Tag: bones
Evening Primrose Oil
It wasn’t until recently that evening primrose oil was used for its amazing health benefits, so you may be surprised to learn about the impact it can have on your hormone health, skin, hair and bones.
Evening primrose oil also has a range of therapeutic properties. It’s known to help reduce the pain associated with PMS and improve chronic skin complaints like eczema, acne and psoriasis. The oil could also be used as an anti-inflammatory agent and is known to be helpful for menopause symptoms, bone and joint pain and so much more.
More info
Link
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/263027.php
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Bombogenesis and Joint Pain
I’ve heard a lot about Bombogenesis, it’s a popular term used by meteorologists, occurs when a midlatitude cyclone rapidly intensifies, dropping at least 24 millibars over 24 hours. A millibar measures atmospheric pressure.
Remember your great-aunt used to to say she “feels” a storm coming on, she was probably predicting the weather with some accuracy. You probably laughed.
But now you know exactly what she meant.
Barometric pressure is the weight of the atmosphere that surrounds us. Barometric pressure often drops before bad weather.
Lower air pressure pushes less against the body, allowing tissues to expand. Expanded tissues can put pressure on joints and cause pain.
Arthritis and joint pain affects everything within the joint, including the lining and ligaments.
All of those tissues have nerve endings that can feel changes in the weather, which may result in tightness, stiffness, and some discomfort.
So if you plan to be active in cold weather or high altitude, warm up first with stretching exercises and wear appropriate clothing
The Arthritis Foundation published a study from Tufts University in 2007 that found that every 10-degree drop in temperature corresponded with an incremental increase in arthritis pain. In addition, low temperatures, low barometric pressure and precipitation can increase pain. Researchers are not sure why weather changes cause pain, but suspect that certain atmospheric conditions increase swelling in the joint.
As for weather-related pain, it hurts, but it’s only temporary. Your joints should return to normal as soon as the barometric pressure increases and the temperature goes up. Your great aunt may be able to predict calm weather, too, as she feels less joint pain.
Song of The Day : California Dreaming Mamas And Papas
Resource Link
https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/tools-resources/weather/
Understanding Bone Marrow Edema-Linked To Osteonecrosis
Good Morning Pain Warriors Around The World
It is time to educate on the various causes of
Avascular Necrosis-Osteonecrosis
So twice a week we will post some educational info on a cause with links
Today Its Bone Marrow Edema
What is Bone Marrow Edema?
Bone marrow edema is a condition when excess fluids in the bone marrow build up and cause swelling. It is often caused by a response to an injury, such as a broken bone or a bruise, or a more chronic condition such as osteoporosis. Bone marrow edema most commonly occurs in the hips, knees and ankles. In this case, bone marrow edema of the knee is a main cause of localized knee and joint pain, and is only diagnosable via a Magnetic Resonance Imagining test (MRI).
It is usually caused by the following scenarios:
- Avascular necrosis, or “bone death”. This is when a small portion of the bone dies, and can result in a painful bone marrow edema
- Any type of knee bone trauma, including broken bones and bone bruises.
- Joint disorders such as osteoarthritis or osteoporosis. In this case, the knee joint is lacking the cushion that cartilage provides, which can lead to easier fracture and wear on the bone. Subsequently, if a fracture of the bone occurs, the injured area becomes susceptible to edema..
- Knee ligament injuries.
- A condition such as synovitis (an inflammation of the lining the joints, called synovial membranes).
- In rare conditions, bone tumor.
Symptoms of Bone Marrow Edema in the Knee
Bone marrow edemas may not bother you at all, or they may be painful and inconvenient. They can feel more intense than a muscular injury (for example, a muscle bruise) at times due to the nature of the bone. A muscle is capable of swelling, which increases blood flow to heal the area. Unfortunately, bones are not capable of swelling, and thus the fluid (edema) that collects in the marrow can create intense pressure within the bone, resulting in more intense pain. In fact, in many osteoarthritic patients, it isn’t the lack of cartilage that’s causing them pain, but rather the pressure due to the edema.
Some of the most common symptoms of bone marrow endema include:
- Varying degrees of pain, from mild to moderate, depending on the severity and Trauma.
- Swelling of the knee area.
- Inability to put full pressure on the knee to walk.
- Recurrent pain and tenderness.
- Bruising.
Treatment of Bone Marrow Edema in the Knee
Thankfully, most bone marrow edemas will settle down and heal on their own after the injury has subsided. For example, in some cases of osteonecrosis the bone will regenerate itself and heal the edema but note : not all cases of osteonecrosis or spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee will have the ability to heal itself. Unfortunately, though, in the case of osteoarthritis, the edema may only get worse over time. In this circumstance, treatment options may be explored.
Traditional treatments for bone marrow edema usually involve rehabilitation through physiotherapy and rest. Ice, medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, and even a crutch or a cane can help as well. There is one drug-facilitated treatment that uses a bisphosphonate and vitamin D mixture to help increase bone density. When this treatment is delivered via intravenous, it is found to be quite effective in reducing pain and increasing density. Other drugs that usually treat the vascular system have been found effective for bone marrow edema, in that they encourage blood flow and treat any vascular abnormalities that may exist in the bone and marrow.
