A STRONG IMMUNE SYSTEM IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR TO LASTING HEALTH

Pillars of HealthVol. 39 The Health and Wellness Newsletter Fall 2012

Freedom from Immobility and

DiscomfortLearn how to

improve your mobility and stiffness

NATURALLY!

Dealing with stiff, sore knees, hips, hands, or feet are not a normal part of aging that you have to accept. While your body experiences quite a bit of wear and tear that takes its toll, there’s another cul-prit that is likely slowing you

down as well—inflammation. Inflammation can cause the

tissues in your muscles and joints to swell, making them feel sore, stiff, and downright miserable. Common causes of inflammation include infec-tion, food sensitivities, diet, and lifestyle.

It may be hard to pin down the exact source of your inflam-mation and discomfort, but it’s not hard to start feeling bet-ter—without downing handfuls of prescription or over-the-counter pills that only provide temporary relief.

The Problem with Pain Pills

Addiction to prescription painkillers is a growing epi-demic. The Mayo Clinic reports that in 2008 painkiller overdoses killed nearly 15,000 Americans. Many overdoses occur in people who take painkillers recreation-ally. But what if you develop a tolerance to a painkiller that once worked for you?

When you take pills for years and years to manage your dis-comfort, you risk developing a tolerance to its effect. If this hap-pens, you can see how easily an

accidental overdose can occur. A person slowly increases the amount they once took when the medication worked, and be-fore they know it, they’re taking a lethal amount. In 2009 over half of emergency room visits were related to painkiller abuse.

Just treating your symptoms is never the answer if what you seek is true wellness. But that’s all these pills can do for you—temporarily mask your symptoms while the real cause is further damaging your body.

Inflammation’s Connection to Your Discomfort

By the time you’ve lived many full years as an adult, your body has experienced a few knocks and pings. However minor the bumps, bruises, fractures or even broken limbs may have been, you can continue to expe-rience pain at the site of injury because of inflammation.

Inflammation is your body’s natural response to infection and injury and is usually short-lived. But oftentimes inflamma-tion can last much longer and even present itself years after the injury. Why does this happen?

There are many different

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

ӹ The Problem with Pain Pills 1

ӹ Inflammation’s Connection to Your Discomfort 1

ӹ How What You Eat Aggravates Inflammation and Discomfort 2

ӹ Natural Pain Relievers 2 ӹ Natural Pain Relief Works 4

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reasons but the most common reasons are: 1) an over-reactive response by an over-active im-mune system; 2) stiffness and soreness that are linked to chron-ic inflammation; and 3) diet.

How What You Eat Aggravates Inflammation

and Discomfort

Much of what you eat can contribute to inflammation in your body and cause or aggra-vate your discomfort—as well as damage tissue. One of the biggest culprits is a nutritional imbalance. Americans are definitely eating enough, but not eating enough nutritionally balanced foods.

For example, consider omega fatty acids. Both omega-3s and

omega-6s have many positive benefits related to cardiovascu-lar and brain health. But bal-ance is the key. Omega-3 fatty acids help keep inflammation in check. Omega-6 fatty acids tends to promote inflammation

Unfortunately, the American diet is heavy in omega-6s. Some studies even suggest that elevat-ed intake of omega-6s may play a role in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.1 The typical Ameri-can diet tends to contain 14 to 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids.

Commercially-raised, pro-cessed red meat is one of the most plentiful sources of omega-6s contributing to an increase in chronic inflammation. Beware of the items on this list as well:

ӹ Sugar increases risk of in-flammation.

ӹ Polyunsaturated cooking oils, like corn, cottonseed, safflower and sunflower oils.

ӹ Trans fats are found in deep fried foods, fast foods, commercially-baked goods, and partially hydrogenated oil, margarine, and vegeta-ble shortening.

ӹ Dairy products, like milk, butter, and cheese.

ӹ Refined grains are much like sugar and can hasten the onset of degenerative diseases.

ӹ Artificial food additives can trigger inflammatory responses in people with auto-immune conditions.

ӹ Alcohol consumption over time can lead to inflammation.

Conversely the list below contains foods that can help prevent inflammation:

ӹ Broccoli ӹ Spinach ӹ Wild-caught salmon ӹ Tart cherries ӹ Pineapple ӹ Walnuts ӹ Onions ӹ Garlic

Natural Pain Relievers

Tried and true pain relief reme-dies have been used for centuries in some of the oldest cultures on the planet, including that of the American Indians and traditional Ayurvedic healers.

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Vol. 39 The Health and Wellness Newsletter Fall 2012

1 Ramsden et al. 2010 http://igennus-hn.com/the-role-of-fats-in-pain-syndromes-by-dr-nina-bailey/

Many of these natural reme-dies are herbs and spices known for their abilities to help reduce inflammation, relieve soreness, and soothe and relax throbbing muscles—completely naturally.

To help combat inflamma-tion, as well as ease sore mus-cles or painful overused joints, consider trying the following natural pain relievers in supple-ment or tea form:

Turmeric

Turmeric is the “go-to” anti-inflammatory herb of Ayurvedic medicine and has been used for over 4,000 years for easing the discomfort from sprains, strains, bruises, and inflammation.

