“Back pain” is a general term that can mean many different things. From nerve pain to strained back muscles, there are various reasons your back might hurt. Dealing with chronic back pain is mentally and physically exhausting, and you deserve relief. The first step in properly managing your chronic back pain is to know what’s behind it. Use this guide to shed some light on the potential root cause of back pain, and available treatments for your comfort.
Why Does Your Back Hurt?
If you’ve experienced severe back pain before, your first question is probably, “Why?” It might feel like you’re willing to do anything to stop the pain.
Unfortunately, there isn’t one universal cause for severe back pain. If you’re struggling with it, it’s time to examine what might be causing it.
Some of the circumstances that can cause chronic back pain include:
These are just a few of the debilitating problems you may be dealing with. A qualified healthcare professional can guide you to the proper diagnosis.
Muscular Back Pain
Your back is full of muscles that help you sit, stand, and move around. When one of these muscles’ experiences overuse, stress, or strain, you’ll feel it in major ways.
Movement Injuries
If you twist, sleep, or lift something in the wrong manner, you could end up with a strained back muscle. This will feel different than regular soreness after a back workout.
Sports injuries can affect your back muscles. Especially in contact sports and other intense activities, your back faces many risks each time you play. The more conditioned and flexible you are, the less likely you are to get an overuse or muscle strain injury.
Stress
Psychological stress can also lead to muscular back pain. When you’re stressed, your body tenses up in ways you may not even notice. The muscles in your back may become stiff, strained, or generally uncomfortable as a result.
Lack of Sleep
You also tend to lose sleep when you’re undergoing lots of mental stress. Your body uses sleep as the primary time to repair your muscles and make them stronger. If you aren’t getting enough rest at night or you work the third shift, your back muscles are more prone to pain and injury.
Neurological Back Problems
Your nervous system sends messages to all parts of your body using electrical impulses. The central hub for all of the nerves that extend outward from your body is your spinal cord. Neurological diseases and spinal cord injuries can impair your back in surprising ways.
Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathy develops when nerves throughout your body become damaged in some way. This is a common symptom of neurodegenerative diseases like MS. When your peripheral nerves are damaged, they can’t communicate with your brain properly, leading to strange sensations and pain.
Neuropathic back pain may feel like numbness, tingling, burning, “pins and needles,” or sharp excruciating pains. If you suffer from a neurological health condition, there’s a solid chance your back pain is related.
Car Accidents and Spine Injuries
Automobile accidents exert a lot of force and impact on your body all at once. When you get into an accident, even if it’s minor, your back and neck muscles can experience whiplash. In extreme cases, car accidents can also cause spinal injuries.
Spinal cord injuries are very serious. Your spinal cord protects your nerves and secures their pathway to your brain. Chronic back pain, numbness, and loss of limb function could indicate an underlying spinal injury.
Herniated Discs and Pinched Nerves
If one of the cartilage discs between your vertebrae becomes dislodged, it can press on the nerves surrounding it. A herniated disc can spell trouble for your mobility, limb functions, and comfort for years.
Vertebral problems can also pinch the nerves in your back, which results in the same thing — long-lasting sharp back pain. Discomfort from a pinched nerve will likely feel sudden, sharp, and breathtaking.
Lifestyle Factors and Back Pain
Certain aspects of your lifestyle may be causing your chronic back pain and soreness. These factors aren’t considered diseases themselves, but they can lead to chronic health problems that become long-term conditions.
The following are risk factors for chronic back pain:
Obesity
Poor posture
Sedentary lifestyle
Overtraining
Poor nutrition
Labor-intensive jobs
Improper lifting techniques
Whenever possible, you should avoid these risks. Steps like wearing a posture corrector and lifting heavy objects with your leg muscles can help prevent chronic back problems.
Solving Your Pain: Back Treatment Options
You don’t have to live in unbearable pain forever. You have options when it comes to severe back pain treatment. Every person has a different threshold for pain, and you may prefer less invasive, more natural treatments than someone else.
