Clinical Evidence Supporting Pycnogenol for Arthritis and Knee Pain

See the Fox News report in which Distinguished Professor Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld reports on the benefits of Pycnogenol for ostheoarthritis, knee pain, cognitive impairment, and menopausal symptoms.

I had never heard of Pycnogenol (pine bark extract) until someone put a bottle of Isotonix OPC-3 in my hand five years ago and said it might help with my joint and muscle pain. “Pine bark?” I asked. “Really?” At the time, I was not particularly interested in evidence or studies. I had all the classic symptoms of fibromyalgia, and I just wanted out of pain. But I was unwilling to take NSAIDS like Tylenol or Ibuprofrin on a daily basis because of the potential organ damage. (Do a Google search on  ”NSAIDS and renal failure” for more info. You’ll find articles like this one from the New England Journal of Medicine.) The fact that there was a bioflavanoid rich natural antioxidant that had no side effects and had the potential to reduce pain as effectively as a pharmaceutical pain killer was all that interested me at the time. What was even more interesting was that it actually worked. Over a course of weeks and months, the pain and inflammation I had been living with daily ebbed away.

Then finally I became interested in the science of it, and the fact that there was abundant clinical evidence supporting Pycnogenol as a nutritional intervention for a range of health challenges, including arthritis, blood sugar problems, endometriosis, and high blood pressure. (The Research Library on Pycnogenol.com is a great resource.) A whole new world opened up to me. Yes, Virginia, there is clinical evidence supporting the use of natural remedies and nutritional interventions. Though I had never once in my life consciously felt a physical difference from taking any sort of vitamin, I was officially and very suddenly hooked on high-quality, clinically-researched supplements.

The difference, really, comes down to efficacy and bioavailability. There are tons of supplements out there, but the quality of supplements varies widely. Many have added fillers, binders, and weird stuff like talc and hydrogenated oils that any health conscious person would not consume. And the bioavailability of most supplements– in other words, how easily they can be assimilated by the body– is often negligible. No wonder I had never felt any difference from taking supplements, and had never been compliant with any recommended supplement regimen. I hated taking the pills, couldn’t ever remember which ones to take at what time, and never felt anything when I did take them.

For nutrient absorption, energy, and authentic health benefits, the way nutrients are delivered to the body truly makes a difference. In an isotonic form, nutrients are perceived by the body as the same as its body fluids, and are very rapidly and almost completely absorbed. Once I understood this, I added more isotonic supplements to my regimen that I could mix in with my OPC-3, including a multi-vitamin, calcium, and additional anti-oxidants, plus an isotonic B-complex and vitamin D taken separately with food. It has made a huge difference in my health and energy, and it’s amazing not to feel that aging and decline are my defining life experience.

If this post inspires you, please send the link along to someone you know who suffers from chronic pain, fibromyalgia, or arthritis.

To your health,

Jayna

[Via http://jayna.wordpress.com]

Fibromyalgia: a.k.a The princess and the pea syndrome

Well, at least for me anyway. There hasn’t been a chair created yet that I can comfortably sit on. The sofa is no better even with a memory foam mattress pad on it. I can feel every bump and wrinkle no matter how far down it is. I’ve nick-named fibromyalgia, the “princess and the pea” syndrome for that reason. I have to switch positions often even when on the sofa. It’s a nightmare to sit for any length of time whether it be at the doctor’s officer or worship or at someone’s house. The only “comfortable” chair seems to be a wheelchair. I’ve started using that when I go to the doctor.

Sleeping brings the same problems too. I own several pillows and some of them are going to be tossed out soon because they’ve become too lumpy. You would think that we, in this day and age, would be able to come up with a pillow and chair that would be comfortable enough for anyone to sit on.

[Via http://ladybug45.wordpress.com]

Pain and Life as a Chronic Pain Sufferer

Hello readers,

I wasn’t going to blog today, and haven’t for the last few days because my pain levels have been extremely high. I read Graceful Agony’s blog pretty much every day, and she inspired me to blog today.

I would say that today is an 8 on the 1 to 10 pain scale. After a disagreement with a dear friend for the past few days, stress played a part in this, and now I seem to have yet another sinus infection which has my head aching in just a lovely way.