In some more challenging cases, core decompression may be used. This is a type of surgery where a surgeon drills a hole into the affected part of the bone allowing that area of the bone to experience increased blood flow, form new blood vessels, and heal.
Another option is subchondroplasty, which can be especially effective for osteoarthritis patients. In this procedure, an x-ray determines where the edema is. The patient is then sedated, and a small needle injects a paste into the area of the edema. The paste then hardens and provides more strength and density to the bone. By improving the strength of the bone, it will enable the bone to deal with the pain of the edema and of the osteoarthritis.
http://louisvillebones.com/understanding-bone-marrow-edema/
Knee
https://www.g2orthopedics.com/bone-marrow-edema-in-the-knee/
https://www.researchgate.net/…/7224238_Bone_marrow_edema_in…
https://www.researchgate.net/…/7224238_Bone_marrow_edema_in…
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/crirh/2018/7657982/
Hip Study
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/94/4/1068/2596208
https://www.ajronline.org/doi/10.2214/AJR.05.0086
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15049532
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4972799/
Shoulder
https://www.sciencedirect.com/…/veterinary-sc…/osteonecrosis
Ankle
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21189186
https://www.footanklesurgery-journal.com/…/S1268-7…/abstract
https://wordpress.com/post/avascularnecrosiseducation.wordpress.com/128
If you have #Osteonecrosis feel free to join our #group
Avascular Necrosis / Osteonecrosis Support Int’l.
What Is Bone Marrow & What Does It Actually Do?
Ever since I was diagnosed with several bone problems I have become fascinated by the human body and the bones are just a small portion of just how marvelous our body is.
Science is constantly making new discoveries about the human body.
Fact: Did you know The Smallest Bone in the Human Body is in your ear- The Stirrup Bone located in your middle ear; it measures 2-3 millimeters.
Biggest (and Strongest) Bone in the Human Body: Femur – The femur is the strongest bone in the human body. It extends from the hip to the knee. It can resist a force of up to 1,800 to 2,500 pounds. Only events of a large amount of force can cause it to break, such as by a car accident or a fall from an extreme height, taking months to heal.
Body Part with the Most Bones: The Hands – The hands have the most bones — 27 in each hand.The hands and feet together make up more than half the bones in the human body. There are 206 bones in the human body; 106 of these are in the hands and feet (27 in each hand and 26 in each foot).
Most Fragile Bone in the Body: The Toe Bones – The small toe bones break the easier and most often.
Most Commonly Broken Bone: The Ankle -Even more common than breaking a toes is spraining or breaking your ankle.
The Most Complex parts of the body – The knee is one of the largest and most complex joints in the body. The knee joins the thigh bone (femur) to the shin bone (tibia).
Now whats cool is learning about the marrow in the bones………
Bone marrow is a nutrient-rich spongy tissue located mainly in the hollow portions of long flat bones like the sternum and the bones of the hips. There are two types of bone marrow: red marrow and yellow marrow. Yellow marrow has a much higher amount of fat cells than red marrow. Both types of marrow contain blood vessels.
Stem Cells
The bone marrow works like a ‘factory’ that
produces all of the cells that are found
in the bone marrow and in the peripheral blood stream.
This factory is dependent on the function
of the pluripotent stem cells.
Pluripotent refers
to the ability of a cell to become many different
types of cells
Pluripotential is derived from the Latin
pluri meaning more and potential meaning power.
Fact : Did You Know?
At birth, all bone marrow is red. As we age,
more and more of the marrow converts to
yellow bone marrow. In adults, about half of
the bone marrow is red and half is yellow.
The bone marrow has two types of stem cells, mesenchymal and hematopoietic. This
process of development of different blood cells from these pluripotent stem cells is
known as hematopoiesis.
Pluripotent hematopoietic cells say that 3 times real fast Pluripotent,Pluripotent,Pluripotent the Pluripotent hematopoietic cells can become any type of cell
in the blood system. Under the influence of tissue and hormonal factors these cells
develop into specific blood cell lines. When these cells differentiate or mature they
become the cells that we can recognize in the blood stream.
The majority of our Red Blood Cell’s (RBCs),platelets, and most of the White Blood Cell’s (WBCs) are formed in the red marrow while only very few of them are formed in the yellow marrow.
Everyone needs a continuous production cycle of blood cells from our bone marrow throughout our lives since each blood cell has a set life expectancy.
Healthy bone marrow produces as many cells as your body needs. Red
cell production is increased when the body needs additional oxygen, platelets increase when bleeding occurs, and white cells increase when infection threatens.
Fact: Did You Know?
Red blood cells live an average of
120 days and platelets live 8 – 10
days. Some white blood cells are
very short lived and live only hours,
while others can live for many years
As RBCs age, they become less active and become more fragile. The aging red cells are
removed or eaten up by white blood cells (macrophages) in a process known as phagocytosis and the contents of these cells are released into the blood. The iron from the hemoglobin of the destroyed cells is carried by the blood stream to either the bone marrow for production of new RBCs or to the liver or other tissues for storage.
