Do you suffer from arthritis? Do you have problems with your feet? And do you live in Orange County, California? If so, then you will find the following health information helpful for the treatment, wellness care, and prevention of arthritis flare ups.
There is quite a bit of online information today on arthritis. What I’ve done is aggregate an array of specific information from some popular sites on arthritis, osteoarthritis, and problems with your feet. I’ve copied & pasted some of this content, and identify the web pages and links where the additional information can be found.
Now I am a fan of preventive and wellness health information, including, apps and mHealth applications. As I live in Orange County, some of this health information, particulalrly the drumming, exercise, and massage therapy, is specific to Orange County, California. The rest is general treatment information. I have found DrWeil.com to be a great site for wellness & prevention. So, it appears at the top of my blog.
I am also a neuroscientist and drum circle facilitator, and offer drumming or “drum circles” for wellness, movement disorders, and wellness care for prevention of arthritis. And I’ve included my information on drumming for arthritis. In 2011 and 2012, I also provided drumming at the Orange County Arthritis Walk at the University of California at Irvine (UCI).
http://www.DrWeil.com – Osteoarthritis
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART00662/osteoarthritis-treatment.html
(The following content is from Dr.Weil.com site.)
Suggested Lifestyle Changes
• Lose weight if you are overweight; it can alleviate excess mechanical stress on the affected joint(s).
• Avoid intense activities that injure or strain the joint cartilage.
• Exercise. This can actually be beneficial as long as it is performed at a level that does not stress the affected joint(s). Strengthening surrounding muscles will support and protect the joint, and physical activity helps improve and maintain joint mobility and aids weight-reduction efforts. The safest activities are swimming, stationary cycling and light weight training – which put little stress on the joints.
Nutrition & Supplements
Dietary changes may help alleviate or reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis. Research has shown that foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids and the spices ginger and turmeric may help reduce inflammation. Foods rich in antioxidants – plentifully found in most vegetables and fruit – may help reduce tissue damage from inflammation.
• Eat oily fish such as salmon, or try another source of omega-3 fatty acids such as walnuts or freshly ground flax seed daily.
• Regularly use ginger and turmeric. Ginger tea is a good example.
• Eat generous amounts of organically grown vegetables and fruit every day.
The following are nutrients, botanicals and other compounds that Dr. Weil often recommends for joint health:
• Glucosamine sulfate. Glucosamine sulfate provides the joints with the building blocks they need to help repair the natural wear on cartilage caused by everyday activities. Specifically, glucosamine sulfate provides the raw material needed by the body to manufacture a mucopolysaccharide (called glycosaminoglycan) found in cartilage. Supplemental sources are derived from shellfish. Taken in supplement form, glucosamine may help improve the maintenance of healthy cartilage with an enhanced deposition of glycosaminoglycan.
• Chondroitin. Chondroitin protects the cartilage and attracts fluids that give the tissue its shock absorbing quality.
• Evening primrose oil. A source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) which may help maintain healthy joints by modifying inflammation.
• Herbs and spices. Ginger, holy basil, turmeric, green tea, rosemary, scutlellaria and huzhang all have naturally occurring anti-inflammatory compounds known as COX-2 inhibitors.
• Omega-3 fatty acids. Containing primarily EPA and DHA, which have been shown in studies to help maintain bone health and flexibility.
Arthritis Foundation
Overview and traditional information on arthritis.
Foot.com – Your Foot Health Network
Arthritis Definition
Arthritis is a disease characterized by the inflammation of the cartilage and lining of the body’s joints. Inflammation causes redness, warmth, pain and swelling. There are about 40 million Americans who suffer from arthritis. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, estimates that by the year 2020, about 60 million Americans will have arthritis. The primary targets for arthritis are people over the age of 50. Arthritis is a major cause of foot pain because each foot has 33 joints that can become affected by the disease.
SEE web site below for more information:
http://www.foot.com/site/foot-conditions/arthritis
Drumming & Drum Circle Workshops for the Care of Arthritis (my company’s services)
Using the body’s sensory & proprioceptive system, I guide participants in drumming, or drum circles, for physical movement and coordination. This helps in persons with arthritis, movement disorders, brain injury, and to offset the effects of aging. The instruments are used to cue or initiative movement. Your body does the rest. These methods require less brain voluntary thought and cognition, and more your own movement and rhythmic memory.
http://www.dollecommunications.com/Drumming-for-Wellness.htm
As we age, or after onset of arthritis or movement disorders, precise voluntary control of actions like walking often becomes compromised. Drumming can be done in one’s home and also in group settings. Participants are taught to initiate action on cue of a rhythm. I usually begin with simple recognizable rhythms participants can easily play, and give movement cues on either the upbeat or downbeat. Cues can also be carried out by tapping of the hands, fingers, feet, and other body parts, which can also be applied to body turns, steps, and bending to pick things up. This is helpful in arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), post stroke, and most movement disorders.
I teach rhythmic patterns to help with stepping and turning you would normally do in the home and in everyday activities, and utilize tapping on the thighs and hips to correspond with turning, stepping, and bending to pick things up. This method engages the less voluntary actions of the cerebellum to cue the legs and feet with less of a physical challenge. Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), post TBI, or stroke who have a lot of difficulty standing and initiating walking, can use this rhythm and cue method to better their mobility. Those with autism require more hands-on instruction and specific rhythms.
