Gout Treatment - How To Help Yourself
I'm a 44 year old, full on "weekend warrior" and i have recently discovered that I have Gout
. I am recovering after having Achilles tendon surgery six months ago. It was a rather bad, complete rupture I managed to inflict on myself during bouts of extremely intensive training. Not satisfied initially that it was an Achilles tear I continued on in absolute agony, to train again the following weekend. (left leg was black below the knee and could hardly bear any weight). Finally I went for an MRI scan, and yes it was confirmed as a complete rupture, "oh and by the way, there's a bit of arthritis in your ankle, but nothing to worry about". Anyway, the recovery was hampered by a nasty infection to the surgery wound, for which I was taking antibiotics (3 different types) for months.
So the outcome, I've since learned, is that combining the initial ankle trauma, the Achilles surgery, the months of immobility, along with the copious amounts of antibiotics, which also caused the Candida I have suffered with for years to flare up, made me The Number One Candidate to Get Gout. Analysis of my diet and drinking habits upon further investigation into Why me? revealed still more reasons that I Got Gout!
Furthermore, I told my father back in England (I live in Australia), about my condition. His reply was to inform me that he had been taking medication for years to help with his rheumatoid arthritis (same family or what?). So to top off my list of 'self inflicted' causes I now had an hereditary reason that I was bound to be a gout victim. Thanks!
I had been limping around for almost 6 months, thinking that the symptoms I was experiencing were just normal, post Achilles surgery reactions. Lack of mobility, swelling, aches and pains etc.
I decided that I needed some help so I went to see my doctor and he diagnosed the Gout problem and dutifully prescribed Allopurinol and Colchicine, but thankfully with some wise words of advice....."You don't want to be taking these for too long, have a look for more natural alternatives". I took his advice and immediately set about researching Gout, its causes and more importantly, what Gout treatment choices were available.
The first thing I did was to look up "Colchicine" and here's the rather disturbing explanation I found,
Colchicine - a poisonous extract of autumn crocus plants.
Use - to inhibit cell division and cause chromosome doubling in plants, to treat gout.
Well that was enough for me, I decided then and there that I was going to investigate the facts about gout and gout treatment in order to find another way to treat myself, alternative or otherwise. Here's the basis of what I found out.
Gout is a very painful form of arthritis, which occurs when there is an excessive build up of uric acid in the body (hyperuricemia). When this buildup of uric acid is overly elevated it can accumulate in the joints throughout the body as sharp urate crystals.
These urate crystals may be present in the joint for a long time without causing symptoms, but can often lead to pain, tenderness, redness, warmth, and swelling in the affected areas. Infection, injury to the joint, surgery, drinking too much alcohol, or eating the wrong kinds of foods may suddenly bring on the symptoms.
More people than ever these days seem to be suffering fromgout. It will affect around 1-2% of the Western population at some point in their lives.Gout affects an estimated one million Americans, most commonly men (800,000 men versus 200,000 women). Men tend to develop gout in their late 30s or early 40s. Women more typically develop gout later in life, starting in their 60s.
The elevated levels of uric acid and subsequent increase in the incidence of gout are believed to be due to the increase in a number of risk factors in our modern society. These include metabolic syndrome, longer life expectancy and changes in diet. Gout was historically known as "the disease of kings" or "rich man's disease", due to the fact that the diet of these people included many of those foods with high levels of purines (purines raise levels of uric acid).
Many people prefer to tackle their Gout problem by utilizing more natural treatment protocols, which address the actual cause of the Gout rather than merely masking the symptoms (pain and swelling).
To even become aware that there are 'alternative' treatment options when looking for a Gout remedy is in itself empowering. Lowering the level of uric acid in the body is the primary issue. Dietary changes, re-hydration, simple mobilization techniques, along with a gentle increase in exercise, will combine to bring about huge improvements in your condition.
These changes will also affect the ph level in your body, making your body more alkaline, ideally around 7.35 on an acid(1), alkaline(14) scale. This in itself will have an enormous effect on your general well-being, whilst giving a huge boost to your immune system. Uric acid is more easily dissolved and ultimately excreted from a body that has a higher ph ratio.
Adequate hydration is essential, not only for helping your body to dilute harmful uric acid, but also to help dissolve and excrete the harmful urate crystals. For the overall benefits to your health, drinking good quality filtered water regularly throughout the day should become second nature, not waiting until you feel thirsty to have a drink. The general guidelines are to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, although this will need to be adjusted depending on your environment and activity level.
A daily regimen of active and passive joint mobilization exercises will also help to get the circulation flowing by moving the 'stagnant' energy. By adopting this approach you will help your body to dislodge the urate crystals that have built up. This kind of gentle stimulation is similar in essence to hatha yoga, but instead, focusing on the joints rather than stretching muscles, ligaments and tendons.
This is just the beginning of my quest to finding the right Gout Treatment for me. The improvement in my condition has been great. I'm more active and mobile, especially noticeable first thing in the morning - no more hobbling like a crippled old man to get to the bathroom!
This will be an ongoing process for me as there are so many
Gout Products available and there is always something new to learn.
Why not empower yourself and find out about the best Gout Treatment options available for you. Visit my website:
www.gouttreatmentreview.comGout Treatment - How To Help Yourself
By: Oliver Hampton
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