How Your Knee Can Be Cursed By The Occult

Although I was diagnosed with arthritis in my left wrist about 15 years ago, it was a while later that my knees started to buckle for no apparent reason. Nothing was done about it at the time, and as a result, I believe that’s what has left them with arthritis nowadays. To minimise the risk of that happening, and the needless pain that accompanies it, I thought you might want to have a look at the following article by Dr. Bill Stillwell, of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center.

“When you hear the word "occult," it may summon visions of a voodoo priestess muttering incantations and sticking a doll with pins. And if you sometimes get a mysterious, sudden, stabbing pain in your knee, you may wonder if there's a connection... if you're the victim of some sort of curse.

Well, your knee may be "cursed" by an occult injury. But it has nothing to do with the supernatural. "Occult" is from the Latin for "hidden." And, medically speaking, an occult injury is one without an apparent cause. When it comes to the knee, this most often means a torn meniscus, which can occur without a specific injury.

Most often, meniscal injury is suggested by swelling and effusion (water on the knee)... joint pain (though some are painless)... snapping or popping of the knee... instability of the knee (buckling or giving way)... and, occasionally, locking of the joint in flexion. But these symptoms may be lacking.

The meniscus is a crescent-shaped cartilage structure that lies between the top of the shinbone (tibia) and the curved end of the thigh bone (femur) inside the knee. ("Meniscus" means "moon" in Greek.) There are two menisci, one on each side of the joint. They act to disperse weight-bearing forces, to cushion shocks, and to guide the knee, especially when you're changing direction, pivoting, or twisting.

A sudden, exaggerated movement can tear the meniscus, and that's usually the way it happens. But some people develop a tear without any preceding trauma - simply as a result of the degeneration of the cartilage that occurs with aging. The center of the tissue breaks down and becomes soft and jelly-like. Eventually, the jelly breaks through the outer surface, the disruption extends, and a tear is born.

Menisci have a really bad blood supply. Once they're torn, they don't readily heal. And for that reason, most of these injuries require arthroscopic surgery, either to repair the tear or remove it. So if you suspect this is the source of your discomfort, see an orthopaedist. Ignored, it will continue to cause problems. And it can eventually lead to arthritis.”

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.

 

 

Gulls, Gannets, and Daily Activities for the Arthritis Sufferer

If you’re one of those arthritis sufferers whose condition gets worse with cold or dampness in the air, it’s better that you try to keep your body temperature at a comfortable level at all times. Remember that this is important in warm weather also, as an air conditioner can create nasty, unwanted draughts.

Many folk prefer loose clothes with elastic waists instead of zippers or buttons. Sweatsuits, leg warmers, and knee socks are very popular—I have an elasticated knee sock that I use for my left knee, after applying pain relief cream, and I find that it helps me greatly. For people like me, an extra layer seems to definitely help the painful joints. I’ve seen some folks who’ve cut the feet off socks, and used them as a sort of warm tube on the elbows or knees. Others make use of cloth bands, similar to those worn by tennis players, to hold warmth in their wrists.

There are some everyday tasks that can be difficult for the able bodied, never mind those with arthritis. A favourite moan seems to be those confounded medicine bottles that come with those supposedly childproof lids—goodness me, my four year old granddaughter can open them, but I cannot. Sort of defeats the purpose, I think. I get someone to open it for me, then transfer the contents to a bottle that can be opened easily. A pair of scissors is a must have tool for those plastic food packages and sealed bags. Those cans with ring tops that you have to pull back are on the increase, and if you don’t fancy the idea of dying through thirst or starvation, then you probably have to resort to your electric can opener. When I’m away from the house, and need to open that type of tin, I usually carry something such as a small screwdriver to prise the tab upwards, then wrap the edge of a cloth or towel round my finger in order to pull it.

