Do you suffer from?

- Aches and stiffness especially in the mornings.

- Creaking and cracking of joints on movements.

- Recurrent neck pain with shoulder aches.

- A stiff lower back exacerbated when sitting down for a couple of hours.

- Pain in joints during after activity.

- Discomfort in joints before or during a change in weather.

- Pain when walking or bending knees.

- Swelling of joints.

If you do, you are not alone. Chances are you are suffering from arthritis. Millions of people suffer from some form of arthritis. For many, arthritis may just be a nuisance - with occasional joint pain. However, for others, the debilitating effects of severe joints pains can decrease overall mobility and limit the overall quality of life.

Many may come to accept arthritis as part and parcel of growing old, but this need not be so. Your joints are as old as you permit them to be. There are ways to keep your joints young and prevent arthritis or conquer any existing joint pain, without any adverse effects. However, to overcome joint problems successfully, one would need to understand and address the underlying cause of the problems.

Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints, tendons, ligaments and cartilage. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, but they have one thing in common - pain, swelling and stiffness in the affected area. The most common arthritic condition include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout.

Arthritis can effect virtually every part of the body, from the feet to the knees, back, shoulders, and fingers. While this condition may affect people of all ages (including children), the most commonly affected are the seniors. If you are over 50 years old, there's an 80% chance that you might be suffering from some degree of arthritis

What cause Arthritis?

-Damage to joint Cartilage.

As we age, the cumulative effects of wear and tear can trigger the breakdown of joints cartilage. Damage to the cartilage results in the release of certain enzyme that further destroy cartilage components. As cartilage roughens and wears down, the ends of bones become increasingly exposed and eventually damaged. As we age, our body loses the ability to manufacture sufficient levels of Glucosamine. Glucosamine is the critical building block of connective tissue substance that forms the cartilage, and is essential for the health and strength of the joints. Maintaining healthy cartilage is critical to ensure healthy, flexible joints and unrestricted, pain free movement.

-Inflammation caused by excessive "bad" prostaglandins.

Muscle and joint pain are caused by inflammation, which causes swelling, redness, heat and pain - the typical characteristic of arthritis. Inflammation is caused in part by the release of "bad" prostaglandins into the tissues, without sufficient "good" prostaglandins to counter its effects. Increased consumption of refined, polyunsaturated oil products (such as margarine, commercial "vegetables" oils, fast foods and other processed foods), a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar, ageing, daily stress and all forms of pollution cause the body to produce more of these "bad" prostaglandins. To make matters worse, most of us are not consuming sufficient Omega 3 that encourages the production of "good" prostaglandins. Omega 3 is found mainly in cold water deep sea fishes like salmon, sprat, herring and tuna.

Warnings!: Remember that if left untreated, arthritis can cause PERMANENT and IRREVERSIBLE damage to the joints, and can be crippling and debilitating.