So I have been back at work a few days now and things are starting to run more smooth. Except for the fact that I have a back injury...I have no idea how this happened. I haven't done anything different but I will say...it hurts :(
I am icing and trying to not aggravate it too much. Walking is pretty much the only thing that I can get away with at the moment and I plan to try to get to the pool for laps soon. Has anyone ever had a sore back? I had a back (and knee) injury this time last year and I cant help but wonder if it is the hot weather. This sounds odd to me but I found some info on weather and joints.
What’s causing your joint pain?
Joint pain can flare up for a number of reasons — some of which may be overlooked by conventional practitioners. Many of my patients, even younger women, ask me if their pain is being caused by arthritis. Sadly, it is estimated that one in five Americans has been diagnosed with some form or arthritis. There are over a hundred different arthritic conditions, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis being the most well known.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease causing inflammation in the synovial fluid of the joint. It sets itself apart from other forms of arthritis with some telltale features: a general appearance in the hands or feet, a hot or warm feeling in the joint, stiffness for over 30 minutes in the morning, the same joint affected on both sides of the body, polyarthritis (more than one joint affected at a time), and pain that can last through the night. With this form of arthritis, most of my patients notice the pain eases the more they use the joint.
Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, feels worse the more we exercise and as the day wears on. Also linked to inflammation, this type of arthritis can be traced back to a breakdown in your joint cartilage. It generally affects the hips, knees, spine, hands and feet and develops as more of a wear-and-tear situation, whereas rheumatoid arthritis is closely tied with genetic factors that lead to an autoimmunity problem. It’s hard to tell if our overworked joints have progressed to arthritis, but new technology in thermal imaging will soon be able to show us how much inflammation is present in our joints.
Inflammatory causes of joint pain
Forms of arthritis associated with joint pain
Other causes of joint pain
Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as degenerative joint disease, or DJD
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Ankylosing spondylitis(AS)
Psoriatic arthritis
Injury
Muscle strain
Bursitis
Food allergies
Leaky gut
Menopause and perimenopause
Lyme disease
Sjögren’s syndrome
There are many other causes of joint pain outside of arthritis.
Joint pain can flare up for a number of reasons — some of which may be overlooked by conventional practitioners. Many of my patients, even younger women, ask me if their pain is being caused by arthritis. Sadly, it is estimated that one in five Americans has been diagnosed with some form or arthritis. There are over a hundred different arthritic conditions, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis being the most well known.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease causing inflammation in the synovial fluid of the joint. It sets itself apart from other forms of arthritis with some telltale features: a general appearance in the hands or feet, a hot or warm feeling in the joint, stiffness for over 30 minutes in the morning, the same joint affected on both sides of the body, polyarthritis (more than one joint affected at a time), and pain that can last through the night. With this form of arthritis, most of my patients notice the pain eases the more they use the joint.
Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, feels worse the more we exercise and as the day wears on. Also linked to inflammation, this type of arthritis can be traced back to a breakdown in your joint cartilage. It generally affects the hips, knees, spine, hands and feet and develops as more of a wear-and-tear situation, whereas rheumatoid arthritis is closely tied with genetic factors that lead to an autoimmunity problem. It’s hard to tell if our overworked joints have progressed to arthritis, but new technology in thermal imaging will soon be able to show us how much inflammation is present in our joints.
Inflammatory causes of joint pain
Forms of arthritis associated with joint pain
Other causes of joint pain
Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as degenerative joint disease, or DJD
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Ankylosing spondylitis(AS)
Psoriatic arthritis
Injury
Muscle strain
Bursitis
Food allergies
Leaky gut
Menopause and perimenopause
Lyme disease
Sjögren’s syndrome
There are many other causes of joint pain outside of arthritis.
Seven questions for women with joint pain or arthritis:
To get to the real root of a woman’s joint pain, I ask my patients a series of questions when they come to the clinic with this concern. And while I ask the usual what, when and where questions that relate directly to their symptoms, I am also interested in hidden, seemingly less related issues that may contribute to the pain, issues that may be emotional as well as physical irritants.
1. Is this pain relatively new?Think back over the past few months or years. If you’ve had a sports injury or trauma, such as an accident or a fall, your pain could be related to that. It’s not at all unusual for joint pain to develop and escalate after the date of the injury itself. Torn ligaments and tendons lack blood flow, so they can’t heal themselves and must be repaired surgically. Sprains can take a long time to repair themselves. With any kind of injury, it’s important to give your body the right nutritional support and enough time to heal.
2. Is the pain seasonal or related to changes in the weather?Complaints of joint pain increase during colder weather because your blood doesn’t circulate to your extremities as well in the colder months. And it doesn’t help that pain receptors are more sensitive in cold weather. A drop in barometric pressure, such as before a rain or snow storm, can also cause any inflamed tissues to expand and become more painful.
