from the book “Urawaza”, which I reviewed here recently. If you pick up a mango at the supermarket that is still hard, soak it in simmering water for just 10 minutes to speed up the ripening process. The sooner you can eat one, the sooner you can start to enjoy its beneficial qualities.

5. Longan

Longan berries, native to China, have long been said by Asian herbalists to have relaxing properties, making them the perfect snack to enjoy to lower your stress levels. It is also said to have anti-cancer, antioxidant, and liver-protective properties. The longan contains high levels of iron, potassium, and large amounts of vitamins A and C. Finding them in a form other than fresh at your local market may be tough, but dried and canned longan are also available.

Conclusion

In general, eating more fruits is good for your health. Overall, tropical fruits have been known to reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease. On top of these benefits, a diet rich in tropical fruits ensures that you will have improved digestion and GI function. Best of all, these fruits can neutralize free radicals, protecting you from asthma, joint pain, and the above-mentioned heart and cancer risks.

You are what you eat. If you want to be smart, eat smart, and reach for these tropical fruits the next time you are craving a snack.

Supplements Can Increase Magnesium Levels

Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element on the earth's crust, and is found in every organ in the human body. The physician Joseph Black first recognized magnesium as an element in 1755, but even before Black's time, physicians were recommending the magnesium carbonate "magnesia alba" for people with an upset stomach.

Today, researchers know magnesium plays a part in more than 300 reactions in the body. Magnesium is necessary to synthesize proteins, DNA and RNA. It plays a role in our metabolism, and cells use magnesium to transport calcium and potassium ions across the cell walls. Healthy magnesium levels are key to nerve function, muscle contraction, heartbeat, and healthy bones. Yet all of the magnesium in the average person weighs only 0.8 ounces (25 grams).

Magnesium is still used as an antacid and a laxative today. As a supplement, magnesium is touted to prevent hearing loss, kidney stones and migraine headaches. Magnesium supplements are also claimed to improve athletic performance, and treat sleep troubles including restless leg syndrome and insomnia. Low magnesium levels have been linked to osteoporosis, anxiety, irritability, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Doctors sometimes recommend magnesium supplements to treat people with high blood pressure, preeclampsia, eclampsia, heart attacks, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) irregular heartbeat, or an unhealthy ratio of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol to LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol.

Some people with certain chronic conditions — including diabetes, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome — use magnesium supplements to control symptoms. Magnesium is occasionally recommended to ease altitude sickness, hay fever, Lyme disease, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Magnesium applied directly to the skin is said to treat skin infections and speed up wound healing. Magnesium has also been touted to ease muscle cramps, sensitivity to loud noises and kidney stones.

Many Americans do not get enough magnesium, according to the National Institutes of Health. But some groups of people, who have certain diseases or conditions are even more likely to have low magnesium levels. Heavy drinking and alcoholism can result in chronically low magnesium levels, and gastrointestinal conditions such as Crohn's disease and celiac disease can also deplete magnesium levels.

Older adults tend to have lower magnesium levels than young adults. This happens, in part, because the gut becomes less efficient at absorbing magnesium and the kidneys become less efficient at retaining magnesium with age. Type 2 diabetes can cause the kidneys to excrete too much magnesium, and in turn lead to a magnesium deficit. And some medications, such as diuretics, the heart drug digoxin and penicillamine (used for rheumatoid arthritis) can all interfere with magnesium in the body.

Do magnesium supplements work?

Supplements can increase magnesium levels, especially those in the forms of magnesium aspartate, citrate, lactate and chloride. A 2011 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed people who take magnesium supplements typically get more than the recommended daily amount.

The recommended daily intake of magnesium ranges from 320 milligrams to 420 milligrams, depending on age or gender.

In fact, a healthy diet can easily provide enough magnesium. Whole grains, nuts, fish, meat, dark green vegetables, legumes and many fruits contain significant amounts of magnesium.

Inadequate magnesium levels are not likely to cause symptoms, but a full-blown magnesium deficiency can cause nausea, fatigue and weakness. Severe magnesium deficiency may cause numbness, tingling, muscle contractions, seizures, abnormal heart rhythm and personality changes. People with very low magnesium levels, or hypomagnesemia, may suffer from involuntary eye movements.

Magnesium deficiency can sometimes cause coronary spasm, a phenomenon in which the arteries that supply blood to the heart spasm and block blood flow. Dangerously low levels of magnesium can also result in low calcium (hypocalcemia), and low potassium (hypokalemia) — which can be fatal in extreme cases. Severely low magnesium can also result in a heart attack, respiratory arrest and death.

While magnesium supplements can certainly treat a magnesium deficiency, studies also show getting more magnesium than the bare minimum may help certain conditions. Several long-term studies have found a correlation between high magnesium levels and a lower risk of heart disease, sudden cardiac death and ischemic heart disease, according to the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium may also help prevent stroke. An analysis of seven studies including more than 200,000 people found that an extra 100 milligrams of magnesium a day reduced a person's risk of stroke by 8 percent, according to a February 2012 review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Studies show magnesium supplements may lower blood pressure, but only by a little bit. One analysis of more than 22 studies on magnesium and blood pressure found that magnesium supplements reduced blood pressure by 2 to 4 mmHg, according to an April 2012 paper published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. However, high blood pressure can fall within a range of 20 mmHg: from 140/90 mmHg to 160/100 mmHg. In the study, people's drop in blood pressure was greater when they increased their magnesium by eating more fruits and vegetables, or taking more than 370 milligrams of magnesium a day. Recommended daily intake of magnesium range from 320 milligrams to 420 milligrams, depending on age or gender. But because a diet with more fruits and vegetable will also increase levels of other nutrients, it is difficult to measure the independent effect magnesium has on blood pressure.

