Is here any such thing? I take fish oil daily, along with VitD. Is there anything else I can take to help with this awful tendinitis in my elbow/wrists and shoulder? I just finished my second dose pack of Medrol and would like to take something less (long term) harmful to my body. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Is here any such thing? I take fish oil daily, along with VitD. Is there anything else I can take to help with this awful tendinitis in my elbow/wrists and shoulder? I just finished my second dose pack of Medrol and would like to take something less (long term) harmful to my body. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Choose from a rainbow of anti-inflammatory botanical. The natural world has so much to offer us in the way of compounds that quiet inflammation in our bodies. Many of these are traditional medicinal foods, herbs, and spices used for centuries in the past, yet whose specific mechanisms of action biochemists are still exploring today. The study of phytotherapy is helping to bring about a whole new range of anti-inflammatory agents that more effectively target the inflammatory cascade, well upstream of where conventional NSAID’s and COX-2 inhibitors cause their damaging and unwanted side effects.

Bioflavonoids. Also called flavones or flavonoids, this is a class of over 5000 plant chemicals that our bodies metabolize in a way that offers strong anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-allergenic, and anti-inflammatory effects. Bioflavonoids include compounds such as quercetin, epicatechin, and oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC’s). But don’t let their long names put you off — many occur abundantly in our daily food and drink, such as in citrus fruits, vegetables, tea, cocoa and wine, to name just a few! Others are less well known, or found less widely in nature, or still waiting to be discovered. Most bioflavonoids can also be taken in supplemental form as part of a natural anti-inflammation regimen. Among the best for soothing the inflammatory cascade are quercetin, rutin, and procyanidins (OPC’s) such as those found in pine bark extract (Pycnogenol) and grape seed extract.

Anti-inflammatory herbs. Aside from the large group of bioflavonoids I’ve only touched on above, many herbs have powerful anti-inflammatory actions. Here’s just a sampling.

Boswellia (Boswellia serrata). Also known as Indian frankincense, Boswellia serrata has long been recognized in Ayurvedic medicine for its anti-inflammatory benefits. Today scientists studying extracts of boswellia report that it can switch off key cell signalers and pro-inflammatory mediators known as cytokines in the inflammatory cascade.

Ginger (Zingiber officinalis). Valued for centuries the world over for its medicinal qualities, ginger today is being studied by biochemists and pharmacologists interested in its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-nausea, and sugar-moderating effects in the body. In the past 30 years or so their work has confirmed how ginger shares properties with conventional over-the-counter and prescription NSAID’s, in that it suppresses the synthesis in the body of the pro-inflammatory molecules known as prostaglandins — but with few if any side effects. Recently, however, an even more exciting body of work is emerging that shows how ginger extract can actually inhibit or deactivate genes in our body that encode the molecules involved in chronic inflammation.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa), an ancient culinary spice native to South East Asia, has been used as an anti-inflammatory agent for centuries in Indian Ayurvedic medicine. Also known as cucurmin, it is a mild COX-2 inhibitor, but works differently from the prescription-strength drugs that can increase your risk of myocardial infarction or stroke. Like Boswellia and ginger, it seems to inhibit joint inflammation by preventing the production of prostaglandins and activation of inflammation-regulating genes through its effects on cell-signalling.

Glucosamine–chondroitin. Glucosamine sulfate (1500–2000 mg/day, divided doses) and chondroitin sulfate (~1000 mg/day) are important building blocks in healthy cartilage. As we age, our bodies can’t create these compounds as readily as they do in youth. Glucosamine–chondroitin supplements may help repair damaged tissues, but they are thought to act more principally by delaying progression of joint inflammation and alleviating its symptoms. In other words, they may not have as strong an impact on the underlying causes of chronic inflammation as our other recommendations, but you can certainly ask your healthcare provider about including them in your plan. (If you have shellfish allergies, be sure to check with your healthcare provider before taking these supplements.)

siredred3: there have been some posts on nasal rinses up here in the past - and I, for one, am an absolute believer!

I do a nasal rinse using the squeeze-bottle kit from NeilMed every single day. I typically do the rinse just after coming home (if I have shopping, errands, or gym activities). Just like brushing our teeth and flossing, a daily nasal rinse is a good thing. A packet of basically salt and baking soda is mixed into warm water and just irrigated through the nasal passages (a.k.a. your nostrils!), flushing out allergens, bacteria and viruses.

I have absolutely fixed my daily stuffy nose and prevented four colds in the past year just doing the nasal rinse. Think about that for your nasal allergy problem...
=======================================




Yep, I do the same thing, sometimes twice a day. It will even help to speed up recovery from a cold or sinus infection.

siredred3: there have been some posts on nasal rinses up here in the past - and I, for one, am an absolute believer!

I do a nasal rinse using the squeeze-bottle kit from NeilMed every single day. I typically do the rinse just after coming home (if I have shopping, errands, or gym activities). Just like brushing our teeth and flossing, a daily nasal rinse is a good thing. A packet of basically salt and baking soda is mixed into warm water and just irrigated through the nasal passages (a.k.a. your nostrils!), flushing out allergens, bacteria and viruses.

I have absolutely fixed my daily stuffy nose and prevented four colds in the past year just doing the nasal rinse. Think about that for your nasal allergy problem...

You could try tart red unsweetened cherry juice. It tastes good and is full of antioxidants. My husband had chronic shoulder and back pain. With in two days he said "I hate to hope but I think this stuff is working. He told his br.-in-law about it and it is working for him also. The br.-in-law had polio as a child, had recently had hip surgery and nothing was helping with the daily achiness & pain. The cherry juice isn't a miracle but they both say that NOTHING else they have tried has worked this well.
http://www.brownwoodacres.com/cherry_juice_concentrate.php?gclid=CN-_nbWdnaACFctx5QodN2KKhw
http://www.shoporganic.com/product/knudsen-organic-just-tart-cherry-juice/juice_nectars_concentrates
One of our grocery stores carries a pure, unsweetened tart cherry juice that costs $6.00 for 32oz. They use 1/4 cup once a day.

I think CURCUMIN is TUMERIC though--the yellow stuff found in curry powder. Sometimes when a common and cheap thing works, they give it a new name so they can sell supplements. For example for blue berries, the supplement industry will call them 'bilberries' to get you to buy something you dont' have to. Think it's same with curcumin. Pretty sure that is tumeric.