Opioid painkillers might temporarily ease the discomfort of arthritis, but they have no clear lasting benefit, a research review finds. In an analysis of 23 clinical trials, researchers found, on average, opioid medications were somewhat effective at easing pain in patients with osteoarthritis. That is the common form of arthritis in which cartilage cushioning the joints gradually wears down, leading to swelling, stiffness, and pain.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I traveled for 6 days to one of the finest medical centers in the Netherlands: about half an hour outside of Amsterdam. My practice is devoted to joint preservation rather than replacement. Orthopaedic Surgeons in the Netherlands have recently published the results of a minimally invasive procedure that avoids joints replacement in most cases and also results in regrowth of cartilage. They have more than 10 years of follow up and experience. The procedure involves putting pins into the thigh and leg bones and distracting the joint to allow space for new cartilage to grow. Pins are removed at 6 weeks and walking is permitted all the while.
Triathlons have had 2 basic problems: running injuries and excessive training times. Aquabike is a relatively new competition that solves both problems. Aquabike, which is growing rapidly, simply means a combined competition of swimming and cycling without the running. While running is terrific exercise, it is also very hard on the joints of most adults – especially when the running is on asphalt or concrete as is usually the case. My office is filled with runners with knee, back, and other problems caused by the repetitive pounding of regular running.
Probiotic supplementation was found to reduce rheumatoid arthritis pain and inflammation in a recent randomized controlled study. While probiotics can be taken in pill form, it is generally better, and less expensive, to obtain nutrients from food. Fortunately, the probiotics that were effective in this study can be found in Greek Yogurt. We would recommend Fage Greek Yogurt. It is the best brand available in our opinion for many reasons: including high protein content, low calorie count, creamier consistency (which differentiates Greek from plain yogurt due to its being strained three times instead of two), excellent taste plain, and no added sugar.
I reported in a recent post how newly published controlled scientific studies from Europe had validated the beneficial effects of warm mineral baths for arthritis pain. The effects appear to be a result of both the warm water and the minerals in it. Used for millennia, especially in the Greco-Roman era, such bathhouses used to be prevalent, but in recent years had largely disappeared.