Normally, a little less than 1% of the body’s total RBCs are replaced every day. The number of red blood cells produced each day, in the healthy person, is about 200 billion cells.
Importance of the Circulatory System
The circulatory system touches every organ and system
in your body. Red cells flow in the blood circulation
to transport oxygen. Every cell needs access to the
circulatory system in order to function since oxygen is
essential for proper cell function.
Hemoglobin
Hemoglobin (Hgb) is a protein that is found within
red blood cells. This protein is what makes ‘red cells’ red. Hemoglobin’s job is to pick up
oxygen in the lungs, carry it in the RBCs, and then release oxygen to the tissues that need
it like the heart, muscles, and brain. Hemoglobin also removes CO2
or carbon dioxide and
carries this waste product back to the lungs where it is exhaled.
Fact: Macrophage is derived from the Ancient Greek:
‘macro’ meaning big and ‘phage’ meaning eat.
Platelets
Platelets are produced in bone marrow by a process known as thrombopoiesis.
Platelets are critical to blood coagulation and the formation of clots to stop
bleeding.
Sudden blood loss triggers platelet activity at the site of an injury or wound.
Here the platelets clump together and combine with other substances to form fibrin.
Fibrin has a thread-like structure and forms an external scab or clot.
Platelet deficiency causes you to bruise and bleed more easily. Blood may not clot well at an open
wound, and there may be a greater risk for internal bleeding if the platelet count is very low.
Fact: Did You Know?
Healthy bone marrow normally manufactures
between 150,000 and 450,000 platelets per
microliter of blood, an amount of blood that fits
on the head of a pin
The majority of RBCs, platelets, and most of the WBCs are formed in the red marrow while only a few of them are formed in the yellow marrow. Everyone needs a continuous production cycle of blood cells from our bone marrow throughout our lives since each blood cell has a set life expectancy. Healthy bone marrow produces as many cells as your body needs.
Repeating Because This Is Important To Know : Red cell production is increased when the body needs additional oxygen, platelets increase when bleeding occurs, and white cells increase when infection threatens.
Iron
Iron is an important vital nutrient for the body. It combines with protein to make the hemoglobin in red blood cells and is essential in the production of red blood cells (erythropoiesis). The body stores iron in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow. The storage form of iron is known as ferritin.
Ferritin can be measured through a blood test. Most of the iron needed each day for
making hemoglobin comes from the recycling of old red blood cells.
Red Blood Cells
The production of red blood cells is called
erythropoiesis. It takes about 7 days for a
committed stem cell to mature into a fully
functional red blood cell. Red blood cells
have a limited life span of approximately
120 days and must be continuously
replaced by the body.
Erythropoiesis is stimulated by a lack of oxygen (hypoxia) in the body. This lack of oxygen tells the kidneys to produce a hormone, erythropoietin (EPO). EPO then stimulates the bone marrow to produce RBCs.
Erythropoietin does this by entering the blood stream and traveling
throughout the body. All the body’s cells are exposed to erythropoietin, but only red bone
marrow cells respond to this hormone. As these new red cells are produced they move into the blood stream and increase the oxygen-carrying ability of the blood. When the tissues of the body sense that oxygen levels are enough, they tell the kidneys to slow the secretion of erythropoietin. This ‘feedback’ within your body ensures that the number of RBCs remains
fairly constant and that enough oxygen is always available to meet the needs of your body.
As RBCs age, they become less active and become more fragile. The aging red cells are
removed or eaten up by white blood cells (macrophages) in a process known as phagocytosis
and the contents of these cells are released into the blood. The iron from the hemoglobin of
the destroyed cells is carried by the blood stream to either the bone marrow for production of
new RBCs or to the liver or other tissues for storage.
Normally, a little less than 1% of the body’s total RBCs are replaced every day. The number of
red blood cells produced each day, in the healthy person, is about 200 billion cells.
White Blood Cells
The bone marrow produces many types of white blood cells, which are necessary for a healthy
immune system. These cells both prevent and fight infections. There are five main types of
white blood cells, or leukocytes:
Lymphocytes
Lymphocytes are produced in bone marrow. They make natural antibodies to fight
infection caused by viruses that enter your body through your nose, mouth, or cuts.
They do this by recognizing foreign substances that enter the body and then sending a
signal to other cells to attack those substances. The number of lymphocytes increases
in response to these invasions. There are two major types; B- and T-lymphocytes.
Monocytes
Monocytes are also produced in the bone marrow. Mature monocytes
have a life expectancy in the blood of only 3-8 hours, but when they
move into the tissues, they mature into larger cells called macrophages.
Macrophages can survive in the tissues for long periods of time where
they engulf and destroy bacteria, some fungi, dead cells, and other
material foreign to the body.