Turmeric was found effec-tive in providing pain relief in the knee, according to a study

conducted by an Italian research team, published in the Septem-ber 2010 issue of Medical News Today. The study involved 50 patients suffering from discom-fort in either one or both knees. The patients were divided into two groups; one group received the standard medical treatment, while the other group added curcumin, an extract derived from turmeric. After 90 days, it was observed that the patients using turmeric in addition to conventional drugs had 58% decrease in symptoms, especially pain and stiffness as compared to the group who received con-ventional drugs alone.2

Devil’s Claw

Devil’s Claw is native to South Africa and was first bought to Europe by colonists who expe-

rienced its pain-relieving ef-fects. In fact, The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia recognizes devil’s claw as having analgesic properties and a component of over-the-counter preparations and dietary supplements for its anti-rheumatic effects.

Taking devil’s claw alone or along with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) seems to help decrease pain in the hands, fingers, legs, and feet. Some evidence suggests that devil’s claw works about as well as diacerhein (a slow-acting drug that is not available in the U.S.) for improving discomfort in the hip and knee after 16 weeks of treatment. Some people taking devil’s claw seem to be able to lower the dose of NSAIDs they need for pain relief. 3

White Willow Bark

White Willow Bark was used originally by the ancient Egyp-tians and Greeks, and is consid-ered the original “aspirin” for its pain reducing abilities and its mildness on the stomach and gastrointestinal tract.

The effective pain-reducing ingredient in white willow bark, salicin, was the basis for a synthetic version developed in Germany in 1852 that was eventually used by Bayer to cre-ate aspirin. At that time is was

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Vol. 39 The Health and Wellness Newsletter Fall 2012

2 Belcaro G, Cesarone MR, Dugall M, Pellegrini L, Ledda A, Grossi MG, Togni S, Appendino G. Product-evaluation registry of Meriva®, curcumin-phosphatidylcholine complex, for the complementary management of osteoarthritis. PanMinerva Med. 2010;52 (Suppl. 1 to No. 1):55-62.

3 Gagnier JJ, Chrubasik S, Manheimer E. Harpgophytum procumbens for osteoarthritis and low back pain: a systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2004;4:13.

considered time-consuming and costly to extract compounds from plants, and much less costly to create a synthetic ver-sion. But still to this day most consider aspirin to be harsh on the stomach unlike true salicin from white willow bark.

Ashwagandha Root

Ashwagandha Root is another staple of Ayurvedic medicine. The active compound is noted to have steroidal properties that help lower inflammation and it has been attributed with pain-relieving benefits during its 3,000 year-old history within Ayurvedic medicine.

Ashwagandha root is consid-ered an effective treatment for pain associated with age and in-flammation-related discomfort and stiffness. Clinical studies have shown that naturally oc-curring steroid like compounds in Ashwagandha are as effective in the management of inflam-mation as the synthetically manufactured hydrocortisone.

Southern Prickly Ash

Southern Prickly Ash was held in high regard by the American Indians who chewed its bark to help numb tooth-aches and created poultices with the plant to relieve muscle and joint pain. The herb is a circulation stimulant able to

produce arterial engorgement capable of relieving muscle cramps, soreness, and pain to the bones and joints.

Western herbalists report that southern prickly ash has been used to alleviate abdominal pain, kidney pain, muscle and joint pain, and that the leaves of the plant are said to create a numbing effect when rubbed on the skin.

Stinging Nettle

The Stinging Nettle plant is found in North America and gets its name from tiny hol-low spines than can break off into the skin when the plant is touched and cause an itchy rash.

Stinging nettle was shown to greatly reduced pain and dis-ability from age-related mobility conditions in a study at Eng-land’s University of Plymouth. Every day, 27 brave souls applied the fresh leaves to their stiff fingers and endured the nettle’s characteristic sting, caused by formic acid in its leaf hairs. This old folk remedy helped the study’s participants so much that they were able to reduce their use of analgesic and anti-inflam-matory drugs.4

Natural Pain Relief WorksAmericans spend billions

yearly on prescription and over-the-counter drugs that often fail to provide the desired results

and instead offer harmful side effects, the possibility of addic-tion and accidental overdose, and only mask the symptoms.

Now that you know more about the direct relationship between inflammation and pain, seek to stop your pain at its root instead of only numbing it and possibly doing more damage to your body. The next time you feel a catch in your back, consider what Mother Nature has to offer.

IM-PR102© 2012 4

Vol. 39 The Health and Wellness Newsletter Fall 2012

Material found in Freedom from Immobility and Discomfort is published by Pillars of Health, Long Beach, CA and is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. References taken from other sources are properly credited. Any improper infringements or plagiarism of the material found in this document will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The information and statements made in this publication have not been evaluated by the FDA. The ingredients discussed and recommended are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary. Seek the advice of your healthcare professional for questions or concerns regarding your specific health conditions and/or needs.

4 Randall C et al. “Randomized controlled trial of nettle sting for treatment of base-of-thumb pain.” Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 2000, 93(6): 305–309.