John Arts Abundant Living www.johnarts.co.nz

Arthritis is just a term for joint inflammation.

Any disease that includes the suffix ‘itis', including arthritis, confirms it is an inflammatory disease. Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterised by the loss and damage to joint cartilage – the tough connective tissue that protects the ends of bones. Over time cartilage erodes and this plus associated inflammation can damage the bone surfaces. In the past this was called ‘wear and tear' arthritis, as it was thought that it was caused by the gradual wearing down of cartilage much like the wearing down of the sole of a shoe.

There are many factors that increase the risk of OA, including being female, age, nutrition, genetics, injury, obesity, and joint deformities. We now know that OA is a specific disease process more likened to corrosion than erosion. It seems that the process, while influenced by trauma and genetics, is primarily a disease where free radicals damage joint cells called chondrocytes. These are the cells that maintain cartilage and when they die this leads to the erosion of cartilage. The immune system then attempts to repair the damage and this leads to joint inflammation. The result is the pain, swelling and lack of joint function that we know as OA.

The main medical approach is anti-inflammatory medication, which temporarily restricts the activity of joint tissue immune cells thus reducing inflammation and relieving pain and swelling. Nutritional therapy has a similar goal but uses naturally occurring compounds that can help repair cartilage while reducing inflammation. Natural anti-inflammatory compounds include fish oils, some botanical compounds from grape seeds, turmeric and ginger, and a long list of micro-nutrients including minerals. To this we can add compounds such as glucosamine sulphate, MSM and chondroitin sulphate. These compounds help to repair damaged cartilage.

The real trick is to combine these compounds at the right doses for the right time periods. For example, I have found that the glucosamine type products are less effective for smaller joints. The best natural approaches to OA involve an anti-inflammatory diet and a structured supplement programme that needs to be closely monitored. My preference is to have monthly monitoring for the first six months to maximise the benefits. Give me a call if you need more information. To join my weekly newsletter go to www.johnarts.co.nz and visit www.abundant.co.nz

John Arts is the founder of Abundant Health. To contact John phone (local) 578 9051 or 0800 423 559.