Granulocytes
Granulocyte is the family or collective name given to three types of white blood cells: neutrophils,
eosinophils and basophils. The development of a granulocyte may take two weeks, but this time
is shortened when there is an increased threat like a bacterial infection. The marrow also stores
a large reserve of mature granulocytes. For every granulocyte circulating within the blood, there
may be 50 to 100 cells waiting in the marrow to be released into the blood stream. As a result,
half the granulocytes in the blood stream can be available to actively fight an infection in your body within 7 hours of recognizing that an infection exists!
Once a granulocyte has left the blood it does not return. It may survive in the tissues for as long as 4 or 5 days depending
on the conditions it finds, but it only survives for a few hours in the circulation.
Neutrophils
Neutrophils are the most common granulocyte. They can attack and
destroy bacteria and viruses.
Eosinophils
Eosinophils are involved in the fight against many types of parasitic
infections and against the larvae of parasitic worms and other
organisms. They are also involved in some allergic reactions.
Basophils
Basophils are the least common of the white blood cells and respond to various allergens
that cause the release of histamines and other substances. These substances cause
irritation and inflammation in the affected tissues. Your body recognizes the irritation/
inflammation and widens (dilates) the blood vessels allowing fluid to leave the circulatory system and enter the tissue in an effort to dilute the irritant. This reaction is seen in hay fever, some forms of asthma, hives, and in its most serious form, anaphylactic shock.
So you see the body is such a marvelous complicated system we run it like its a machine but its not a machine.
There is nothing built today that runs as well as the human body and there is nothing more fascinating than the human body.
More Fun Facts:
If you use an average of 80 beats per minute, your heart beats about 4,800 times per hour. That’s a whopping 115,200 times per day. Over the course of a year, your heart would beat about 42,048,000 times! If you live to be at least 80 years old, your heart would have beaten approximately 3,363,840,000 times!
Your nose can remember 50,000 different scents.
•An adult human being is made up of around 7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 atoms.
• A human baby has over 60 more bones than an adult.
• There are 100,000 miles of blood vessels in an adult human body.
Pretty Cool 😎
The Food Your Eating Could Be Making Your Pain Worse.
Before you take one more bite or swing into that fast food place stop and consider how it affects your health. I have osteoarthritis (OA) and Osteonecrosis and what I eat definitely effects my levels of pain and inflammation.
So I started to help myself by eating mostly plant based but I am a flexitarian.
Did you know research shows that diets high in saturated fat – found in red meat, butter, cheese, lard and processed foods – can weaken knee cartilage, making it more prone to damage.
In a 2017 study published in Arthritis Care & Research, researchers followed more than 2,000 patients with OA for up to four years, checking disease progression and diet at yearly intervals.
Participants who ate the most fat, especially the saturated kind, showed increasing joint damage, whereas those who ate healthy fats like olive oil and avocados had little disease progression.
Another recent animal study showed that it even may harm the underlying bone, according to Yin Xiao, PhD, a professor at Queensland University of Technology in Australia and lead author of a 2017 study that looked at the effect of diet on OA.
For me I went to a mostly plant based lifestyle to help ease my pain from Osteonecrosis and Osteoarthritis in late 2016. And I know that I have less pain.
I’m not cured and there are still days when I feel like crap. But it’s not everyday all day like it was before.
We have to fight back
The solution is to change the way we eat. Switching to an anti-inflammatory or Mediterranean-style diet can help you significantly improve your joint pain , and help your heart and brain health and the food tastes great.
An anti-inflammatory diet is heavy on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish and healthy fats like olive oil, avocados and nuts.
Poultry’s and fish are allowed now and then and you can have one glass of red wine or beer a day. Off the menu, as you might expect, are sugar, red meat, and processed foods.
For me it’s also gluten because I have a sensitivity to it.
It takes a little work in meal planning but the benefits are worth it.
Stay tuned an example of what to eat will be in my next post.
Remember
The food you eat can be either the powerful and healing or a form of poison.
You are what you eat.
Have a fantastic day
Deb Andio
xoxo
References
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170523190029.htm
https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/can-diet-improve-arthritis-symptoms
Pain Chronic Pain
Once we accept the reality of the current moment (no matter how unpleasant it may be) for what it is, and not what we wish it were, we can turn our attention to ways to improve it. This I find true in any situation.
Living with chronic pain can throw your life upside down.
It’s hard to believe that I can and have managed my rare disease Osteonecrosis (knee) pain. And my Osteoarthritis pain.
But the pain of spondylolisthesis somedays is truly unbearable. It can just take a fabulous day day and screw it all up.
Today is one of those days.
I try to stay busy , and positive when I really would like to go somewhere and just scream at the top of my lungs.
I don’t think my neighbors would appreciate it. So I bang away at the keyboard.
Since the weather in NE Ohio has changed I am having more and more days in pain.
And in the days when all the above hurt I’m down right miserable. Thank Hod that hasn’t happened yet , but then fall and winter have only begun….
I’m grateful today it’s just my back although it feels as if I have been kicked in my L5S1 several times.
Besides having spondylolisthesis I also for the past decade or longer been dealing with osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis since 2014.
If you don’t know what they are I will explain below.
Osteoarthritis
Sometimes called degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic condition of the joints, affecting approximately 27 million Americans. OA can affect any joint, but it occurs most often in knees, hips, lower back and neck, small joints of the fingers and the bases of the thumb and big toe.
