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How Arthritis Affects Your Hip Bones and Joints

October 24, 2012 § Leave a Comment

How Arthritis Affects Your Hip Bones and Joints

Arthritis is a chronic joint disease that causes a progressive deterioration of the joints it affects. Of the more than 100 types of arthritis that have been identified, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the varieties that most commonly affect the hips. While these conditions are different in some ways, both cause worsening hip injury as they progress, along with chronic inflammation, pain and stiffness in the joint.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is triggered by wear-and-tear damage to joint cartilage. Cartilage forms a smooth and slippery cushion at the ends of bones, allowing them to slide smoothly against each other where they meet to form joints. In osteoarthritis, that cartilage gradually wears away, becoming progressively thinner over time. Eventually, cartilage begins to break down, leaving areas of the bones exposed, allowing them to grind against one another as the joint moves. This can result in inflammation and pain in and around the joint, the formation of bone spurs and thickening and distortion in bone ends, issues that can impair hip joint movement and eventually cause disability.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune disease that occurs as the immune system attacks the membrane that lines joints, called the synovium. This causes the synovium to become inflamed, resulting in redness, swelling and pain in the hip. As the disease progresses, inflammation causes damage to joint cartilage, bone loss in the joint and weakening in surrounding muscles and connective tissues, issues that can result in loss of motion in the hip joint. Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause generalized bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis, increasing risk of hip injury and fractures.

What Can be Done

Conservative treatment for osteoarthritis includes anti-inflammatory medications, generally beginning with over-the-counter NSAIDs, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, naproxin or aspirin, and moving on to more powerful prescription drugs as the disease progresses, such as corticosteroids. Physical therapy is often used to preserve range of motion and strength in the hip muscles, and weight-loss can lessen joint pressure.

In rheumatoid arthritis, pain and inflammation are usually treated with anti-inflammatory drugs and DMARDs, or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, are used to slow the progression of the disease. Physical therapy is used to address the muscle weakening effects of the disease and preserve joint function.

When joint deterioration due to these conditions becomes disabling, hip replacement surgery is often recommended. These procedures can resolve chronic pain and restore mobility. However, all surgeries have some risks, and hip replacement has been a bit more problematic than usual lately for many patients, due to faulty and poorly designed hip implants, several of which have been recalled over the last several years.

The latest recall involved the Stryker Rejuvenate hip replacement implant, which was prone to corrosion and early failure, as well as causing metallosis in some patients. Metallosis, a condition caused by metallic implant debris as it collects in soft tissues, is characterized by severe pain and inflammation in the hip and can lead to localized tissue death and bone loss. Evaluating the risks and benefits of implant options carefully can reduce risk of complications that can cause further hip injury.

Elizabeth Carrollton writes about defective medical devices and dangerous drugs for Drugwatch.com.

Healthy Bones and Joints

October 23, 2012 § Leave a Comment

Healthy Bones and Joints

Meeting nutritional needs is a critical part of achieving and maintaining hip health, especially after hip replacement surgery. The healing and muscle building processes can be nutritionally demanding, making it all too easy to fall short on the nutrients the body needs daily to fuel these processes. Recuperation can be tough on the appetite, making it difficult to meet that increased nutrition demand through diet alone. This can be especially true if there were complications with the surgery, as some of those receiving the Stryker Rejuvenate hip replacement implant experienced. Supplements offer the ideal solution in this sort of situation.

Nutrition for Tissue Repair and Muscle Building

Healing from one hip replacement is tough enough. However, with the recent recalls of certain types of hip replacement models, like the Stryker Rejuvenate, some people had to endure multiple surgeries. Not only did the device itself have to be replaced, but the metal on metal hip design often resulted in metal shavings damaging surrounding tissue, leading to more invasive and painful procedures. After such physical trauma, the body needs optimum nutritional support for proper tissue repair and muscle building.

For well over a century, medical science has recognized the critical role nutrition plays in the healing process. Protein is as one of the most essential nutrients, as it affects collagen production and the forming of capillaries. Consider the uncemented hip implants. According to the Mayo Clinic, this type of implant has a rougher surface, specifically so that new bone will grow into those small indentations, securing it into position. Protein is vital to that process.

Other nutrients essential to healing include Vitamin D, which plays a critical role in helping bones to heal. Calcium also is important. Vitamin C is vital to tissue repair and has a role in collagen production. In addition, the body may need more calories to fuel the healing process. These calories should be nutrient rich. Consulting a licensed dietician to devise a personalized daily intake of food and nutritional supplements can make a real difference in recuperation time.

