Olympic answer to joint pain
LAST year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games showed us just how far you can push the human body at its peak.
Now Olympic physiotherapists and Premier League football coaches are recommending turmeric as the best way to keep joints in lifelong working order.
A turmeric supplement is being used to reduce the risk of inflammation caused by intensive training and for treating damaged joints without exposing athletes to the problems caused by over-the-counter painkillers.
It has already been used by soccer stars from FC Barcelona and Athletico Bilbao, and is being tried out at Barcelona’s Olympic Training Centre as well as in other centres in Britain and France.
‘We are always looking for something that’s better than paracetamol or aspirin, which don’t work very well and cause side-effects,’ says Francek Drobnic, head of research at the Barcelona centre. The powerful effect of the plant extract on joint health has also been welcomed by doctors, who are concerned about the effects of long-term painkiller use.
The rise of turmeric came about because many scientists noticed that populations with high intakes of turmeric as a curry spice have lower rates of arthritis and joint damage.
The key element of turmeric, called curcumin, comes from the underground stems of the turmeric plant. Scientific studies found that turmeric works by interrupting mechanisms involved in joint inflammation and arthritis.
These are also being targeted by pharmaceutical companies working to produce their own drugs likely to do the same thing as turmeric.
Until now it has been difficult to boost the body’s absorption of natural turmeric sufficiently for it to have a really rapid effect on aches and pains.
That has all changed with the launch of a formulation, supported by Cambridge scientists, that combines turmeric with soy lethicin. This combination, which now has 22 published clinical research papers to confirm its effect, is 30 times more ‘bioavailable,’ or better absorbed, than natural turmeric alone.
Longer-term studies are expected to show that the turmeric formulation is the most effective treatment for joint health currently available. YOU ARE likely to know that arthritis is a disease endured by about ten million people in the UK, causing inflammation and pain in the joints. But did you know that these symptoms can often be relieved through the use of a rise-and-recline chair? Rise-and-recline chairs offer positional relief to the joints and greatly simplify movements that cause pain, such as rising from and sitting down in a chair. By rising and tilting forward gently, a rise and recline chair can help you to sit and stand more easily. Many modern chairs of this kind can be built with massage and heat packages that help reduce joint pain. And chairs with a high leg lift take your feet six inches above the level of your hips, providing relief to the joints and improving the circulation. Swelling can be reduced in the ankle and foot joints, as well as in joints in the back, neck, hips and knees. Buying a chair is simple and can be done in your own home from specialist companies which will accommodate all your requirements. You can even try a chair in your home, to find the perfect fit.
AN ELECTRIC adjustable bed can also relieve painful joints, as it will help you to sleep in the most comfortable position, leaving you more revitalised and refreshed in the morning. If you have swollen legs or poor circulation, being able to raise your feet might result in less swelling, which will enable them to function better. If you have breathing problems or back ache, just raising your upper body at a slight angle might allow you to get a more comfortable night’s sleep.