Knee replacements – are they worth it?

Knee replacements are often recommended for people suffering with osteoarthritis, joint disease or serious injuries from earlier in life. Knee issues can cause excruciating pain so often specialists recommend a replacement as a way to free up the patient from continually popping the pain killers.

Symptoms of arthritis, or a serious injury in the knee are swelling, pain, and deformity of the knee. This can seriously affect your quality of life and cause some restrictions on you day to day activities. It can cause problems doing tasks such as getting in and out of the car, climbing up the stairs, and sitting or walking for extended periods of time leading to frustration but not necessarily surgery.

There are other treatments that can be tried before resorting to surgery. Some of these treatments include physiotherapy, pain medications and anti-inflammatories, also weight loss helps as the risk of osteoarthritis is twice as high if you’re overweight.

The operation

If you do require surgery, the good news is that the replacements have continued to improve over the years. Not only in how they are made but also the way they are inserted into the knee which decreases the recovery time. The metal and plastic bits, the way they are fixed to the bone, the techniques used, the technology to put them in and even rehab afterwards has improved over the years. However if you can delay surgery for as long as possible that one expense and inconvenience will last you the rest of your life also saving you future pain.

The knee replacement procedure is done by making small cuts into the leg, allowing the surgeon to then either replace the whole knee with prostheses or only part of the knee. The procedure is performed under a general or local anaesthetic.

Recovery

Recovery from the operation can vary from person to person but can take anything from 6 weeks before you are feeling up to being up and about to 12months. Medication will be given to keep pain at a manageable level, and your pain should decrease in the first few days after surgery. Many doctors get patients up within 4–6 hours after the operation and within 3 or 4 days they can usually go home.

Other options

If you are feeling hesitant about having knee surgery why not try some natural options first? Reducing your inflammation with the help of a naturopath at our clinic, correct diet and supplements, losing weight, reiki or other energy healing and exercise. Quite often these can help you avoid an operation. Give us a call to find out how we can help.

Diverticulitis is a progressive inflammatory disease

Diverticulitis is when the diverticula, which are small pockets in the wall of the large intestine become inflamed and infected. This occurs when the muscles of the colon start to become weak. Diverticulosis is the name given to the illness before the diverticula become inflamed or infected. It is more common as people age and only a small percentage get the full blown diverticulitis. It is more common in the lower part of the colon.

Diverticulosis

Diverticulosis is often unnoticed until it becomes infected and inflamed, basically until it becomes diverticulitis. Some of the common symptoms are ongoing constipation or diarrhoea, a tender abdomen or cramping and bloating, pain from bowel movements, blood in the stool or nausea and vomiting. Diverticulitis can be very painful when it flares up and becomes inflamed or infected. Some severe cases may require immediate surgery.

The cause of this condition is not fully understood but some researcher’s suspect it could be caused by a combination of poor eating habits, age and genetics. Diverticulitis is a disease that is influenced by factors such as obesity, physical activity levels, and smoking.

Diagnosis and treatments

The symptoms can vary from person to person. You will be asked about your symptoms and have some tests done such as blood tests and a colonoscopy.

Sometimes diverticulitis requires surgery but this is usually in severe cases. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to help ease the infection, however there has been research that shows that this treatment is overused. Instead perhaps search for a natural treatment to help relieve the pain and infection from your trained naturopath and nutritionist.

Probiotics

Probiotics are bacteria that is in the food we eat; these bacteria are good for your health and has many benefits. There are many different strains of probiotics that are very helpful in reducing the symptoms of diverticulitis, particularly lactobacillus casei and lactobacillus paracasei.  

Some of the best foods containing probiotics are fermented, such as yoghurt, sauerkraut, miso and yoghurt. You can also use probiotic supplements; however, it is best to seek advice from your natural health care practitioner to insure you are taking the correct dosage and strain for your diverticulitis. 

A diet rich in fibre may help prevent diverticulosis turning into diverticulitis. Good sources of fibre include nuts, legumes, vegetables, and fruits. So when you are suffering from the painful symptoms of diverticulitis why not change your eating habits and take vitamin supplements under the guidance of your natural health care practitioner? We have had much success in this area of health care. Give us a call today.

Treating Dementia naturally

Living with dementia is not easy for the person suffering from it as well as those closest to them. It is normal for people to get a little more forgetful as you age but if it becomes more than that it could be a sign of something more serious. Dementia is an illness that affects the sufferer’s memory. It can be very debilitating as slowly it may lead to the person not being able to do simple day to day activities. Poor memory may affect them to the extent that they can forget where they live, forget to turn electrical appliances off in the house before leaving or forget how to operate machinery properly and endanger themselves.

