Causes of Joint Pain

Many of you reading this article right now are affected by poor joint health or probably know someone who is. According to the United States Bone and Joint Decade, 1 out of 7 people in America, suffer from some type of joint pain resulting in restriction of movements.

Whatever the cause of joint ache, the physiology behind the discomfort is generally the same. Joint discomfort is due to the degeneration of the joint that takes place due to wear and tear of the cartilage, weak muscles and tendons, insufficient synovial fluid to cushion the joints. In more severe cases, bone begins to rub against bone making movement extremely strenuous. Gradually, the discomfort may grow so intense that it debilitates and restricts an active lifestyle.

What are some of the common reasons that lead to poor joint health?

Overweight: Being even slightly overweight can cause stress on load-bearing joints such as the hips and knees. Did you know that losing an extra pound of body weight can lead to a reduction of 4 pounds of stress on the knees? This is what the journal of Arthritis & Rheumatism reported in its July 2005 issue. Joint health experts agree.

Heredity: Joint discomfort can be hereditary. If you know that poor joint health exists in your family, you can take early proactive measures which include exercise, the right diet and nutritional supplementation for joint health.

Repeated Stress Injury (RSI): Joint discomfort can occur when the same joint is used repeatedly for long periods of time. Athletes and sports enthusiasts may suffer from RSI or overuse of joints. RSI can take place due to your occupation, for example typing or mechanical work that requires the use of the same joints every day. Baseball players may suffer from RSI in the shoulder.

Joint Injury: A fracture or even a sprain weakens the joints. An injury like this tends to accelerate joint degeneration. Degeneration can take place over years. If you had a joint injury in childhood, you may find signs of discomfort as you get older.

A Weak Auto-Immune System: The body’s immune system may react upon itself causing poor joint health and lead to severe joint discomfort.

Improper Workouts: When workouts are not done with the proper pre- and post care, it may result in injury to the joints. Some examples: Not warming up before an exercise routine, exercising for too long, prolonged lifting of heavy weights, wrong forms of exercise, not enough recovery time between workouts.

Inactive Lifestyle: Oddly enough, not being active or lack of exercise may also cause joints to degenerate faster. This is because exercise helps increase blood circulation to the body providing the necessary nutrients to all organs and joints. Exercising the joints also helps them to be naturally lubricated. Muscles and tendons are strengthened and help the joint to bear the brunt of body weight and movements.

Wrong Kind of Footwear: Using the wrong kind of footwear can put a strain on the joints, for instance, constant use of improper footwear for running or jogging, high heeled shoes for daily wear. Medical experts believe that “turf toe” could be caused playing sports on artificial turf, wearing footwear that does not support forefoot joints.

Poor Posture: Excess stress is put on the joints due to poor sitting or standing postures. This is especially significant if your job requires you to stand or sit for long periods of time. Today, people are used to sitting in front of computer screens for long hours. Care should be taken to follow precautionary measures to avoid joint discomfort.

Physical Labor: Short-term joint pains can be caused by sporadic periods of hard work involving heavy lifting, or using muscles and joints that are not normally used!

Lack of Proper Nutrition: Vitamins and minerals are needed for joint health, but the body also needs specific nutrients for the repair and maintenance of cartilage and production of synovial fluid without which joints will degenerate. Without this kind of nutrition, cartilage becomes thin and easily tears. The production of synovial fluid declines. There are natural nutrients found in the joints which the body needs for proper joint functions.

• Type II Collagen makes up 70 percent of the cartilage.
• Glucosamine sulfate, a natural nutrient, found in the joint helps to repair and maintain cartilage.
• Hyal Joint, another nutrient, helps to lubricate the joint.
• MSM is essential for the building of cartilage and connective tissue.

All of these nutrients, as oral supplements, have been researched well and indicate efficacy in helping to support joint functions and help ease joint discomfort. In addition Green lipped mussel extract, rich in omega 3 fatty acids, helps support mobility of joint. Grape seed extract supports blood circulation.

Supplements like GoFlex are physician-approved and contain all the nutrients and herbs required for maintaining the ten joints in your body that are most prone to injury and joint discomfort. The free topical cream contains an FDA approved pain-relieving ingredient called capsaicin. Capsaicin penetrates deep into the skin all the way to the joints to provide instant joint pain relief. The oral supplements nourish your joints from the inside for long term support of joint health!

Go Flex provides comprehensive health care through nutritional joint health supplements and topical analgesic application.