Archived News of the Week

Osteoarthritis: Part I

I started running at the age of 25 and ran like a bloody fool for years. I loved running. I liked the endorphins; running was my bid for uber-health and it kept my skin glowing and my body a good weight. I started when I was three months pregnant when the only running shoes anyone could buy were Adidas Dragons - funny looking, round-toed blue things with thin smooth soles and no support at all - a cartoon semblance to the technical, space-age shoes in the market today.

About twenty-five years later, thinking that I was being really smart, I traded my New Balance running shoes for good hiking boots and Leki poles. I decided to become a hiker instead of a runner. By doing this preventive measure, I smugly thought that I would be preserving my joints and escaping arthritis. Now at the ripe old age of &#, I realize - too late and with great remorse - that I really trashed myself with all those years of athletics and despite my caution later in life, I trashed myself for much too long early on. Now I suffer from osteoarthritis of the hips and shoulders, the wear and tear variety of arthritis.

The hips got it because of running on pavement for too many years and the shoulders because of 20 years of competitive tennis plus pulling a Bono and running headlong into a tree totally out of control while skiing a slope way beyond my skill level. I dislocated one shoulder and bashed the other one pretty good. Then I decided to be a chiropractor which consists of throwing big bodies around a small table...

Oh, those were the days, huh? When the body didn't betray and we were all young and reckless enough to think that we would never wear out. Let me tell you, kids, we do.

So, what can one do about osteoarthritis? First of all, get over the chagrin and remorse and just get on with it because what's done is done and there are a lot of things I am sure most of us would do differently in retrospect. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and sooner or later, if you live long enough, everyone will get arthritis to some degree. It's an inflammation of the joints from chronic wear and tear, so we need to reduce the inflammation in the body and if possible curtail some of the activity of the wear and tear that is causing the inflammation.

In traditional medicine, we would be taking pharmaceutical anti-inflammatories like Celebrex or some of the lesser OTC's like Advil or Motrin and getting shots of cortisone in our joints as needed, but inherent in all of these drugs is danger, like 1) suppressing cartilage formation, 2) increasing gut permeability which can open a whole new set of problems with digestive issues, 3) increasing the risk of heart disease and yes, 4) NSAIDS and cortisone treat only the symptoms, not the cause. And you all know the drill. Find the CAUSE and the symptoms will go away.

Well, not always. If there is joint damage like spurs and narrowed joint spaces, then there is nothing to do except surgery to replace joints or scrape them and/or palliative care until you're either brave enough or in enough pain to subject yourself to very invasive joint replacement surgery. The best thing, of course, is not to run into trees or run on pavement for twenty-five years. But, when you are having fun and are not in pain (pain comes much later), there is not much reason to stop, is there?

What are other risk factors for developing osteoarthritis? That is, aside from being a stupid young person. 1) A diet high in fat and sugar 2) A diet high in acidifying foods, like sodas and meat 3) A sedentary lifestyle 4) Obesity 5) Insufficient sleep 6) Nutrient deficiencies, especially minerals. 6) Lack of vitamin D and sunlight 7) High intake of starchy foods like potatoes and floury products 8) Stress: It can skew hormones and create imbalances. Stress can also increase gut permeability which in turn can lead to pain and inflammation due to undigested proteins escaping from the leaky gut. These proteins then travel to places where they don't belong, like joints where they increase inflammation.

What foods should you and I be avoiding to reduce the pain of osteoarthritis? It's just the usual advice for a healthy life-style. Cut down on grains, sugar and cows milk as these are pro-inflammatory. Avoid the white foods, except for cauliflower and jicama. Avoid a high intake of saturated fats - again they are pro-inflammatory. No trans fats. Cut down on red meat to maybe twice a week and don't overdo black tea, coffee and carbonated drinks as they are all acid-forming.

I have a chart of what to eat and what not to eat for joint pain and inflammation. Let me know if you want a copy.

And here is a very important item: Anyone with any kind of pain syndrome - say, arthritis or fibromyalgia - should try a 2 month restriction of the nightshade family. This family includes tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, most of the "red" spices and tobacco. If you notice that your pain decreases, then the nightshade or solanine family is causing you big trouble. If nightshades cause you chronic pain and inflammation in already narrowed joints spaces, then you should really give up your bruschetta and potatoes Anna. But it's your call. At a certain age everything, I have found, becomes some sort of a tradeoff and this one is nightshades for pain.

What kind of supplements can we take to interrupt this inflammatory cascade which causes our pain? How can we better manage pain and inflammation? What have I done and what has worked for me? All this next time.

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