Sticks and Stones Break My Bones, and Arthritis Always Hurts

Sticks and Stones Break My Bones, and Arthritis Always Hurts Me
A. Raymond Randall

On September 30, 2004, Merck & Co Inc (MRK) recalled Vioxx due to negative clinical trial results. Recipients of this drug seem to experience increased experience of heart attack, stroke, blood clots, or intestinal bleeding. Both the American Journal of the American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine stress the dangers of this prescription drug. European and American cardiologists recognize the implicit dangers of this highly marketed arthritis prescription. This does not have to happen to you when safe natural and effective arthritis pain relief might provide relief!
Did you know that pharmaceutical drugs have their history embedded in herbal medicine? Apothecaries offered medicines with medical care. The cost of medical help was expensive(sound familiar), so many families made home remedies. However, today’s pharmaceuticals derive from the the medicines stirred and pounded by the apothecary in the mortar by the pestle. “The history of Merck & Co., Inc. can be traced back to Darmstadt, Germany, in 1668 when an apothecary named Frederic Jacob Merck opened a chemical firm.” If curious about Merck’s history, learn more about it here: http://tinyurl.com/4m4ft.
Further historical proof is found in 1792, Alexandria, Virginia. Three Hundred homes nestled near the Potomac River; on Fairfax Street, Edward Stabler, a Quaker pharmacist, started a family business which operated until 1933. To this day, many of Stabler’s herbs, potions and paper labels in his apothecary desk. Stabler like other apothecaries of his day prescribed Native American Indian remedies like witch hazel for external treatment of inflammatory conditions.
Today, most patients visiting a doctor go for cold and flu symptoms or joint and muscle pain. Modern prescriptions provide relief, but sometimes with side effects. Now, you can get temporary relief from minor arthritis pain by using remedies derived from all natural ingredients. For example, the non greasy, penetrating and topical cream referenced below, brings soothing relief quickly. Further relief comes from Boswellia serrata, used in India for centuries as a proven pain reliever.
Although pharmaceutical drugs may cause side effects, other studies indicate that glucosamine, a common recommendation for arthritis discomfort, has no effect. You might consider reading this October 2004 study by researchers at the University of British Columbia:
http://tinyurl.com/676h6. Whatever choices you make, take time to research, and then take action. Despite these debates, the American Journal of the American Medical Association has considered glucosamine effective when promoting cartilage formation for your joint health. So, why not get some spring back in those steps? You can find relief using high quality natural alternatives to side-effect laden drugs. One manufacturer with years of experience has natural alternatives. This company started in 1955; read about this remarkable company, its philosophy and contributions here: http://tinyurl.com/3ma7w.
To read more about these natural and effective alternatives to arthritis, type the product numbers found below into the search box found here:
http://tinyurl.com/4zg4x.
Pain Relief – 20667
Read the label:
http://tinyurl.com/5p5y6
Read the product information sheet:
http://tinyurl.com/4zy2h
Joint & Muscle – 20669
Read the label:
http://tinyurl.com/68zll
Read the product information sheet:
http://tinyurl.com/4ngkb
Joint Health – 20668
Read the label:
http://tinyurl.com/6jgo9
Read the product information sheet:
http://tinyurl.com/58odo
Sometimes too much information brings confusion; on the other hand, too little information leads to unwise choices. Good health involves your wisdom, discipline, and desire to feel better. As a friend reminds me, I remind you, “Think healthy”, and choose your medicine carefully. Always read every label closely. The natural alternatives offered in this article provide you with a safe, natural, and effective arthritis pain reliever.
The Internet serves a library of information and resources. We all have to be careful about self-diagnosis and prescription. Read wisely by cross-referencing the content. These articles may be of further benefit as you search relief for your arthritic pain. You may read the source for these references by reading the entire article in the Echievements article library:
http://www.echievements.com/articles/2534.
“Vitamin C and Arthritis”
http://tinyurl.com/6z4jr
“The link between smoking and rheumatoid arthritis in men”
http://tinyurl.com/63z5a
“Ice beneficial in treating gouty arthritis”
http://tinyurl.com/6nk4l
“Genetic Factors Play Small Role in Rheumatoid Arthritis Relief”
http://tinyurl.com/6gadt
“Benefits of exercise decline over time in osteoarthritis sufferers”
http://tinyurl.com/6ynwc
“Vegan diet may be helpful in rheumatoid arthritis”
http://tinyurl.com/6cm2x

Copyright by A. Raymond Randall
Ray Randall is a registered investment advisor with Ethos Advisory Services,
http://www.ethosadvisory.com and coordinates Echievements . Ray holds a Masters Degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. You may email him or call (877-895-3756). Ray has used the products of this recommended company for 30 years.
[email protected]

Are Women Good Candidates for Hair Transplant Surgery?