I don’t know about you all, but over the years of living with chronic pain, I have had to work really hard on NOT talking about my pain. I have found that after a rather short period of time, the general population tunes you out if you keep talking about what you have to deal with on a daily basis. They also look at you as if you are whining, or a complainer, hypochondriac, or attention seeker. I have learned to just keep quiet about my pain and keep pushing forward. Jolene is slowly showing me that there are people out there that actually get it. Other people who are suffering the same way I am, and people who actually have a heart for and understand the pain we live in.

I’m not really sure how I feel about this. Part of me is happy to know that I’m not alone, part of me is sad that others suffer like I do, and another part of me is jealous of those who actually have people in their direct lives that “get it”. I don’t…well, yes, I have one friend who “gets it”, and that’s because she herself suffers with daily health struggles.

For me, refusing to give in until the pain is so bad that it reduces me to a dark, quiet room with an ice pack, is just a way of life. There is never a day that I don’t hurt somewhere, and more often than not it’s more than one thing that hurts. I have never ending pain in my right hip that flares sometimes to the point of making it impossible to find a comfortable position. Sitting, standing, laying down, all of them hurt. My head almost always aches to a certain degree. Today, on my 1 to 10 pain scale (which, mind you is quite different than the ones you see in the dr’s office with a smiley face on one end and a crying face on the other), my head is at about a 4. My pain scale might look something like this if I could create one:



So, if you notice, there never really is a smiley face, and 10 is in rigor mortis, you might begin to understand the difference between a “normal” person’s pain scale and a chronic sufferer’s scale.

I think the thing that bothers me the most is that they refer to chronic pain sufferers…particularly those with Fibromyalgia…as being HYPER sensative to pain. Really? Well, I think that if a normal person felt like Mr. Froggy #2 they would debate about whether to go to work or school or whatever that day, and if they felt like Mr. Froggy #10 they would be hospitalized. Funny how we HYPER sensative folks function at Mr. Froggy #3 or #4’s level on a daily basis, and Mr Froggy #1 is a GOOD day to us.

Ok, well I’ve had enough fun with frogs today. Just wanted to post something in response to Jolene’s blog this morning. I look forward to seeing those of you that do get this in the upcoming chat room! And for those of you that don’t get this…consider yourself flies.

[Via http://joyfulferrets.wordpress.com]

Herb of the Day: Bugleweed

Bugleweed (Lycopus virgincus)

Parts used:The Aerial Parts (flowers and leaves)

Bugleweed was most commonly used for painful areas of the body. It also helps release mucus and taken as a tea aids with congestion and coughs. It has also been known to increase appetite, and in the 20th century, it was discovered that Bugleweed helps the thyroid. By helping, it reduces the activity of the thyroid. Its action resembles that of digitalis, lowers the pulse and lessens its frequency.

Bugleweed is a mild narcotic.

Vitamin Content:

phenolic acid

caffeic acid

ellagic acid

Aids with

Bleeding, coughs, colds, diabetes, diarrhea, excess menstruation, fevers, fibromyalgia, nerves, nervous indigestion, nosebleeds, overactive thyroid, pain, pulmonary hemorrhages, sores, tuberculosis, ulcers

[Via http://lighthouseherbs.wordpress.com]

SACRED SPACE FOR A HEALING ENVIRONMENT

When I read a book, I tend to gravitate toward sitting in a black reclining leather chair that has an ottoman where I rest my feet.  I also often take a soft olive green throw blanket and wrap it around me.  However,  I don’t really view this as my special sacred space that some authors tell us to create.  They encourage their readers to find even just a small corner in a room and fill it with inspirational books, candles, special mementoes, a comfortable blanket, meaningful pictures, thereby creating a sanctuary where you can experience serenity, healing and comfort.  After reading another Caldecott Winner, Prayers For A Child, I began wondering whether creating sacred space has something to do with creating a healing environment.