3. Can you associate the pain with any specific activity?For instance, does your neck or elbow hurt if you type for more than 30 minutes? Do your knees hurt only after a work-out? Does your hip give way only after a long drive? Overuse and misalignment are common causes of joint pain, whether from just a day of stress and strain or over a period of years. This kind of mechanical injury can inflame the bursae (causing bursitis), or the tendons (causing tendonitis), or eventually wear down the cartilage and cause osteoarthritis.
4. Is it the muscle or the joint?You may actually be experiencing pain in the muscles close to a joint and think that the joint is the problem. Muscle pain is generally associated with over-exercise or movement that has caused excess strain on the muscle, ligament or tendon. This kind of pain should resolve within two to three days of rest. You might also notice a point of tenderness or “trigger point” on the muscle in this case. Muscle pain may also respond positively to stretching or massage therapy.
5. Is your pain worse in the morning?It might be useful to start tracking your pain by using our Wellness Diary page: if your pain lasts for longer than a half hour in the morning and gets better during the day, there is a possibility that it could mean rheumatoid arthritis. Look closely at your sleeping habits and mattress. Changes here may be a simple solution. It’s also interesting how some women who eat (or drink) refined carbohydrates at night are also more likely to have fluid retention and morning pain, and how changing just this one habit can turn joint pain around — almost overnight.
6. What’s going on right now in your life?In my experience, joint pain is often reflective of some aspect of a woman’s “inner” life. In Eastern medical traditions, pain is a sign of energy blockage, and this can also mean emotional energy and life force. Pain in the knees may indicate an inability to move forward for fear of criticism or a lack of self-acceptance. Some women feel neck or back pain only while they’re at work or around certain people who make them feel tense or burdened. And while it may seem like a big leap to connect emotional stress with joint pain, we have all come to accept the idea that the body stores tension in the muscles, so it shouldn’t be difficult to accept the notion that your emotional life can impact your joints.
7. What is your family history?Some forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, are connected to genetic make-up, and if anyone in your family has had it, this places you at higher risk — but not the certainty — of developing it. Just as important are the emotional qualities of your childhood and upbringing. I strongly believe these emotional overtones can be carried forward on a subconscious level and manifest themselves in our bodies as pain or disease in adulthood that keeps us stuck in a certain pattern. Like a needle stuck in a groove, we keep playing the same scratchy refrain. Luckily, our bodies often know better than we do what they need to be healthy — and often it’s simply a matter of gaining the strength to pick the needle up and put it on another song.
What’s important for every woman to know is that whatever the cause of your joint pain, there are ways to increase your mobility and decrease — or even eliminate — your pain. And the best place to start in almost every case is to address issues of inflammation.
Joint pain and inflammation:
Most forms of joint pain involve some kind of inflammation — either local or systemic. When injured, a chain of events in your immune system known as the inflammatory cascade is triggered. In a careful balance of give and take, this process starts with pro-inflammatory hormones calling out for white blood cells to clean up damaged tissue and clear out infection. This is what causes the redness, swelling and pain we often see with injury.
Next, anti-inflammatory compounds take over to heal the area once the threat is diminished. When this process, known as local or acute inflammation, waxes and wanes in response to injury it’s a sign of a healthy immune system. Yet when the symptoms of inflammation don’t disappear, it tells us that your immune system is unable to turn itself off when it should.
Just as the flame of a burning fire can help or hurt, our body’s internal fire has the dual power to heal and to cause us pain. Think of inflammation like a burner on your gas stove; local injuries and infections cause our bodies to turn the flame up high in the area of the injury, while with systemic or chronic inflammation, our bodies keep the burner on simmer, even when we’re not suffering an injury. This slow burn has been associated with range of health conditions and degenerative diseases, including asthma, allergies, skin problems, insulin resistance, irritable bowel syndrome, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and yes, arthritis.
In terms of our joints, pain stemming from an injury or even short-term overuse can set off localized inflammation in the cartilage, tendons, or bursae. As the injury heals, players in your inflammatory cascade will perform their tasks and disappear. If the inflammation persists it can lead to a more chronic condition.
To get to the real root of a woman’s joint pain, I ask my patients a series of questions when they come to the clinic with this concern. And while I ask the usual what, when and where questions that relate directly to their symptoms, I am also interested in hidden, seemingly less related issues that may contribute to the pain, issues that may be emotional as well as physical irritants.
1. Is this pain relatively new?Think back over the past few months or years. If you’ve had a sports injury or trauma, such as an accident or a fall, your pain could be related to that. It’s not at all unusual for joint pain to develop and escalate after the date of the injury itself. Torn ligaments and tendons lack blood flow, so they can’t heal themselves and must be repaired surgically. Sprains can take a long time to repair themselves. With any kind of injury, it’s important to give your body the right nutritional support and enough time to heal.
