Wear & Tear Arthritis

When the smooth, slippery cartilage that protects ends of our bones breaks down and wears away, we may experience pain from the friction of bone on bone when we go to move those joints. There is no cure for this degenerative condition called osteoarthritis, according to the Mayo Clinic, but progression can be slowed. 

Jim Miller, Savvy Senior, in a recent article (April 2012), Exercise one of the best treatments for arthritis, in the Portland Press Herald, recommends keeping fit by stretching each day to maintain flexibility, do weight training and calisthenics to build strength, and aerobic exercises (low impact) to help with circulations and general overall health. He recommends talking with your physician and checking out a local gym, health club, or other exercise programs in your town or city.

Physical and occupational therapists may help us find ways to exercise and adjust our lifestyles to help reduce pain. I think meeting and talking with others who may be experiencing similar issues is a great way to share information that may help work through some difficulties with arthritis. I have found a gluten-free diet has made a huge difference in pain I had from arthritis.

The Mayo Clinic has several recommendations andr home remedies to deal with the condition and discomfort, including losing weight, exercising, some over-the-counter medications, using assistive devices, and using hot and cold therapies.

If you need a heating pad and an ice pack, Maine Warmers' microwave heating pads can do both. All of their products go from the freezer to the microwave and back again. A Knee Pack, Back Warmer, or Neck Warmer may be just the thing to help with flexibility and circulation in stiff joints.

Cars & Body Parts

Our body systems work something like those of a car to keep us traveling over the roads of life. The circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and nervous systems are synced together to keep us humming along the highway. In our travels, we hit obstacles like detours, potholes, dead ends, wrong turns, and at times we have to stop and move over for emergencies.

Like cars, our bodies sometimes break down -- maybe needing a part replacement or a little additive to help us run more smoothly. Sometimes we may need a minor adjustment from a chiropractor. A fender bender can take us to the body shop, a.k.a. the physical therapist, for training on how to exercise properly and work through some physical set-back. More seriously, a computer glitch may send us to the neurologist to find where a wire or two might be crossed or pinched.

Sometimes the problems are easy to solve -- they hook you up to a diagnostic machine and voila! The body mechanics immediately discover what is wrong. Other times we have to rely on the experience of experts and other diagnostic tools.

Following the rules of the road, stopping to rest and stretch, refueling, keeping our parts moving so they don’t rust and freeze up or dry out are important for optimum health. But even the best cars need mechanical help at times. Having an excellent mechanic is important for body maintenance.

To help keep your body parts moving, exercising is important. Through exercise you may experience some tight muscles. A microwave heating pad from Maine Warmers can help stimulate circulation and increase flexibility in tight muscles. A Neck Warmer or Back Warmer may help keep you on the right road to an active healthy life.