Promote Hip Health via Supplements for Bones and Joints

There are other supplements that specifically promote hip health by targeting bones and joints. Omega-3 fatty acid supplements can help promote bone health by aiding in maintaining and increasing bone density, and may also have a role in keeping joints healthy. Boron works as a partner in the chemical reactions within the body that allow bone development vitamins and minerals to perform correctly and at optimum levels. These include copper, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.

Consult Your Health Care Provider

Supplements are powerful and can have adverse reactions when taken with some medications. Some vitamins, minerals and other nutrients can be toxic at high doses. Accurate information is the key to

safety. Always discuss major diet changes, including supplements, with a physician and a qualified nutritionist.

Elizabeth Carrollton writes about defective medical devices and dangerous drugs for Drugwatch.com.

Stay Hydrated Without Adding a Waist Size

August 13, 2012 § Leave a Comment

Stay Hydrated Without Adding a Waist Size

Most of us know that it is important to drink plenty of fluids all the time, and particularly in the dog days of summer. But your choice of beverage needs to be considered too. Too many sugary drinks, and you can widen your waistline.

Here are a few ideas on how you can stay hydrated without extra calories or sugar.

For dehydration due to heat or exercise, cool water is typically the best choice. However, in cases of dehydration resulting from diarrhea, vomiting, or body fluid loss, drinking an electrolyte-containing beverage, like Gatorade or Pedialyte can be helpful. But as a rule, these “sports drinks” — as they are called — contain quite a bit of sugar and calories, so in many cases water is the better choice. For flavor, consider watering down your sports drink with a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part sports drink.

Be careful with drinking energy drinks when dehydrated. They are usually loaded with caffeine, which stimulates the kidneys to make more urine. When exercising, this can dehydrate you even further. Similarly, alcohol promotes increased urine production, which when ingested in the heat or when dehydrated can worsen the dehydration.

Sodas are filled with sugar and are typically empty calories. Instead, choose sparkling water or cold water with a slices of lemon, line, apples, or cucumber added. Even low-fat or fat-free milk poured over ice is a better alternative to sugar-laden pop. 100 percent fruit juice can be nutritious in moderation, but be careful of the calories in the juice.

Keep in mind that many fruits are a fabulous source of water. One of the best is watermelon, which as its name suggests, is comprised of 90 percent of water. Other fruits, like grapefruit, cantaloupe, oranges, and honeydew also contain high amounts of water to keep you hydrated without a ton of calories.

While veggies don’t have as much water content as fruit, they are nutrient-rich source of water. Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, and green peppers are a few of the vegetables that contain high amounts of water.

Seniors, children, pregnant women, and people with certain medical conditions are more prone to ill-effects as a result of becoming dehydrated.

Tips to Avoid Being a Mosquito’s Dinner

August 13, 2012 § Leave a Comment

Tips to Avoid Being a Mosquito’s Dinner

Health officials are warning that the West Nile virus is off to an earlier than expected start, including the reporting of serious illness and fatality from the virus. Officials say that the very hot summer, early spring, flooding, and mild winter have facilitated mosquito breeding, leading to the West Nile virus spreading to people.

Here’s some background information on the West Nile virus: It’s a mosquito-originated disease traced back to the West Nile section of Africa back in the 1930s. It was discovered in New York City in 1999, and since then has spread throughout the United States. Mosquitoes obtain the virus when the eat from infected birds; they then spread the virus to humans through a mosquito bite.

The majority of people infected — about 80 percent — don’t experience symptoms, but those who do can have body aches, fever, vomiting, headache, and skin rashes lasting for several weeks. Serious cases can occur in which patients develop neck stiffness, coma, convulsion, vision loss, paralysis, disorientation, or meningitis. Since 1999, nearly 30,000 people have become seriously ill from the West Nile virus in the United States, according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s estimated that over 1,200 died.

Here’s what you can do to protect yourself from mosquito bites:

Use U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved insect repellent. Use repellent with DEET, and apply it to both clothing and skin.
Avoid being outside unprotected during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most likely to bite.
Wear long sleeves pants and shirts when outside at dusk and dawn.
Don’t allow still-pools of water around your house, including containers, buckets, or flower pots that become filled with rain water.
Change the water in bird baths at least weekly.
Make sure windows have screens.

If you see dead birds, it may be a sign that the West Nile virus is circulating throughout birds. It’s important to report any dead bird sighting to your local or state health department.

How to Prevent Food Poisoning from “Spoiling” Your Summer Fun

August 13, 2012 § Leave a Comment

How to Prevent Food Poisoning from “Spoiling” Your Summer Fun

Potato salad, macaroni salad, and chicken are staples at summer picnics, barbecues, and backyard gatherings. When attending one of these summertime events, you know these dishes have been sitting in the heat or summer sun for some time, but your not quite sure how long. In the back of your mind, you worry whether they’ll make you sick.

