I feel your pain and age LATS.
Knees elbows low back neck cuffs, I have become that "old" man we used to laugh at in the gym that would spend 30 minutes warming up.
here's a few supps you may try:
Bromelain: Nutritional Enzyme Support For Anti-Inflammatory Joint Benefit
Derived from the stems of the pineapple plant, Bromelain is one of a group of proteolytic enzymes (enzymes capable of digesting protein).
Bromelain is a natural agent that supports the body to provide anti-inflammatory benefits and for this reason is helpful in healing minor injuries, particularly sprains and strains, muscle injuries, and the pain, swelling, and tenderness that accompany sports injuries.
Also as a result of its natural anti-inflammatory effect, bromelain has been found to dramatically reduce postoperative swelling in controlled human research. Double-blind research has found bromelain effective in reducing swelling, bruising, and pain.
The anti-inflammatory effect of bromelain is the probable reason this natural enzyme has been found effective for people suffering from joint pain. Again, probably due to its natural anti-inflammatory action, bromelain was reported to help patients with rheumatoid arthritis in preliminary research.6 In that trial, in which bromelain was given for varying (3-week to 13-month) periods, 73% had good to excellent results in reducing joint pain.
It has also been used with significant positive results in the treatment of various athletic injuries. In one open case observation study, bromelain was administered to 59 patients with blunt injuries to the musculoskeletal system. A clear reduction in swelling, pain at rest and during movement and in tenderness was reported.
Similarly, preliminary studies suggest that bromelain may also help reduce the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Plus, long-standing use of bromelain suggests that this natural enzyme may be helpful as part of the treatment for other connective tissue disorders including scleroderma (build up of tough scar-like tissue in the skin and, at times, internal organs), osteoarthritis,bursitis, burns, and tendinitis.
Bromelain Provides Nutritional Support For Joint Pain and More!
Of course, bromelain is a good natural remedy for inflammation and joint pain, but it is often used by naturopathic and complimentary practitioners in cases involving problems with digestion or sinusitis, wound healing, post surgical inflammation, sprains and strains, carpal tunnel syndrome, delayed onset muscle soreness, bursitis, tendonitis, and low back problems.
Bromelain may also ease the pain of heartburn and lessen the effects of diarrhea when these conditions are caused by a shortage of digestive enzymes.
For patients suffering from chronic bronchitis, bromelain has been shown to suppress cough and ease congestion. Other studies have indicated that individuals with sinusitis and allergies that affect the sinuses may also respond to bromelain therapy; it helps reduce inflammation and fluid retention in the nasal membranes.
Since bromelain can reduce tissue swelling, it may reduce swelling and pain in the wrist associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Quercetin
The popular and powerful anti-inflammatory combination of quercetin and bromelain help maintain the proper functioning of the body's histamine response to bring you natural inflammatory support. Quercetin is an antioxidant that supports the body's inflammation response and histamine processes, while bromelain increases the absorption of quercetin, and is a powerful inflammation response supporter and protein-digesting enzyme.
Bromelain also is known to have many of the same histamine and leukotriene-inhibiting properties as quercetin, so they enhance each others’ performance. The quercetin and bromelain provide you with the necessary “one-two punch” to help the body reduce aches and pains associated with degenerative joint conditions.
Cissus Quadrangularis
Dante turned me on to this product recently and it definitely helps (reduction of) joint pain and healing. **broken link removed**
Cissus quadrangularis is an ancient medicinal plant native to the hotter parts of Ceylon and India. It was prescribed in the ancient Ayurvedic texts as a general tonic and analgesic (painkiller), with specific bone fracture healing properties. Modern research has shed light on Cissus’ ability to speed bone healing by showing it acts as a glucocorticoid antagonist (1,2). Since anabolic/androgenic compounds are well known to act as antagonists to the glucocorticoid receptor as well as promote bone growth and fracture healing, it has been postulated that Cissus possesses anabolic and/or androgenic properties (1,3). In addition to speeding the remodeling process of the healing bone, Cissus also leads to a much faster increase in bone tensile strength. In clinical trials Cissus has led to a fracture healing time on the order of 55 to 33 percent of that of controls. That cissus exerts antiglucocorticoid properties is suggested by a number of studies where bones were weakened by treatment with cortisol, and upon administration of Cissus extract the cortisol induced weakening was halted, and the healing process begun.