Medication
Pain medication will block your brain from receiving pain signals in your back. Medication is a valid option for people struggling to function due to chronic back problems. However, most medications don’t treat the root cause of your back pain. It’s a good idea to consider other treatments along with medication.
Surgery
Back surgery is intense, invasive, and risky, but for some people, it’s the best and only option. Severe spinal cord injuries and disc herniations may require immediate surgery to correct the problem. After surgery, you’ll likely be instructed to perform back exercises to improve your mobility.
Regenerative Medicine
Regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, for back pain may offer an innovative and cutting-edge option. By utilizing human-derived stem cells to repair and renew damaged tissues throughout your body, these “blank” cells can form into almost any type of specialized cell, making them a potential effective modality to help manage and heal chronic back pain.
Evaluating Your Options
It may take a few different interventions before you experience back pain relief. What’s important is that you don’t give up. With the proper treatment, you can experience mild to intense relief and continue on with your life. Medicine is always improving, and you have more options than ever before.
Your hair can be part of your identity. For some people, their hair is a symbol of their spiritual beliefs. Whether you’re focused on beauty and aesthetics or a deeper meaning behind your hair, hair loss can be devastating.
For some people, regenerative medicine is an innovative, research-based solution to hair loss. Learn more about how regenerative hair loss treatments may restore your healthy locks.
How Hair Loss Is Related to Your Well-Being
Losing hair is often a symptom of an underlying health problem. While some people experience hair loss due to genetics or lifestyle choices, others may face lurking medical issues. Here are some of the ways your hair growth (or lack thereof) is related to your physical and mental wellness.
Self-Esteem and Confidence
You may feel embarrassed, ashamed, or self-conscious if you start to lose your hair. Both men and women struggle with remaining confident after significant hair loss. Your mental well-being may suffer if you can’t get your hair to grow back on its own.
Some cultures associate losing hair with aging and other stereotypes. This can be devastating for someone going through medical, hormonal, or age-related hair loss. Healthy hair regrowth may help you regain the confidence you lost.
Hormones
Your hormones are chemical messengers that regulate all of your body’s processes. Hair growth is tied to your hormones, and any fluctuations or declines in certain hormones can lead to losing hair. Think about post-pregnancy hair shedding; this happens because your body’s cascade of pregnancy hormones changes.
Hormonal changes as you get older can affect your hair. Age-related hair loss and thinning primarily affect women due to declines in estrogen production, but this problem can affect men as well.
Genetic Baldness
Male-pattern baldness is passed down through families. If you carry the gene for this condition, you may experience very early balding, starting in your 20s or 30s. This can change your appearance and make you feel older than you really are.
There are no ill physical effects from male-pattern baldness besides losing hair. However, you may experience poor mental health as a result of your unwanted early hair loss and thinning.
There is no cure for male-pattern baldness, but you can take steps to treat it. Regenerative medicine is here to intervene and treat hair loss in a natural, science-based way.
ExogroPro: The Latest in Hair Regrowth Science
When you experience hair loss of any kind, you probably have two priorities — prevent further hair loss and replenish your missing hair. ExogroPro, a professional-grade hair loss solution, addresses both of these problems at once.
How It Works: Preventing Further Hair Loss and Regrowing Lost Hair
ExogroPro works to stimulate your hair follicles, causing them to grow healthy hair again. This treatment uses the power of specific exosomes, which carry materials between your cells.
ExogroPro is designed to send signals to your hair follicles that stimulate hair growth. Because of exosomes’ extracellular communication abilities, they may be able to revive “dead” hair follicles on your head.
Because of this treatment’s therapeutic effects on hair follicle health, it may help prevent further hair loss and thinning. By rejuvenating your hair follicles and preventing them from going dormant, ExogroPro offers a possible solution to unwanted lost hair.
