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general health

Joints

YOUR joints are junctions of the bone which allow flexibility and a range of movement. In all but a few, the bones are covered with a layer of cartilage to protect them, held together with tendons, the anatomical equivalent of elastic bands, attached to the muscles which in turn make the joint move. The entire joint is surrounded by a thin layer of fluid and it is all kept in place by a joint capsule.

Joints are extremely powerful and can put up with a fair amount of use and abuse, but can be extremely difficult to fix when things go wrong.

Joint pain can be traumatic, where the muscle goes into spasm; chronic, where the soft tissue becomes inflamed and arthritic, either osteoarthritis caused by wear and tear or rheumatoid where an auto-immune break-down leads to the progressive destruction of the joints.

Traditionally if you injured a joint you were urged to rest but now medical research says gentle manipulation and exercise is the best treatment.

Dr Lorraine Calland is a chiropractor with a clinic in Altrincham. She said: ''We mechanically manipulate the joints to correct and adjust movement.

''The pain people feel can often be quite remote from the actual problem. It is not a painful treatment and is complemented by patients doing their own exercise programme.''

Cracking sounds heard when joints are manipulated comes from nitrogen gas, under pressure in the joint fluid, which is released during treatment and disperses with a crack.

Dr Calland said: ''Prevention is obviously best but failing that then early intervention to treat a joint is essential.'' Being aware of danger times is key, according to Stephen Roberts from the Didsbury Chiropractor Clinic.

He said: ''People need to be vigilant and think about what they do. Most injuries happen when people are in a rush and I have had dozens of patients injured as they grabbed the suitcases to go on holiday or jump up to answer the phone.

''If you are doing something like gardening then warm up first so your muscles and ligaments are stretched.''

If you do sprain a joint by tearing a ligament or strain a muscle or tendon by twisting or pulling , do not ignore the pain. For a sprain, apply an ice pack, wrapped in a towel, for half an hour to reduce swelling. Rest initially but then try to get moving gently.

For lower back pain you need to open up and relax the spine. One way is to lie on your back on the bed.

Press your lower spine into the mattress and slowly and gently bring your knees up to your chest.

Hold them with your arms and relax into the position feeling the stretch for as long as you are comfortable. You can increase the stretch by bringing your head down onto your chest.

Repeat periodically and always do this stretch before getting out of bed in the morning.

If pain does not subside in 24 hours you should seek help. See your GP or consider seeing a specialist like a chiropractor or osteopath.

Exercise is particularly beneficial to osteoarthritis sufferers. Dr Calland said: ''If a joint is tight and displaced then the muscle is tight and it can lead to problems with the nervous system.

''By manipulating the joints and freeing them it relieves the pressure on the joint and by following that with a planned exercise regime it really can help.

''In some cases exercise helps pain more effectively than drugs.''

'We would not treat anyone with rheumatoid arthritis during a period of inflammation but manipulation can help during a non-acute phase.''

What you can do

If you have osteoarthritis it is recommended you avoid: meat, dry roasted nuts, vinegar and hot spices, dairy products including chocolate, additives, preservatives and chemicals and nightshade foods such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.

And replace them with: fish oils, fruit and vegetables, complex fibres like wholemeal bread, nuts, water and foods containing sulpher and methionine such as brussel sprouts, garlic, onions and cabbage.

Try also taking a supplement of glucosamine sulphate. Made in the body but only slowly it is vital for regenerating the cartilage and improving its cushioning properties. boosts joint healing and in some cases has been shown to suppress osteoarthritis symptoms better than painkillers. It is available from most nutritional companies and it is advised you take 1000mg a day.

Links
British Chiropractic Association