In normal joints, a firm, rubbery material called cartilage covers the end of each bone. Cartilage provides a smooth, gliding surface for joint motion and acts as a cushion between the bones. In OA, the cartilage breaks down, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint. As OA worsens over time, bones may break down and develop growths called spurs. Bits of bone or cartilage may chip off and float around in the joint. In the body, an inflammatory process occurs and cytokines (proteins) and enzymes develop that further damage the cartilage. In the final stages of OA, the cartilage wears away and bone rubs against bone leading to joint damage and more pain.
Who’s Affected?
Although OA occurs in people of all ages, osteoarthritis is most common in people older than 65. Common risk factors include increasing age, obesity, previous joint injury, overuse of the joint, weak thigh muscles, and genes.
One in two adults will develop symptoms of knee OA during their lives.
One in four adults will development symptoms of hip OA by age 85. Lucky me I developed Osteoarthritis at age 45.
One in 12 people 60 years or older have hand OA.
Osteonecrosis What it is….
Osteonecrosis of the Knee. Osteonecrosis of the knee (also known as avascular necrosis) and if in the knee from a meniscus tear also called Ahlbacks Disease is a painful condition that occurs when the blood supply to a section of bone in the femur (thighbone) or tibia (shinbone) is disrupted.
I have Osteonecrosis of the medial femoral condyle due to a meniscus tear in 2014. Strange no one wanted to fix it or have any treatment plan.
This pain is like no other. Your area of Osteonecrosis is ice cold yet it often can feel like it was hit by a lightening bolt.
Weather plays a huge factor for me and my pain. I used to love winter now I can barely tolerate a cool fall day. I dread winter.
I get sick of being in pain. If it’s not the knees it’s back or hands it’s just enough to jack up my day or make things more difficult than they already are.
I have found that plant based lifestyle has helped my osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis a lot. I can’t understand why I haven’t lost a ton of weight though. I mean I don’t eat half the unhealthy calories I used to . But hey the doctors says it’s a slow thyroid.
I just wish these 40 lbs would come off it would also help my bones.
But maybe that will just take time.
If you haven’t tried a plant based lifestyle I would highly recommend it.
My cholesterol numbers are fantastic and all my doctors are impressed especially since I rarely need pain medication vs taking 2 a day like I did 3 years ago.
I truly believe that food can be your medicine or your poison.
The choice is yours.
I will be posting a lot of info and recipes
I don’t always eat perfect but life is about compromise and I follow a 90 / 10 rule.
It’s ok to have a cookie or small cupcake just make sure you eat as best as you can most of the time .
Living food is the way to go.
It may not take away all your pain but wouldn’t it be a benefit if it took away a lot of it ? And made it more managed?
Absolutely!!!
People With Chronic Pain Are Suffering While Addicts & Junkies Are Being Coddled.
What does it say when heroin and opioid addicts are given better treatment than a person living with chronic pain?!
Now please don’t go thinking I lack compassion and am being cruel honestly it’s not my intention.
But I am sick of hearing about the opioid crisis every day, especially when
they throw chronic pain sufferers in the same category as a junkie!
News Flash ……….Were Not
Or a person that is suffering with cancer. I just don’t understand it.
Yes I understand that their is a problem in this country with some abusing drugs whether prescribed or illegal.
But not everyone falls into that category.
Why are so many Doctors,Pharmacies, Government Officials patient profiling?
We as a society look down on racial profiling, gender profiling but why is it ok to patient profile?!
Thank God I have an excellent family doctor.
Many people in government and now pharmacies don’t make their job any easier.
In fact they make it hard for decent doctors who don’t over prescribe and patients who don’t abuse drugs or who don’t doctor shop.
All the red tape they have.
Now we have government and pharmacies in our doctor patient relationship.
Telling the public that they will now be limited and controlled on how much medication they receive and that their legitimate diagnosed ongoing pain doesn’t matter.
But we care more about addicts & junkies who choose to shoot heroin over and over again. They choose that life !! Chronic pain suffering is not a choice it’s many individuals reality.
Many people myself included suffer from several painful chronic conditions.
NSAIDS don’t do crap for the pain I feel most days . I have tried many of them. And sometimes the pain medication takes the edge off so I can get things done. No one wants to be in pain. My body has less pain so I can then function more.
But I find that taking CuraMed Curcumin helps me more than a rx for an NSAID.
So I limit my own use of rx pain meds.
And most people I know don’t want to have to take a pills to have pain relief.
But we will,when we need to.
NSAIDs will for some It really depends on your pain and your condition or disease.
Some of the conditions I have Osteonecrosis for one is rare. And has been said it’s second in pain to bone cancer.
More on Osteonecrosis below.
I bilateral pars fracture in L5S1
Lumbar spondylolysis this is a condition in the lower back where there is a defect or fracture in the part of the vertebra known as the pars interarticularis. The pars interarticularis, also known as the isthmus, is a segment of bone that connects the facet joints at the back of the spine. It is a small, thin part of the vertebra that has a poor blood supply, which makes it susceptible to stress fractures. No NSAID can help this. A pain pill barely helps but at least it helps somewhat.
