Potential Advances In The Treatment Of Osteoarthritic Pain

In a recent study published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases and reported in Medical News Today, Sara Kelly and colleagues from the Arthritis Research UK Pain Centre at The University of Nottingham have discovered a new way to possibly decrease the chronic pain affecting people with osteoarthritis. They studied a protein receptor called TRPV1 which is present in the synovial membranes of joints. These receptors are responsive to pain. Injecting TRPV1 agonists directly into the joint produced pain relieving effects.

The study was performed on rats so before being used on humans the results will need to be replicated in clinical trials and monitored for potential side effects.

Until then the best self-help advice for those with osteoarthritis is weight loss (if it affects joints in the lower limbs), stretching & strengthening exercises and maintaining moderate levels of activity. Nutritional supplements can also help (see related articles here).

Poor Sleep Linked To Pain

A new study by Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre at Keele University and published in Arthritis & Rheumatology has identified factors associated with an increased risk of developing widespread pain in adults over 50. Of the factors measured, non-restorative sleep was the strongest independent predictor of new onset widespread pain.

Relaxation For Health And Well-Being

The word ‘stress’ has become ubiquitous, but what exactly does it mean? It’s probably in the 1920s that it was first used in its present context. Walter Cannon used it to describe the process where external factors disturbed the body’s natural equilibrium. Around the same time, Hans Selye described stress as the non-specific response of the body to any demand placed upon it. Still confused?

Let’s put things a little more clearly. To ensure our survival we must either be in ‘protection mode’ or in ‘growth mode’. Protection mode ensures our short-term survival i.e. running away from or slaying a sabre-toothed tiger, moving out of the way of an oncoming car, etc. Growth mode ensures our long-term survival i.e. taking in nutrients by eating and digesting a meal, recharging our batteries by sleeping, wound-healing, having sex and reproducing, etc. Protection mode is more commonly known as ‘fight-or-flight’ and growth mode as ‘rest-and-digest’. They are like two sides of the same coin…it’s either one or the other…we’re either in ‘fight-or-flight’ or we’re in ‘rest-and-digest’. You may be more familiar with ‘fight-or-flight’ or the stress response as it’s also known.

The stress response kicks in as soon as we sense a threat. Things start off in the amygdala deep inside our brains. Other areas of the brain (hypothalamus, pituitary gland) also become involved as does the sympathetic nervous system. The adrenal glands then release adrenaline and cortisol. The aim is to quickly prepare the body for vigorous muscle activity by releasing fats and glucose into the blood stream, increasing the heart rate and breathing rate, dilating blood vessels in muscles, increasing blood pressure and increasing muscle tension. All this helps get us immediately primed for action without having to go through any mental preparation or physical warm-up! It sounds too good to be true and it’s helped us survive and thrive through time. Fortunately nowadays, we don’t often face the type of physical emergency the fight-or-flight system was designed for…but our brains still perceive lots of threats out there…traffic jams, time pressures, bad bosses, financial worries, difficult partners, noisy kids, not to mention 24/7 connectivity, contactability and accountability with the advent of new technology! All this ends up firing off our stress response in a completely different context than that for which it was designed. Rather than a sporadic short blast, it’s now more of a constant slow simmer…without the physical activity required to reset the system. Almost like preparing for a battle that never arrives…revving a car that never goes anywhere.

This ongoing low-level stress response has negative consequences. According to the Mayo Clinic, if left unchecked, “stress can contribute to health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes”. They cite the following common effects of stress:

What’s the solution? The key is to find a way of getting ourselves back into ‘rest-and-digest’ mode. In 1968 Herbert Benson, a cardiologist from Harvard Medical School, fortuitously stumbled across something whilst studying blood pressure. He had been approached by a group of transcendental meditators claiming they could lower their blood pressures through the use of their minds! Initially sceptical and reluctant to study them, he eventually succumbed and discovered what he called the ‘relaxation response’. Benson described the relaxation response as the opposite of the ‘fight-or-flight’ or stress response, it’s essentially the ‘rest-and-digest’ mode mentioned earlier. He characterised it by:

• Decreased metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure and rate of breathing
• A decrease or calming in brain activity
• An increase in attention and decision-making functions of the brain
• Changes in gene activity that are the opposite of those associated with stress

Research has found that the relaxation response can be effective in treating the following complaints:

Additionally, research shows that mind-body techniques can also be effective in treating the following:

In summary, any symptom or disease caused or exacerbated by stress can be helped by relaxation. Happily, there are lots of ways to evoke the relaxation response such as relaxation techniques (progressive relaxation, passive muscular relaxation, Mitchell method, breathing exercises, etc.), meditation, prayer, yoga, tai chi, exercise, cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnosis.

