Healthy Lifestyle

According to the National Center for Chronic Disease (CDC) more than 46 million American Adults suffer from chronic pain and arthritis. While approximately one-half of these 46 million individuals suffer from osteoarthritis and that percentage grows rapidly for those over 50 years of age. In addition, by 2030, the CDC estimates the over 67 million adults in America will suffer from an arthritic condition. The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis (OA). OA is where the cartilage between the bones of the joints has deteriorated to such a point that it no longer provide significant cushion and the joints may rub together. Another type of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This type of arthritis causes inflammation in the joints.

Both type of arthritis OA and RA can cause extreme pain and even immobility. However, arthritis suffers can make lifestyle modifications to decrease the pain and reduce your reliance on prescription medication and painkillers. Here are several action steps you can take to reduce arthritis pain naturally. Apply Both Heat and Cold: By applying heating pad or a cold pack to your joint you’ll be able to control some of the pain. Cold helps to constrict blood vessels and can help to reduce swelling and the inflammation. While applying a heating pad helps to dilate the blood vessels, thus allow more blood to flow to the afflicted helping to relief early arthritis pain.

Drink Plenty of Water: Water helps to keep your body hydrated and your joints lubricated. Reduce your Intake of Saturated Fats: Cut down you consumption of meat, dairy, eggs and sugar while increasing your intake of fruits, Omega 3’s and vegetables. These foods are a good source of polyunsaturated fats. Use Mediation Wisely: Over-the-counter drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen may help to less inflammation and the pain of arthritis, but they may also result in ulcers and other ailments if overused. In addition, COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors may also help to reduce inflammation and pain but they have been linked to serious cardiovascular health issues. When taking mediation ask your health care provide questions regarding the dosage and any potential side effects.

Seek Natural Alternatives: When researching natural relief for arthritis pain make sure to study the ingredients of the supplement. While many websites claim their product will help relief arthritis pain you may want to stick with ingredients with a history of effectiveness such as glucosamine, chondroitin and tart cherries. These supplements have been shown to relieve inflammation (tart cherries), build cartilage (glucosamine) and lubricate joints (chondroitin). Relief by taking these supplements usually isn’t immediate and may take several weeks to build up in the body. The most effective daily dosages of these supplements are 1500mg of glucosamine, 1200mg of chondroitin and 1000mg of tart cherry. Tart cherry has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and joints. One supplement you may want to learn more about is the Fruit Advantage Joint Formula made with tart cherries. This is available from Fruit Advantage and Traverse Bay Farms. This supplement delivers 1200mg of tart cherry for each daily serving. You may also consider drinking tart cherry juice.

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There are 7 reasons everyone ought to do Tai Chi, and every one of them will improve your overall mental and physical health. Tai Chi is a thousands-of-year-old tradition of the Chinese culture. One of the arts of Chinese Toaism, Tai Chi has numerous positive effects on the mind and body of anyone who practices it. Listed below are seven of those benefits.

1. When an individual practices Tai Chi, more oxygen is delivered to the body’s vital organs and tissues. The result is more efficient breathing which reduces the work load placed on the heart, and a healthier body.

2. The continued practice of performing Tai Chi has also been shown to reduce blood pressure. Blood pressure is the amount of pressure put on the walls of your arteries and veins as your blood circulates throughout them. When the pressure is increased above normal ranges the risk of heart attack and stroke become a real concern.

3. Tia Chi will also increase bone density. This is good because the higher density of your bones, the less chance there is of breaking them. This is one of the main reasons that older individuals practice the art of Tai Chi. Because their balance is off, they are more prone to falling which increases their chances of breaking a bone.

4. Another reason that older people make Tai Chi a part of their regular life routine is that is strengthens their muscles and allows their joints to have a greater range of motion. This is a great benefit for all ages, however. Many dancers and runners practice Tai Chi for this reason also.

5. Tai Chi can also reduce the levels of stress hormones that build up in your body. There probably isn’t a person alive that doesn’t deal with some sort of stress at various times in their lives. Because stress can be so damaging to the mind and body it is important to release it as quickly as possible. Tai Chi is a great way to do this.

6. Tai Chi is also noted for increasing the functioning ability of the body’s immune system. The immune system is always on call and is tackling all sorts of bacteria and viruses that try to attack the body every day. It’s important that your immune system is always strong and healthy in order for it to continue to protect you.

7. The ability to concentrate and remember things is increased as well. Because the art of Tai Chi helps the brain to become more in focused, or inline, with the body, the abilities of both are significantly increased. This results in the minds ability to remember things and heightens its ability to concentrate.

Practicing Tai Chi just twenty minutes a day can improve your overall health. Millions of people all over the world are taking advantage of the healing and strengthening powers of Tai Chi. There are many reasons that the art of Tai Chi is beneficial to good physical and mental health. The above are seven of the most common ones.

Maryellen Ward writes about how to apply to a masters in health care program online.