Fractures of the pars interarticularis, known as spondylolysis, usually occur at the L5-S1 level,and rarely at L4-L5 or higher. They can occur on one side of the vertebra or on both. Lucky me mine is in both sides L5S1
SPONDYLOLYSIS
A pars fracture is also known as a stress fracture, or as spondylolysis. Spondylolisthesis is often the result of spondylolysis. In non-medical terms, this means a stress fracture causes the forward slippage of a vertebral body. The stress fracture occurs through a fragile part of the vertebral bone called the “pars” and is often broken on both sides. The fracture may be the result of a direct trauma, by a focused strain usually from athletic activity, or from a genetic weakness in this area of the bone. This is a thin bone that can break with repeated use; imagine a paperclip that has been bent over and over and finally breaks.
Spondylolysis sometimes causes spondylolisthesis, which it did in my case.
This is when one vertebra slips forward on the vertebra below it.
Symptoms include a deep painful constant ache in the lower back, pain that is worse with movement, and tightness in the hamstrings. If the vertebral slippage is severe, nerve roots can be compressed.
The pars functions as a bony hook and when fractured the posterior support for the vertebrae is broken. It can cause a forward slippage with time. Which mine has about 22 -25 percent.
I also have Spontaneous Osteonecrosis of the Knee, also known as Ahlback’s disease is the result of vascular arterial insufficiency to the medial femoral condyle of the knee resulting in necrosis and destruction of bone. It is often unilateral and can be associated with a meniscal tear.
Osteo means Bone Necrosis means
💀
No orthopedic wants to fix it, trust me I have been to more than 5 but less than 10 for their professional opinions
The stem cell procedure is 8 to 10kusd insurance doesn’t cover any part of stem cell injections that can actually help save the bone.
All the orthopedic doctors I seen said to wait until my knee bone crumbles and collapses and then they will saw out the old bone and give me an artificial knee.
I don’t know about you but to that is totally unacceptable!
A TKR Total Knee Replacement and PKR Partial Knee Replacement-cost 30-40,000usd some places more.
Your basically sawing off the patients bone and replacing it with fake parts
Vs using the patients own stem cells to help heal their own body.
For much less money.
It’s a no brainer
And I also have Osteoarthritis NSAIDs will help this but so does my CuraMed Curcumin so I take that instead.
Sometimes called degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic condition of the joints, affecting approximately 27 million Americans. OA can affect any joint, but it occurs most often in knees, hips, lower back and neck, small joints of the fingers and the bases of the thumb and big toe.
Who’s Affected?
Although OA occurs in people of all ages, osteoarthritis is most common in people older than 65. Common risk factors include increasing age, obesity, previous joint injury, overuse of the joint, weak thigh muscles, and genes.
•One in two adults will develop symptoms of knee OA during their lives.
•One in four adults will development symptoms of hip OA by age 85.
•One in 12 people 60 years or older have hand OA.
So if you add all these together my bones are jacked.
And yet the government wants me to suffer?
Now I will say
I don’t like pain pills I do need them occasionally it’s nice to know that if I need one or for pain I won’t have to jump through fire to get them.
What pisses me off is that junkies od get free narcan over and over often it takes 2-3 doses to revive them. And yet even faced with death they still don’t learn.
And go right back to it knowing it will either kill them now or later. More free narcan and hey we’ll pay for you to go to rehab as well.
And I can’t get insurance to even pay anything towards stem cell injections, that could possibly get me off disability and back to a career in eye care that I loved.
People in chronic pain want their lives back. We would gladly give up all medication to live and function pain free or even with less pain.
We become so used to our pain being a 5 that in days it’s a 3 we feel fabulous, where you may be on the sofa in pain at a level 3 we’re rejoicing. But pain level 7-8 and beyond are sometimes there also and we are down.
I wish the insurance companies would get on board with stem cell injections and Prp injections it can help so many.
So we can’t get the treatment we want because it’s so expensive and not everyone can afford the injections.
Because there is no payment plan.
For pain I take CuraMed Curcumin 1x a day.
5000 iu vitamin
1000 mg krill oil
300mg Coq10
Now and then I will take a pain pill.
It’s a blessing when my knee and back don’t hurt. But usually the back always hurts somedays a lot more than others.
I just think it’s a disservice for people with pain , constant legitimate pain to have to suffer.
I see junkies get free narcan,free rehab yet a girl in my bone disease support group who wants to live and us fighting every day to live has to pain for chemo.
It’s wrong.
If you like my logo I’d appreciate a vote
I just entered a contest; help me get to the top of the leaderboard!
I have Avascular Necrosis/ Osteonecrosis and the condition/disease is rare, so rare there was no cause ribbon for anyone to identify with.
I created a few varieties and now the AVN community finally has a ribbon.
My goal is to educate and provide hope and support to anyone suffering from this condition.
Mine was caused by trauma to the knee (medial meniscus tear) in 2014.
So what is Avascular Necrosis?