2. Is the pain seasonal or related to changes in the weather?Complaints of joint pain increase during colder weather because your blood doesn’t circulate to your extremities as well in the colder months. And it doesn’t help that pain receptors are more sensitive in cold weather. A drop in barometric pressure, such as before a rain or snow storm, can also cause any inflamed tissues to expand and become more painful.
3. Can you associate the pain with any specific activity?For instance, does your neck or elbow hurt if you type for more than 30 minutes? Do your knees hurt only after a work-out? Does your hip give way only after a long drive? Overuse and misalignment are common causes of joint pain, whether from just a day of stress and strain or over a period of years. This kind of mechanical injury can inflame the bursae (causing bursitis), or the tendons (causing tendonitis), or eventually wear down the cartilage and cause osteoarthritis.
4. Is it the muscle or the joint?You may actually be experiencing pain in the muscles close to a joint and think that the joint is the problem. Muscle pain is generally associated with over-exercise or movement that has caused excess strain on the muscle, ligament or tendon. This kind of pain should resolve within two to three days of rest. You might also notice a point of tenderness or “trigger point” on the muscle in this case. Muscle pain may also respond positively to stretching or massage therapy.
5. Is your pain worse in the morning?It might be useful to start tracking your pain by using our Wellness Diary page: if your pain lasts for longer than a half hour in the morning and gets better during the day, there is a possibility that it could mean rheumatoid arthritis. Look closely at your sleeping habits and mattress. Changes here may be a simple solution. It’s also interesting how some women who eat (or drink) refined carbohydrates at night are also more likely to have fluid retention and morning pain, and how changing just this one habit can turn joint pain around — almost overnight.
6. What’s going on right now in your life?In my experience, joint pain is often reflective of some aspect of a woman’s “inner” life. In Eastern medical traditions, pain is a sign of energy blockage, and this can also mean emotional energy and life force. Pain in the knees may indicate an inability to move forward for fear of criticism or a lack of self-acceptance. Some women feel neck or back pain only while they’re at work or around certain people who make them feel tense or burdened. And while it may seem like a big leap to connect emotional stress with joint pain, we have all come to accept the idea that the body stores tension in the muscles, so it shouldn’t be difficult to accept the notion that your emotional life can impact your joints.
7. What is your family history?Some forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, are connected to genetic make-up, and if anyone in your family has had it, this places you at higher risk — but not the certainty — of developing it. Just as important are the emotional qualities of your childhood and upbringing. I strongly believe these emotional overtones can be carried forward on a subconscious level and manifest themselves in our bodies as pain or disease in adulthood that keeps us stuck in a certain pattern. Like a needle stuck in a groove, we keep playing the same scratchy refrain. Luckily, our bodies often know better than we do what they need to be healthy — and often it’s simply a matter of gaining the strength to pick the needle up and put it on another song.
What’s important for every woman to know is that whatever the cause of your joint pain, there are ways to increase your mobility and decrease — or even eliminate — your pain. And the best place to start in almost every case is to address issues of inflammation.
Joint pain and inflammation:
Most forms of joint pain involve some kind of inflammation — either local or systemic. When injured, a chain of events in your immune system known as the inflammatory cascade is triggered. In a careful balance of give and take, this process starts with pro-inflammatory hormones calling out for white blood cells to clean up damaged tissue and clear out infection. This is what causes the redness, swelling and pain we often see with injury.
Next, anti-inflammatory compounds take over to heal the area once the threat is diminished. When this process, known as local or acute inflammation, waxes and wanes in response to injury it’s a sign of a healthy immune system. Yet when the symptoms of inflammation don’t disappear, it tells us that your immune system is unable to turn itself off when it should.
Just as the flame of a burning fire can help or hurt, our body’s internal fire has the dual power to heal and to cause us pain. Think of inflammation like a burner on your gas stove; local injuries and infections cause our bodies to turn the flame up high in the area of the injury, while with systemic or chronic inflammation, our bodies keep the burner on simmer, even when we’re not suffering an injury. This slow burn has been associated with range of health conditions and degenerative diseases, including asthma, allergies, skin problems, insulin resistance, irritable bowel syndrome, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and yes, arthritis.
In terms of our joints, pain stemming from an injury or even short-term overuse can set off localized inflammation in the cartilage, tendons, or bursae. As the injury heals, players in your inflammatory cascade will perform their tasks and disappear. If the inflammation persists it can lead to a more chronic condition.
So, with this info I knew what I could and couldn't do. Ice and rest is pretty much my best bet for now! Then I thought.....Hmmmmm, what should I EAT for inflamed joints. I bet you never thought of that one! Well, because this is FoodnFeelings....I feel that I need to nourish my achy bod!