Balding is not just a men’s problem; women often lose hair as they get older as well. You might wonder, if that is the case, why more women do not have hair transplant surgery. You may be surprised to know that many women are not good candidates.

Women usually have a different type of hair loss than men. Male pattern baldness uncovers parts of the top of the head. However, the sides and back of the head are usually covered with healthy balding-resistant hair follicles.

Men with this pattern of balding will have donor hair that survives the hair transplant process and flourishes long afterward. That is because a naturally-occurring enzyme in the body combines with testosterone to create a chemical called DHT. This chemical is responsible for the hair loss on the tops of men’s heads when they have male pattern baldness.

However, it does not affect the back and sides of their hair in most cases. These areas have healthy hair follicles and make excellent donor sites for hair transplant surgery. These are called stable sites because they remain unchanged over time rather than shrinking like the hair follicles affected by DHT do.

Female pattern baldness is different. In most cases, they do not have large areas of stable balding-resistant hair follicles. The sides and back of their hair tends to thin just as the front and top of the head do. The DHT affects all the areas of their hair.

Any hair follicles that are affected by DHT will simply fall out if they are moved by hair transplant procedures. Moving them from one place to another does not affect the basic nature of the hair follicle.

Also, women do not have the problem of receding hairlines in most cases. Their hair is lost in a more diffuse manner, thinning uniformly all over the head. It is not so much where their hair is that is the problem, but how much they have. Hair transplant surgery will not correct this problem. It is best used to move hair from one place to another.

There is a very small percentage – about 5% of all women with baldness problems – who are good candidates for hair transplant surgery. The thing that all these women have in common is that they all have healthy areas of hair follicles that can be used as donor sites.

For example, women with mechanical or traction Alopecia have lost their hair because they have scratched their head for a long period of time, they have used tight rollers or their hair has been pulled or stretched in any manner. These women almost always have an area of their hair that is unaffected. If they do, they can have hair transplant procedures.

Some women have cosmetic surgery and suffer hair loss around the incision sites. In these cases, hair transplant surgery can help. Other women actually have a pattern of hair loss that is similar to male pattern baldness. These women are able to have the surgery, too.

Finally, women who have suffered trauma from accidents or burns are good candidates for hair transplant procedures. If you are a woman with balding problems, is worth the time to consult with a doctor to find out if you are one of the women who can benefit from hair transplant surgery.

How Do I Choose The Best Arthritis Medicine?

How Do I Choose The Best Arthritis Medicine?
Stephanie E. Siegrist, MD

Are you spending a fortune on prescription arthritis medicines? Are they helping? Are you concerned about side effects? You may think a particular drug is a miraculous godsend. Yet, someone you know may take the same dose only to experience little relief and life-threatening side effects. All of the choices can be confusing.
The best treatment for your arthritis is based on your needs. Making the diagnosis of osteoarthritis is fairly straightforward, but deciding what to do about it is a complex and very individualized matter. Theres a wide range of options available to help you deal with OA; medicines are only part of the picture:

  • The Basics: Weight Management / Exercise / Education / Modify Activities
  • Medications: Pain Relievers, NSAIDs (like ibuprofen), Supplements
  • Injections/ Bracing
  • Surgery

The highest dose of the latest, greatest arthritis medicine on the market will NOT help unless you follow common-sense health practices. Focus on low-tech/low-cost habits that pay off throughout your body and quality of life. Modify the combination of remedies over your lifetime as symptoms wax and wane. Start simple, and then move to the next step if the first isnt helping. You can cut back during the times you have less pain.
At this point, available medicines can relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis, not cure it. There are some treatments for rheumatoid arthritis that can slow down joint destruction. Scientific research suggests that nutritional supplements, like glucosamine, might strengthen cartilage tissue. Stay tuned!
The dozens of arthritis medications available are categorized by drug class. The drug classes differ in the way your body handles the chemical that makes up the drug, known as the mechanism of action. Different mechanisms of action target different arthritis symptoms: pain vs. stiffness vs. inflammation. If you understand the classes, you will understand:

  • how each drug works,
  • which drugs are related because they work in a similar way,
  • what side effects can occur, and
  • why a drug may or may not be right for you.

