Healthy Knees for Life
Filed Under Dr. Zoltan Rona (MD) |
More than 5 million people in North America seek medical attention each year for knee problems. That’s according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a group of specialists who often perform a variety of surgical procedures on knees or prescribe strong painkillers with unwanted side effects like stomach ulcers. Osteoarthritis, ligament tears, and other types of joint trauma account for the vast majority of these cases.
Some knee problems result from wear and tear of parts of the knee, such as the damage that occurs in osteoarthritis. Other problems result from injuries that force the knee beyond its normal range of movement. If you want to minimize your chances of visiting the knee surgeon for an experience under the knife, there are quite a few things you can do on your own or with the guidance of a natural health care provider.
Common Sense Prevention
When it comes to knee health, if you do not use them, you lose them. You must exercise. Warm up before strenuous exercise by walking on grass or other soft surfaces or by riding a stationary bicycle.
Then stretch. Do not stretch without a warm-up because stiff, cold muscles are more prone to injury. Stretching the quadriceps (front of the thigh) muscles and the hamstrings (back of the thigh) reduces tension on the tendons and relieves pressure on the knee during vigorous activity.
On at least two days a week when you are not competing or vigorously exercising, work at least an hour to strengthen all the leg muscles by doing specific exercises such as leg lifts with weights, walking up stairs, walking on a treadmill with a high incline, or riding a stationary bicycle. Working out with weights has been proven to benefit the knee, but this is best done with the supervision of a personal trainer or kinesthesiologist.
Wear properly fitting athletic shoes. Problems with flat feet and excessive pronation (feet turning inwards) are common knee stressors that can be prevented by getting fitted for special shoe inserts called orthotics. This service is provided by a sports medicine specialist, podiatrist, or a chiropractor.
If you are overweight, realize that this puts extra stress on your knees. Longer warm-ups, increased water intake, as well as diet and special food supplements should be strongly considered both to lose weight and enhance knee health.
Diet for Better Knees
The following recommendations are general guidelines only and should be modified depending on individual food tolerances or allergies as well as health history, degree of knee dysfunction, and individual goals.
• Nightshade foods (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplants, tobacco) might have to be eliminated by those who have joint pains associated with their consumption.
• There are certain foods (beef, pork, and dairy, for example) that are pro-inflammatory: they increase the inflammatory response due to their content of certain types of fats (arachadonic acid and saturated fats) that increase the body’s production of pro-inflammatory hormones called prostaglandins.
• Other foods like fish (cod, trout, salmon, halibut, and herring), flax, and hempseed, are anti-inflammatory in that they have the reverse effect.
• The foods in the prohibited category are the most allergenic and therefore the most likely to aggravate the inflammatory response. If you are not sure what foods or substances you might be allergic to, see a natural health care provider for an individualized diet.
For more information on diet, menus, and meal suggestions, see my book, Osteoarthritis (Alive Books Healthy Living Series, 2001).
Allowed Foods and Beverages
Provided you are not allergic to these foods, feel free to eat them—organic whenever possible.
• Carotene-containing foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, cantaloupe, kale, squash. and pumpkin
• Rice cakes, rice cereals, and rice crackers
• Vitamin C- and antioxidant-containing foods like citrus fruits, broccoli, strawberries, melons, Brussels sprouts, and cabbages
• Popcorn (no butter or salt added)
• Buckwheat, quinoa, corn, or rice pasta
• All fresh fruits and dried fruits
• Lamb, poultry, fish, and seafood (they must be well cooked)
• Fruit juices (freshly juiced) but just one glass per day if you have a high triglyceride blood level
• Soy, rice, or almond milk
• Small amounts of nuts (except peanuts and cashews, which are high in mold content); best nuts are walnuts, pine nuts, and almonds
• Sunflower and pumpkin seeds
• Pure, filtered, or ozonated spring water (it is important for adults to drink at least eight large glasses each day)
Foods to Avoid
• Wheat and other gluten-containing grains (barley, oats, rye, spelt, and Kamut)
• Milk and dairy products
• Eggs
• Sugar
• Artificial sweeteners (stevia is a good non-sugar sweetener)
• All alcoholic beverages including beer and wine
• Caffeine (coffee, regular tea, colas, chocolate)
• Soft drinks and tap water (unless filtered or ozonated); avoid distilled water because it is devoid of minerals and can lead to mineral deficiencies
• All foods containing artificial flavorings, additives, and preservatives
• Beef, pork, cold cuts, fried foods, and salty foods
• Coconut
• Peanuts, cashews, and their products
Supplements
Knee cartilage injuries or osteoarthritis can be repaired with the help of the following supplements (taken for at least 3 months):
• Glucosamine sulfate – 500 mg three times daily
• Chondroitin sulfate – 500 mg three times daily
• MSM (methylsulfonyl methane) – 3000 mg three or more times daily
• SAMe (S-Adenosyl-Methionine) – 200 mg three times daily
• Vitamin C – 1000 mg three times daily
These nutrients take a minimum of 8 weeks to work. They reduce both pain and inflammation and may be taken safely for years, if needed. People with sensitive stomachs should make sure they take these supplements with food. Some individuals may need to use something like DGL lozenges (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) to prevent heartburn while using these natural anti-inflammatory nutrients.
For prevention: If you have healthy knees but wish to prevent injuries, you can take these supplements in one-third the dosages.
Important minerals: Strong muscles joints and ligaments require adequate amounts of minerals, especially copper (1–2 mg), zinc (15 mg), manganese (15 mg), calcium (1200 mg), magnesium (400 mg) and boron (3 mg). In the diet, they are available by eating fresh nuts, seeds, greens, and non-citrus fruits. Potassium (1000 mg or more) is also essential and widely available by eating citrus and tropical fruits.
Other natural food supplements that have success in reducing knee pain, swelling and inflammation include:
• Bromelain (a pineapple enzyme) – 500 mg three times daily between meals
• Niacinamide – two 500 mg capsules up to four times daily
• Omega-3 fatty acids (from fish or hempseed) – 3000 mg up to three times daily
• Vitamin E – 800 IU up to five times daily
Consult a natural health care practitioner for an individualized supplement program.
Dr. Zoltan Rona
References
Rona, Zoltan P. Osteoarthritis, Treat and reverse joint pain naturally. Vancouver: Alive Books, 2001.
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