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Bones & Joints
Ageing
Many people live well into their 80's - and beyond. As the body ages, however, various systems slow down and the risk of disease increases. Even though you can't stop time, you can forestall some of the negative effects of ageing with a healthy lifestyle and well-chosen supplements.
What is it?
Put simply, ageing is the process of growing old. Every part of the body is affected. Among other changes, hair turns grey, skin develops wrinkles, joints and muscles lose flexibility, bones beome weak, memory declines, eyesight diminishes and immunity is impaired.
Arthritis – Osteoarthritis
Probably the most common age-related disease, osteoarthritis affects the joints of over a million older Australians. Supplements may greatly relieve the pain and stiffness of this disorder and slow down the cartilage degeneration that causes it.
What is it?
With osteoarthritis, your joints gradually lose their cartilage - the smooth, gel-like shock absorbing material that prevent adjacent bones from touching. Most commonly affected are the fingers, knees, hips, neck and spine. As cartilage loss continues, the friction of the bone rubbing against bone can cause pain and joint instability.
Gout
In the Westerm world, at least one man in a hundred over the age of 40 has gout. Women can develop it, too, mainly after menopause. Sufferers feel fine much of the time, but an attack can occur without warning, bringing on agonising joint pain that demands fast-acting relief.
What is it?
Gout is a metabolic disorder linked to high levels of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid, a by-product of various body processes, is also formed after eating certain foods. The body rids itself of uric acid through the urine. But some people produce too much uric acid - or can't dispose of it fast enough - and levels build up. Often, the excess uric acid is converted into needle-shaped crystals that settle in and around the joints and other tissues, triggering inflammation and the excruciating pain associated with gout.
Osteoporosis
Resulting in many thousands of bone fractures every year, osteoporosis,which is characterised by a loss of bone density, can be prevented. Theearlier in life you begin to address the problem, the better yourchances of avoiding broken bones and pain later on.
Shin Splints
Whether you're running after a soccer ball, jogging around the neighborhood park or training for a marathon, you're at risk of running-related injuries. One of the most common running injuries is shin splints.
What is it?
People sometimes mistakenly use the term shin splints to refer to a wider array of lower leg problems. The term technically refers to a specific problem that causes pain along your shinbone (tibia) — the large bone in the front of your lower leg. The pain is the result of an overload on your tibia and the connective tissues that attach your muscles to your tibia. The medical term for this condition is medial tibial stress syndrome.
Sprains & Strains
Whether caused by vigorous weekend activity, slipping on wet ground or stepping off a curb the wrong way, strains and sprains can affect anyone. Whatever the reason, it's surprising how much a program of natural therapies can help.
What is it?
Strain are minor injuries to the muscles. They occur most often in the calf, thigh, groin or shoulder, causing soreness and stiffness. Sprains are similar to strains, but are more serious and painful, and take longer to heal. They can entail damage to ligaments, tendons or muscles - usually those surrounding a joint.
Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is one of several overuse injuries that can affect your elbow. As you might guess, playing tennis is one cause of tennis elbow — but many other common activities can cause tennis elbow, too.
What is it?
The pain of tennis elbow occurs primarily where the tendons of your forearm muscles attach to the bony prominence on the outside of your elbow (lateral epicondyle). Pain can also spread into your forearm and wrist.