Warm weather and food don’t mix. Bacteria in food can multiply faster when the thermometer is up, and potential poses a health threat, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The FDA suggests the following safety tips in order to keep food borne illnesses — otherwise known as food poisoning — at bay this summer.

Maintain hot foods at a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Maintain cold foods at at temperature at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
Marinate foods in the fridge, not on your kitchen counter.
Don’t cross contaminate foods, particularly raw meats.
Clean hands often and wash surfaces frequently.
Cook or grill food through and through to kill harmful bacteria.
Refrigerate of freeze leftovers right away. Make it a rule to never leave food out for over an hour or if the temperature is greater than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use a food thermometer to ensure food reaches the minimum recommended temperature

For example, the recommended temperature for hamburger and chicken is 160 degrees Fahrenheit and 165 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively.

For more information, refer to the summer and food borne illnesses fact sheet provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Happy Hour Just Got Better! New Study Suggests Alcohol Cuts Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk

August 7, 2012 § Leave a Comment

Happy Hour Just Got Better! New Study Suggests Alcohol Cuts Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk

Enjoy a before-dinner glass of Pinot Noir? How about a Cosmopolitan or Margarita on Friday and Saturday nights? Or perhaps you prefer a cold, frosty brew with dinner?

Either way, the findings of a new study may add even more happiness to your happy hour!

According to researchers, who collected data on over 34,000 women, moderate and regular consumption of wine, beer, or even liquor may reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in women.

Here’s the specifics on the study: Women who reported drinking over three glasses of wine, beer, or liquor per week had a 52 percent decreased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis compared to the women who abstained from drinking this much alcohol.

The type of drink the women drank had no difference on the RA risk.

The authors mentions that its unknown what the effects of higher consumption of alcohol has on rheumatoid arthritis. “We don’t know what happens with higher doses of alcohol,” she said. “And this is just one study showing what happened in Swedish women. So I don’t want to give advice about alcohol consumption,” said lead study author Daniela Di Giuseppe, who is also a doctoral student at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

The results of this study are published in the British Medical Journal BMJ.

Get Your Child to Eat Her Vegetables – The Scientific Way!

August 7, 2012 § Leave a Comment

Get Your Child to Eat Her Vegetables – The Scientific Way!

As many parents can attest, getting a child to eat their vegetables — particularly the green ones — is a tough task. However, parents may now have another weapon in the battle of getting their kids to eat their vegetables — and perhaps even like them.

Two fresh studies conducted by the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior (SNEB) and the John Dyson Professor of Consumer were conducted through support from Birds Eye in an effort to inspire young kids to eat more vegetables.

In the first study, which included 500 moms and their young children, researchers found that veggies on the plate made the meal appear more complete and enhanced the taste (perceived) of the entree.

The second study found that parents may give up too soon if their child claims to not like vegetables. That is, 83 percent of the kids in the study could name a favorite vegetable. 32 percent of the children listed “corn” as their favorite vegetable, followed by 29 percent who named broccoli as their favorite. Carrots, green beans, potatoes, and tomatoes rounded out the list.

“These findings underscore the concept that vegetables make the meal,” said SNEB president Brian Wansink, PhD. “Vegetables do so much more than provide important nutrients, they’re helping to make the entire meal more appealing and even making the person serving the meal appear to be more loving and caring, ” Wansink said.

“Children may not like all vegetables all of the time, but they may like some vegetables some of the time,” Wansink said. “Keep serving the vegetables that kids prefer and don’t be discouraged if they turn up their noses at other vegetables. They may eventually like them if you continue to offer them, and if they see you enjoy them, too. But celebrate these little victories and find ways to modify meals to accommodate your kids’ favorite vegetables.”

According to the release, nine out of 10 children and teenagers in the United States don’t meet their daily vegetable requirements, so the results of these studies are encouraging.

Tape it Up – In Color! Olympic Athletes Modeling a Fun Way to Feel Good

August 6, 2012 § Leave a Comment

Kinesiology Taping at the Olympics

If you’ve been tuned to the Olympics coverage then you’ve likely seen the brightly-colored tape some of the Olympic athletes are wearing.

Johanna Wiberg, Sweden’s handball athlete was seen wearing it in blue from her groin to her knee. Germany’s beach volleyball team member Ilka Semmler wears it in pink on her derriere. Other athletes sporting the funky tape include Paula Findlay (Canadian triathlete), Simon Whitfield (Canadian Olympic triathlon champion), and Dotsie Bausch (USA seven-time Cycling National Champion) to name a few. Other more-recognized names to sport the tape include David Beckham, Rory McIlroy, and Serena Williams.