Hypnosis is a personal favourite of mine. It can combine the immediate relaxing effects of relaxation techniques with a change in thinking, mood and behaviour such as can be obtained using CBT. Better still, because it uses the power of the unconscious mind, these changes take place effortlessly…as if by magic!

Give it a go (click on the icon to go directly to the shop)!

Relax and enjoy better physical health and mental well-being.

“You can observe a lot by just watching”

Yogi Berra

Living Near Green Spaces Improves Health

Today BBC News published an interesting article on work done by Mathew White from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter. He recently conducted a study looking into the benefits of green spaces on health and well-being. The findings of a previous study showed that people living in greener urban areas were showing fewer signs of depression or anxiety.

Various things such as job promotions, pay rises, winning the lottery, etc. can make people happier but the effects last for only 6 months to a year. These things don’t lead to long-term happiness. Dr White examined data from the British Household Panel Survey (about 40,000 households). What he found was that living in an area with green spaces, like parks, has a lasting beneficial effect on mental health (happiness, depression, anxiety).

As the mind and body are entwined, I’m sure there must also be physical benefits to living near green spaces.

“We shall not cease from exploration,

and the end of all our exploring

will be to arrive where we started

and know the place for the first time.”

T S Elliot

Meditation Changes Gene Expression

There is now evidence that mindfulness meditation can alter gene expression. Research carried out jointly by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Institute of Biomedical Research of Barcelona, Spain revealed that participating in a day of mindfulness meditation activities reduces levels of pro-inflammatory genes. Perhaps meditation could be used to treat chronic inflammatory conditions.

Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)

I have to admit shedding a few tears when I heard Nelson Mandela had passed away and it’s probably the first time I’ve done that for someone I didn’t personally know. I learnt about Mandela’s life through his recollection of it in his amazing autobiography ‘Long Walk to Freedom’. It’s incredible to believe that in his lifetime he went from being considered a second class citizen, unable to travel freely within his own country…to eventually being elected president of South Africa! What impresses me even more, is his character; after being imprisoned for close to 30 years he managed to emerge without any bitterness or resentment…and only through that attitude of forgiveness and reconciliation was it possible to unite a fractured nation. During the 1995 Rugby World Cup, he succeeded in getting the nation to support the Springboks by publicly wearing their jersey which had previously been considered a symbol of apartheid.

He was often cheerful and humorous and despite his monumental achievements remained humble until the end. I’m convinced his attitude to life had a big part to play in his longevity. A long and fruitful life to be cherished and celebrated.

May he rest in peace.

Effervescent, Dispersible And Soluble Medicines Are Bad For Health

It’s now well-known that having high levels of salt in one’s diet can lead to high blood pressure and associated cardiovascular disease. What is not commonly known, is that effervescent (fizzy), dispersible and soluble medicines have a high sodium content. In a study published in the British Medical Journal, Dr George from the University of Dundee compared the risk of cardiovascular events (heart attacks, strokes, etc.) for patients taking effervescent, soluble versions of medication with non-sodium versions of the same medicine.

Over a million people were followed for about 7 years. After all factors had been taken into account, the results showed that patients taking the sodium rich tablets had a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular problems than patients taking the non-sodium versions. The patients on the high sodium pills were also 7 times more likely to develop hypertension and had a 28% higher death rate than the other group!

Some of you may be thinking “that doesn’t concern me, I don’t take any prescribed medication”, but what about ‘over the counter’ medication and supplements? Paracetamol, Vitamin C, multivitamins, etc. I’ll tell you what I’ve done with all my effervescent, dispersible and soluble tablets…straight in the bin, that’s the best place for them!

“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck”

Dalai Lama