The Procedure: What to Expect
The premium patent pending ExogroPro formula is injected into the scalp to deliver exosomes to the hair follicles. These exosomes originate from human stem cells, specifically mesenchymal stem cells. This is just another way we can harness the power of stem cells to regenerate and repair damaged tissues within your body.
After two to six months, you may notice your hair growing back thicker and fuller than before. The results window varies, but one thing is certain — hair regrowth is worth the wait.
The Benefits of Choosing Regenerative Medicine for Hair Growth
With many prescription hair growth drugs on the market, you may be wondering — why choose ExogroPro? Here are the major benefits of choosing regenerative medicine for hair regrowth and thickening.
May Be More Effective Than Traditional Treatments
There are numerous treatments for hair loss, including PRP injections, topical oils, and more. These have varying efficacy and likely won’t give you the results you’re looking for. Prescription-strength hair growth drugs may not work for you either, resulting in frustration and discouragement.
Regenerative medicine harnesses the power of science and innovation. By using human stem cells, we work with the body processes already in place within your system. Exosomes may prove to be more effective and efficient than other hair loss solutions.
Drug-Free Therapy
Exosomes are naturally found in the human body. When you choose ExogroPro, you choose drug-free natural therapy for your hair and scalp.
While prescriptions can be helpful for some people facing hair loss, it’s understandable to want a natural alternative. We work with your natural healing and regrowth processes, not against them.
Dual-Action Treatment: Prevention and Active Regrowth
It’s impressive to consider how ExogroPro not only prevents further lost hair but can revive faulty hair follicles. This dual mechanism is key to getting the full head of hair you’re after. If it works for you, you’ll no longer have to mourn the hair you’ve lost — you could potentially get it back!
Encourages Hair Health
Solving hair loss isn’t just about replacing lost hair. It’s also about growing healthy, strong locks that can withstand damage and remain intact. ExogroPro promotes hair follicle health by improving cellular communications in the injected tissues. What’s more promising than the idea of a full, healthy head of hair after hair loss and thinning?
Combating Hair Loss and Thinning with Medical Science
It’s important to seek evidence-based treatments for your hair loss. No matter what the root cause of your hair problems is, you may find regenerative medicine to be a viable solution.
You don’t have to mourn your lost hair forever. Regenerative medicine is at the forefront of medical innovation and science, which could spell good news for your hair.
Getting any serious medical diagnosis can be frightening and intimidating. You might be unsure of what to do next or how to manage your condition. When it comes to Parkinson’s disease, the future can be even more uncertain since it’s a progressive neurodegenerative condition. It’s important to make a plan for how you’ll proceed after receiving a Parkinson’s diagnosis. You aren’t alone on your journey. Here are some steps you can take after your doctor tells you that you have Parkinson’s disease.
Understanding Your Diagnosis
Before you make an action plan, you should fully understand your Parkinson’s diagnosis. It’s important to know how this disease can affect your physical, mental, and social health in the future.
Parkinson’s Symptoms
Every person with Parkinson’s experiences the disease slightly differently. However, there are some common symptoms to watch out for as the disease progresses.
These are just a few of the warning signs and symptoms that Parkinson’s is progressing. Often, motor symptoms are the giveaway that someone has Parkinson’s over other diseases. It’s important to get an official diagnosis from a physician before seeking treatment.
What Causes Parkinson’s Disease?
The cause of Parkinson’s disease is the degeneration of neurons in the brain that produce dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control voluntary movements, and without enough of it, your movements become uncoordinated or involuntary.
Certain risk factors make it more likely for someone to develop Parkinson’s. These factors include being male or over the age of 60. However, these risk factors aren’t guarantees that someone will develop this disease.
Is There a Cure?
There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease. Since it’s a neurodegenerative condition, the neurons that produce dopamine will continue to die off over time. However, modern innovative treatments like stem cell therapy may slow the progression of your symptoms to improve your quality of life.
You can also make lifestyle changes to mitigate some of the movement-related symptoms of Parkinson’s. Exercise and a healthy diet can keep you in good physical and mental shape, giving you a better ability to fight this disease.
