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to your Address Book or Safe List. Learn how here. | June 2, 2011 | |  |  | Slow Rheumatoid Arthritis with Early Detection | | | Perfect Painkillers... | | | Herbal Baths Detox Your Whole Body | | | Prescription Drugs to Avoid Like the Plague | | | Nighttime Calories Do Count More | | | |  |  | |  | |
 | | Slow Rheumatoid Arthritis with Early Detection An elderly neighbor has fingers so gnarled and painful that she can scarcely hold a fork. The cause, she told me, is rheumatoid arthritis (RA). When she told her doctor that her middle-aged daughter was starting to show signs of the disease, he urged, "Tell your daughter to see a doctor right away." Why the rush? Because now—unlike when my neighbor first developed RA decades ago—there are ways to limit the disease’s progression, most notably with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). But these work best when treatment begins within six to 12 weeks of the onset of symptoms. Unfortunately, many RA sufferers postpone seeking medical care... and once they do, doctors may not accurately diagnose the disease or may fail to refer patients to rheumatologists, the specialists best equipped to treat RA. In a recent study in Arthritis & Rheumatism, 69% of RA patients did not see a rheumatologist within those crucial first 12 weeks—and the delay contributed to a 30% faster rate of joint destruction and an 87% lower likelihood of remission, compared with patients who saw a specialist promptly. I talked with Beth L. Jonas, MD, director of the Rheumatology Fellowship Program at the University of North Carolina Thurston Arthritis Research Center. "Permanent joint damage can occur at a very early stage of the disease. Medication can slow and sometimes prevent joint destruction—but once damage is done, we can’t reverse it," she told me. New concern: Some research links the high levels of inflammation associated with RA to cardiovascular disease, Dr. Jonas said. What about people who have already missed that window of opportunity for early treatment? Avoiding further delay is vital because the new medications still can help somewhat... whereas RA sufferers left untreated face a significantly increased risk of becoming disabled. SPOTTING THE SIGNS With RA, the immune system attacks the synovial membranes that line the joints. This lining becomes inflamed and thickened... fluid builds up... ligaments and tendons weaken and stretch out... cartilage is destroyed... and bone is damaged. Over time, patients develop crippling chronic pain and joint deformity. Women are two to three times more likely than men to get RA. The disease can arise at any time but usually appears in midlife. While genetics may play some role, most RA patients have no close relatives with the disease—so we all should be on the lookout for RA. See your doctor without delay if you experience any of the following... - Pain, tenderness and/or stiffness in any of the small joints—fingers, wrists, toes, ankles—usually occurring symmetrically on both sides of the body. (As RA progresses, the neck, shoulders, elbows, hips and/or knees also may be affected.)
- Morning stiffness that lasts for more than 30 minutes.
- Redness, swelling and/or sensations of heat at the joints.
- Numbness, tingling or burning sensations in the hands or feet.
Confirming an RA diagnosis can be tricky because the symptoms mimic those of lupus, Lyme disease and other forms of arthritis. Diagnosis is based on a physical exam... blood tests for antibodies (including rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide) plus various markers of inflammation... and imaging tests (ultrasound, MRI, X-ray). So if your doctor suspects RA, ask to be referred to a rheumatologist or get a referral through the American College of Rheumatology (visit www.Rheumatology.org and click on "Find a member"). Source: Beth L. Jonas, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine and rheumatology and director of the Rheumatology Fellowship Program at the University of North Carolina Thurston Arthritis Research Center in Chapel Hill.
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 | | Herbal Baths Detox Your Whole Body Soaking in a hot bath feels fabulous, of course. But did you know that it helps draw toxins out of the body if you put certain herbs and other natural substances in the tub? I asked Mao Shing Ni, PhD, DOM, LAc, author of Secrets of Longevity: Dr. Mao’s 8-Week Program—Simple Steps that Add Years to Your Life, to share his personal recipe for an herbal bath that uses essential oils or fresh or dried herbs to cleanse you inside and out. It includes... - Eucalyptus and wintergreen, which help open the pores so toxins can be more easily expelled through the skin... and which have antibacterial properties.
- Cinnamon and fennel, which increase circulation, transporting nutrients and oxygen more efficiently to muscles and organs.
- Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate), which help muscles eliminate lactic acid, a by-product of muscle metabolism that causes soreness and cramping.
