Ask the doctor


What Can You Do About Joint and Muscle Pain?

One of the most common questions I receive:Have your hormone levels checked. A few
"I'm having pain in my knees and joints. Mysimple blood tests will let your doctor know
knees even hurt when I get on the bikes atif you are hypothyroid (be sure to run free
the gym. Is there a certain exercise that canand reverse T3/T4 - many doctors only run
help in strengthening my knees, or any otherTSH, which is not adequate) or if you have
advice you can give? Someone said to takeother  hormonal  issues. Resolve those first.
fish  oil."
Again, and I cannot stress this enough, many
Osteoarthritis, or "wear and tear arthritis",hormone issues are resolved naturally through
is actually common at any age, although moreexercise and nutrition. Trust me, as I have
common as we get older and remain physicallyALL of them. My hormones took an early
active.nosedive in my 20s. Even though I require
natural hormones to make up for a defective
May people suffer joint pain because of thepituitary, my hormone requirements are now
opposite - inactivity. In fact, I believeless than half of what they were. Through
this is the root cause of most joint issuestraining and eating properly, I have managed
that have nothing to do with injury. Liketo cut my medications in half from the time
anything else, we either use our joints or wewhen I was obese. That's the power of
loose our joints. Over the years, if you'veexercise  and  nutrition.
lived a sedentary life, you'll find that the
body shifts its biochemistry to support onlyLet's assume that your hormones are fine.
what  you  are  requiring  it  to  do.What if you're just having "natural" wear and
tear? Well, there are some great places to
One of the things I speak about is how thestart before you go diving head-long for the
body and mind work together. Unfortunately,cortisone  injections.
this is one of those times when the mind has
a mind of it's own. I'm going to go out on aFirst, do consider fish oil. Fish oil (EPA
limb here and voice my enthusiastic opinionDHA in the correct ratios, such as in
on what's going on. Some doctors will pitchCarlson's Brand) works wonders for the joints
and scream about this, but others back meand connective tissues, as well as being one
100%. I'll let you decide. Then I'll give youof the healthiest substances you can put in
some great solutions for helping knee andyour body. Fish oil has been shown to reduce
joint pain that's not being caused by ainflammatory markers related to heart
chronic  injury.disease, reduce blood pressure, lessen the
likelihood of stroke, and even control blood
First, there's our old friend calcium.sugar levels. Many Type 2 diabetics have
Calcium is touted heavily for conditions suchremoved themselves (under a doctor's care)
as osteoporosis - however, the media is onlyfrom medication with the help of fish oil,
giving you one segment of the story. The realexercise  and  proper  nutrition.
culprit here is your hormones. As you age,
unless you remain physically active (evenAgain, "proper nutrition" is not a
more-so than when you were young), the bodyone-size-fits-all prescription. If you're 55
alters its hormonal production. Thyroidand obese, you do not want to role model a
levels and testosterone levels decrease. Low25-year-old personal trainer whose only fat
testosterone has been directly linked toresides between his ears. Listen to someone
problems with bone density. The lower thewho's been there. That makes for certainty,
levels, the more brittle the bone can become.and  certainty  is  the  key  to  success.
Enter  osteoporosis.Next, look into a three-supplement "stack" I
recommend to some of my clients who really
These hormones also cause a drain on thesuffer from joint pain: MSM
body's nutrients, including calcium. However,(Methylsulfonylmethane), Glucosamine and
replacing calcium will no more cure theChondroitin. Each works is a slightly
problem in many cases than, say, replacingdifferent way. Glucosamine has the most
water from a bucket with a hole in it. Youamount of medical research behind it, but MSM
have to plug the hole - and that is best doneis deemed as a "miracle cure" for a lot of
through hormonal management, dietary shifts,people. For others, it has limited use - but
and  exercise.the 'stack' is the best natural approach I've
found, when combined with fish oil, for
Let's take thyroid: the Mayo Clinic publishedrelieving joints and muscles from
an article just last week on the connectionnon-injury-related  pain.
between low thyroid and joint problems and
muscle pain. I overcame hypothyroidism andDosages  vary,  but  a  good  start would be:
the associated joint pain that accompanied
it. You can, too. It takes some work, and inGlucosamine: 1,000mg per 100 pounds of body
some cases some medical intervention, butweight
often thyroid levels can be managed
naturally.Chondroitin:  400mg  2-3x  per  day
A friend of mine, Jackie Lee, at age 72,MSM:  1,000mg  2x  per  day
looks 52 at best - and acts 22. She still
tumbles, dances, teaches yoga, competes inFish oil: 2-4 grams per day in liquid form
figure and even bodybuilding shows - and(Carlson's lemon-flavored fish oil actually
she's been hypothyroid for decades. Shetastes  good)
manages it through a combination of specific
amino acids, her lifestyle nutrition planAgain, be sure to pass these recommendations
(she's a vegetarian; I am not), and of courseby  your  physician.
exercise.  Her  story  is  quite  inspiring.
Last, but not least, move. You may want to
Now, since we know that thyroid,start with Yoga, believe it or not. Yoga can
testosterone, and other bodily hormones haverelieve joint and muscle pain like you would
a lot to do with joint and muscle pain,not believe. I used Yoga stretches when I
doesn't it make sense to start there and workinjured my lower back in 2002, and the
our  way  outward  to a solution? I think so.healing was remarkable.



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