Abundant living with John Arts Abundant Health

The best part of what I do is to hear back from clients who have less pain and more mobility. If you’re in pain, the first step should be a visit to your health practitioner for an accurate diagnosis.

In the next few editions I’ll look at the most common causes of pain and the measures we can take to help. In all cases these measures are designed to help restore your body’s natural healing processes, which can be greatly affected by disease.

Most pain is either caused or worsened by tissue inflammation. For example, in osteoarthritis the immune system response to cartilage loss is inflammation. This can cause fluid accumulation, swelling, loss of function and invariably pain.

An anti-inflammatory diet combined with well formulated supplements can help. My preference is to have equal amounts of chondroitin and glucosamine with a potent curcumin turmeric extract and solid doses of fish oils.

Of these, chondroitin sulphate is the most important as it helps support several joint healing processes damaged by arthritis. In most cases I start with 1600mg of chondroitin and glucosamine plus curcumin to help improve cartilage function. Chondroitin is so effective it is now available in Europe on prescription.

During the last six months I’ve been helping a man in his seventies with long-term knee osteoarthritis with some damage from his rugby years. He was really struggling with pain and mobility, and in his own words is “now 95 per cent better”. All he has now is a few niggles.

The key is to use multiple measures that target the processes that help maintain healthy joints. The answer is not diet or supplements. The answer is to stimulate dormant healing processes overwhelmed by degenerative changes to joints. Your body does the rest.

John Arts (B.Soc.Sci, Dip Tch, Adv.Dip.Nut.Med) is a nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health Ltd. For questions or advice contact John on 0800 423559 or email: john@abundant.co.nz Join his all new newsletter at: www.abundant.co.nz