There is also a relationship between low magnesium levels and type 2 diabetes, studies have found, but exactly how the two are linked is still unclear. Low magnesium levels may worsen insulin resistance, which leads to uncontrolled blood sugar. But insulin resistance may also lead to low magnesium. Both situations may also be true where diabetes leads to low magnesium, and in turn low magnesium worsens diabetes, according to the NIH. A small number of studies show getting more magnesium may increase bone mineral density in elderly women, but more research is needed to clarify magnesium's potential in preventing or treating osteoporosis.

Guidelines from the American Headache Society and the American Academy of Neurology say magnesium is "probably effective" for migraine prevention. (However the guidelines recommend the nutritional supplement butterbur over magnesium to prevent migraines.)

The National Library of Medicine and the NIH determined that magnesium may help people with chronic fatigue syndrome and pain from fibromyalgia. Scientific evidence also indicates that magnesium may help PMS, high cholesterol, kidney stones, hearing loss, asthma attacks and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There are not enough studies to determine whether magnesium supplements could help anxiety, ADHD, hay fever, Lyme disease or multiple sclerosis, according to the NIH. Studies are less promising on magnesium's ability to boost athletic performance.

Are magnesium supplements safe?

Magnesium is one of the seven major minerals that the body needs in relatively large amounts (Calcium, potassium, sodium, chloride, potassium and phosphorus are the others). But too much of one major mineral can lead to a deficiency in another, and excessive magnesium can in turn cause a deficiency in calcium. Few people overdose on minerals from food. However, it is possible to get too much magnesium from supplements or laxatives.

People with kidney problems are more likely to experience an overdose of magnesium. Symptoms of toxic magnesium levels can range from upset stomach and diarrhea, to more serious symptoms of vomiting, confusion, slowed heart rate and dangerously low blood pressure. Severe magnesium overdoses can lead to problems breathing, coma, irregular heartbeat and even death.

Magnesium supplements can interact with several drugs. Taking magnesium too close to a dose of some antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin and moxifloxacin, may interfere with how the body absorbs the medicine. Similarly, magnesium can interfere with some osteoporosis drugs if the doses are taken too close together. Magnesium can also interfere with some thyroid medications. Magnesium supplement can also used to reduce joint pain.

10 Ways to Relieve and Prevent Joint Pain

Your joints endure an incredible amount of stress. They connect your bones, support your weight and above all, allow you to move. Though your joints are designed to cope with all of the stress you place on them, sometimes they suffer from wear and tear, and the resulting joint pain, otherwise known as arthralgia, can be extremely uncomfortable.

Joint pain (such as in your knees and hips) can be caused by a number of different factors, which range from wounds, trauma, disease, strains and sprains, bursitis, tendonitis or even osteoporosis. Arthritis can also cause joint pain, but it is important to remember that joint pain often differs from person to person. There are, however, a number of things you can do to temporarily alleviate the pain, as well as prevent it. Here are 10 ways to alleviate and prevent arthralgia, according to MedlinePlus:

1. Ice therapy (cryotherapy)

Cold temperatures reduce blood flow, and therefore reduce tissue swelling. The first time you experience pain, apply an ice pack on the affected area every hour for the majority of the day for a duration of 15 minutes. The next day, apply the ice only four or five times, still for 15 minutes. This process is vital for joint pain relief. Remember, to avoid ice burns, do not place the ice directly on the skin, and instead wrap it in a towel or washcloth.

2. Hydrotherapy

Warm water will ease pressure on joints and muscles, so a nice warmth bath can do wonders for alleviating joint pain in your knees and hips. Immerse the affected area in the water and massage it in order to stimulate blood flow.

3. Massage

A massage is an excellent means by which to relieve joint pain in your knees and hips. Either have it done professionally, or do it at home. If you are doing it on your own, try massaging the affected area with a topical menthol rub to help ease the pain. In addition, remember when massaging your body, the direction of your strokes should always be toward the heart.

4. Medications

Certain medicines, such as ibuprofen, are great for joint pain relief. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will aid in relieving joint swelling and stiffness, and prescribed muscle relaxants can help in reducing muscle spasms.

5. Natural mixtures
Natural herbal mixtures, such as herbal teas, are an excellent means by which to alleviate as well as prevent knee, hip and other joint pains.

6. Exercise

When selecting an exercise, choose one that allows you to move within the limits of your pain and does not cause further pain to the joints (such as your knees). That said, sometimes joint pain can be relived by minor exercise and stretching. However, and this is rather key, exercise can increase the strength and flexibility of your joints, thus preventing potential joint pain.

7. Physical therapy

A physical therapist specializes in human movement, and would be able to aid you greatly with relieving your joint pain.

8. Alternative medical treatments

Alternative medical practices such as acupuncture and Bikram yoga can not only enhance the range of movement of your joints, but also help alleviate pain and prevent it.

9. Immobilize the area

If the pain is too great, attempt to immobilize the area with a splint or brace. This should not be done in all cases, but only if the pain of movement is too great to bear.

10. Rest

One of the best ways of alleviating joint pain is to get plenty of rest and relaxation. This will restore energy, as well as allow the body to repair itself naturally. Furthermore, resting in between periods of exercise will allow your body to cope with the demands being made on it, thus preventing potential joint pain.

If you are suffering from joint pain, it is absolutely vital that you schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible in order to properly assess and alleviate your joint pain.