Dementia is a group of illnesses. The most common is Alzheimer’s disease, however other illnesses that lead to or are causes of dementia are brain tumours, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, downs syndrome and multiple sclerosis. All these illnesses affect the sufferer’s cognitive abilities. It is more common in people over the age of 80 and women are more likely to develop dementia than men.

Causes

When you have close relatives, such as a a parent or a sibling, that have developed dementia you are at a higher risk of developing dementia yourself, although it isn’t a guarantee that you will. Another risk factor is if you are a heavy smoker you are also at a higher risk of developing dementia later in life. Apart from that the causes are somewhat unknown and it is not simply a factor of growing older. Cognitive ability and immunity have a lot to do with it.

Natural treatments

There are some things that you and you family can use to help delay dementia and help to keep some quality of life for the sufferer. Nutrition is one way that you can help to boost your brain function. Fish is high in Omega 3 fatty acids which are shown to be beneficial to help delay and possibly prevent dementia. Remember though that the Omegas are best taken in a combination of 3, 6 and 9 equally. Vitamin B is also very good. On the other hand, saturated and trans fatty acids may increase a person’s risk.

Another way to help lower your risk of developing dementia is to keep your brain active and stimulated. You can do this by continuing to study or doing puzzles, Sudoku or any other word or Maths games to help keep you brain stimulated. Mental activity stimulates brain growth which will lower your risk of developing dementia. Physical activity is also important to keep your brain healthy. Exercise can increase the blood flow to the brain.

Some natural herbs have been found to help prevent dementia, these include Ginkgo Biloba, which helps with cognition, moods and emotions. Sage is good for boosting memory and lemon balm can also help to boost cognitive functions. However, before using any of these herbs it is always important to consult a natural practitioner who is trained in these products as some of these herbs may affect other medications that you may be taking.

Lastly some studies have found that massage creates reduced anxiety in people with dementia and can sometimes help to stop behaviour like wandering and pacing, which is caused by dementia.

Consult your natural therapist at this clinic to find out what you can do to keep yourself and your brain young and active despite your age. 

Acid Reflux and natural options to heal

Acid reflux is also known as heartburn, indigestion and pyrosis and it happens when food and stomach acid go back up into the oesophagus. Acid reflux can be very painful, cause burping, vomiting, choking and is dangerous long term as not only can you have a burnt oesophagus but it is believed in some more severe cases there can be chest pains that can feel like you’re having a heart attack. The acid can irritate the oesophagus and also cause scarring, swelling, ulceration and hemorrhaging. Some experts believe frequent acid reflux could lead to oesophageal cancer.

If you are a sufferer you may need to look at your diet and see if there is something that is causing it such as eating too late at night, too heavy meals, over eating, sweet foods like chocolate, coffee etc. Remedies involve foods with live enzymes, alkaline foods and remedies, slippery elm powder (not the tablets, the powder). All these remedies involve a balance of the hydrochloric acid levels in the stomach. By changing regular table salt to Himalayan crystal salt with many trace minerals that are good for you may get some improvement. Also Betaine HCL supplements before meals can help to balance the hydrochloric acid levels, some digestive enzymes and making sure you eat a lot slower.

Changing your diet can be helpful. If you are eating a lot of processed foods or sugars it will imbalance the bacteria in the stomach. Replace wheat and yeast with wheat free/yeast free products, go lactose free or cut out dairy completely and replace packaged foods with fresh fruit and vegetables. Probiotics and prebiotics will help balance stomach bacteria.

Calm your stomach with one tablespoon raw organic apple cider vinegar in water if you are not sensitive to this food as it will help to promotes digestion. Do a sensitivity test to check what foods you are sensitive to and which cause inflammation. Also organic Aloe Vera is good for calming the stomach and supports digestion.

Our clinic assists with changes in diet, healthy eating plans, sensitivity testing and balancing your inflammation levels.

Fibroids – what are they and why are they a problem?

Fibroids are very common; they are growths that form on the smooth muscles in the pelvic region in women. These are non-cancerous and can vary in size. Based on their location, there are different types of fibroids. If they are growing out and away from the cavity of the uterus, they are given the name subserosal, if they are growing in the muscle wall they are known as intramural fibroids and if they grow into the cavity of the uterus, they are called submucosal fibroids.     

Symptoms

Symptoms that you may get when you have fibroids are problems with menstruation, this could mean things like heavy bleeding or bleeding more that once a month and/or your period lasting longer. Other symptoms are pain in your pelvic area, more frequent urination or trouble emptying your bladder when you go, constipation and back or leg pain.