Talking of being away from home, I’ll digress at this juncture. I was somewhere today that I've never visited, although it's only about 150 miles from my home—a couple of islands south of where I stay A friend takes his van there on business 3 times a week, and suggested that I take a spin with him. It was a lovely, crisp winter's morning when we left and boarded the ferry that was to take us there.--the sun still hadn't risen, and indeed, we were halfway across the short channel before it made an appearance. The channel is dotted with hundreds of reefs, seen and unseen, depending on the state of the tides, so the skipper has to mostly depend on navigation buoys that have been placed there, in order to negotiate a safe passage. There was hardly a ripple on the sea, with gannets, guillemots, and gulls diving for their breakfasts, and the odd seal popping up to have a look at us humans, no doubt wondering why we needed any form of transport to cross a stretch of water in the first place. I really enjoyed it apart from the fact that we weren't allowed to stay on the car deck—as there was no lift, we had to go up two sets of steps to an upper deck, which was easy enough for me to climb, but to descend with my arthritis knee pain was quite a different matter. If it hadn't been for a helping hand from my mate, I reckon that I would have needed to be airlifted off. I was told that it was in the interests of safety, but I really couldn't take that on board--if the boat was going to sink, we'd all have been in the drink anyway. I’m of the opinion that in this 21st century, all of us have a right to easy access to facilities on public transport whatever our disabilities.

 

 

Arthritis and Rolling Pins

I haven’t scribbled anything for the past few days, owing to the fingers being unable to type, not even at their usual tortoise pace. The weather has been really damp—I don’t have to glance at the barometer in the morning to tell me that there’s a lot of moisture in the air, as the joints give me advance notice. A lot of others say that their arthritis is worse with heat, but I’m the opposite, and I think I’ll try out some arthritis gloves, which plenty of folk seem to recommend. Anyway, there’s a bit of warmth today, so I’d better hit the keys.

Unless you are severely crippled with arthritis, then being active is very important for both your mental and physical health. You don’t want your activities to become either boring or painful, so it’s important that you decide what’s right for you. I would say that you have to be aware of your own limitations, both mentally and physically, and pace yourself accordingly. Doing things steadily, and not in bursts, is an important factor in getting some relief from arthritis pain.

You can still get as much done as you used to by breaking up large tasks into smaller parts, instead of attempting to the whole lot at once. Take cleaning the house, for instance. You could do an hour per day during the week, instead of four to five hours on a Saturday. Alternatively, deal with one room a day. For those cleaning jobs, try to keep a supply of commonly used cleaning materials in different parts of the house to avoid unnecessary trips. When using the washing machine, put smaller items like your socks and underwear in something such as a laundry bag to avoid causing pain again whilst searching for them.

If you have to lift something, use the knees and not the lower back, as it can cause severe damage. Of course, if you think that something looks too heavy, it probably is—wait until help is available. As you do certain chores, you are carrying out exercises to parts of the body, but you could probably benefit from having an exercise programme mapped out, especially tailored to your specific needs.

Rest is certainly an important part of pain relief, whether it’s having a short lie down on the bed, or relaxing in your most comfortable chair. Everyone is different, so by trial and error, you can gauge the best ratio of exercise to rest that works for you. Try to vary your tasks, so that you aren’t using the same muscles for too long a period of time. If you feel that something is becoming too stressful, do something else—you might feel like a stretch, a rest, or carrying out a completely different activity. Only do what you feel is just enough for your body to be able to cope with. Watch your affected joints, and spare them any unnecessary stress. I mentioned lifts above--it goes without saying that you should avoid any heavy lifting, although I have to admit that the term “heavy” can have a different interpretation from one person to the next.

As I pointed out in an earlier article, when travelling by car, try to stop at least once every two hours or so on long trips in order to stretch your limbs. In the house, or at work, adopt a similar attitude—try not to sit or stand in the same position for a long time. Switch position, or move around now and again, in order to loosen up.

Although you should try to avoid using your affected joints to excess, there are times when you simply have to. When I happen to bend the fingers of my hand suddenly, it can be extremely painful, so I sometimes have a splint on, which I find very helpful. Depending on which part of your body is affected, you might be able to make use of things such as back braces, collars, or elastic bandages, all of which minimise the risk of injuries to certain joints.

There is something that I should mention for those who, like me, are sometimes restricted in the use of their fingers. Try utilising your palms for certain tasks, such as using a spray bottle, squeezing water out of washcloths, getting out of a chair, or using a rolling pin (for its lawful purpose, of course!)