Avascular necrosis (AVN), also called osteonecrosis, aseptic necrosis, or ischemic bone necrosis, is a condition that occurs when there is loss of blood to the bone. Because bone is living tissue that requires blood, an interruption to the blood supply causes bone to die. If not stopped, this process eventually causes the bone to collapse.
Avascular necrosis most commonly occurs in the hip. Other common sites are the shoulder, knees, shoulder, and ankles. But AVN can attack any bone or joint anytime and age is not a factor
Who Gets Avascular Necrosis and What Causes It?
As many as 20,000 people develop AVN each year. Most are between ages 20 and 50. But young children are also affected it’s called Leg Calves Perthes
For healthy people, the risk of AVN is smaller than someone with an underlying cause.
Most cases are the result of an underlying health problem or injury. Possible causes include:
Dislocation or fracture of the thigh bone (femur). Tear in meniscus, tear in shoulder, etc…
This type of injury can affect the blood supply to the bone, leading to trauma-related avascular necrosis. AVN may develop in 20% or more of people who dislocate a hip.
Chronic corticosteroid use. Long-term use of these inflammation-fighting drugs, either orally or intravenously, is associated with 35% of all cases of nontraumatic AVN.
Although the reason for this is not completely understood, doctors suspect these drugs may interfere with the body’s ability to break down fatty substances. These substances collect in the blood vessels making them narrower and reduce the amount of blood to the bone.
Excessive alcohol use. Much like corticosteroids, excessive alcohol may cause fatty substances to build in the blood vessels and decrease the blood supply to the bones.
Blood clots, inflammation, and damage to the arteries. All of these can block blood flow to the bones.
Other conditions associated with nontraumatic AVN include:
Gaucher’s disease, an inherited metabolic disorder in which harmful quantities of a fatty substance accumulate in the organs
Sickle cell disease
Pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas
HIV infection
Radiation therapy or chemotherapy
Autoimmune diseases
Decompression sickness, a condition that occurs when the body is subjected to a sudden reduction in surrounding pressure, causing the formation of gas bubbles in the blood
Symptoms of Avascular Necrosis
In its early stages, AVN typically cause no symptoms; however, as the disease progresses it becomes painful. At first, you may experience pain when you put pressure on the affected bone. Then, pain may become more constant. If the disease progresses and the bone and surrounding joint collapse, you may experience severe pain that interferes with your ability to use your joint. The time between the first symptoms and collapse of the bone may range from several months to more than a year.
Treatment for Avascular Necrosis
The goals of treatment for AVN are to improve or ensure function of the affected joint, stop the progression of bone damage, and reduce pain.
The best treatment will depend on a number of factors, including:
Your age
Stage of the disease
Location and amount of bone damage
Cause of AVN
If the cause of your avascular necrosis is identified, treatment will include efforts to manage the underlying condition. For example, if AVN is caused by blood clots, your doctor will prescribe medications to dissolve clots. If inflammation of the arteries is responsible, your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medicines.
If avascular necrosis is caught early, treatment may involve taking medications to relieve pain or limiting the use of the affected area. If your hip, knee, or ankle is affected, crutches may be necessary to take weight off the damaged joint. Your doctor may also recommend range-of-motion exercises to help keep the affected joint mobile.
While these nonsurgical treatments may slow the progression of avascular necrosis, most people with the condition eventually need surgery.
Surgical options include:
Bone grafts, which involve removing healthy bone from one part of the body and using it to replace the damaged bone
Osteotomy, a procedure that involves cutting the bone and changing its alignment to relieve stress on the bone or joint
Total joint replacement, which involves removing the damaged joint and replacing it with a synthetic joint
Core decompression, a procedure that involves removing part of the inside of the bone to relieve pressure and allow new blood vessels to form
Vascularized bone graft, a procedure that uses the patient’s own tissue to rebuild diseased or damaged hip joints; the surgeon first removes the bone with the poor blood supply from the hip and then replaces it with the blood-vessel-rich bone from another site, such as the fibula, the smaller bone located in the lower leg.
Link
http://s.heyo.com/63eaad?media=54ef7658-1bbb-4e5d-865e-dfc25fb4bbb6
My New Homemade Pain Rub.
Real pure essential oils are not cheap. So don’t be fooled by cheap oils. You want them pure.
Essential oils have so many uses, including for serious health problems. This ointment uses the three powerful essentials oils, frankincense, ginger and myrrh, alongside the solid carrier oil, coconut oil.
It’s believed that frankincense oil transmits messages to the limbic system of the brain, which is known to influence the nervous system. It can help improve circulation and lower symptoms of joint pain or muscle pain related to conditions like arthritis, digestive disorders and even asthma.
Ginger essential oil is also made up of about 90 percent sesquiterpenes, which are defensive agents that have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
The bioactive ingredients in ginger essential oil, especially gingerol, have been thoroughly evaluated clinically, and the research suggests that ginger should be used on a regular basis.
A component of ginger essential oil, called Zingibain, is responsible for the oil’s anti-inflammatory properties. This important component provides pain relief and helps ease muscle aches, arthritis discomfort, migraines and also works as a headache remedy.
