Search results matching tag 'bones'

Sore Feet, Ankles, and Calves Help!!

saygon1 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:09:37 GMT

I'm new here and wanted to see if anyone can help me. I work out at sea, normally for 1 week but I can get held over for up to 6 weeks. I stand on my feet for 12 hr. a day just fore work. Sometimes I have a job where I walk, other times I stand, all on STEEL DECKS no cushion just hard surfaces. I have tried different shoes, Doctor Scholls blue stuff but my lower legs still hurt. I have been doing this for 9 years now and the pain is getting worst. My co-workers that have been working out here for longer have allot of problems with their knees. 1 co-worker that has been out here for 26 years had to have knee, and ankle surgery last year because of all the damage from the steel decks. Only now he was forced to take a medical retirement 1 yr. before he would have had a full retirement. I don't want to end up with crutches, or in a wheelchair. I know the first think would be to get another job, but here in Alaska to make more that just min. wage, you work out at sea, or in oil. My starting wage was $26.00 hr. can't get that on land, even in the oil fields. Any ideas?

Feeding the bones

bshubbard — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:16:00 GMT

I have a new book out (toot toot). It’s called “The Whole-Food Guide to Strong Bones.” It’s an update of a book I published 10 years ago, and it is MUCH better.

Let me tell you a story from someone who read the old version. She wrote to me that she had been through some bone problems – diagnosed with osteoporosis, weak in general, and had been vegan for more than 10 years. In my book I mention that yes, vegetarians are supposed to have less osteoporosis than meat eaters – and there is a general impression that meat is not good for the bones. However, that turns out to be not quite true. Protein is essential for the bones as well.

Recent research shows that people who eat meat have stronger bones than people who don’t. This makes sense to me, because 35 per cent of the bone is the collagen matrix, which is a protein. While the calcium in the bone makes it dense and hard, that is not enough – the collagen makes it flexible. It is the flexibility that keeps the bone from breaking, not the hardness. Some people have thin bones that don’t fracture, and others have dense bones that do.

Anyway, this woman mentioned that after so many years of being vegan, and then worrying about her bones, she found my book and started following my recipes, eating some more meat and animal protein with the vegetables, doing more exercise, and a couple of years later her bones had returned to normal. So – more vegetables for some, more meat for others – that’s how people improve their bones.

What hurts the bones, on the other hand, are the refined carbohydrates – sugar, white flour, white rice. Our beloved cakes, cookies, pastries, ice cream – those are good to help us weaken our bones. As osteoporosis and fractures are increasing, and they increase more in countries where people eat those foods, in addition to milk and milk products, we should take note of this sad trend.

Whenever I put out a book, I hold my breath until I get the first few feedback comments. I could have written something to the best of my ability, and yet it may not have come out right. But feedback of the kind above, where people find what I write helpful, is the best and most satisfying kind. I think many of us want to help the world be a better place, and we do what we can within our possibilities and limitations. I believe that if only one person benefits from what we offer, we’re doing fine. If more that one benefits, that is so nice to know. So please, I hope that some of these ideas are of use to you, dear reader, and that you will pass along the information to your friends and acquaintances.

Annemarie’s book is available from Amazon.com. Click here to purchase:
http://www.amazon.com/Whole-Food-Guide-Strong-Bones-Holistic/dp/1572245808/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236704460&sr=8-1

alendronic acid

jdlangford — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 16:51:14 GMT

I recently broke a wrist, and while it mended very quickly I was referred for a bonedensity scan, partly because of my age, 59. The scan showed that my hip bones had good density, but the bones of my spine were 'thin', and I was prescribed alendronic acid.

I wonder how reliable such a diagnosis is, since this was the first time my bones were so measured. Possibly they have alwys been at this density and it is OK for me.

Also, I am unwilling to take a drug for life, especially one ringed around with cautions as this one is 'Always stay upright after swallowing and don't eat or drink anything for 30 minutes'. It seems it could be an irritant to the digestive system.

Clicking bones

enews — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 13:56:56 GMT

A reader’s 15-year-old-daughter has been suffering from “clicking bones” in her feet for the past two years. It happens when she walks and affects the ankles and toes. “The clicking is loud and very painful,” explains her mother. “No one knows why and no one knows what to do.” She already eats a healthy diet – including plenty of fish and glucosamine supplements. What else can she do to try and get rid of this annoying problem?

Gill also suffered from this problem from a young age: “I was thrown out of ballet class because the teacher couldn't stand the noise! I was told by my chiropractor that it was a case of being born with loose joints and the click is the trapped air coming out…It fades as one gets older – much older!” Gill’s advice is to try and ignore it, and rest if the pain is particularly bad. She also recommends taking chondroitin in addition to glucosamine, to lubricate the joints.

Another reader suggests tai chi for this problem, which is a traditional Chinese system of slow, meditative physical exercise designed for relaxation, balance and health. “My back and ankles used to click badly until I started doing tai chi, which is said to help strengthen the bones. Now I don't click any more!”