Using Nature’s Secrets to Look Great and Feel Terrific, Stay young, slim, strong, and energetic – Naturally
I knew there was a good reason to delay hip replacement surgery. I could feel it in my bones. New studies show patients who had metal on metal hip replacements during the last ten years have had terrible side-effects that resulted in multiple surgeries and worse. Recently the FDA approved a metal on ceramic hip replacement device. But how long has it been tested? What sort of side-effect may we expect? For ten years I have used herbs, foods, supplements, massage, and for a year medical injections of my PRP (platelet-rich plasma) and my own bone marrow stem cells hoping to grow cartilage at the hip joint, reverse arthritic damage, and relieve pain. The results have been mixed.
I can walk up the stairs, walk around for short periods of time during good weather without too much pain, but I have a limp. That is because the strain of walking has been placed on the lower back. The painful hip joint/leg is stiff, moves all together in a piece and over many years has resulted in weakness in the leg. Lack of exercise, avoiding pain, has weakened my heart. I take Asian herbs to stay strong. (See this website for articles on HeartCare, hawthorn, ashwagandha, and guggul) The (expensive, not-covered by insurance even if I had it) stem cell injections have given me a little extra cartilage and reduced pain. Good results. More important–they have bought me additional time.
Physicians and chiropractors have advised hip replacement for me for years, but I have been afraid of the down time, complications such as infections, and cost. Now new evidence proves the wait has been the best idea. Commonly used metal on metal hip replacements have shown dangerous side-effects and the FDA now urges companies to research patients who have had hip replacement surgery during the last ten years. Microscopic metal shavings from the joint replacement device have caused real harm. Here is the NY Times article.
From an article in the Daily Mail, here is what one 63 year old woman says,
‘I ended up in greater pain than I had suffered prior to my hip surgery. An x-ray showed a dark ring around the hip component. My surgeon therefore decided that investigative surgery was essential and 16 months after my first operation, the decision was taken to replace my DePuy ASR artificial hip with a ceramic one.
‘I have now undergone two hip operations and I may require a further revision. My fear is that given the extra surgery, it is more likely that my next revision will be unsuccessful. I am also concerned about the health implications following exposure to metal particles as these could give me problems in the longer term.’
Solicitor Bozena Michalowska-Howells from Leigh Day & Co solicitors said: ‘We have been approached by over 550 people who have had concerns over their metal on metal hip implants from a variety of manufacturers.
‘We always recommend to our clients the importance of going back to their consultant first for a review of their hip replacement and to ask for an analysis of cobalt and chromium in the blood and serum and, if appropriate, MRI scans even if they are asymptomatic.”
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I’ll be 65 Feb 2012. I was a runner up to age 40, forced to stop because of bone-on-bone and arthritic implications. Used a chiropractor from age 18 to age 62 to maintain best alignment. During this whole time I have taken 4000 mg Fish Oil daily, which removes all pain. When I need to do yard work during spring, summer, fall, winter snow removal I use aspirin (I am able to tolerate 4 aspirins per every 4 hours to reduce the extra pain), I further maintain 1000 mg Rutin two times daily, with the maintenance of daily l-lysine of 4000 mg 2x’s daily and glucosamine-condroitin. I take further full-spectrum vitamins, minerals, herbals rather than trust the contemporary medical advice because it is as profit-driven as any other business or stock-market.
I have trusted my extensive research, my studies in the sociology of medicine, and what my body tells me daily works for me.
The issue for each individual with bone challenges (Pluto transiting Capricorn), is moderation, good food suuplementation, pain management with proper attitude, and energetics management with herbals and a variety of moderate exercises (recumbent biking, power walking, moderate weight-lifting).
Because of my own onerous experiences with the medical community throughout my lifetime, I have come to understand that certainly the medical community can be a God-send for some, and a nightmare for others. I am an astrologer, each of us has an individual astrological chart and the various transiting aspects an stresses affect the mind-management and stress-management. This is what spiritual disciplines are about. I have utilized these age-old sciences to assist me with personal self-disciplines, greater and deeper understandings that penetrate the illusions and the cons of the world.