Fortunately, there are eight drug classes to choose from to relieve your osteoarthritis symptoms. If you must avoid a whole class because you have another health condition, there are plenty of others that could keep you comfortable. Combining smaller doses from different classes may be the right answer. Usually only with prudent, thoughtful trials will you and your doctor discover whats best for you. Keep a diary of the remedies you try, and their effects, good and bad. You spend a lot of money trying to feel better – dont waste it!
Beware of your drugs true cost! Cost applies not only to the money you pay for the pills, but also to the toll they could take on your system in terms of side effects like stomach ulcers, kidney failure, addiction, and other problems worth avoiding!
OA is a chronic, degenerative condition that progresses at different rates in different patients (and even in different joints in the same body!) Youve got better things to do than let OA rule your day. The right treatment strategy will get you back to the Pursuit of Happiness!
Want to learn more about all EIGHT classes of OA drugs? Visit www.knowyourbones.com to order Making Sense of Arthritis Medicine: Manage Your Symptoms Safely and discover relief thats right for you!

Stephanie E. Siegrist, MD is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon in her 10th year of practice, and author of “Making Sense of Arthritis Medicine.” She’s one of only 3% of U.S. orthopedic surgeons who are women! Dr. Siegrist strives to bridge the gaps that exist in today’s doctor-patient relationship with “Information Therapy!” Complete information about Dr. Siegrist, and the book, are available from her website.

Popular Teeth Whitening Treatments

A lot of people desire to have a brilliant smile with shiny and sparkling bright teeth. To achieve it, they consume lots of money on teeth whitening products. Teeth bleaching is just one of the few teeth whitening treatments.

Bleaching is an excellent teeth whitening treatment. It is the most widely known treatment for whitening teeth because it is cheaper compared to laser treatment. The treatment is done without taking away any of the tooth surface.

Each of us has distinct tooth color. Naturally, a lot of smokers have stained teeth.. But others are blessed with pearly white teeth.

Typically teeth bleaching is suited for those who have discolored teeth like smokers and those who are eating but fail to brush properly. It is recommended that you seek an advice to a dentist before applying these teeth whitening product.

Dentist will tell you if it’s appropriate for you to undergo a teeth whitening treatment and will recommend it if you are. First the dentist will apply a gel or rubber shield on gums so that the soft tissue will not be damaged. Then they will apply the bleaching product to the teeth by means of a tray which will fit the shape of your mouth. After this the dentist would just give you some instructions and you’ll continue the treatment at home.

The active ingredients of bleaching products such as carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide makes the teeth white. When the active ingredient starts to break, the oxygen goes inside the enamel of the teeth and then the tooth color made lighter. Treatments like this are usually done in three to four weeks.

There are new products that can be applied for eight hours at a time. You can perform the treatment when it is time for you to sleep. The result can be achieved for at least one week only.

You still have another option for whitening your teeth which is laser teeth whitening. In laser teeth whitening a rubber dam will be placed over the teeth so as to shield the gums from being damaged, and then a whitening product is applied to your teeth. A laser is used to trigger the chemical applied to the teeth. It boosts the chemical effect of the bleaching product so that the change of color can be achieved quickly.

The dentist needs to check your teeth to ensure that you’re suitable to undergo the treatment. It is the fastest procedure that may only take for about an hour.

The effects of bleaching teeth can last up to three years and may differ from one person to another. Of course if you keep on smoking and drink or eat products that can stain your teeth the effect is less likely to last long. During or after the treatment you’ll fell your teeth become sensitive to cold. But these symptoms are usually disappears within a few days after the treatment is done.

There are lots of whitening teeth products that are made available. These are effective in removing stain and enhance the entire appearance of your teeth but it would not affect the natural color of your teeth. Once your teeth undergo a whitening treatment, a whitening paste can be helpful to make the effect last longer.

There are many ways to keep your teeth white. Try cutting down the amount of food that you eat or drink that causes a stain or discoloration of your teeth. Also stop smoking and make a habit to brush your teeth three times a day to prevent staining or discoloring of your teeth.