Yes, we all eventually get some form of osteoarthritis as we age. It’s just wear and tear on the old joints, and it can be debilitating.
It’s good news when we learn we don’t have to live in pain. There are several natural remedies that can help without nasty side effects.
From Matt Murray, one of GreenAcres’ owners, and manager of our Bradley Fair store, we learn a couple of things we can do to help ourselves:
- Drink “greens”—a tablespoon of your favorite spirulina, wheat or barley grass in a large glass of water keeps inflammation at bay.
- Don’t skip on the fish oil. Omega 3 fatty acids do wonders to oil those creaky joints and calm inflammation. A customer, who is also an ace chiropractor, recommends ingesting four or five fish oil capsules immediately after a fall. He says it will do the same thing for traumatized joints as 400 mg. of Ibuprofen. It can also lower cholesterol, but you can’t be haphazard about taking fish oil. You’ve got to take it every day, religiously, if you want results.
- Take Celadrin by Natural Factors. It’s a great pain reliever that works almost immediately with no side effects in clinical trials. It soothes joints with just one capsule three times a day.
Dr. Michael Murray (no relation to Matt), a supplement formulator who has been to GreenAcres many times, and who was a frequent guest on our now-defunct radio show, GreenAcres Health Talk with Brett, Matt and Shannon, says this about Celadrin:
“It has been shown to impact several key factors that contribute to inflammation. Celadrin’s main action appears to be its ability to enhance cell membrane health and integrity. As a result it halts the production of inflammatory compounds known as prostaglandins. It also reduces the production of the negative immune factors like IL-6 that play a central role in inflammation. In simple terms, the bottom line is that Celadrin improves the lubrication of joints and prevents the manufacture of compounds that produce pain and inflammation.”
Matt also recommends that we not use pain or stiffness as an excuse to sit on our duffs. “Keep moving,” he says. “Get on your bike; walk around the block; swim. Do something!” Or, you can do as Matt does and teach an exercise class at the local YMCA—that will get the old spine twisting and turning.
Matt practices what he preaches. Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Matt sometimes has a slight limp. He’s got a bad knee that he refuses to let get the best of him. Oh, he’ll use a brace every now and then when it starts to snap, crackle and pop, and he’ll visit his favorite chiropractor, and sometimes, if the pain gets especially bad, he’ll get a shot that helps with inflammation. But he won’t baby himself.
He gets to that gym and works through it. And, he supplements. Everything that he recommends to customers at GreenAcres, he believes in. He’s the perfect example of “do as I do,” and we like that.
At GreenAcres, we’re here to help you through whatever you’re going through. Ask our market team members the tough questions. We bet they’ll know the answers. And follow Matt’s advice: Keep moving!