So, what exactly is this tape? Properly known as Kinesiology tape, or Kinesio tape for short, the tape is believed to help Olympiads perform at their world class best, despite injuries, aches, or pains.

While the tape comes in a variety of colors, from bright hot pink to electric blue, it wasn’t designed for fashion. Developed by a Japanese doctor over 30 years ago, the adhesive tape strapping is intended to provide joint and muscle support without having the athlete’s movement restricted.

While there isn’t a ton of research on Kineso tape, there is a small amount of research that suggests its usefulness. “Kinesio tape may be of some assistance to clinicians in improving pain-free active range of movement immediately after tape application for patients with shoulder pain,” wrote scientists in one study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physiotherapy.

Other research findings suggest otherwise: “In a review of all the scientific research so far, published in the Sports Medicine journal in February, researchers found “little quality evidence to support the use of Kinesio tape over other types of elastic taping in the management or prevention of sports injuries”.

Some experts state that its just that the scientific research has not caught up with what athletes and their sports therapists s say about the adhesive strapping’s benefits.

Could it be the placebo effect? Some scientists say maybe. Hey, if it works and can help an athlete get that dream Gold Medal, why not wear it?

Lose Weight by Cutting Food into Smaller… Bites?!

July 30, 2012 § Leave a Comment

Lose Weight by Cutting Food into Smaller… Bites?!

Want to lose weight? Try cutting up food into smaller pieces.

Devina Wadhera and her Arizona State University colleagues found that in both college students and lab rats, cut-up food could be beneficial to weight loss.

College Students

“Cutting up energy-dense foods into smaller pieces may be beneficial to dieters who wish to make their meal more satiating while also maintaining portion control,” Wadhera said.

For the college students study, Wadhera’s team took 301 female and male students and split them into two groups. One group was given a whole bagel smothered with cream cheese, while another group was given the same bagel — covered with the same amount of cream cheese — but cut into four pieces.

What they found was that the group that was offered the whole bagel ate more of it than those who received the cut-up bagel.

But that’s not all. Another difference between the two groups happened 20 minutes later. Twenty minutes after having the bagel, both groups were offered a free meal. Here again, those who had eaten the cut-up bagel, ate less of the free meal than the whole bagel group counterparts.

“Perhaps cutting up foods into multiple, bite-sized pieces may perceptually look like more and therefore elicit greater satiation than a single-piece food portion,” Wadhera and colleagues suggest.

Lab Rats

The Arizona State University researchers also tried this experiment on lab rats. The rats were trained to run through a maze, and offered a reward for quickly getting through the maze.

Like the college students, the lab rats were split into two groups. One group of 20 rats were given a single chunk of food as a reward for successfully making it through the maze. The other group of 20 rats, were offered the same amount of food in terms of weight, but the reward was 30 smaller pieces of food.

After the rats completed 12 trips through the maze, the researchers noted a clear result. Rats worked harder for the same quantity of food in smaller pieces.

These findings were presented at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior conference, but haven’t been reviewed by peers or presented in a medical journal. As such, the results of this study should be interpreted as preliminary.

Dog Lovers Rejoice! Healthier Babies Linked to Dog-Owning Families

July 30, 2012 § Leave a Comment

Dog Lovers Rejoice! Healthier Babies Linked to Dog-Owning Families

Besides being man’s best friend, dog’s may be also serve to protect infants against not only breathing problems, but also infections, according to a new study out of Europe.

Researchers from the Kuopio University Hospital in Finland found that Finland babies who lived with a dog, had fewer weeks with runny noses, coughs, and ear infections.

“These results suggest that dog contacts may have a protective effect on respiratory tract infections during the first year of life,” wrote lead author Eija Bergroth and colleagues at Kuopio University Hospital in Finland.

“Our findings support the theory that during the first year of life, animal contacts are important, possibly leading to better resistance to infectious respiratory illnesses during childhood,” Bergroth further commented.

Specifically, babies without dog contact at home were free from illness for 65 percent of the study period, while 74 percent on average of infants were healthy who had a dog at home. Infants in dog-owning households were 29 percent less likely to require antibiotics and 44 percent less likely to develop inner ear infections than there no-dog family counterparts.

“A possible explanation for this interesting finding might be that the amount of dirt brought inside the home by dogs could be higher in these families because (the dog) spent more time outdoors,” wrote the researchers.

The benefits may stem from the germs and dirt a dog brings into a household that may help an infant’s immune system to develop and mature faster. A maturer immune system makes it better to defend against both bacteria and viruses that cause respiratory problems.

Not all research to date agrees that exposure to dogs helps protect young children against respiratory and breathing problems, the research is trending in that way.

The authors report appears in the journal Pediatrics.

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