For best results, Dr. Mao recommended taking an herbal bath daily. If your water contains chlorine (as does the water in many municipalities), consider buying a faucet-mounted filter to eliminate it, since chlorine dries out the skin. Before drawing your bath, rinse away any detergent residue in your tub. Fill the tub as high as you like with moderately hot water. Then... - Use equal amounts of eucalyptus, wintergreen, cinnamon and fennel. If you opt for essential oils (which is easiest, Dr. Mao noted), use five drops of each... for fresh herbs, use one tablespoon of each, mixed together and placed inside a tea ball... for dried herbs, use one teaspoon of each, mixed together and placed inside a reusable tea bag or drawstring cheesecloth bag. Add the oils or herbs to the bathwater, then add one cup of Epsom salts. Allow everything to steep for at least 10 minutes. (You can leave the tea ball or fabric bag in the tub while you soak.)
- Check the water temperature (with a thermometer, if desired) before you get in—and if necessary, run additional hot or cold water to achieve the right temperature. Bathwater should be 100°F. to 105°F., which is between lukewarm and hot. As Dr. Mao explained, water that it is too cool would not have the desired detoxifying effects... water that is too hot may scald or cause skin irritation for people with sensitive skin.
- Soak in the herbal bath for 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t stay in too long, though, or your skin will dehydrate. (If your fingertips start to wrinkle, it is past time to get out, Dr. Mao noted.)
Herbal baths generally are safe for everyone. However, people with certain medical conditions (high or low blood pressure, circulatory problems, heart disease, obesity, pregnancy) should get their doctor’s OK first because any type of extended hot bath could cause blood pressure to spike and then drop. People with diabetes who have numbness from nerve damage should take special care to make sure that the bath water is not too hot. Women with vulvodynia (chronic genital pain) may benefit from warm baths with just the Epsom salts, since the herbs might irritate their ultrasensitive tissues. Source: Mao Shing Ni, PhD, DOM (doctor of Oriental medicine), LAc (licensed acupuncturist), is chancellor and cofounder of Yo San University in Los Angeles and cofounder of Tao of Wellness, an acupuncture and Chinese medicine clinic in Santa Monica and Newport Beach, California. He is the author of 12 books, including Secrets of Longevity: Dr. Mao’s 8-Week Program—Simple Steps that Add Years to Your Life (Chronicle). www.TaoOfWellness.com
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 | | Prescription Drugs to Avoid Like the Plague Some drugs are just so bad, you should avoid them at all costs. If your physician won’t prescribe a safer alternative—or let you use a natural remedy—then run (do not walk) to one who will. What kinds of drugs? - Widely used antibiotic so dangerous to your kidneys that up to 28% of those who use it develop some impairment.
- This former rat poison is now touted as a cure-all for everything from dental problems to bone loss. Banned in Japan and Europe, it’s unavoidable here in the US—unless the proper precautions are taken.
- Widely prescribed drug for high blood pressure that is so dangerous, it should be used only as a last-ditch effort if nothing else works for you.
- Popular osteoporosis drug is just a rehashed version of an older one that built bone of such poor quality, breaks actually increased. Not to mention side effects such as permanent damage to the esophagus and kidneys, stress, diarrhea, constipation, fever, calcium and vitamin D deficiencies, rashes, headaches, and muscle pain.
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| | | Nighttime Calories Do Count More Isn’t it just calories consumed and energy expended that count when it comes to weight? Nope. As it turns out, people with a penchant for middle-of-the-night snacking may pay for that habit with added pounds, even if they consume the same number of calories overall as people who don’t eat during the night, a recent study suggests. For six weeks, researchers fed two groups of mice an identical high-fat diet. One group was fed during times of day when mice normally are sleeping... the other group was fed during their usual active time. Overall calorie consumption and physical activity levels were equal in both groups. Results: Compared with mice that ate during their usual waking hours, those that ate when they ought to have been asleep gained 2.4 times more weight, on average... and wound up with 8% more body fat. Theory: The body’s internal clock regulates energy use, programming itself to more effectively burn calories consumed during active times. Lesson: Even when you stay up very late or wake up hungry at 2 am, resist the urge to make a middle-of-the-night foray to the fridge. Source: Deanna Arble is a doctoral candidate at the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and lead author of an animal study.
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 |  | |  Tamara Eberlein, the editor of HealthyWoman from Bottom Line, has been a health journalist for nearly three decades. An award-winning author or coauthor of four books, she is committed to helping other women in midlife and beyond live healthy, fulfilling lives. Her latest book is the updated, third edition of When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads (HarperCollins). She is also the "chief health adviser" to her husband of 26 years and three college-age children. | |  | | Bottom Line Publications | 281 Tresser Boulevard, 8th Floor | Stamford, CT 06901
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