Start Tracking Your Symptoms
After you’ve been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, you should start tracking your symptoms. Whether you use an app or a paper journal, it’s important to notice trends and patterns in your symptom development. These records will also help your doctor or Parkinson’s specialist come up with the best treatment plan for you.
You can break your symptoms down by category — movement, cognition, speech and swallowing, and other common groups of Parkinson’s symptoms. Then, record the date and severity of each symptom, noting any concerning developments along the way.
It may give you a greater sense of control and autonomy to keep track of what’s happening in your body as the disease progresses.
Piece Together a Treatment Team
Your doctor or Parkinson’s specialist may already have a treatment team for you, but if not, consider taking the steps to make your own. This may mean visiting different offices, seeking alternative therapies, and communicating with other Parkinson’s providers.
The more professionals you have on your side, the more robust and effective your treatments can be. Encourage your treatment team to communicate via medical charting or telephone so everyone can be on the same page. Always report any changes to your treatments to your primary care doctor or Parkinson’s specialist.
Get Plenty of Exercise and Gentle Movement
One of the best ways to slow the progression of Parkinson’s and retain your motor skills is to exercise. Whether you choose low-intensity activities, like walking or gentle stretches, know that you’re making healthy choices for your body.
The more your brain and body connect to produce voluntary movements, the stronger those connections become, which may help delay the onset of more severe movement symptoms. If you’ve never been physically active, now is the time to start.
There are low-impact exercises that don’t put stress and pressure on your joints. These include swimming, cycling, yoga and stretching, and elliptical workouts. Don’t feel like you have to push yourself to the max — any movement at all is healthy for you.
Improve Your Nutrition
The foods you eat play a large role in how you feel. If your diet is full of processed and refined foods, you may experience inflammation, fatigue, and other symptoms.
Eating a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables can keep you in good shape. Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, which are natural substances that fight aging and tissue damage.
If your goal is to slow the progression of Parkinson’s, incorporating more of these whole foods into your diet can’t hurt. See a registered dietician if you need help curating a healthy, well-rounded diet after a Parkinson’s diagnosis.
Evaluate and Try Different Treatments
Parkinson’s has no cure, but there are interventions and medical therapies that may help with your symptoms. From prescribed medications to holistic therapies to regenerative medicine, your options are plentiful.
Regenerative medicine, in particular, may offer surprising positive results for your Parkinson’s symptoms. Interventions like stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s may help reverse some of the cellular damage caused by this disease. These treatments get to the root cause of your symptoms and have the potential to improve your quality of life.
Physical therapy and speech therapy can be helpful for many Parkinson’s patients. These interventions help you regain motor control and improve your speech once the disease has started to interfere with these functions.
Staying Hopeful After a Parkinson’s Diagnosis
It’s important for you to have a strong support system, both medically and socially, to get through Parkinson’s disease. While it can be difficult, staying hopeful and cultivating gratitude can keep your mind in a positive place as you fight these symptoms. Never give up on yourself and your health, even if you’ve been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative condition.
Some health conditions don’t yet have definite cures. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of them. While there is no known cure, several new treatments are emerging that show great potential in treating MS. Stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosis can be life-changing. If you struggle with debilitating symptoms and everyday life is painful for you, regenerative medicine may be able to help. Here’s everything you need to know about using stem cell treatments to address MS symptoms.
Multiple Sclerosis: Causes and Symptoms
Multiple sclerosis is a complex disease that researchers are still studying. Knowing the potential causes and common symptoms can help you monitor your condition and recognize when to seek treatment.
How MS Develops and What Causes It
Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease. Your immune system starts attacking your nervous system, causing damage over time. Specifically, your immune system degrades the protective coating on your nerves. This coating is called the myelin sheath, and it’s essential for proper nerve function.
The faulty immune response in patients with MS is triggered by certain environmental factors that turn on specific genes. In other words, you may be genetically predisposed to MS, and certain environments “switch on” the genes that activate the disease.
