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Three steps to joint health
(NAPSI) — Many Ameri
cans are concerned about
their joint health. And
with good reason-70 mil
lion Americans complain
of joint problems. But, you
don’t have to become a sta
tistic. Los Angeles-based
sports nutritionist Chris
tine Evans says three sim
ple steps can help stop
joint discomfort and start
active, healthy living:
Step 1: Get Moving
Shingles: Can you recognize the
(NAPSD)-Imagine this:
You suddenly experience
a tingling feeling or itch
iness that may be accom
panied by stabbing or
aching pain in one iso
lated area of your body.
A week later, while the
pain persists, a blistering
rash appears in the same
area as the pain on one
side of your fice; or
abdomen, or one arm or
leg. Would you know
what was happening?
Would you ever guess
you might have herpes
zoster, a painful wviral
infection more common
ly known as shingles? If
you're like most adults
age 55 and older, the
answer to both questions
is “probably not.”
Results of a new inter
national survey show
that .most adules are
aware ot shingles, but do
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Lack of physical activity
often causes joints to
become more stiff and
sore. Recent studies show
that moderate physical
activity can help relieve
joint discomfort. Try low
impact exercises such as
walking, swimming and
biking, which help alleviate
strain on the joints.
According to Evans the
most important thing is to
find an activity you're will
not fully understand the
symptoms, who is most
at risk for contracting i,
or the potential impact
on their overall health.
The International Shin
gles Awareness Survey,
commissioned by the
International Federation
on Ageing (IFA) through
an educational grant
trom Novartis Pharma
AG, shed light on the
need for ongoing educa
tion about shingles,
especially among the
most at-risk populations
individuals over 50 pre
viously infected with
chicken pox during
childhood.
The survey, which
queried people age S 5
and older, across six
countries (Australia,
Canada, luly, Spain,
United Kingdom and the
United States), suggests
CVS/pharmacy
AUGUSTA FOCUS
ing to do on a regular basis
and to check with your
health care professional
before starting any exercise
regimen.
Step 2: Watch Your
Waistline
The more you weigh, the
more stress your joints
have on them. According
to the Arthritis Founda
tion, every extra pound a
person gains puts four
times more stress on their
that despite high aware
ness of the condition,
general understanding of
shingles tends to be
superficial. Ninety-one
percent of all survey
respondents internation
ally were aware of shin
gles, but most of these
respondents admitted to
knowing little or noth
ing about the condition.
Only 21 percent of
respondents were able to
identify key risk factors,
such as having had
chicken pox as a child,
for developing shingles.
Even more surprising is
that more than 50 per
cent of respondents did
not consider themselves
at risk for developing
shingles despite having
had chicken pox.
*The resules of this
survey are particularly
important for the older
knees. Work with a health
care professional to deter
mine your personal healthy
weight range and follow a
diet and lifestyle program
that helps you reach your
goal. An 11-pound weight
loss reduces joint discom
fort and helps reduce the
risk of damaging joints by
50 percent.
Step 3: Try Supplementa
tion
Many over the counter
population around the
world because research
shows that shingles can
pose health risks,” said
Dr. Jane Barratt, secre
tary general, of the Inter
national Federation on
Ageing. “Older people
are already more suscep
tible to health complica
tions and this is one con
dition we can treat in
many patients. Forrtu
nately, this survey gives
us insight into the type
of programs needed to
educate at-risk popula
tions and their health
care providers about
shingles.”
Despite the availability
of prescription treat
ments, more than half of
respondents aware of the
condition did not think
there were drugs avail
able to treat shingles.
The survey also revealed
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and prescription medica
tions simply mask joint
discomfort. To help pre
vent joint discomfort by
nourishing and cushioning
joints, consider trying glu
cosamine and chondroitin.
Most conveniently taken in
a combination product
such as Nature Made
Triple Flex, glucosamine
keeps cartilage connected
and chondroitin keeps
joint fluids flowing.
that among the respon
dents aware of treat
ments for shingles, many
believe that the use of
these drugs is to treat the
symptoms of shingles
and not to shorten the
duration of postherpetic
neuralgia (PHN), which
is the pain following rash
healing.
“Working with my
docror, I was glad to find
a treatment that helped
shorten the duration of
PHN, for me,” said Ver
non Ophus.
“Early diagnosis and
treatment of shingles is
very important for adults
over 50,” said Dr. Myron
Levin, University of Col
orado, United States.
“Treating the condition
may reduce the length of
the outbreak as well as
the duration of PHN. It’s
unfortunate that people
March 10, 2005
Nature Made Triple Flex
is committed to working
with the Arthritis Founda
tion t 0 help eliminate
arthritis through education
and learning. Learn more
about joint health and get
moving at an Arthritis
Walk near you. Visit
www.arthritis.org for more
information.
Diet, exercise and sup
plements are key to joint
health.
virus?
aren’t aware of the avail
ability of oral anti-viral
medications to treat
shingles. It’'s important
that healthcare providers
and health advocacy
groups work with their
members to help increase
awareness of shingles
symptoms and possible
treatments.”
Shingles is caused by a
reactivation of the vari
cella-zoster virus, the
same virus that causes
chicken pox. The virus
remains in the body after
chicken pox, even from
as early as childhood.
Shingles is also called
herpes zoster.
For information about
shingles, visit:
www.shingles.com,
www.ifa-fiv.org,
www.ihmf.org, and
www.vzvfoundation.org.
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