arthritis - Healthy Soul

One step ahead of osteoarthritis

January 12, 2022 by Frances Ive Leave a Comment

One Step Ahead of Osteoarthritis, Frances Ive, published by Hammersmith Health Books, available at Waterstones and Amazon.

Winter time and damp weather can prompt aches and pains. As many as 8.75 million people have osteoarthritis and I am one of them, but I wasn’t prepared to give in to it. I wanted to carry on playing tennis, do yoga and tai chi. So as any health journalist would do, I researched osteoarthritis and found there were loads of things I could do and now I’ve put them in my book, One Step Ahead of Osteoarthritis.

To have a look at the first chapter go to: book2look.com.

Professor Sir Sam Everington, GP in Tower Hamlets, Chair of NHS Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group, board member of NHS Clinical Commissioners, wrote in his Foreword to the book: ‘This book is not just about length of life, it is about something much more important, a happy and healthy life, whatever is thrown at you. It is about self-motivation and well-being. It should be prescribed on the NHS by all doctors. It can’t be, but if you have osteoarthritis or want to live a happier and healthier life, buying this book is the best investment you could ever make.’

The aim is to stay mobile and active and continue with a good quality of life.

So what can you do?

Diet: Look at what you eat and drink, perhaps trying a new way of eating and cutting down on acidic foods that may be aggravating osteoarthritis. Use turmeric in cooking – see The Spice of Life.
Exercise: Ensure you do regular exercise or activity that is right for you, and try exercises that are specific for osteoarthritis in the knees, hips and hands. The purpose of exercise is to build up muscles to protect the joints they surround. Swimming, walking, Pilates, yoga, tai chi, and many more activities are good for osteoarthritis.
Weight management: It makes sense that the more you weigh, the more pressure you put on the lower part of your body – particularly feet, knees and hips. Just losing a few pounds can make a big difference.
Supplements: There are choices and people tend to find that one works better than another. We’re all different so try them out – turmeric, rosehip, glucosamine, Boswellia (Indian frankincense), and many more.
Therapies: If you can afford to have acupuncture, massage, osteopathy, chiropractic or visit a herbalist, these therapies can relax your joints and get your circulation moving.
Cider vinegar: it may not taste nice but it turns from acid to alkaline in the body and can help to reduce inflammation in arthritic joints when taken daily in water.

One Step Ahead of Osteoarthritis, Frances Ive, Hammersmith Health Books. Forewords by Professor Sir Sam Everington & Barbara Cousins; Good health and osteoarthritis; Looking at weight loss; Finding exercise to suit you; Protect and strengthen your body: pilates, t’ai chi, yoga, Alexander technique; What is ‘healthy eating’? Food and drink – acid or alkaline? Supplements and herbs; Helpful complementary therapies; Practical solutions; The power of sleep and the weather; Lonely, depressed and stressed; Emotional support; Soups, juices and meals with turmeric and ginger; Further information
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Bad weather affects our joints

December 2, 2020 by fivewrite Leave a Comment

It’s not just an old wives’ tale that you can forecast the weather by the pains in your joints. It’s true. While researching my book, One Step Ahead of Osteoarthritis (by Frances Ive, which focuses on staying active to stay mobile and happy , the following research showed that a 10 degree drop in temperature and also a fall in barometric pressure affected people’s joints.

Scientists carried out a study at Tufts University, Boston, of 200 people of around 60 years old with osteoarthritis of the knee over a three month period[1]. They concluded that changes in barometric pressure and ambient temperature are independently associated with osteoarthritis knee pain severity. Every 10 degree drop in temperature was also linked to an increase in arthritis pain.

It may actually be the lowering of barometric pressure that affect people the most – not the pressure itself. Scientists carried out a study at Tufts University, Boston, of 200 people of around 60 years old with osteoarthritis of the knee over a three month period[1]. They concluded that changes in barometric pressure and ambient temperature are independently associated with osteoarthritis knee pain severity. Every 10 degree drop in temperature was also linked to an increase in arthritis pain.

Now , new research from Regenovex®[2] – a unique science backed supplement to help support bone health and muscle function for people leading active lives, found that many people were aware of the relationship between the weather and their aches and pains.

• Nearly three in five (57%) say that the cold is the type of weather that most affects their joints, bones and muscles
• For 38% of the nation, the damp causes health miseries for the body’s network of muscles, joints and bones
• Rain for 27% of people plays havoc with their bones, joints and muscles.

One Step Ahead of Osteoarthritis, Frances Ive, Hammersmith Health Books, is available at Waterstones,

Amazon, and independent book stores.

[1] McAlindon T¹, Formica M, Schmid CH, Fletcher J. Changes in barometric pressure and ambient temperature influence osteoarthritis pain. Am J Med. 2007 May;120(5):429-34.

[2] Global Ginger Comms; Autumn 2020; data on file.

Laser treatment heals nerve damage

September 1, 2015 by fivewrite Leave a Comment

Personal story: Following a routine hand operation Mandy Sutcliffe-Spencer of Stevenage, was left with pain and deformity in her left hand, and the medication for the pain “scrambled” her brain.

Most unusually the 45 year old mother of two had a ganglion growing inside her left wrist and needed to have an operation. ‘It grew to four inches and was very uncomfortable so surgery was recommended,’ Mandy explains. ‘Before the operation in December 2012 the ganglion burst which relieved the pressure, but it was then completely removed in surgery.

‘Something must have gone wrong during the operation because my hand wasn’t straight, and I couldn’t make a fist. My ring, index and little fingers curled under when I tried to make a fist and my hand was uncomfortable. The doctors diagnosed the problem as ‘fluid complex regional pain syndrome’ which was odd as I wasn’t in pain as such, although my shoulder hurt when I lifted up my arm. They prescribed Gabapentin for me, medication for epilepsy, but it caused a lot of side-effects and my brain was completely scrambled.

‘I couldn’t do my job properly and once I went to work wearing odd earrings – this kind of thing was not like me at all. My brain didn’t seem to be connected to my left hand at all and I kept missing and dropping things. It just didn’t feel like my own hand. I had always had a speech impediment and it got worse. I am an administrator in a school and I couldn’t see my mistakes so I was in danger of losing my job. Life seemed very black.

‘My parents had been to Stephen Makinde at his Perfect Balance Clinic in Hatfield, Herts, and persuaded me to go and see him. He thought I was suffering from nerve damage from the operation and told me that I was using the wrong muscles in my upper arm when lifting things. He gave me laser treatment with K Laser, and some exercises to retrain my muscles and I was soon pain free. I became able to make a proper fist and with his help I was able to wean myself off the medication so at last I felt more normal.

‘I can make a fist without having to concentrate, but I still have some problems with lack of sensation – I burnt my finger the other day because I didn’t notice immediately that it was burning. Because of my love of singing and dancing my whole life revolved around having two hands. If this hadn’t worked, I don’t know where I’d have been now.’

K Laser is being trialled at the hand therapy department at St Thomas’s Hospital, London, particularly for carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, Quervains’ and diabetic wounds. However, it is available privately at various clinics and is being used for sports injuries, osteoarthritis, and other deep tissue injuries. It is also widely used in vets for animals with arthritis and injuries.

Contact: Stephen Makinde, Perfect Balance Clinic, www.perfectbalanceclinic.com