The practice of joint replacement is an amazing medical miracle for many with damaged and worn out joints, but is there a way to avoid having to go through these surgeries to have so many vital components replaced with synthetic parts?
Modern medicine has advanced light years, restoring mobility to thousands who otherwise would be incapacitated compared to their new freedom. I see many in my office who’ve had to have new knees and hips due to suffering both pain and an inability to enjoy life.
Unfortunately, when a joint has been damaged beyond repair, there’s often no alternative other than joint replacement surgery. My goal is to assist patients in living a long and fruitful life of freedom from joint deterioration.
In many of these cases, the supporting ligaments and tendons which maintain joint stability and alignment, have been damaged or destroyed. Because of this the muscles which ordinarily only move the joint have been recruited to attempt to maintain the stability of that joint.
This is commonly the case in conditions of degenerative joint disease of the back. Ordinarily, we see the structure of the spinal column held together by ligaments which span each segment. When these are damaged, the muscles have to contract to hold these segments together. Unfortunately, this squeezes the disc and dehydrates it. The more the surrounding tissues degenerate, the disc begins to bulge and press on the nerves exiting the spinal cord.
The more the surrounding connective tissue sheath degenerates, the bulging disc begins to press on nerves exiting the spinal cord, creating pain. If this continues long enough and there’s a trauma to the spine, the disc can rupture spilling it’s contents. Now there’s no protection against cartilage surfaces of the vertebra grinding one upon the other, eventually disintegrating the protective surfaces, resulting in more pain and limited function.
The joint surfaces are covered with a specialized tissue called Hyaline Cartilage. This cartilage is alive and constantly nourished and regenerated by the lubricating synovial fluid. Around every joint is a capsule which keeps this synovial fluid flowing around the joint, keeping it alive, growing, and healthy. If nutrients required to create synovial fluid are restricted, lubrication and regeneration of the joint gets shut down and the cartilage becomes fragile and easily damaged from normal activity.
When we consider nutritional requirements for healthy synovial fluid and hyaline cartilage, number one on the list is water. Dehydration is one of the greatest threats to your joint health. When we remain well hydrated and well nourished, our joints should last a lifetime without failing and requiring replacement.
Manganese is a mineral required in small amounts to strengthen the ligaments which maintain joint alignment and health. This mineral is also required for your pituitary to function properly. Besides these areas of function, it’s required to maintain many enzyme functions in the body. If we persist in using diuretics in our diet, both the fluids and the essential minerals may be lost.
Because of the living nature of your cartilage, an active lifestyle of heavy use is not damaging to these tissues. Often times I see those who’ve labored on concrete floors for their entire working career, and they’re still getting around without any difficulties, with completely healthy knees and backs. Then there are those who’ve not had the same kind of heavy activities yet are dealing with deteriorating joints. It’s all about getting the proper nutrients into the tissues.
Although weight issues create a greater burden on these tissues, we have to assume that if the person has nutritional imbalances creating stubborn weight loss, it would be understandable that nutrition required to maintain healthy cartilage, tendons, and ligaments is missing as well.
Since I’m so intent on making sure nutrition is optimal in my patients, my expectations for those who follow good dietary recommendations is that of being able to function at 100% throughout their entire life. Our cellular structure is such as to regenerate tissue to match our parent tissues. We only see degenerative changes when nutrition is withheld.
For those who might have unstable joints, proper nutrition to restore strength of the connective tissues is important in preventing degenerative changes and providing for the rebuilding of these tissues. Some of the nutritional supports I rely on for these cases are very easy to incorporate into a daily routine. The Ligaplex products nail this beautifully. Remember, Eat healthy and hydrate!
Modern medicine has advanced light years, restoring mobility to thousands who otherwise would be incapacitated compared to their new freedom. I see many in my office who’ve had to have new knees and hips due to suffering both pain and an inability to enjoy life.
Unfortunately, when a joint has been damaged beyond repair, there’s often no alternative other than joint replacement surgery. My goal is to assist patients in living a long and fruitful life of freedom from joint deterioration.
In many of these cases, the supporting ligaments and tendons which maintain joint stability and alignment, have been damaged or destroyed. Because of this the muscles which ordinarily only move the joint have been recruited to attempt to maintain the stability of that joint.
This is commonly the case in conditions of degenerative joint disease of the back. Ordinarily, we see the structure of the spinal column held together by ligaments which span each segment. When these are damaged, the muscles have to contract to hold these segments together. Unfortunately, this squeezes the disc and dehydrates it. The more the surrounding tissues degenerate, the disc begins to bulge and press on the nerves exiting the spinal cord.
The more the surrounding connective tissue sheath degenerates, the bulging disc begins to press on nerves exiting the spinal cord, creating pain. If this continues long enough and there’s a trauma to the spine, the disc can rupture spilling it’s contents. Now there’s no protection against cartilage surfaces of the vertebra grinding one upon the other, eventually disintegrating the protective surfaces, resulting in more pain and limited function.
The joint surfaces are covered with a specialized tissue called Hyaline Cartilage. This cartilage is alive and constantly nourished and regenerated by the lubricating synovial fluid. Around every joint is a capsule which keeps this synovial fluid flowing around the joint, keeping it alive, growing, and healthy. If nutrients required to create synovial fluid are restricted, lubrication and regeneration of the joint gets shut down and the cartilage becomes fragile and easily damaged from normal activity.
When we consider nutritional requirements for healthy synovial fluid and hyaline cartilage, number one on the list is water. Dehydration is one of the greatest threats to your joint health. When we remain well hydrated and well nourished, our joints should last a lifetime without failing and requiring replacement.
Manganese is a mineral required in small amounts to strengthen the ligaments which maintain joint alignment and health. This mineral is also required for your pituitary to function properly. Besides these areas of function, it’s required to maintain many enzyme functions in the body. If we persist in using diuretics in our diet, both the fluids and the essential minerals may be lost.
Because of the living nature of your cartilage, an active lifestyle of heavy use is not damaging to these tissues. Often times I see those who’ve labored on concrete floors for their entire working career, and they’re still getting around without any difficulties, with completely healthy knees and backs. Then there are those who’ve not had the same kind of heavy activities yet are dealing with deteriorating joints. It’s all about getting the proper nutrients into the tissues.
Although weight issues create a greater burden on these tissues, we have to assume that if the person has nutritional imbalances creating stubborn weight loss, it would be understandable that nutrition required to maintain healthy cartilage, tendons, and ligaments is missing as well.
Since I’m so intent on making sure nutrition is optimal in my patients, my expectations for those who follow good dietary recommendations is that of being able to function at 100% throughout their entire life. Our cellular structure is such as to regenerate tissue to match our parent tissues. We only see degenerative changes when nutrition is withheld.
For those who might have unstable joints, proper nutrition to restore strength of the connective tissues is important in preventing degenerative changes and providing for the rebuilding of these tissues. Some of the nutritional supports I rely on for these cases are very easy to incorporate into a daily routine. The Ligaplex products nail this beautifully. Remember, Eat healthy and hydrate!
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