Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Osteoarthritis and how to fight it

Hey guys, my job recently picked up a marketing campaign for the Ad Council and the Arthritis Foundation which is trying to help Arthritis sufferers by reducing their pain and the severity of their symptoms.

Osteoarthritis is the #1 debilitating condition in the U.S. right now with about 1 in 5 being affected by the disease. What most don't know is that this condition can be easily managed by staying in shape and keeping active.

Check out the PSA we created as it is very entertaining and educational.

FightArthritisPain.org

There was a program on the BBc the other day that said some arthritis and rheumatism pain is 'possibly' linked to Vitamin D deficiency. If you live a way North then the amount of sunlight yopu get may not be sufficient, especially for older folk who don't get out so much especially in the winter. Also as we get older it becomes increasingly difficult o get Vitamin D apparently. Plus the increasing use of total sunblock and general 'sunhine-phobia' may be leading to deficiencies. The doctor reporting said a daily supplement of 1000i.u. would increase blood Vitamin D to 80mcg which is about optimal (and I'm paraphrasing - from memory - here s please forgive any errors/embellishment). If I can find the link to the radio show I'll post it

Got it - here it is
"After a cold winter with little sunlight lack of vitamin D is common, but how do you know if your levels are too low? Traditionally lack of Vitamin D is linked with poor bone health, but new studies suggest that milder deficiency may also be linked to asthma, some cancers and diabetes. Dr Mark Porter investigates and hears from a night shift worker who had such excruciating pain in her hands she thought that she had arthritis - when her doctor checked for vitamin D levels, 3 weeks of supplements cured the pain."
And you can listen here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00s0djn/Case_Notes_Vitamin_D/

transcript can be found here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s0djn#synopsis


I hope it helps

Wow, Raddy. All the more reason to stay active eh?

For those interested in the vitamin D side of things it has become somewhat of an issue here over the last couple years due to a long standing campaign, 25 years, against skin cancer. This has been the slogan targeted primarily at children:

Getting a tan is not a cool thing to do. So remember the slogan:
Slip on a t-shirt.
Slop on the sunscreen.
Slap on a hat - wide-brimmed is the best so that your ears are protected too.
Wrap on the sunnies to protect your eyes.

And this is probably the most sensible information:

http://www.sunsmart.com.au/vitamin_d

This is the start of the problem being recognised:

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/12/08/1196813083745.html

And then the fear that people will start ignoring the sun safe message:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/specials...t-over-sun/2008/12/13/1228585181501.html

matmum

Absolutely kids should take care in the sun - especially in more equatorial latitudes.

Over here the issue has become:
"why is it that people used to play out in the sun all day, with no sunblock, and never developed melanoma, yet today people are slappin' chemicals all over themselves, covering themselves up, and still getting sick?"

For the first time in decades we are seeing an increase in Rickets in the UK.

Maybe something more fundamental is happening, i.e. that our lifestyles and chemical sodden environment (including our food) are causing immunity suppression. There has been an explosion in all cancers over the last 40 years, no?

And who sells us the cancer and chemotherapy drugs? The companies pumping the environment full of chemicals.

There is *some* indication that melanomas are not as related to sun exposure as we though, and the chemicals in sunscreen *can* potentially cause cancer.

Be aware on the Vit D.....buy a fish oil, do not get fooled into a soy oil based D, it won't do your body good.

There is also evidence that refined foods which raise the blood sugar (sugar, four, pasta, rice etc) can contribute to the joint inflammation triggering a flare up.