Do you live with Knee Pain that doesn't go away?
Knee pain afflicts millions of people every single day. Whether you have sustained some sort of acute injury to your knee joint long ago or you are experiencing chronic pain as the result of regular wear and tear, it can wreak havoc on your overall quality of life. If you have difficulty standing for long periods of time, or deal with knee pain and stiffness that just won't go away, there may be something more to the story than your doctor has told you. In this post you'll learn about a new member among the causes of knee pain... and what actions can you take right away to mend your sore knees faster. (One note: If you've injured your knee, ie. torn meniscus or ligament/tendon damage or other trauma you should see a doctor.)Knee Pain Statistics
If knees are givin' you grief, you're certainly NOT alone:- 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain
- Knee pain is the second most common cause of chronic pain
- One-third of all Americans report experiencing knee pain at some time or another
- Knee pain is often the result of too much weight on the knee joint
- Another leading cause of knee pain is improper technique during activity
- Between 15 and 20% of all men are afflicted with knee pain
- More women than men report knee pain, roughly 20%
Could it be fungus?
Consider one risk factor to chronic knee pain your doctor may not have told you about. When a person's immune system is running low, you're more likely to develop a fungal form of arthritis, one that feeds on simple sugars and only gets worse with time. There’s a remote chance of this happening by meds contaminated with fungus microbes. Which is what happened in September 2012, causing a multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis and fungal arthritis. But what’s far more likely among the millions of people suffering with chronic knee pain, are the millions of prescription antibiotics dispensed and consumed in the US today. Broad spectrum antibiotics lay out a warm welcome for fungal overgrowth in all the mucous membranes of the body. Why? Because they destroy competing microflora in all their habitats... including the soft lining in your knees.
ALERT: Steroids may harm not help
A 2017 study published in JAMA, showed that steroid injections are not helpful for knee pain and finally confirms what many researchers have been saying for years. When the researchers compared results of 140 osteoarthritis patients, those who received steroids AND those who received placebo (saline) saw no significant difference in knee pain at any time during the two-year period. Thanks to the placebo effect, pain did decrease a bit in all patients. But there were no changes in knee functioning, stiffness, or walking.Cartilage Loss for Steroid Users
However, one thing did change significantly between the groups: cartilage thickness. Cartilage helps to cushion the knees, and cartilage loss is the major cause of knee pain. The patients who received steroid injections lost significantly more cartilage than those who got saline. This is exactly the opposite of what patients and their doctors are hoping for when steroids are administered. Consumer beware!Popping Ibuprofen may not be the answer either
So, scrap the steroids. What about NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory meds) like Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Relafen or Celebrex? Ask your pharmacist. These were never intended for long term use and they do erode the cartilage in joints, just as anti-inflammatory steroids do in the study above.Get to the root
Fungal arthritis is inflammation of a joint by a fungus microorganism that has invaded the body and is growing in the soft synovial membrane of the joint. Fungal infection of a joint is a serious condition that can lead to permanent damage with loss of function. If your knee pain was ever preceded by a course of broad spectrum antibiotics, listen up.
Fungal Arthritis is on the rise
Fungal arthritis is caused by organisms like Candida, Aspergillus, or Exserohilum species traveling through the bloodstream to set up camp in the joint. Whether encouraged by infection through the blood or injection through a contaminated instrument or med, fungal arthritis can be the result. According to a medical studies review by the National Institutes of Health, Musculoskeletal Infection by fungi was once rare, but its incidence has increased in the past few years. (link to Review, NIH)
Risk factors you should know.
Some risk factors for elevating fungus levels in the body that could be the cause of your knee pain are the use of broadspectrum antibiotics, chronic emotional stress, repeated use of steroids OR nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory meds (Ibuprofen, Relifen, Naproxen) and a high sugar diet.
Vital Role of Mucous Membrane in Pain Free Knees
Your immune system is only as healthy as your mucous membranes. They bear the tremendous task of keeping the outside world out of your bloodstream AND keeping your inner juices IN and running smoothly... including your moveable joints. They are your frontline of defense against invaders in the food, air and water you take into your body. In addition to lining all body cavities that make contact with the outside world, mucous membranes cradle organs, holding them in place and creating lubrication to keep your innards moving comfortably as you move about your day.Why Do My Knees hurt?
Your knees have a soft tissue lining (mucosa) located between the joint capsule and the joint cavity called the synovial membrane. This same kind of membrane also lines moveable tendon sheaths and bursae, and it secretes a juicy synovial fluid which fills the joint cavity and lubricates the joint. But if this mucosa becomes inflamed, infected or impinged, we call it arthritis (inflammation of the joint).Out with the Mold, in with the new!
If you’ve done a dance with chronic back pain, or any other joint pain, and have not found satisfactory relief yet, consider a 30 day challenge to the potentially overgrown fungus or other microbiota residing in your mucous membranes. If the thought of fungus growing inside your body grosses you out, step back a minute and consider that everyone on the planet, including the robustly healthy among us has a limited number of yeast/fungi living in the mucous membranes of the body. Friendly bacteria, an alkaline diet and a peaceful existence all serve to keep the friendly organisms in control. But, any one of 8 different risk factors can upset the balance and tip your chemistry in favor of fungus.
Infection from aspergillis fungus is responsible for an increasing number of knee problems linked with arthritis in the knee.
Other Symptoms of Fungal Arthritis
The infection sometimes occurs as a result of an infection in another organ such as the lungs, the digestive tract, skin or nails and tends to get worse very slowly. The large joints like knees and hips are most often affected. And people with weakened immune systems who travel or live in areas where lots of people suffer from similar symptoms (an ‘endemic area’) are more susceptible to most causes of fungal arthritis. Fungal infection elsewhere in the body can affect digestive, respiration, skin conditions, allergies and fatigue… all in addition to the joint pain you've been feeling. And now, a few surprising things you can do to relieve ongoing joint pain at it's root.First Aid for Stressed Joints from Tumtree
Over the last decade in my work with clients, I've honed the following system for relieving both acute cases of joint pain, and the chronic kind that just won't go away. Here are the "good to know"s when a joint or muscle sprain, tear or slipped disc puts you down for the count.1. Keep the Bowel Moving
For all cases of joint pain, do whatever it takes clear the biggest channel of elimination every day. With back pain, or disc inflammation, you'll feel the difference increasing your output of stool makes right away. Take 1-2 teaspoons Exodus GI Sponge mixed in juice or water. If you haven't had a bowel movement in the last 24 hrs, you might want to take a capsule of vegetable laxative like cascara sagrada or senna leaf. If you’re uncomfortable enough, doing an overnight GI cleanse with Exodus is recommended. Each bowel movement will bring another leap forward in relief to your back and achy joints.2. Cut the Carbs
Avoid all sweets, dairy and wheat (anything that spikes insulin) until the area heals. Elevated insulin means elevated inflammation, and sweet also feeds fungus.3. Kill the fungus
If this isn’t your first go round with painful joints, and especially if antibiotic use preceded youwindow._klOnsite = window._klOnsite || []; window._klOnsite.push(['openForm', 'S5iXSk']);r joint problems, consider stepping up to a 30 day Reboot to alkalize and restore balance to all your mucous membranes. Your satisfaction is always guaranteed, or your money back. (A guarantee you won't get from your doctor or pharmacy.)
