Change in weather can be a problem for arthritis patients and people with joint pain. It is believed certain atmospheric conditions intensify swelling in the joints like temperature lowering, high humidity and barometric pressure falling. It is not sure why this happens or if there is any link between them. Science has conducted many tests and studies on humans for many years now, but they still fail to come up with any conclusive link between change in weather and its relation to increase in joint pain for arthritis patients. When it rains or it gets cold we tend to stay indoors more than we usually would and when it is humid you tend to feel lazy or sleepy, this change in our daily activity routine can be a cause for more pain, as inactive joints tend to get more stiff and painful.
You should keep yourself as warm as you can. Take warm showers, use heating pads or hot packs, dress in layers, wear gloves, warm socks, use an electric blanket and turn up the thermostat heat inside your house. Try paraffin bath, you can dip your hands and feet in it then let the wax harden on the skin. The heat is sucked into the body this gives relief to the painful joints. During rains and humid weather keep yourself dry as much as possible, if you feel cold wear warm clothes, use hot packs, eat hot food and take hot baths, and if you feel warm keep yourself cool by turning on the air-conditioner, wearing light cottons, using cold packs, having cold showers.
Since its discovery in 1974, Green Lipped Mussel Extract (GLME) has now been subjected to more than forty years of quality scientific research and proven in laboratory and clinical trials, to be effective in treating both rheumatoid and osteo forms of arthritis. GLME or Seatone has two distinct anti-inflammatory activities naturally present. The principal anti-inflammatory activity is due to a carbohydrate complex which has the ability to inhibit the emigration of neutrophils from the blood vessels. What this means in everyday terms is that soldier cells (neutrophils) are inhibited from attacking our own cells when an inflammatory stimulus is present. This is an oversimplified explanation of neutrophil action but, hopefully explains why the inhibition of this activity helps to reduce inflammation. This same mechanism is performed by some anti-inflammatory drugs.
The second anti-inflammatory activity is due to the effect of the natural content of some long chain fatty acids on cyclo-oxygenase activities. These cyclo-oxygenase (COX) compounds are enzymes which the body uses to biosynthesise chemicals called prostaglandins. There are two forms of these COX enzymes. COX 1 is constitutive and a natural component of normal tissue. It performs important functions in our body. The other form COX 2 is induced when an inflammatory state, such as arthritis is present and it produces pro-inflammatory prostaglandins. It is therefore desirable to inhibit this enzyme activity. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as Aspirin, Indomethacin and Phenylbutazone perform this function effectively but, unfortunately, they inhibit both COX 1 and COX 2 activities, thus inhibiting the production of the prostaglandins which are needed for the protection of the stomach lining, helping kidney function and also some blood characteristics. GLME has the very desirable and most important benefit, of inhibiting just the COX 2 activity which produces the damaging prostaglandins whilst not influencing the necessary ones.
Another valuable feature of the product is that it has been found to have natural gastro protective properties. This means that, not only does it not damage the delicate stomach lining, it actually provides a protective function for it. Thus the product is able to relieve the inflammatory symptoms associated with arthritic diseases whilst protecting the stomach from the damaging effect of some pain killers should a person need to be taking these at the same time.
GLME is manufactured by Vitaco Health (NZ) ltd in a multi-million dollar manufacturing facility located in Auckland and is available in India through their Authorised representatives – Perma Healthcare. The cost for this therapy of 1000mg/day comes to approx. Rs 50/- per day for first three months, which can be later reduced to 500 mg/day, i.e. ~Rs 25/- per day.