Scientists don’t yet know exactly what causes this activation, but it may be related to lifestyle factors. Smokers and people with inflammatory diets are at higher risk for developing this condition.
Common MS Symptoms
You may experience a combination of common MS symptoms. Certain symptoms may flare up and then go away for a while. During flare-ups, you’re more likely to experience pain and discomfort.
The most common symptoms of multiple sclerosis include:
Since MS affects your nervous system, it makes sense for it to impair your balance, coordination, and senses. This disease may eventually affect your optic nerve, or the nerves involved in hearing and auditory processing.
How MS Can Progress Without Treatment
You aren’t doomed to a life of pain and suffering if you’ve been diagnosed with MS. However, it can be a progressive neurodegenerative disease if left untreated.
Some patients experience a steady progression in sensory and motor problems because of MS. Others will have periodic flare-ups that go away and come back randomly. You may notice that stress, lack of sleep, and poor nutrition trigger flare-ups for you.
If left completely untreated, the protective coatings on your nerves will start to degrade, and the affected nerves will stop working properly. This is what leads to trouble swallowing, walking, speaking, seeing, and hearing.
Innovative treatments like stem cell therapy may improve your prognosis with MS. Regenerative medicine may help repair some of the nerve damage caused by your immune responses, addressing the root cause of your symptoms.
What Is Stem Cell Therapy for MS?
Stem cells are known for their ability to regenerate and repair tissues in the body. In lab environments, stem cells can be “programmed” to develop into the necessary cells needed for wound healing, tissue regeneration, and reducing inflammation.
These restorative cells can also renew themselves, keeping injured and diseased areas supplied with plenty of stem cells to continue healing and repairing themselves. That’s why stem cell therapy is so potent — once the stem cell repair process starts, it can continue on its own.
Multiple sclerosis leads to nerve and tissue damage over time, and stem cells may be able to reverse some of that damage. By modulating your immune responses, combating inflammation, and replacing damaged tissues, stem cells can significantly improve your MS symptoms.
The Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis Patients
You have several options when it comes to MS treatments. There are medications and alternative therapies designed to combat MS symptoms and nerve damage. However, stem cell therapy offers unique advantages you should consider before selecting your treatment(s).
Drug-Free Therapy
Stem cells are not pharmaceutical compounds. They are natural cells every human body produces and keeps around for wound healing and tissue repair. Since this therapy is drug-free, there are fewer risks involved — like medication side effects and allergies.
Some patients choose to take MS medication in conjunction with stem cell therapy. Only you can decide what treatment routes are best for you. However, if you want to go drug-free, stem cell therapy is a potent option for you.
Get Behind the Symptoms
Regenerative medicine does more than just mask your symptoms or cover up pain. It gets to the root causes of your MS challenges, including nerve damage and inflammation. By using stem cells to target areas of damage and discomfort, you may be able to improve your future with this disease.
Innovative Treatments
Regenerative medicine is at the forefront of medical science. Researchers are learning new information about MS and stem cells every year, and you can be a part of this experience. By choosing stem cell therapy, you get to benefit from the latest advancements in natural healing and recovery.
Slower Disease Progression
Since MS can be progressive, it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible. Stem cell therapy may prevent your symptoms from getting worse and debilitating you, as well as improve your future health outcomes with Multiple Sclerosis. Whether you suffer from periodic flare-ups or progressive degeneration, regenerative medicine can help.
Navigating Your Future With MS
It can be devastating to receive a diagnosis like multiple sclerosis. However, it’s important not to lose hope. As medical science progresses forward, there are new and innovative treatments around every corner.
Regenerative medicine gives you the opportunity to take advantage of the latest advancements in this area of science and research. You can use it in conjunction with other interventions as specified by your physician.