As a Christian, I ask God to bless our food at the beginning of each meal.  And of course, I am also familiar with the story of Jesus at Passover blessing the bread and wine before giving it to his disciples and thereby giving them new meaning as they became symbolic of his body and his blood.  But when I noticed that in the book Prayer For A Child, the author included eleven blessings of which seven of these were blessings for inanimate objects, I began wondering what we are really asking of God.   Certainly, when we say, “Bless the hands that never tire/ In their loving care of me” we are asking God to confer His divine favor upon that person.  But that is obviously not the case when we say, “Bless this milk and bless this bread.”  Rather, we are asking God to consecrate these food staples.  Somehow we want our ordinary breakfast of bread and milk to assume something sacred as we want it to be set apart for the service of God.

Years ago, I remember reading a book called   The Sacred and The Profane, and the author discussed what constitutes sacred and how there is more secular, profane aspects in our lives than the sacred.  This little prayer is not only asking God to bless her family and friends, but this prayer is asking God to bless everything this young child comes into contact with.  Therefore, her bed is being blessed, as well as her little painted chair, the lamplight, her toys and her bed.  Recently, I read a lovely argument that when God had placed Adam and Eve in the garden, their purpose was to expand their “sacred space” so that the garden should have gotten larger and larger.  I believe this author, Rachel Field , would have concurred with this lovely thought as she too was expanding this child’s sacred space as she asked for God’s blessing on people and on all these inanimate objects.

This book has led me to ask how much of my home do I view as sacred space? I have certainly mumbled and grumbled enough this winter about how I am tired of spending so many hours in this house.  That certainly doesn’t suggest that I am occupying sacred space!  I have particularly moaned as I have slowly walked upstairs in pain and in fatigue.  It has never crossed my mind to ask God to bless the stairs!  And of course, I have often viewed my bed quite negatively when I am tossing and turning trying to find a comfortable position, often drenched with sweat when my thermal regulator has turned me into a hot furnace.  I have not been saying with this author, “Bless this soft and waiting bed/ Where I presently shall be/ Wrapped in sweet security”!  Interestingly, these past few nights I have been doing exactly that:  asking God to bless my bed, my blankets, my bedroom and it is beginning to impact my perception that God is truly present and that I am occupying sacred space.   I really like the idea of extending my sacred borders in my home and squeezing out the profane as I  bless not just  my loved ones but as I bless all of my rooms and its contents.  It is thrilling to imagine how much more healing, comfort and serenity I can experience when more and more of the space I occupy is blessed by God and thereby becomes sacred.

[Via http://gaylejervis.wordpress.com]

Blessed With An Ordinary (?) Day!

Hallelujah!!!  The thrill of an absolutely “normal,” uncomplicated day.  Abnormal,  for those of us who suffer from any chronic  illness.  The sun was shining and my aches and pain were minimal; I felt great and full of energy. It is a wonder to be me today. I happily went grocery shopping, bought exotic pluots (plums/apricots) ran into an old friend, so nice to see a familiar face,  chatted and hugged!  Drove to the Thrift Shop to see if  I could find cheap toys for my dog’s upcoming 9th birthday and also bought a soft-as-a-bunny mens 3x Tee-shirt to wear to bed.  Took my daughter, to the new friendly TD bank where we deposited all our coins into their new coin machine with great glee, and met the new Manager who smiled at us both and cheered us on. Scored a free  lime lollipop and a bright green pen. We left giddy with cash, smiling and laughing,  just the two of us.

When we came home from the bank we ate dinner.  Two tasteless macaroni and cheese (in my opinion ONLY) Weight Watcher meals and a huge salad, to which I added, red grapes, soft, silky avocado, bits of hard Jarlsberg cheese and baby carrots. My daughter had ranch dressing, I had bright orange Asian Sesame Ginger which came pouring out of the bottle at an alarming rate creating a huge orange puddle. Listened to Kansas on my computer “Carry On My Wayward Son”and emailed with a friend. Stroked my dog Callie’s soft fur, found out someone in our neighborhood was caught in a prostitution ring! So much happening in just one day, all my senses heightened, the sun, glowing brightly in the sky; or maybe it was just me?

A great day with a minimum of aches and pains, mostly my stiff shoulders and the small of my back but I can deal with that. Tested positive to the Thyroiditis Hashimoto’s antibody which I knew I had but somehow I felt reaffirmed. My mother e-mailed me the name of a chiropractor/homeopath person, forgetting that all these things require money we do not have. We have money issues to begin with but she meant well. You are your parent’s child forever.   The guru Dr. I see in the city is madly expensive but I have to see him every 3 months, there is no choice, we have to find the money for that!

