Monday, December 4, 2017

Prevent Arthritis and Cure Back Pain

Arthritic Pains
The separation of low back pain from rheumatoid 
joint pains elsewhere in the body is inaccurate. 
The mechanism of pain production in these joint 
conditions seems to be the same. They denote the same physiological phenomenon in the body. 
Their "regional" separation is a matter of 
convenience for the involvement of different sub-
specialties. For the one, one goes to a 
rheumatologist and for the other to an orthopedic 
surgeon or a chiropractor. The outcome is the 
same in both, pain management rather than its 
cure. Basically both conditions have the same 
pathology, except they are in different locations.

About 50,000,000 Americans are said to suffer 
from some type of arthritis pain. At any time, 
about 30 million people suffer from back pain. 
Each year a few million people are said to be 
functionally disabled from back pain. In the U.S., 
$16 billion is annually spent on back pain 
treatment. $80 billion is lost annually in 
productivity and wages as a result of back pain. 
These commonly quoted statistics, even if 
partially accurate, indicate a devastating problem 
for the American people. Statistically, the same 
ratios of occurrence to gross population may be 
representative of what goes on in other industrial 
countries.

New Insight Into the Phenomenon of Pain
In the chronically painful joint conditions of the 
lower spine or the joints of the hand and legs, the 
actual chronic and recurring pain itself is a signal 
of water deficiency in the area where the pain is 
felt [1,4]. The pain occurs because there is not 
enough water circulation to wash out the local 
acidity and the toxic substances. These regional 
joint pains are one of a series of newly 
understood emergency and crisis thirst signals 
of the human body. For more information read 
the book, Your Body's Many Cries for Water 
[1], (available through www.watercure.com). 
It depends on where the localized drought has 
settled in before the pain is felt. Low back pain 
has two componentsOne, the muscle spasm 
that causes the pain. Two, the disc degeneration 
that puts more strain on the tendons and 
ligaments in the spinal column. Either 
component of the back-pain-causing conditions 
is initiated by the onset of chronic dehydration.

Image result for Low back pain  
Basically, all joint surfaces possess cartilage 
padding. Their bone structures are separated by a 
firm layer of cartilage which holds a vast quantity 
of water in its composition. It is the water 
content of the cartilage that provides it with the 
ability to glide over the opposing surface and 
facilitate the necessary lubrication for the joint 
movements. Thus, prolonged dehydration that 
leaves the cartilage short of water will produce a 
greater friction and sheering stress at the 
cartilage contact points in the joint. In the 
process of shunting more circulation to the joint 
through its outer capsule, for its lubrication and 
repair process, pain is also produced. This joint 
pain is an indicator of local dehydration and the 
inability of the joints to cope with the extra 
demands for its movement.

Intelligence Behind the Designing of the Body

Related image

When the cartilage is dehydrated its gliding 
ability is decreased. The cartilage cells sense 
their dehydration and begin to give out their 
alarm of pain. Because they would soon die and 
peel off from their contact surfaces when they 
are used in their dehydrated state. The 
environment of cartilage is alkaline. In 
dehydration it becomes acid. This acidity will 
sensitize the nerve endings that will register pain.

Image result for cartilage

You all know that blood is made in the bone 
marrow. The actively growing blood cells in the 
bone marrow take priority over the cartilage at 
the contact surfaces of the bone for the available 
water that goes through the bone structure. The 
blood and serum circulation to the cartilage 
covering any bone is from its base and through 
its connection to the bone. The serum that 
reaches the cartilage will bring with it the 
necessary raw materials that are needed for the 
replacement of the layer that will wear-off as a 
result of friction and shearing stress with its 
opposite cartilage contact points. When pain 
occurs in symmetrical joints, it is the indication 
that the brain assesses the strain to be equal for 
all joints and therefore assumes these joints are 
not fully prepared to endure a particular level of 
pressure until the one or all of them are fully 
hydrated. This type of pain has to be treated 
with a regular increase in water intake until the 
cartilage is fully hydrated and washed of its 
acidity and toxins. Often the pain travels from 
joint to joint, if it does not appear at the 
corresponding joints in the other limb at the 
same time. "Chronic pains" have two 
components: local and central nervous system 
(brain) registered pain. The locally felt pain is 
relieved by the intake of analgesics. 
The brain level pain is not relieved by analgesics. 
These pains are more easily relieved by the intake 
of adequate water.
Related image What Happens to a Dehydrated Joint?
  Cartilage is a gelatinous living tissue, the cells of 
which like to live in an alkaline environment. The 
alkalinity of the medium is dependent on the flow 
of water through its substance that would 
wash the acid away. Salt helps to extract the 
"acidity" from the inside of the cartilage cells and 
pass it into the water that will carry the "acid" 
away from the medium. This is a constant 
process. For this process to be effective, two 
elements are vital, water and salt. Adequate salt 
supply is essential to prevention of "arthritis 
pain," be that pain in the joints of the hands or 
the joints of the spine. It is the salt level in the 
serum that also builds up its fluid volume and 
makes it abundant for its flow through the 
cartilage.

