As the baby-boomers age, we are becoming more and more aware of the fragility of our lives and bodies.  Guess what, we are not going to live forever – though we lived and acted differently in our 20’s and 30’s.

Now that we are in our 40’s and above, we are beginning to realize that we should learn:

• the steps we can take to extend our quality of life
• to eat properly as well as the effects that foods have on both our bodies and minds
• to exercise to keep our bodies lean and fit
• which supplements to embrace and which ones to avoid

Joint failure

I’ve had orthopedic surgery three times.

• reconstructed shoulder – a snow boarder collided with me in Snowshoe West Virginia resulting in a complete and severe AC separation
• cartilage repaired in my knee – the result of a night of partying and dancing
• thumb re-attached – a table saw cannot tell the difference between “meat” and wood

Each of my surgeries was successful (thanks to outstanding surgeons) and I suffer no aches or pains (due to nerve damage in my thumb, it has no sense of feeling – however, it works just fine.)

None of my surgeries was the result of “worn out” joints.  But this is not the case with many of my friends.  I know of at least twenty to thirty people who have had:

• knees ‘scoped
• knees repaired
• knees replaced
• hips replaced
• rotator surgery

And almost all of these are due to the “wear and tear” of repetitive use type of injuries.  The kinds of injuries that occur because of the job or activities that you participate in.  They are due to the cumulative effect of the countless times that a person has repeated the same movement.

Educate yourself

There is help.  Even though surgery can repair many of our joint ailments, there are other ways that we can help ourselves.

1. Brad Baggett has written an article entitled, “Nutrition and Joint Health”, in which he provides information about the joint and some of the supplements that can have a positive effect on our bodies.
2. Supplement MSM for Joint Health makes a strong case for using MSM to help repair our joints.
3. Fish Oils for Joint Health
4. Neil Levin, a board certified nutritionist, has written a well documented article about the Nutrients that contribute to your joint health.

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