The most common way to find out if you have fibroids is to have an ultrasound done. Having both a trans-abdominal and a trans-vaginal ultrasound can increase the accuracy. Sometimes they can be mistaken as cysts. When the fibroids are only small and are no bigger than 3cm you may be told to keep an eye on the symptoms and they will monitor them to see if they continue to grow.

What causes fibroids?

You may have a greater risk of them growing if you have your first period before the age of 10, have not had children, if you have polycystic ovary syndrome, have diabetes and/or are over the age of 40. Other factors that can lead to fibroids are high blood pressure, excess body fat around the waist, bad cholesterol or triglyceride levels and eating to many foods with carbohydrates – breads, cakes, potatoes etc. Another cause of fibroids can be stress because when you are stressed you don’t eat properly or take care of yourself as well as you could. Often you forget to exercise or get enough sleep and all this makes for poor health and lowered immune systems.

Treatment

To help shrink the fibroids and help relieve the pain you can try some vitamins and herbs such as green tea, Vitamin D, Curcumin, and Black Cohosh. There are other natural ways and these should be done under the care of your natural therapist in unison with your doctor.

Acupuncture can help with pain. In some severe cases you may be told you need to have a hysterectomy but if you can, and if your doctor agrees, try to treat them naturally first.

There is also a surgical procedure that can remove the fibroids leaving the uterus but the success of this procedure is restricted to how big they already are. Other procedures that can be performed include a UAE, this is when they try and cut the blood supply to the fibroids by inserting microscopic inert particles, which are plastic. However there can be quite a few complications related to this procedure including pain, cramping, vomiting, fatigue and fever.

There is also magnetic resonance-guided ultrasound surgery, which involves a high energy ultrasound wave being directed at the fibroid. This has been known to reduce symptoms, however can be only temporary.

The good news is that fibroids can shrink as you pass through menopause. All on their own but it is a good idea to give them a bit of help to make sure by contacting your natural therapist who will give you the right diet, supplements and lifestyle changes you need to get you healthy and keep you that way.

Improving your brain function

Being healthy is not just about physical health. It’s not just about doing exercise, eating healthy and drinking enough water. You also need to look after your brain function if you want to be an active elderly adult.

Monitoring brain function pretty much can only be done by checking out how good we feel. Unfortunately this is not a good way to monitor things as there are a lot of factors that contribute to you feeling good or bad. Sometimes when you feel a bit off colour and foggy in the head your brain may just need a bit of a boost.

Improving your brain function is not as hard as you may think, all we need is a little help and this can be as simple as taking adaptogens. These are herbs or fungi that not only help boost brain function but can help your body adapt to stress, both physical and mental. They help to support your body, regulate your hormones as well as giving your immune system a boost.

Adding these herbs to your morning smoothie is a great way to add adaptogens to your diet. These herbs can help with focusing, productivity, and memory.

Herbs to ask your naturopath about

Turmeric is also known as Curcumin. It’s a great herb that has many health benefits some of which are anti-inflammatory. Research shows that it can be beneficial to Alzheimer’s sufferers or people who have suffered from a stroke. Turmeric can also help if you are suffering from mild depression as it has shown to have anti-depressant properties. 

A powdered root called Ashwagandha can help increase brain function also as it helps improve memory and reduces brain fog. It has been shown to help with message transmitting from the body to the brain and vice versa.

Maca can help balance hormones, stimulate neural activity and help balance mood swings when taken regularly. Maca also helps with depression and anxiety. This wonderful herb contains antioxidants and AcHE inhibitory properties which help stop neurotransmitters from breaking down. That means it could be beneficial to people suffering with neurodegenerative diseases.

Rhodiola rosea is another herb great for reducing stress while increasing mental energy, focus, and fortitude by making neurons more sensitive to dopamine and serotonin. It also has antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties and can be a great natural way to treat those with neurodegenerative diseases.

Siberian Ginseng is another herb which helps to improve memory and speed up the processes in the brain making it easier to learn faster and absorb information so this is a good herb to take while studying.

All these herbs are great for improving brain function but when taking adaptogens it is important to consult a professional as these herbs can be powerful and may affect some conditions and medications such as birth control pills, diabetes medication and antidepressant medication. So never go and just buy herbs or supplements off the shelf without checking with your naturopath as they are the trained expert in this field. Bottom of Form

Time to Detox and Get Healthy!

Information supplied thanks to Metagenics. This clinic uses some Metagenics products to help you get healthy and stay healthy.  

Call us today to find out how we can help you get healthier 0414680713