  The joint cartilage cells begin to die at a faster 
pace because of the constant high acidity and 
abrasive friction in the dehydrated joint. The 
dying cells need to be replaced. When there is 
damage to the cartilage because of its over use 
and under repair, the sensors in the area will 
begin to indicate a desperate need for urgent 
reparations. Under such circumstances, 
although ineffectively, attempt is made to 
supply the water needed by the new cartilage 
cells from the blood supply that feed the 
capsule of the joint. This action only helps 
supply some lubrication inside the joint but is 
not all that effective in maintaining the rate of 
cartilage growth from its base to replace the 
dead tissue. In the lining of the joint capsule 
there are certain cells that have the power to 
secrete local hormones to stimulate repair 
activity at the same time as they begin to 
produce pain. Several things happen when 
these hormones are secreted.

 1. The dying tissue is broken up from inside the 
cells and the broken fragments are extruded only 
to be ingested by the "garbage collectors" and to 
be recycled.

 2. More blood circulation is brought to the area, 
even if it has to come to the nearest sites in the 
fibrous capsule covering the joint. It is the 
swelling and stretch in the joint capsule that 
causes stiffness and eventually added pain.

 3. There is an associated protein breakdown and 
more amino acids are mobilized for the "pool" that may be needed for the repair of the damage.


4. In the inflammatory environment inside the 
joint, some white cells begin to manufacture 
hydrogen peroxide and ozone for two obvious 
purposes. One, to keep the joint space sterilized 
and prevent bacteria from infecting the joint 
cavity. Two, to supply with adequate oxygen to 
the cells that are engaged in the repair process 
and, because of their local isolation and the 
stagnant nature of the inflammatory exudates*, 
have less of an access to the blood oxygen. 
*An exudate is any fluid that filters from the 
circulatory system into lesions or areas of 
inflammation. It can be a pus-like or clear 
fluid. When an injury occurs, leaving skin 
exposed, it leaks out of the blood vessels and 
into nearby tissues. The fluid is composed of 
serum, fibrin, and white blood cells.

 5. There is a local "remodeling growth factor" 
that promotes the growth of tissue along the 
line of greater force.

 6. Knowledge gained from its on-going 
experience by the brain is put to use for the rest 
of the body. The remodeling and "fortification" 
of the other similarly structured joints will also 
be carried out. This seems to be the reason 
why rheumatoid joints of the hands will 
often show a mirror image inflammation 
and eventual deviation of the actual 
joints on both sides.

Related image

Back Pain
  In the spinal column, the weight of the body is 
supported by the 23 discs between 24 vertebrae. 
The discs are housed in between the plates of 
cartilage that are stuck to the opposing flat 
surfaces of the vertebrae. The end-plate 
cartilage attached to its flat weight-bearing 
surfaces is part of the structure of each vertebra. 
During the movement of each of the spinal 
vertebrae, the disc is meant to minimally glide 
between the end-plate cartilage, located on its 
upper and lower surfaces. Seventy-five percent 
of the weight of the upper body mass is 
supported by the hydraulic properties of the 
discs that absorb and hold water in their central 
cores. In dehydration (not drinking water on a 
regular basis) and when the gross body mass 
constantly squeezes out the water content of the 
discs, not enough of the lost water can be 
replaced. The dehydrated discs with their 
shrunken cores will gradually become less 
supportive of the weight of the body. The discs 
lose their wedge quality and the spinal joints 
become less firm. In their well hydrated and 
taut state, the discs themselves do not 
physically move, but get continuously 
squeezed of water, and then absorb it all over 
again and expand to function as the natural 
shock absorb-ers that they are.

 In their dehydrated state, the discs can be made 
to shift physically backward and press on the local 
nerves. When this happens in the lower spinal 
region, the pain becomes projected into the one 
or the other leg. This pain is called sciatic pain 
and is far more serious than the local pain in the 
back. It means the spinal joint structure has 
become so disorganized that one of the discs 
that have to shock absorb for the spine -- in 95% 
of cases the lowest lumbar disc that has to 
shock-absorb for the spinal column above it -- 
is now out of its normal position and is pressing 
on the nerve. Dehydration and bad posture are 
the basic factors involved in the production of 
this condition.