Lastly, myrrh essential oil also contains sesquiterpenes as well as another primary active compounds called terpenoids, both of which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
Mix all four ingredients into a bowl until well blended. Place this DIY arthritis ointment into a glass jar with a lid for continued use.
Simply massage the ointment in the areas where you feel pain. I use twice daily.
You can also take it to your masseuse and ask him or her to use it while performing a mild massage.
Do not use on open cuts ,sores or stitches
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Pain Ointment with Frankincense, Ginger and Myrrh
Total Time: 5 minutes
20-25 uses from one recipe
INGREDIENTS:
* 30 drops pure frankincense essential oil
* 15 drops pure ginger essential oil
* 30 drops myrrh essential oil
* 5-6 ounces unrefined coconut oil. ( I use 6oz)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix all ingredients into a bowl until well blended.
2. Place into a small glass Mason jar with a lid for continued use.
3. Label what it is
4. List all ingredients and how many of each.
5. Store in a cool dark place.
6. Massage the ointment in the areas where you feel pain. I Use once twice daily.
7. Keep away from children and animals
8. Wash hands after use.
**I store mine in the refrigerator but I don’t have any small children in my home **
I also am an adult and have not ever used on a child for pain.
Thus is not medical advice just information on what has helped me.
Never use without your doctors consent
My Supplements
A question I get relatively often from people is if I take any supplements, and if so, which ones?I started taking them and kind of experimenting with them about a 16 months ago because I was desperate to get bone pain relief.
I hated feeling like I could cry from the exhaustion of dealing with everyday all day all night pain.
The mind and body can only tolerate so much pain. Then ya start to get in a full time funk or depression and I wasn’t going to allow me to feel even worse and just make everything worse
So I tried a combo that finally works for me it consists of krill oil, curcumin, vitamin D, and co q 10.
I didn’t notice anything at first but with in a week I was feeling different not pain free but less pain all the time. Then as time went on, even less pain and
sometimes I was even pain free for a few hours.
I was able to actually go to the store , shop and put groceries away without wanting to cry or go lay down. After several months I was less stiff, the internal pressure I was feeling in my knee area was a lot better , still there just not as intense.
I have taken them faithfully ever since. For me it was such a great relief to have some relief because with Spondylolithesis in my L5 S1 you have pain all the time to. Unfortunately the supplements didn’t help that pain at all.
But I was diagnosed with a hernia in December 2016 about 3 weeks after my husband had a heart attack and stent surgery and now I needed surgery and was told I must stop all supplements a week before surgery.
This about killed me. But I complied. By Day 4 with out my supplements and special tonics like turmeric tonic, golden milk etc I began getting that constant aggravating pain in my knee again and it was becoming ice cold all the time again. My entire body felt like shit. Stiff sore aching all the time. And I haven’t even had the surgery yet.
Finally March 30th 2017 I had my hernia surgery. 8 days with no supplement, really did a number on my body and pain is pretty intense now not just from surgery but no supplements so every bone I have was in pain.
But
I decided to wait a day or 2 longer and then start back on supplements.
April 1st I started taking my supplements again.
Today is April 6th and I have been back in all my supplements for 6 days now. Feeling a slight change but I think it may take about 2 weeks for all the supplements to really kick in.
Hard to believe I felt like this everyday before my supplements. I would like to say weather plays also a big part in my pain.
Yesterday it was 70
Today it’s 48
Tomorrow snow and 34.
It’s just worse since I stopped the supplements
Probiotics is also essential for good bone health and especially gut healthy.
The body works like a fine symphony when it’s healthy. And it’s like a train wreck when it’s not.
It’s easy to judge a persons condition when your with them.
You see how we are that day
. You don’t see our life and what we deal with everyday
So Don’t rely on what you see
Most of us who suffer from chronic pain don’t want you to see how we really feel. And we do have good days.
We don’t want our condition to be the main topic of conversation.
Some days it’s like being trapped between 2 worlds
Being to functional to be chronically ill and limited in mobility in to much pain to be considered healthy.
It’s like a vicious cycle sometimes.
The health of our bones is instrumental to our health and longevity in general. This understanding is especially important today, because there are so many toxins and contaminants in the environment and food chain.
Keeping our bones and GI tract healthy is the first step to maintaining a healthy immune system, which is vital in protecting us from the epidemics lurking around every corner.
Red and white blood cell production alone makes maintaining optimal bone health an important requirement for optimal overall health, especially as we age.
It is no coincidence that with aging, diminishing bone health is also accompanied by reduced energy, increased fatigue, an increase in digestive problems, and an increase in maladies associated with a weakening immune system. These maladies include such disorders as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, irritable and inflammatory bowel disorders, and a host of other chronic inflammatory and degenerative problems another excellent reason to make sure your diet is rich in high-quality probiotics and foods that are not pro-inflammatory, since pro-inflammatory foods will compound these problems.
Bone cells and immune stem cells have a common origin and a functional relationship, just like the skin-and-brain connection known as the osteoimmune relationship.
I will touch in that tomorrow
