Key Muscle Group for Great Knees + Workouts

If your knees bother you when you bend ’em, here’s a natural way to help ease the pain: Get strong quads. 

Research shows that strengthening these key leg muscles can actually help you maintain your cartilage -- the stuff that tends to break down as arthritis sets in. The result? Less knee pain. 

Strengthen and Save
In a study of people suffering from knee osteoarthritis, having strong quadriceps protected against cartilage loss at a certain area of the knee called the lateral compartment of the patellofemoral joint. Quad strength didn’t seem to help cartilage in other important areas of the knee. Still, people with the strongest quads reported less knee pain and better physical function than people with the least strength in this muscle. Know what else is great for knees? Walking backward.  (Real Age 6/1)

Walking in the water may seem easy, but is incredibly beneficial to your knees. You get resistance without pain. Try it, you'll see a difference. Start out with just a few minutes, then increase by 2 minute increments to push yourself. Try to walk for at least 30 minutes, forward and backward. 

Want to strengthen your quads in the water? Do sets of 10 squats bending your knees as much as possible each time. Start with one set, then increase to 2, then 3. Walk in between sets. It's less boring. Here's to the knees!

Laughter Works!

Documented research has proved that laughter has enormous benefits on one’s physical, mental and emotional health. It is more than just a physical response. It is a great workout that boosts the immune system, increases circulation and the threshold for pain. Scientific studies show that laughter has positive effects on the heart, blood vessels, stress hormones, mental health and family relationships. These health benefits of laughter all contribute to smoother overall functioning, which in turn speeds injury healing and helps manage chronic pain. "He who laughs, lasts!"

New Fibromyalgia Medicine Approved

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Savella (mlnacipran) for the management of fibromyalgia. It has demonstrated significant improvements in multiple aspects of fibromyalgia, including pain, patient global assessment, and physical function. (National Fibromyalgia Association, January 30, 2009)

New Medicine for Migraines

FDA Approves Combination Sumatriptan/Naproxen Sodium for Acute Treatment of Migraine

NEW YORK -- April 17, 2008 -- The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a combination pill, sumatriptan/naproxen sodium (Treximet) for the acute treatment of migraine attacks with or without aura in adults. This is the first and only migraine treatment that combines 2 therapies in 1 tablet -- a triptan and an anti-inflammatory pain reliever -- thereby targeting multiple mechanisms of migraine. The combination pill contains sumatriptan 85 mg and naproxen sodium 500 mg.In clinical trials, a significantly greater percentage of patients achieved migraine pain relief at 2 hours with the sumatriptan/naproxen combination compared with sumatriptan 85 mg or naproxen sodium 500 mg alone. In addition, the combination pill provided more patients with sustained migraine pain relief from 2 to 24 hours compared with the individual components. The new pill will be available in mid May, 2008.

10 Reasons to Lift Weights

Most of us know that strength training is important, but that doesn't make it any easier to do it. It may help to know why strength training is so important and all the ways it can help you look better and feel better.

1. It helps you lose fatWhen you lift weights, you build lean muscle tissue which is more metabolically active than fat. When you increase your muscle, you also increase metabolism which means you're burning more calories throughout the day. Regular strength training is just as important as cardio exercise for losing fat and getting fit.

2. It makes you strongIt may seem obvious that lifting weights can make you stronger...but what some people forget is that it doesn't just make you strong for your workouts, it makes you stronger in other areas of your life as well. When you lift weights on a regular basis, everything else becomes a little easier too - carrying groceries, housework, gardening, carrying the kids, etc. And, don't forget, it doesn't just make your muscles stronger, it makes your bones stronger too which can help reduce or even manage osteoporosis.

3. It reduces your risk of injuryThe nice thing about strength training is that it strengthens everything, not just your muscles and bones. When you lift weights, you also strengthen connective tissue - the ligaments and tendons that keep your body moving well on a regular basis. Strengthening your connective tissue will help you continue to operate in peak condition and protect your body from injuries.

4. It can reduce arthritis painRecent studies have shown that arthritis sufferers who lifted weights actually reduced their joint pain. By strengthening the muscles, they were able to cushion and protect the joints during impact activities like walking. And don't forget...most physical therapy programs incorporate strength training to help rehab a multitude of injuries, which just proves that lifting weights can make a difference in getting better and having a better quality of life.

5. It increases balance, stability and flexibilityWhen we don't preserve muscle mass with strength training, what happens when we grow older? We lose muscle mass and that's often what leads to weight gain and loss of balance and flexibility. Lifting weights can help you work your joints through a full range of motion, keeping them strong and flexible and keeping you steady on your feet.

6. It can make you better at sportsMost athletes these days follow some type of strength training program to keep them strong and avoid injuries. Training specific to your sport can also help you improve your power, strength and speed to make you a better athlete. Even kids and teens often benefit from some type of strength training when it comes to playing sports

7. It makes you feel better about yourselfAccording to some studies, both men and women feel better about themselves when they lift weights. By getting stronger and noticing changes over time like being able to lift more weight and do more exercises, both men and women build confidence and, especially for women, improve body image. Lifting weights, along with other types of exercise, also helps build confidence and can even help manage symptoms of depression and anxiety...a great way to deal with stress in a healthy way.

