Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Toward Remedies For Your Ache Joints -- Post 3

In our earlier posts we touched on some causes of ache joints and Osteoarthritis (OA). Now we will discuss some ways to topically treat OA.

A non-invasive way of treating joint aches is the application of herbal creams. These are usually absorbed through the skin and are good at providing temporary relief. Check with your doctor because many of these creams may not be strong enough to provide you adequate relief.

You can also seek out homeopathic medicines for joint ache relief. Most practitioners of homeopathy recommended the taking of vitamin and mineral supplements in these cases.

Some supplements to consider are:

- cod liver oil and kelp

- minerals like copper, iron and zinc, and

- vitamins A, C, E and B-complex.

There is a whole range of alternative therapies which promise to ease joint aches. An exotic one is acupuncture.

Now, a modern equivalent of acupuncture is also gaining popularity. It is called transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or TENS.

Also, you might want to try ginger baths. Even soaks and compresses have been effective for some people with this herb.

This is because they soothe the joint through warmth, thereby relieving the soreness. Another potion is warm footbath for aching ankles.

Essential oils can also be helpful in this regard (especially peppermint and rosemary). They are purported to be particularly effective if taken just before bed.

Some people claim Allopathic drugs can help to relieve the pain and inflammation.

Until recently, NSAIDS or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were the standard drug therapy recommended for patients of OA. Examples of these drugs include aspirin and ibuprofen.

They certainly help in short term pain relief and inflammation suppression. But recent studies show that NSAIDS might actually promote the progression of Osteoarthritis. This is because they interfere and inhibit the cartilage repairing abilities of the body.

Some studies suggest in the case of menopausal women, they even stimulate the condition of osteoporosis and impair the function of the immune system.

A good supplementary drug in place of NSAID might be glucosamine sulfate or GLS. This compound performs the function of a building block for GAGs (glycosaminoglycans).

GAGs promote the absorption of the mineral sulfur in the cartilage. The use of GLS has been found to produce better results than NSAIDS.

Doctors are also not averse to recommending the use of anti-inflammatory herbs for standard ache relief. Not only this, they also supply bone-building minerals to the body.

Next post we reveal some ways in which what you eat may help give you healthier joints.

Monday, February 27, 2006

National Need for Black Bone Marrow Donors

BUSINESS MOGUL AND BEST SELLING AUTHOR FARRAH GRAY LAUNCHES A NATIONWIDE EFFORT TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE NEED FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN BONE MARROW DONORS

Greek Gray is in Need of a Bone Marrow Transplant Posted by Picasa

More on Need for Black Bone Marrow Transplant Donors

New York, NY - #1 Essence & Barnes & Nobles Best Selling author and face of the Farrah Gray MasterCard launches a nationwide effort to bring attention to the need for African American Bone marrow and blood stem cell donors. This issue hits home for Gray.

Gray's sister, Greek Gray was diagnosed with AML Leukemia a year ago, has now after having been in remission for only six months, just recently relapsed. Farrah's sister needs a bone marrow transplant and is searching for an African American donor.

A recent medical visit declared a 40 to 60% return of the cancerous predator, Leukemia. She is in 'DESPERATE' need of a bone-marrow transplant, to avoid death within 3 months. The cancer has radicalized and is moving fast, and there is NO present donor-match. Donor databases in the U.S. are sorely void of matching criteria for the Black, and the Brown. Many in the entertainment industry remember Nelly's younger sister who passed away from the same condition unable to find a donor match.

"My campaign is to bring a transplant not only to my sister, but to the many patients worldwide in need of a marrow or blood stem cell donor and increase the number of donors in the National Marrow Donor Program Registry," said Gray. The challenge for Black and African American patients is that bone marrow and blood cell transplants require matching certain tissue traits of the donor and patient. Because these traits are inherited, a patient's most likely match is someone of the same heritage. African American patients will have a greater chance of finding matching donors when more Black and African American people join the registry and become committed donors.

A person of any race, ethnicity or gender who is 18 to 60 years old (up until 61st birthday) and who meets donation health guidelines can become a potential volunteer donor. The National Marrow Donor Program has established a registry of approximately 5.5 million potential volunteer bone marrow and blood stem cell donors. The ethnic diversity of the bone marrow registry is quite low. Although African Americans make up 12% of the population, they only account for 6% of the bone marrow registry. For many, that small percentage can mean the difference between life and death.

To join the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) to volunteer for Marrow and Blood Cell Donation by calling 1-800-526-7809 to receive a Donor Registration Form or visit www.marrow.org to contact your local donor center associated with the National Marrow Donor Program or visit www.greekgrayleukemiafoundation.org