With studies showing that hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women may increase the risk of breast cancer and heart disease, many women are looking at alternatives to estrogen to help prevent osteoporosis. Although there appears to be no published research showing that Cissus increases bone density in osteoporosis, or helps prevent the disease, the fact that the herb speeds recovery of fractures suggests that may increase bone density in osteoporosis as well. It would almost certainly help speed the recovery of fractures that are a common occurrence with osteoporosis. Chronic glucocorticoid therapy is a high risk factor for the development of osteoporosis. Glucocorticoids are believed to interfere with the action of osteoblasts, the cells that are responsible of the deposition of new bone material. The drug mefipristone (RU-486), an antiglucocorticoid as well as progesterone antagonist, has been successfully used to treat osteoporosis but the side effects, such as endometrial hyperplasia, are serious enough to preclude its routine use for the treatment of osteoporosis. Cissus seems to be devoid of such side effects and may prove to be a viable compound in osteoporosis treatment.
While the increased rate of bone healing may be of great significance to persons suffering from chronic diseases like osteoporosis (4), the antiglucocorticoid properties of Cissus are likely of much more interest to the average bodybuilder or athlete, since endogenous glucocorticoids, particularly cortisol, are not only catabolic to bone, but catabolize muscle tissue as well. Numerous studies over the years have suggested that glucocorticoids, including the body’s endogenous hormone cortisol, activate pathways that degrade not only bone, but skeletal muscle tissue as well. A recently published report documented exactly how glucocorticoids (including cortisol) induce muscle breakdown: They activate the so-called ubiquitin-proteasome pathway of proteolysis (5). This pathway of tissue breakdown is important for removing damaged and non-functional proteins. However, when it is overactive during periods of elevated cortisol (e.g disease states, stress, and overtraining) excess amounts of normal tissue are broken down as well. By exerting an anabolic, antiglucocorticoid effect Cissus helps preserve muscle tissue during times of physical and emotional stress.
Although the bulk of the research on Cissus centers on bone healing, the possibility exists that Cissus may improve the healing rate of connective tissue in general, including tendons and cartilage. If this were the case it would be of even greater benefit to bodybuilders and athletes. Numerous anecdotal reports by Cissus users claim rapid healing of long standing tendenitis.
Besides the above-mentioned properties of Cissus, the plant is also rich in the vitamins/antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene. As analyzed, Cissus quadrangularis contained ascorbic acid 479 mg, and carotene 267 units per 100g of freshly prepared paste in addition to calcium oxalate (6).
The typical recommended daily dosage of Cissus extract is between 500 and 1000 mg, depending on the concentration of the extract and the severity of symptoms. For the powder of the dried plant, the Ayurvedic texts recommend a dosage of 3 to 6 grams to accelerate fracture healing. Safety studies in rats showed no toxic effects at dosages as high as 2000 mg/kg of body weight. So not only is Cissus efficacious, it is also quite safe, in either the dried powder form or the commercially available extract.
Cissus also possess analgesic properties on an mg per mg basis comparable to aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen. Cissus quadrangularis constitutes one of the ingredients of an Ayurvedic preparation, `Laksha Gogglu', which has been proved to be highly effective in relieving pain, reduction of swelling and promoting the process of healing of the simple fractures as well as in curing the allied disorders associated with fractures (7). The mechanism through which Cissus exerts its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties has not been well characterized. It may act centrally, or by preventing the conversion of arachidonic acid to inflammatory prostaglandins.
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