Your body’s amazing joints
I’d like to talk to you about one of the most common joints in your body, the synovial joint. This joint is absolutely amazing, an engineering marvel. It allows you almost unlimited movement, constantly repairs itself and if properly cared for, will give you decades of trouble free service.
We all know of people that have joint problems. Most people think joint problems only occur in older adults. This is a myth, joint problems can occur at any age and have many causes, including genetics, abuse and lack of regular exercise.
The inner workings of your joints
There are many types of synovial joints in your body, regardless of their shape and how they function, they all have one thing in common, Articular Cartilage. Cartilage is what covers the “joint surfaces” of all the joints in your body. It’s smoothness allows for very fluid movements, be it sipping coffee or hitting a golf ball. It’s durability allows us to run, jump and lift heavy objects.
Under “normal” conditions, there is a constant turnover of articular cartilage in “all” of the joints of your body. Because of this, any loss of cartilage due to normal wear and tear is matched by cartilage production.
What’s important for you to know is, what specific nutrients your joints need and how they are absorbed. After all, it’s these nutrients that allow your joints to constantly repair and renew themselves.
Before we begin, let’s review some “very- basic” joint anatomy (see picture). Typically, a joint is made up of two bones coming together, their “articulating ends” are covered with cartilage. The entire joint is then covered by a fibrous capsule and filled with a slippery nutrient rich synovial fluid. Note, it is the cartilaginous ends, that actually slide on one another, that allow joint motion.
For cartilage to stay healthy, it has to draw-in and absorb the nutrient rich synovial fluid. This process of drawing in and releasing synovial fluid, can only occur with “normal motion and loading” of your joints.
Without normal motion and loading, your joints will begin to degenerate!!!
Imagine having a golf ball sized sponge inside your clinched fist. If you put your fist in a bucket of water and slowly opened it, the sponge would draw-in water. If you then squeeze the sponge, it would release the water. This pulling in and releasing of a fluid is very similar to what occurs in a healthy joint. The scientific term for this is imbibtion. Normal joint motion allows the nutrients rich synovial fluid to be draw-in and used by the cartilage. Any decrease in joint motion and loading, will negatively impact the cartilage of the affected joint.
What specific nutrients are needed to maintain and repair joints?
For years I have been recommending Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate to all my patients. I have found nothing more effective when it comes to maintaining the cartilage in your joints. In my opinion, Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate are literally ” biological-spare-parts” for your joints.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate Supplements have gone through a lot of changes over the years. From the size of the pill to the actual absorption into your blood stream via the intestine. There is a relatively new Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate product on the market that is simple to use, it tastes great and has an amazingly-high-absorption-rate. As a bonus, it is available at most supermarkets. The product is called Elations.
If you take care of your joints they will take care of you.
The main reason people begin to feel old is due to a decrease in mobility or pain in their joints. Are you experiencing these symptoms of degeneration? If so, give me a call and come in and be evaluated. One of the important things I do as chiropractor, is to locate joints that have lost their normal motion. Once these joints are located, I try to restore as much mobility as possible and immediately have the patient begin the Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulphate supplementation.
Keeping your joints healthy for a “lifetime” requires you to be proactive. Begin today!
Yours in Health, Naturally!
Dr. Gould
A one-time specialized chiropractic adjustment, delivered to patients suffering from high blood pressure and misaligned C1 vertebrae (this is the first vertebrae located directly under your skull), resulted in significant reductions in diastolic and systolic BP compared to controls.
I think everyone will agree, when we are happy, we not only perform better but we generally feel better. As human beings we regularly postpone our happiness until certain future goals are attained. The problem with doing that is obvious. What if the goal is attained and it does not bring you happiness or even worse, the goal is never achieved?
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