Drum and rhythm training helps individuals better use their body as an extension of their brain’s cognitive function. By relieving some of the load on the brain, you effectively become smarter. My drumming methods also teach participants to conceptualize rhythm & movement, and carry out progressions with the body. This is critical in sports play and movement. It awakens the “primal brain.” Along with the body’s sense of time and space, our brains track precise rhythmic patterns and communicate these signals to our limbs to walk, talk, and perform specific actions. You move with significantly less dependence on voluntary thought after undergoing my rhythmic training. You’ve heard stories of people who stuttered, yet could sing beautifully. Or could dance, but could barely walk. The secret is in body’s ability to connect with rhythm.
A myriad of physical therapy and balance training methods are used to help with movement, strengthen the body, and strengthen the brain’s role in movement. Below, I’ve authored an extensive blog on the science and mindfulness of basketball.
In basketball, athletes work tirelessly on hand, eye, and footwork syncopation to pass & shoot with pin-point accuracy. Rhythmic training helps participants of all levels. See what it can do for you!
Top 10 Exercises for women with rheumatoid arthritis
Exercise is important for women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) because the right exercises can help relieve joint pain and build muscle strength. There are three main groups of exercises women with RA should incorporate into their regular fitness routine: stretching, strength training and cardio. Here are 10 exercises that every woman with RA should be doing on a regular basis. Read more on their site below.
Exercise, Massage, and Complimentary Medicine (CAM)
Northwest Community HealthCare
Suggestions from their Reflections Spa
Signature Massage: Provides blood and oxygen circulation to the joints improving inflammation, using essential oils to penetrate the dermal layers to relieve stiffness and pain.
Thai Massage: Providing the same benefits as a Signature Massage by using modalities of stretch and acupuncture points.
Thai Herbal Bag Massage: Using heat, oil and medicinal herbs to penetrate deep into the joints to reduce inflammation.
Reflexology Massage: The ancient Chinese practice of reflexology is a therapy focusing on the feet, and is a popular modern holistic therapy to relieve pain and stress. Reflexology massage therapists believe that different areas on your feet and hands correspond to other parts of your body, and massaging them stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system to heal itself.
Hot Stone Massage: Heated stones are the vehicle to allow the penetration of oils and heat into the entire body.
Hand & Foot Paraffin Treatment: We use paraffin oils and heated mitts for the hands and/or feet to reduce inflammation and stiffness.
Aquatics
Exercising in warm water has many benefits. The warm temperature (92°) of our therapy pool increases blood flow to muscles, which helps the muscles relax. As your muscles relax, you will be able to exercise more comfortably. The buoyancy (what causes you to float) helps support the arms as you slowly move them through the water in an almost effortless fashion. Buoyancy also greatly decreases the amount of body weight placed on the back, hips, knees and feet. When you stand in waist-deep water, only 50% of your body weight is put on the lower part of your body; in neck-deep water, only 10%. Walking and leg exercises may be done with little or no weight on the painful joints of your lower body.
Aqua Flex -A warm water class designed to improve joint range-of-motion, flexibility and balance. Stretching with gentle movement, proper joint and muscle group alignment and overall well-being will be the focus.
Aqua Arthritis-Following the guidelines of the Arthritis Foundation of America, Aqua Arthritis instruction emphasizes exercising at your own pace. This warm water class is designed to allow for range-of-motion, endurance and flexibility exercises. All classes take place in the warm water therapy pool.
Tai Chi-Gentle movements of the ancient Chinese exercise tai chi are one of many alternatives to help those with arthritis find pain relief. The movements of tai chi are gentle, graceful, mystical — and a safe way to relieve arthritis pain and gain balance, strength, and flexibility. Tai chi is one of many alternative therapies that can provide relief from arthritis pain.
The NCH Wellness Center offers exercise programs designed for those with arthritis, and include:
Personal Training-Wellness Center Personal Trainers give arthritic clients new hope by developing exercise programs that are designed to improve strength, function, joint symptoms and mood! Research has demonstrated that both exercise and resistance training are highly beneficial for those with arthritis.
Nutritional Education-Researchers continue to look at the role diet plays in arthritis. While evidence is accumulating, anyone with arthritis can benefit from a diet that provides adequate nutrients to prevent deficiencies. Our Registered Dietitian (RD) offers nutritional education to help you manage your arthritis symptoms.
Stem Cell Therapy
Dr. Magaziner – Stem Cell Treatment
http://www.drmagaziner.com/stem-cell-injections-for-osteoarthritis/
Stem cell injections for osteoarthritis
Bone defects are one of the most serious problems patients and doctors are facing and leading stimulus for new research centering on the need for new tissue regeneration therapies. Studies on mesenchymal stem cells are changing the way we treat bone diseases. Stem cells have been used for the treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta, hypophosphatasia, osteonecrosis of the femoral head, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Dr. Marc Darrow – Stem Cell Institute
Stem Cell Prolotherapy
http://prolotherapyinstitute.com/
Popular Massage & Reflexology Centers in Orange County, CA
Family Wellness Acupuncture – 80+ Yelp reviews
4950 Barranca Pkwy, Ste. 301
Irvine, CA 92604
Tel. (949) 836-2857
http://www.familywellnessacupuncture.com
Jade Foot Massage – 100+ Yelp reviews – Reflexology
14409 Culver Dr
Irvine, CA 92604
Tel. (949) 651-6168
Olala Reflexology – 283 Yelp reviews
9950 Bolsa Ave. Ste F
Westminster, CA 92683
Tel. (714) 775-8588
Tustin Foot Massage – 57 Yelp reviews
17582 E 17th St
Ste 101
Tustin, CA 92780
Tel. (714) 869-6989
My Head 2 Toe – 116 Yelp reviews
Website myhead2toe.biz
2200 Harbor Blvd
Ste D220
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Tel. (949) 650-0051
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