No matter what treatments you choose to battle your MS symptoms, know that you’re never alone. Your condition does not define you.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Patients with this condition often experience a broad range of symptoms that get worse over time. While there’s no known cure, some interventions and regenerative therapies can be helpful.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with ALS, it’s important to seek as much information as possible. That way, you can get the proper treatment and know what to expect as the disease manifests in your body. Here’s everything you need to know to be prepared for ALS.
Lou Gehrig’s Disease: The Neurological and Muscular Effects
ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Unfortunately, it has severe effects on your nervous system and muscular function as it progresses.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis primarily affects your body’s motor neurons, which are responsible for dictating voluntary movements. Toward the end of the disease’s progression, involuntary movements like breathing can slow or stop entirely.
When your motor neurons can no longer communicate with your muscles properly, your muscles start to waste away. This is called muscular atrophy. Once a muscle has atrophied, it no longer has enough tone to carry out normal movements.
Since ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, the symptoms get worse over time. In the later stages of the disease, ALS patients have trouble speaking, eating, swallowing, and making any voluntary movements at all.
Who Gets ALS? Risk Factors and Genetic Components
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is usually a sporadic disease, meaning patients get it randomly without an obvious known cause. In some cases, although very rare, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is passed down through families.
Genetic ALS stems from genetic mutations that are then passed on to children of affected parents. These cases only make up 10% or less of all ALS cases.
Sporadic ALS may have certain risk factors, but there are no clear causes. This means scientists can’t yet point to a single cause of developing ALS if it’s not genetic.
Possible Risk Factors for Sporadic Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Some loose associations between age, sex, and occupation have been made in relation to Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases. The presence of these risk factors does not guarantee that someone will develop ALS.
These possible risk factors include:
Age: Being 55 to 75 years old
Sex: Early-life cases are most common in men
Military service: Veterans may be at higher risk
One possible reason that military veterans are at higher risk for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is because of their exposure to toxins like pesticides. Being around harmful chemicals may contribute to the development of this debilitating disease, but scientists aren’t sure of this.
The First Signs of ALS
There are two types of ALS onset — limb onset and bulbar onset. Limb-onset Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis affects your arms or legs or both at the same time. You may notice problems with coordination, fine motor control, walking, and using your hands.
Bulbar-onset ALS first affects the neurons that control your speech and swallowing abilities. You might notice difficulty getting your words out properly or trouble swallowing.
It doesn’t take long for the beginning symptoms of ALS to spread and get worse. This is often how physicians diagnose ALS, as rapidly progressing symptoms usually indicate a serious neurological problem.
Progressive Problems and More Serious Symptoms
As ALS develops, symptoms can become severe and even debilitating. Some patients experience changes seemingly overnight, while others develop more serious symptoms over weeks or months.
The neuron degeneration caused by ALS can start to interfere with essential body functions such as breathing, blinking, and swallowing.
Respiratory Symptoms
Respiration problems are common in end-stage ALS. The muscles in your chest that support breathing may become weak or paralyzed entirely.
Some respiratory symptoms of ALS include:
Shortness of breath (at rest)
Excess saliva
Inability to clear your throat and lungs of mucus
Pneumonia
Weak coughing
Worsened breathing when lying flat
Respiratory system failure
Hospital interventions usually include ventilators to keep air flowing in and out of the patient’s lungs.
Muscle Stiffness and Atrophy
As Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis interferes with their proper use, your muscles start to lose tone, mobility, and structure. This is known as muscle atrophy and may be accompanied by extreme stiffness.
As Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis progresses, many patients lose the ability to speak loudly. The muscles involved in speech start to freeze up and become paralyzed. This can also cause an inability to swallow.
Extreme Weight Loss
Being unable to consume food and fluids normally can lead to excessive weight loss in late-stage Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. This isn’t a healthy type of weight loss, and it’s usually caused, in part, by loss of muscle mass.
Mental Health Challenges
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis doesn’t affect your perception or cognition, meaning you can still hear, see, and think normally. Since the person is aware of their deteriorating condition, they may experience depression, anxiety, and other serious mental health challenges. Having a strong support system is key to remaining mentally well through your ALS journey.
