A study published in the journal, Pain (2003; 104(3):549-57) followed over 1100 patients who had been treated for obesity (either surgically or non-surgically). The researchers found that hip, ankle, knee, neck and back pain was more common in obese patients than in the general population. Two years after bariatric surgery, the amount of pain suffered […]
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Nitric oxide, not to be confused with laughing gas (which is nitrous oxide), is important for the health of the cardiovascular system, the joints, the lung, the nervous system, the immune system and may even be useful in preventing erectile dysfunction. It is synthesized from L-arginine. In the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism (August 1993;36(8):1036-1044), an
Research performed at the University of California at San Diego looked at the effect MSM has on cartilage. It was published in the Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Journal (available online December 27, 2007). This was an “in vitro” study, meaning that the researchers looked at cartilage that was outside of the body. They were concerned with
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Research that was performed at Johns Hopkins and published in the February 2002 issue of Nature Medicine, revealed a connection between certain bacterial infections and autoimmune disease. If normal cells carry a specific protein that mimics the bacterial protein, they may be attacked by the immune system. If there has been a bacterial infection, cells
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Glucosamine Helps with Arthritis Pain and Slows Degeneration A three-year controlled study involving 212 patients with osteoarthitis of the knee shows the effectiveness of glucosamine sulfate. The study was presented at the 1999 Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology. Patients who took the glucosamine experienced a reduction in pain and, according to x-ray,
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In a literature review of 15 articles covering the use of glucosamine and chondroitan for osteo arthritis (The Journal of the American Medical Association March 15, 2000;283:1469-1475, 1483-1484), the authors found a modest benefit from glucosamine and a lot of benefit from chondroitin. The researchers, however, suggest that the actual benefit of treatment with glucosamine
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A combination of fish oil and vitamin E reduced the levels of cytokines (pro-inflammatory proteins that cause the joint swelling, pain and tenderness) in mice. This result found in a study lead by Jaya Venkatraman, Ph.D., University of Buffalo associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, and published in the
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TexasA&MUniversity psychologist Mary W. Meagher, who has conducted pain research for 16 years, says that fear and anxiety affect how a person experiences pain. Fear tends to reduce pain, anxiety increases it. She says, “From a clinical perspective, these data suggest that a patient anticipating an unpredictable threatening event will experience enhanced pain,” she says.
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Researchers at the University of Athens Medical School found that development of RA (rheumatoid arthritis) was closely associated with a low consumption of cooked vegetables and olive oil. Both items are common in the Greek diet. In general, southern Mediterranean populations consume a diet high in both cooked and raw vegetables, fish and olive oil—the
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A study appearing in the journal, Rheumatology (2008 May;47(5):665-9) showed that cod liver oil could possibly help patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) reduce their medication. There were 97 subjects in the study; they were between the ages of 37 and 78 and diagnosed with RA. They received either a placebo or 10 grams of cod
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