After dinner, Jillian baked a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting for her friend, Katie’s, birthday. I helped her with it and while I do not know that much about baking cakes I am good with functional and basic things, like getting the cake out of the pan. Showed Jillian my way of frosting the cake, with swirls, and it actually made her  seem in awe of me: “Wow, Mom you could be a professional baker.”   I felt like the Betty Crocker of the 21 st. century while my daughter looked on with great admiration. She’s 15 and a half, that was a rare and wonderful moment!

Do not overlook your “ordinary” days. Those of us who have few of them are delighted when it happens because it happens so rarely.  Enjoy shopping, going to the Post Office, driving to the library, all because you can and don’t complain. When these days occur to those of us with chronic illnesses, we do not complain; we celebrate. Here’s to Ordinary Days!

[Via http://hibernationnow.wordpress.com]

Needing My Own Piece Of The Moon

I am so very tired.  I experience lots of dizziness, lightheadedness, heart palpitations, chest pains, and cold chills.  I was convinced that I was anemic which I thought was probable since I have been bleeding for the past four months.  However, I saw the doctor today and for once my results of tests look normal!

I just wanted an easy solution – give me iron pills or give me blood transfusions and make me feel better.  But my doctor believes these  symptoms are a result of sleep deprivation, toxic chemicals and not being able to isolate one more trigger that is also contributing to these reactions!  In the meantime he is urging me to sleep whenever I feel like I can sleep – which would be all day and all night!    However, he reminds me that our bodies heal best when it is resting and I need to strengthen my body before I have this surgery

I left his office discouraged.  I have so many more symptoms that I haven’t listed and I had really hoped that the ones I mentioned could at least be lessened.   I sit here typing hoping that writing down my thoughts will be therapeutic.  I can’t help but think of James Thurber’s book Many Moons that I read last night as I continue my goal of reading the Caldecott Meals Winners.  The king’s daughter is dying and the king asks her what he can do for her. Her answer reminds me  that perhaps I have been putting too much hope in my doctor’s knowledge and his treatment protocols and my ultimate recovery may take something more.  I appreciated the  daughter’s response to her father when he asked what he could do for her.  She replied, “I want the moon.  If I can have the moon, I will be well again.” The king must have respected her intuition since he proceeded to call together his physician, his wizard and his mathematician and told them to get the moon for his daughter!  However, all these “specialists” told the king this was completely impossible.  They remind him of all that they have already provided but this one request is not possible.  Those are my doctors these past thirteen years.  They have tried everything: sent me on countless tests, have given me supplements, prescription drugs, diets, they have instructed me on how to detoxify my home and have increased my understanding of multiple chemical sensitivities.  Yes, these doctors especially my current one, could list their accomplishments.    But I am still very ill.

Sometimes I wonder if the doctors hear my list of symptoms but latch only onto one or two of them and try to solve them rather than seeing the big picture.  Other times I wonder if the doctors know how to actively listen and whether they ask me enough questions. Or perhaps the doctors limit themselves since they only see my symptoms through the lenses of their specializations.   I thought of this when in this children’s story, none of the “specialists” thought to ask questions of the little girl.  When I share my symptoms, does the doctor have a preconceived notion of what the words mean that I am using to convey what is happening to me?  Only the Court Jester thought to ask the little girl what she meant by needing to have the moon. She told him, “It is just a little smaller than my thumbnail, for when I hold my thumbnail up at the moon, it just covers it.”    That was quite a bit different than how the court’s specialists perceived the moon and their perception prevented them from giving this girl what she needed.

After the Court Jester created a small bronze marble- like moon that she could wear on a chain around her neck, she was healed.  I like to think that this little girl understood intuitively that her illness needed not just what doctors could give.  She needed a miracle.  Perhaps, she thought, if you can find a way to give me the moon, I know what was once impossible – my healing – will become possible.”   But she also perceived the moon – her miracle – to be in her grasp.  Is it a little like me as a Christian who believes that I serve a God who can do the impossible and His intervention is possible since I believe He dwells within me?  Dear God, today I really need a piece of the moon.

[Via http://gaylejervis.wordpress.com]