Here's what I found:
Vitamin C-which is abundant in strawberries, blueberries and raspberries-may help slow wear and tear on your joints. A study from Boston University Medical Center shows that arthritis sufferers who had the highest vitamin C intake were three times less likely to strain or injure their joints than those whose intake was lowest. The vitamin's antioxidant activity may keep free radicals from wreaking havoc. Plus, vitamin C plays an essential role in the formation of collagen, a key component of cartilage and bone. Try to get 120 milligrams daily, which can be provided by two oranges. Other C-rich foods: cantaloupe and broccoli.
A well-balanced diet can help you maintain bone strength and a healthy weight. Also, studies show that moderate amounts of certain vitamins and minerals can help ease some of the pain and discomfort associated with arthritis.
A well-balanced diet can help you maintain bone strength and a healthy weight. Also, studies show that moderate amounts of certain vitamins and minerals can help ease some of the pain and discomfort associated with arthritis.
• calcium Most women with arthritis, especially those over 45 and women taking glucocorticoids, need calcium supplements to help to prevent the loss of bone that leads to osteoporosis.
• B vitamins, Several B vitamins may help reduce joint inflammation and pain. Foods enriched in vitamin B-3 (niacin) include lean meats and fish, tofu, cottage cheese and sunflower seeds; vitamin B-5 (pantothenic acid) is found in meat, eggs, soybeans, wheat germ, whole grain cereals, lentils and peanuts contain; and vitamin B-6 is found in meat, fish, whole grains, wheat germ, whole wheat, bananas and soybeans.
• vitamin C, Some studies have suggested that vitamin C may reduce the risk and progression of osteoarthritis. Foods high in vitamin C include broccoli, red peppers, citrus fruits, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach and strawberries.
• vitamin D, Osteoporosis may progress faster in women with low levels of vitamin D, because the vitamin helps calcium to protect bones and joint s. Foods high in vitamin D include fortified dairy products and fish such as salmon, halibut, sea bass, tuna, cod and herring.• vitamin E This vitamin helps ease osteoarthritis pain and leg cramps. Foods high in vitamin E include almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower and safflower seeds, wheat germ and whole wheat flour, and various fruits and vegetables.
With this said....into the kitchen I went! I knew just what I needed to make for a HOT day and decided that I would make some yummy "ice cream." It said that I needed some vitamin C so why not right? Well this is just about as healthy as you get for ice cream. 100 cals and a whole cup! Yes, you heard me right. Just look!
Cantaloupe Ginger Sorbet (who am I kidding...It's Ice Cream!)
-1/2 chopped fresh cantaloupe (if you want to eat this right away you need to freeze the cantaloupe first so that you are using frozen fruit instead of ice.
-One cup Greek yogurt (you can use vanilla if y0u like too)
-2 packs of Stevia (or 1/4 cup agave)
-1 tablespoon of either picked ginger or fresh
-1/4 tablespoon of xantham gum and guar gum
Blend it all together and you can either eat it right then (good luck, it makes a TON) or you can have a little now and some later. Or do like me and just pick at it all day/night. Sorry but this is what happens when you are a single girl....I do admit. I am guilty of the spoon in the jar or worse, drinking out of my almond milk carton. Get over it. Ha!
I also wanted to post this recipe that I found from www.bostonfoodnwine.com
I think this one is better for the folks that don't have xantham gum or guar gum handy. I am just new to these two lovely products and now I cant seem to live without them. I do have to be careful though with the amount. If you give an inch with the stuff it takes a mile. Beware.
SUPER Simple Sorbet
Makes about 2 cups; takes about 10 minutes (with already frozen fruit).
1 pound frozen strawberries or other fruit (I used a Trader Joe’s mix of pineapple, mango and papaya)
1/2 c yogurt, creme fraiche or silken tofu (I used plain, fat free Greek Yogurt — next time I will use vanilla)
1/4 c sugar or other sweetener, but you could also use honey or agave nectar) and Water as needed (or almond milk or regular milk)
Put all the ingredients except the water into the food processor and process until pureed and creamy. Add water as needed to improve the consistency and stop occasionally to scrape down the sides. Be careful not to over-process the sorbet into liquid! Serve immediately or freeze. To serve later, just allow 10 to 15 minutes for the sorbet to soften at room temperature.
There are a million ways that you can make this "Sorbet" but I like the simple kind. I think that picking one or two fruits and then a herb is the best way to go. I am already dreaming of Watermelon basil, Strawberry Rosemary, Papaya Lavender and Green tea Mint! I mean the options are endless! I am going to make some Popsicles too! The great thing about this is I usually add fruit to my Greek yogurt and so buy doing it this way it is basically the same thing but made to believe it's ice cream. It is though! Mmmmmm, go make it now! You'll thank me later!
Ok guys and gals! I am going to get outta here for now but tomorrow I swear I will have a run down of some amazing creations. I got some veggies from Shelley's garden yesterday and OMG, amazing!
-Heather
