Overcoming immobility

> Women tend to develop joint pains and arthritis as they age, but there is a natural substance that can help relieve the pain and improve movement

ALTHOUGH Mia at 58 looks good for her age, she walks like she is 99 years old. This is all because of arthritis in her knees, which started to flare up three years ago.

Mia has tried various ways to try and deal with her degenerating joints, including applying various ointments, taking various supplements and hyaluronic injections, wearing knee guards, as well as undergoing acupuncture, physiotherapy and massages.

Mia’s son has also brought her to a few doctors and one even suggested knee replacement surgery.

Now feeling down about the pain and her immobility, Mia wonders if she has exhausted all options.

Our joints naturally undergo a process of degeneration as we age. However, when the joints degenerate too fast, this is a sign of a disorder commonly known as arthritis.

But why are there so many in their 60s and 70s who are still mobile and active, while some 50year-olds are already having aches, pains and joint stiffness in their knees and fingers? There must be an internal ‘root’ cause that controls why certain people develop arthritis while others do not.

Scientists have now discovered that age and genetics are not all that matters when it comes to developing joint problems. The risk of developing joint problems increases if the person is female, has sustained a previous joint injury, has done contact sport or simply used her joints for heavy loads over a long period of time.

Research has shown that when we use our joints over a long period of time, the joints will release certain enzymes to break down and fix any damages incurred. These enzymes are known as Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMP enzymes).

MMP enzymes normally exist in our joints in a balanced state. However, with the continual use of our joints, these enzymes are produced all the time and eventually are unable to ‘switch off’, causing the joints to break down faster than they can be rebuilt.

In particular, enzymes MMP-1 and MMP-13, which are produced in the cartilage, have been implicated to degrade joint structures leading to damage, pain, swelling and chronic inflammation.

MMP-13 has been identified as the predominant damaging MMP enzyme released in the early development of osteoarthritis (OA).

With recent advancements in biotechnology, however, scientists have now uncovered a natural substance that is active against MMP-enzymes.

Biolane, the New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel extract, has been found to be an effective MMP enzyme inhibitor with a particular ability to inhibit the primary baddies like MMP-1 and MMP-13.

The discovery of a natural and safe MMP-13 inhibitor now presents a valuable opportunity to potentially inhibit the development of OA to its inflammatory stages.

Besides its anti-MMP actions, Biolane also has antiinflammatory, antioxidant and marine mineral healing actions, making it a multi-tasking solution to address the various pathologies indicated in joint problems.

Successfully formulated into a capsule dosage form, Biolane is now making it possible to restore troubled joints of the knees, shoulders, neck, back and fingers, giving the joints a newfound capability to revert to normal functionality.

Although there are various New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel supplements in the market, consumers need to look for the Biolane logo to ensure they are getting the full benefits of 40 years of research history.

Mia was at a pharmacy to get some pain relief medication when she overheard another customer talking about Biolane and how it had helped her.

She went online and found that this New Zealand product has been in the market for more than 40 years.

Mia decided to give Biolane a try and three months later, she was surprised that she could walk downstairs without the usual tightness that had hampered her flexibility for so long.

Five months later and now on a maintenance dose of two capsules of Biolane, Mia is still mobile and had gotten back to her old routine of a morning walk with friends.

That feeling of freedom, describes Mia, is simply priceless.