8. It can help lower blood pressureSome studies have shown that regular strength training can help reduce high blood pressure over time, so this may become another way (aside from cardio exercise) to help treat high blood pressure in some people. If you do have high blood pressure, I don't have to remind you that you should always talk to the doc before doing any new activities (but I am anyway). But, if you get the okay, consider starting a basic program along with other recommendations from your doc for helping reduce your blood pressure.

9. It adds challenge and interest to your routineIf you've been doing the same cardio workouts for a long time, that can get a little boring. Strength training is a great way to spice things up and add a completely different challenge to your body. The nice thing about strength training is that it offers so many ways to set up your workouts...there's always something new to try and you never run out of new exercises, different types of resistance, new routines and a variety of ways to work your body.

10. It makes your life betterOne thing that often surprises people after they start lifting weights is how it trickles into other areas of their lives such as working in the garden without back pain or walking up the stairs without aching knees. It's those little improvements that offer the greatest rewards and it doesn't take much time with weights to see and feel those kinds of improvements.

Created: June 21, 2007, Paige Waehner

Physical Activity Is Natural Pain Reliever For Arthritis

It may seem counterintuitive to exercise when suffering with joint pain, but physical activity is actually a natural pain reliever for most people suffering from arthritis according to a recent study published in Arthritis Care and Research journal. The study concluded that regular exercise is effective in significantly improving and managing arthritis pain.

Arthritis is projected to increase by 40 percent, affecting 67 million Americans, in the next two decades. Participants in the study reported a decrease in pain and fatigue, an increase in upper and lower extremity function, and an increase in strength after participating in a basic, eight-week exercise program. Exercising for joint health is different than exercising for cardio health. People living with arthritis don't have to sweat to achieve success. "Even minor lifestyle changes like taking a 10-minute walk three times a day can reduce the impact of arthritis on a person's daily activities and help to prevent developing more painful arthritis," explains Patience White, M.D., chief public health officer of the Arthritis Foundation. "Physical activity can actually reduce pain naturally and decrease dependence on pain medications."

New Discovery for Fibromyalgia

Mar 10, ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System have found a key linkage between pain and a specific brain molecule, a discovery that lends new insight into Fibromyalgia, an often-baffling chronic pain condition. In patients with Fibromyalgia, researchers found, pain decreased when levels of the brain molecule called glutamate went down. The results of this study, published in the March issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism,* could be useful to researchers looking for new drugs that treat Fibromyalgia, the authors say.

Aquatic Exercises May Ease Fibromyalgia

Study found that exercise in heated pool brought relief from chronic pain

FRIDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Regular exercise in a heated swimming pool can benefit people with the common, painful condition fibromyalgia, a new study suggests. Symptoms of fibromyalgia include chronic and severe pain and tenderness in muscles, ligaments and tendons; neck and shoulder pain; sleep problems; anxiety and depression. Women account for more than 90 percent of people with fibromyalgia, which has no known cause or cure. Current treatments include painkillers, exercise, relaxation therapy, and low-dose antidepressants, according to background information in a news release about the study, which was published Feb. 21 in the journal Arthritis Research & Therapy.
The study from the University of Extremadura in Spain and the University of Evora, Portugal, included 33 women with fibromyalgia -- 17 did supervised one-hour exercise sessions in a heated pool three times a week for eight months, while the other 16 did no aquatic training.
The researchers found that the long-term aquatic exercise helped reduce fibromyalgia symptoms and improved the women's health-related quality of life. In an earlier study, the same researchers found that a short-term exercise program helped ease symptoms, but pain returned when patients completed the exercise regimen.
"The addition of an aquatic exercise program to the usual care for fibromyalgia in women is cost-effective in terms of both health care costs and societal costs," and "appropriate aquatic exercise is a good health investment," the researchers wrote.

Warm Relief for Aches and Pains

Simply fill a clean sock with uncooked rice or beans and heat it up in the microwave. You can use them in bed, on the sofa while reading, or directly on your body to relieve an ache or pain.

JUST PLANE STIFF

For all the travelers this season, sitting on a plane is tough on our joints. Here are some tips from the Physical Therapy Association to keep prevent stiffness and pain. Do each of them 5-10 times throughout the flight.

1. Heel raises: Sit with feet flat on floor, lift heels off floor, hold for 5-10 seconds and lower

2. Ankle circles: Lift one leg slightly off ground and circle foot clockwise counterclockwise each 15 times, repeat with other leg

3. Overhead stretches: Reach arms straight up and stretch for 10 seconds, lean to left and then right, bend at waist, open and close hands, circle wrists as your stretch

4. Back Twists: Reach right arm across body and grab the left armrest. Slowly turn body and head as far to left as comfortable and hold for 5-10 seconds.

5. Curl downs: Pull stomach and chin in while sitting and gently curl your body down very slowly, reaching hands toward the floor. Hold 5-10 seconds and slowly uncurl.

Happy travels!