Grease Your Gears! :: Health and Disease :: Bones, Joints, and Muscles

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Grease Your Gears!
by author Steve Parsons

Mobility is a gift we often take for granted. We walk, run, dance, eat and do 10 thousand actions both voluntary and involuntary. It’s all thanks to the bio-mechanics of amazing joint structures where 206 bones meet to make motion.

Our joints are designed to last a lifetime. They perform millions of repetitive motions effortlessly, far outlasting modern machines. Some of us will travel smoothly into old age with well-oiled joints, others will encounter the rough road of pain, stiffness, swelling and joint destruction. Keeping joints supple, preventing damage and encouraging healing when necessary are easier if you know how joints work.

Bones meet to form a joint. The ends develop cartilage, a tough rubbery tissue with a slick surface to reduce friction, absorb shock and distribute stress. Cartilage is made of collagen (a fibrous protein), proteoglycans (jelly-like molecules to absorb water), chondrocytes (cells to maintain and regenerate cartilage) and water.

Joints are then surrounded and supported by a capsule-like structure with linings that contain nerves and blood vessels and create synovial fluid. Like oil in a car, this fluid lubricates moving bones and contains oxygen and nutrients to nourish the joint. Muscles, tendons and ligaments cooperate to move the bones, the last two being formed of collagen and containing fibroblast cells, important to repair and healing.

Bones are comprised of about 35 per cent collagen for flexibility and 65 per cent calcium phosphate for hardness. They are constantly broken down by osteoclast cells to release calcium for use in body metabolism.

In a process called "resorption," tiny areas of bone are dissolved over a seven to 10 day period, leaving little holes. Osteoblast cells rebuild the bone, first creating collagen and then hardening bone with calcium and phosphorus. In adults, about one third of our bones is replaced each year, so 30 per cent of our skeleton is always less than one year old.

Joints may be damaged by trauma, excessive weight, overuse and improper movement. For millions of sufferers, however, the overarching causes are osteoporosis (cartilage and bone loss) and/or rheumatoid arthritis (inflammatory autoimmune disease).

These conditions arise from a host of factors. Uncontrollable factors like aging, gender (women are more susceptible to bone loss), menopause and disease can be managed. Controllable risk factors include poor calcium intake, caffeine, smoking, alcohol, excess salt, sugar, soft drinks, drugs and protein as well as a lack of exercise. Bones and joints can be strengthened with proper attention to diet and a lifestyle that includes weight-bearing exercise.

Eat for Bone Density

The normal acid/alkaline level of human blood is about pH 7.45, or slightly alkaline. It’s regulated by the critical ebb and flow of calcium in the blood which occurs in tandem with the foods we metabolize and via breathing, movement and kidney function.

Building healthy bones requires a proper balance of acid and alkaline-forming foods. In general, fruits, vegetables and mineral salts are alkalinizing and maintain stable calcium levels. Protein, fat, sugar and processed foods are acidic when metabolized. In addition, stress hormones, coffee, alcohol, smoking and many prescription, over-the-counter and recreational drugs are acid-forming! As the blood pH moves toward acidity, increased calcium is required to buffer the acids.

A good rule of thumb is three servings of fruit and vegetables to one serving of protein-rich food–more if you are stressed or consume coffee and other acid-forming substances. Be sure to get ample dietary calcium and magnesium. Both are found in green leafy and sea vegetables, whole grains and seeds, figs, almonds, cashews, beans, bony fish, many herbs and brewer’s yeast. These minerals work with vitamins A, B-complex, C, D (often deficient from lack of sunshine) and K.

Also important are boron, manganese, zinc and silicon (or silica), which strengthens connective tissue and is found plentifully in oats. Each element plays a specific role in bone remodeling and calcium balance within the cells.

Any lack of nutrients or dietary imbalance impacts negatively on bone condition. Bone rebuilding suffers as a diet high in processed foods strips calcium from the bones; joint degeneration accumulates as these foods rob nutrients and add free radicals to destroy tissues. Autoimmune-related inflammation is worsened with processed food, including sugar.

Exercise oxygenates metabolic acids and eliminates many free radicals. It causes calcium to stay in the bones and can help rebuild bones and joints. Weight-resistance training produces the greatest benefits. Exercise should be tailored to the individual. Overexercising, too many strong repetitive motions or abrupt changes in movement can undermine joint integrity, promote inflammation and induce pain and stiffness. Also, prolonged muscle stress induces a lactic acid buildup, leading to cramp and spasm. Guidance and assessment are a good idea, especially when in healing mode.

Supplements for Super Joints

Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfates and MSM (methyl sulfonylmethane) are three supplements with an impressive history of healing joints. They help by reducing inflammation and encouraging the regeneration of cartilage and bone.

Chondroitin sulfate is a relatively large, poorly absorbed molecule which inhibits the degradation of cartilage and increases the synthesis of hyaluronic acid (a vital joint lubricant). French researchers now conclude that it’s effective in reducing the pain, stiffness and disability of osteoarthritis. Their double-blind, randomized study involved 130 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee who received either 500 mg of chondroitin sulfate or placebos twice a day for three months.

Other aids are antioxidants in the form of vitamins A, C and E, grape seed extract, coenzyme Q₁₀ and beta-carotene. In addition, vitamin D from sunshine is essential for proper calcium metabolism.

Proteases are enzymes that dismantle protein and fight inflammation. They aid digestion and also help to speed healing. Proteases include bromelain, papain, trypsin and chymotrypsin. Good sources include pineapple, papaya, figs, ginger root and soy foods. They are also available in supplement form.

Helpful herbs are devil’s claw, feverfew, bilberry and horsetail. Elk antler velvet has a long history of use in healing joints and contains natural glucosamine and chondroitin as well as prostaglandins and hyluronic acid (for joint lubrication in the synovial fluid), amino acids, calcium and phosphorus.

Steve Parsons has been a writer and nutritional consultant for 15 years. He lives in Nova Scotia.

Source: alive #224, June 2001

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