Treatment Options for ALS
You can receive treatment for ALS to slow the progression of the disease. While there is no cure, medical intervention can help you maintain your quality of life for a longer period.
ALS Medication
Some medications protect your motor neurons from further damage, which slows the progression of your ALS symptoms. These medications won’t revive damaged or dead neurons, but they can improve your disease prognosis.
Physical and Occupational Therapy
Therapies that involve movement and motor functioning can help you maintain your muscle tone and avoid stiffness. While you still have the ability to move your limbs and smaller muscles, it’s crucial to practice doing so as much as possible. This repetition helps your brain and body stay in a good rhythm and slow motor damage.
Stem cell therapy uses unspecialized human cells to serve specific purposes throughout the body. In the case of ALS, stem cells are administered so they can differentiate into nerve cells to assist with your functioning and comfort. This may be worth considering if you want to approach your ALS symptoms from all possible angles.
Living With Purpose: Life After an ALS Diagnosis
It’s important to maintain a positive outlook as much as possible. Having the support of medical professionals, family, and friends can make all the difference in your quality of life with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Try not to lose hope; science is progressing toward new treatments every day.
As the human body ages, most people assume that “wear and tear” will take over and deplete their health. This isn’t always true, and it’s important to separate fact from fiction when discussing joint health problems.
Osteoarthritis is a painful, inflammatory joint condition that can make it difficult to function. Some folks refer to it as “just” arthritis, but this minimizes the incredible discomfort and damage it causes. Living with this condition can feel impossible at times.
You don’t have to sit back and let joint health problems take over your life as you age. Learn more about osteoarthritis so you can make the best decisions for your health and pain management.
Developing Osteoarthritis: What’s Happening to Your Joints?
Before you can appropriately manage this condition, you must learn what’s happening in your joints. Developing osteoarthritis is not inevitable, but unfortunately, it is common, especially in aging adults.
What Is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory joint condition that occurs when the cartilage that supports and connects your bones wears away. As a result, your bones grind together, and the spaces around your joints become inflamed and tender.
Is This Condition Inevitable?
No. Osteoarthritis is not just a “normal” part of aging, nor is it inevitable. As science and research advance, it’s becoming more obvious that osteoarthritis is the result of many risk factors interacting with each other.
Certain risk factors make it more likely that you’ll develop osteoarthritis. Many of them are preventable through lifestyle changes and a proactive approach to protecting your joints.
Who Gets Osteoarthritis?
Age is a big risk factor for osteoarthritis, but again, this condition is not inevitable. Here are some of the risk factors for developing osteoarthritis.
Stress, Strain, and Injury
Any type of strain or stress on your joints can lead to osteoarthritis later in life. Even if your joints feel fine when you’re younger, you’re still at risk if you’ve experienced harsh impacts or prolonged joint strain.
Sports injuries, obesity or being overweight, and physically demanding jobs all put you at a higher risk of developing osteoarthritis. All these risk factors slowly degrade the cartilage between your bones. These tissues can only support lots of impact, weight, or use for so long.
Genetics and Sex
Your genetics play a role in whether you develop joint health problems. Having a family history of osteoarthritis raises your chances of dealing with the same condition.
An estimated 60% of osteoarthritis patients are women. This means that if you were assigned female at birth, you’re at a slightly increased risk of developing osteoarthritis. However, through a healthy lifestyle, you may be able to prevent it.
The Silent Pain of Living with Arthritis
To the outside world, you might appear healthy and fully capable of living your daily life as normal. However, arthritis pain can stop you in your tracks. It can be intense or even disabling.
If your condition gets bad enough, you might find yourself unable to walk around, twist, or pick things up. Osteoarthritis pain is not something to ignore or minimize.
Swelling and Inflammation
The inflammation doesn’t just happen inside your body. Sometimes, your joints may become swollen, tender, and visibly inflamed. When this happens, chances are you can’t move the affected joints much. Any impact, no matter how slight, may throw you into a pain flare.