Because medicine is big business it is also a con game just like anyother business. Therefore, one must come to terms personally with the business of “taking gambles,” for there is no assurances with any surgergy. Sometimes, the side-effects are worse than the initial health challenge. It takes daily spiritual (thought strength) to overcome the illusions of the world. We choose, would we rather maintain our daily personal approach to pain and discomfort or exchange it for uncertainty and the side-effects of surgery and the season affects upon such surgeries the rest of one’s life.
Thank you, La Verne
Your experience will be helpful for my readers. I also have used natural pain and health remedies for over 10 yrs despite doctors, chiropractors etc advising surgery for severe hip osteoarthritis with much damage to joints. Although I could not tolerate fish oil as you do. I like to use shark cartilage capsules. and for oil – nuts and flax seed oil. I don’t use a pain killer except health aids – homeopathic dulcamara on rainy days. PRP injections you can read about at this website.
I have been able to manage and improve my pain. Best of luck to you.
Be careful about those aspirin. They cause bleeding ulcers. Tylenol CANNOT be mixed with alcohol.
I am writing a natural approach to pain book with lots of suggestions from massage, baths, to herbs, foods, medical marijuana (legal in 16 states and DC) for chronic severe pain, HIV, cancer, MS and others depending upon the state rules. You have to be a resident in 13 of the 16 states. Google will tell you in which states it is legal pain medicine. And there is a pill also made with synthetic marijuana. I love to experiment with weird Asian remedies trusted for centuries. Like non-poisonous snake for “wind” pain i.e.., nerve pain, sciatica. Its in my book which will be available next spring from SourceBooks.
best of luck to you and your fine efforts.
Letha
Born 11:45 PM April 15, 1947 in Hammond, Indiana
Aries by western astrology and temperament.
Hi I am 40 and have bone on bone in r hip, seen X-ray and ball joint is not visible , pain bad varies with weather. Always walk with a cane, can’t walk long distances even with cane but am reluctant to have hip replaced until my kids (8 and 5) are older. What’s worst that can happen to me if I hold off til I’m 50? I was born with hip dysplasia (clicky hip) but not treated so now joint worn away. Wear implant roasted in shoe as 2inch length diff in legs as hip gone up. Please advise me if ok to carry on as feelpressure from Docs to get done but reluctant .:(
Sam
That is a heavy question – whether or not you should wait. I too have waited for years until medicare can pick up the tab. But that is tough. It costs vitality and maybe heart health because you cannot exercise. And it puts your lower back and both hip joints at risk. You may also risk a fracture of the femur – the thigh bone. Walking on a bad hip and unequal leg length can damage back muscles and lumbar discs. I sympathize with waiting, but it has to be your health choice, not just a convenience for the kids. Can you ask someone to take care of them for a month while you recover? I will have a friend cook and clean for my fella and pussycats while I am in rehab.
Here are ways I have used to ease the pain, I wrote a book about natural pain treatments that will be available July 1st. but whether or not you do surgery now it up to you and your orthopedic specialist.
You can use all or any of these:
Homeopathic dulcamara 30c for pain that is worse in rainy weather
acupuncture with a laser for sciatica and self massage with percussion massager down the lower back and legs
JointCare pills by Himalaya
Massage
hot seaweed baths adding kelp powder to bath water
bed rest and stretches putting the troubled leg over the side of the bed to stretch it out of the damaged joint
swimming and floating
Two simple exercises you might do if they do not hurt too much in order to tone your muscles around the hip joints.
1. in the bathtub lie on your back, very slowly open and close your legs and let the knees rest on the side of the tub.
2. Sit in the tub or in bed. With legs straight in front of you put your big toes together then slowly move them apart to point away from eachother. That rotates the hip joint. If it hurts too much don’t do it.
Lots of people tell me there is a great relief after surgery. But I am also scared of infection and will take preventative antibiotics for a week prior to surgery. You of course need to be tested to make sure you don’t have a problem that might delay surgery. Let me know what you think. Good luck! L.