Image result for Facet joints

  At extreme and prolonged dehydration, the disc 
substance and their padding quality is drastically 
reduced until the vertebrae begin to touch one 
another at their facet joints. 

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Facet joints are four small vertically positioned 
joints, two on either side of the back of each vertebra. 

Related image

These joints anchor each vertebra to its 
counterpart above and below. The facet joints 
are only there to steady the movement of the 
vertebra when they twist and turn. They are 
not supposed to become weight-bearing in the 
same way as the flat parts of the vertebra. 
When as a result of the loss of supportive 
padding of the discs, the facet joints become 
weight-bearing, true and devastating back 
pains begin. The fluid circulation system to 
the disc space and the disc core depends on 
the creation of "intermittent vacuum" in the 
disc space. The process involves a series of 
movements that include slow and rhythmic 
bending of the spine with its convexity 
forward (bending the body backward as 
opposed to bending the body forward). The 
spinal column is made of 24 vertebrae and 
23 discs. The design of the spinal column is 
such that it packs these components in a state 
of vacuumVacuum provides the adhesive 
force that holds these parts together and fills 
all of the empty spaces in each joint with 
water. The vacuum sucks water in and the 
pressure of weight squeezes it out -- the 
mechanism of circulation in the vertebral 
joints. This natural process is enhanced 
during the walking movement. Of course, 
the body must be well hydrated for the water 
to leave the circulation and go into the disc 
spaces when the force of vacuum in the joint 
spaces is increased. By the way, I have 
developed a new self-help posturing 
technique for "vacuum reduction" of sciatic pain 
(even herniated disc causing paralysis of the leg) 
in less than one hour. You need to read my back 
pain book, or see the video I have prepared on 
back pain to learn the technique and permanently 
save yourself from back pain and its 
complications. (See How to Deal With 
Back Pain & Rheumatoid Joint 
Pain, F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. [2,3], 
(available here ⇨www.watercure.com).

Related image


Osteoarthritis
When the cartilage in the joint dies, the bone to 
bone contact begins, be it in the back, the legs, 
or the hands. Whereas the cartilage cells had a 
water-given resilience and survived the trauma 
of movement against one another, the hardened 
bone surfaces produce a friction force against one 
another. This friction force will produce an 
inflammatory process that destroys the bone 
surfaces. Thus osteoarthritis of the joint will 
establish -- a second stage process to dehydration 
that first destroyed the cartilage surfaces.

The Simplest Prevention and Cure of Them All 
  The body needs at least two quarts of water 
daily. Water itself as opposed to caffeine-
containing fluids and alcoholic beverages that
further dehydrate the body. Water should be 
taken at regular intervals. Its intake should 
become a habit. One cannot rely on the thirst 
perception to recognize the urgency to drink 
water. As we grow older, we lose our thirst 
perception. We begin not to recognize that we 
are thirsty. My rule of thumb: for every ten 
8-ounce glasses of water one should add about 
1/2-1/4 teaspoon of salt to the daily diet; if the 
food is already salty, the lesser amount. If 
the food is bland, the full measure. Frequent 
cramps in the leg muscles should be taken to 
mean salt shortage in the body. 

  With the new information about the emergency 
calls of the body for water -- and the role of water and salt in the integrity of joint functions -- I can predict a virtual disappearance of back pain and rheumatoid joint pains as we enter the 21st Century. We now have the insight and knowledge as to why these pains did occur, and can prevent their occurrence. These pains should be in the future only in the dictionaries and medical textbooks and not be seen in our joints and devastate our bodies. To achieve such an ideal situation, we need to learn as much as we can about the many roles of water in our body. We need to learn about chronic dehydration and what it does to the body. The information is now available and can be accessed by further reading.

References
1. F. Batmanghelidj, M.D., Your Body's Many Cries
 for WaterGlobal Health Solutions, Inc., PO Box 
3189, Falls Church, VA 22043.

2. F. Batmanghelidj, M.D., How to Deal With Back 
Pain &Rheumatoid Joint Pain, Global Health 
Solutions, Inc., PO Box 3189, Falls Church, VA 22043.

3. F. Batmanghelidj, M.D., How to Deal With Back 
Pain &Rheumatoid Joint Pain, Video; 
25 minutes, V.H.S., Global Health Solutions, Inc., Op.Cit.

4. F. Batmanhelidj, M.D., Pain: A Need for 
Paradigm Change; Anticancer Research
Vol. 7, No. 5B, PP. 971-990, Sept.-Oct. 1987.

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