Crepitus
Some osteoarthritis patients experience a crunching or grinding sensation (crepitus) when moving the affected joints. This can be terrifying and uncomfortable, leading to increased mental stress and physical pain.
Weakness and Limited Mobility
Osteoarthritis causes muscle weakness, fatigue, and limited mobility. You might not be able to move your body in ways that feel good to you or allow you to keep up with others anymore. These limitations not only affect you physically, but they also come with a mental price tag as well.
Stigma and Shame Around Aging
Some people might feel like their osteoarthritis symptoms mean they’re “getting old.” While there should be no shame in aging, social stigmas suggest otherwise. Experiencing these symptoms might make you feel embarrassed about your age.
If you struggle with joint pain, others might not see what you go through. You might feel pressured to “just get over it” or take pain medication to keep up with everyone else. This can also create feelings of shame and contribute to a poor stigma around joint health problems.
Treating Osteoarthritis: Enjoy a Better Quality of Life
Getting an osteoarthritis diagnosis doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to enjoy life and movement again. With the proper therapies, especially early treatment, you can improve your comfort and quality of life. Here are some of the best options for treating osteoarthritis pain and inflammation.
Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cells are at the forefront of regenerative medicine. These cells, also known as “blank” or “programmable” cells, can develop into specialized tissues, like cartilage. This makes them useful for regenerating and healing wounds, damaged tissues, and inflamed areas of your body.
One advantage of stem cell therapy is that it’s drug-free and comes with almost no risks to your health.
Stem cell therapy may also reduce your pain and increase your mobility. It gets to the root cause of your joint problems instead of covering up the symptoms.
Exercise and Physical Therapy
Getting more movement in your day may help reduce the severity of your osteoarthritis symptoms. Regular physical activity prevents the painful stiffness that osteoarthritis patients often experience.
Exercise also assists in weight management, which is key to reducing your joint pain. Every extra pound of body fat adds about four times the amount of pressure onto your joints.
Whether you (gently) exercise on your own or enlist the help of a physical therapist, your joints will thank you for it.
Get the Proper Support for Your Osteoarthritis
Living with osteoarthritis can be challenging, but you’re not alone. There are steps you can take to improve your quality of life with this condition. Evaluate your treatment options to find what works best for you. Visit our website to learn more about osteoarthritis pain.
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We'll send your FREE information packet that outlines our entire personalized, stress-free stem cell treatment process!
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Request Information Packet
We'll send your FREE information packet that outlines our entire personalized, stress-free stem cell treatment process!
Thanks for your interest!
Request Information Packet
We'll send your FREE information packet that outlines our entire personalized, stress-free stem cell treatment process!
Thanks for your interest!
Request Information Packet
We'll send your FREE information packet that outlines our entire personalized, stress-free stem cell treatment process!
Thanks for your interest!
Request Information Packet
We'll send your FREE information packet that outlines our entire personalized, stress-free stem cell treatment process!
Thanks for your interest!
Request Information Packet
We'll send your FREE information packet that outlines our entire personalized, stress-free stem cell treatment process!
Thanks for your interest!
Request Information Packet
We'll send your FREE information packet that outlines our entire personalized, stress-free stem cell treatment process!
Thanks for your interest!
Request Information Packet
We'll send your FREE information packet that outlines our entire personalized, stress-free stem cell treatment process!
Thanks for your interest!
Request Information Packet
We'll send your FREE information packet that outlines our entire personalized, stress-free stem cell treatment process!
Thanks for your interest!
Request Information Packet
We'll send your FREE information packet that outlines our entire personalized, stress-free stem cell treatment process!
Thanks for your interest!
Request Information Packet
We'll send your FREE information packet that outlines our entire personalized, stress-free stem cell treatment process!
Thanks for your interest!
Request Information Packet
We'll send your FREE information packet that outlines our entire personalized, stress-free stem cell treatment process!
St. Petersburg, Florida
