A big change for me... Gluten Free trial...

So today is the day I decided to try going gluten free. I will be sharing my reasoning, my trials and my results (hopefully positive ones), over the next few weeks. I've done a lot of research online, talked with my chiropractor and talked to numerous friends who have gone gluten free for various reasons. I am hoping to see a positive response in my body quickly but i also know that it will take time to really see the most benefit.

I am also picking up my cervical traction collar this week. I will be letting you know how that goes with helping with my neck and shoulder pain as well as my headaches.

Happy Monday!
Sarah

Cervical Traction..

A couple weeks ago my chiropractor brought up an option I had not yet heard of or considered. This particular therapy is aimed at my biggest problem, neck pain. Associated with the neck pain comes bad headaches, and even nausea at times.

Cervical traction sounds kinda extreme, but it's actually not. Think of a neck collar, like those used on accident victims. Only a lot more technical and fancy.

I should be receiving the device this week, and none to soon in my opinion as my neck pain is at an all time high, thanks to countless hours of sewing getting costumes ready for dance competitions.

I will of course report back. Happy Tuesday!
Sarah

My research journey continued ... trial & error takes time ...

So there are a few things I will be trying in the next months to see if I can improve my pain, stiffness and fatigue myself vs. trying more medications. I'm just not much of a medications kind of person, especially since I'm seeing no results and feel like what's really happening is just masking the problems with more problems.

Here's what I have started -
Chiropractic care. Now, this is not necessarily new, I have used chiropractic care sporadically for years. However, what I am trying now is to use it regularly and to also talk to my chiropractor about my diet, supplements and other alternatives.
Chiropractors are much more than just "bone snappers." They really do have a vast amount of knowledge on alternative therapy. Your mileage may vary depending on whom you choose as a practitioner. But, i recommend trying it, it does seem to really help some of my pain, especially in my neck and hips.

More information about proper body alignment and health can be found here -
How Chiropractors Benefit Your Health (Via Fox News 2012)

Mayo Clinic Basics on Chiropractic Care

Another good explanation of Chiropractic Care (Alive has lots of information on natural health & wellness)

The other thing I am incorporating into my diet right now are essential fatty acids, in the form of Fish Oil Supplements. I talked briefly about this in another blog post. But here is some information on this supplement as well as a few other things that can naturally help your body fight joint pain & inflammation as well as boost your immune system.

Fish Oils (from Arthritis Research UK)

Omega-3 Fatty Acids (University of Maryland Article - talks about many diseases Omega-3's can help)

So that's where I am at right now. Chiropractic care & fish oil for now. Researching many more supplements, diet changes & lifestyle changes. So please stay tuned and SHARE this blog with anyone you think may benefit from this information, that's why I started it ;-)

Sarah

Chiropractic Care & Exercise for RA

I have found a lot of information out there about Chiropractic care and Rheumatoid Arthritis. As usual you will find some swear by it's help, others say it's no help. *shrug* I suppose it's best to say "your mileage may vary". I however and hopeful that this more natural approach to tackling my disease will work. I am already frustrated by the Dr. mentality of "throw some pills at it and see if it helps". I would much rather focus on range of motion, moderate exercise and nutritional changes & supplements.

What am I hoping regular chiropractic care will bring me? My goals are -
Improve my range of motion of my joints.
Have more flexibility & stamina to exercise without pain.
Greatly improve my muscle tone and my strength.

I am exploring nutritional supplements and diet changes as well.

At this point I have absolutely no exercise program. I am just too sore and in pain from everyday household activities to even consider extra exercise. But, I realize this is super important to get myself out of this flare. I'm already finding that "resting" my joints that hurt does not help, they just feel stiff and sore. No improvement comes from simply trying to not use them. Instead, I am finding that using them the best I can is helping keep them limber. For example, one might think knitting is a really bad idea for someone with pain & stiffness in their hands. I am finding the opposite. Short intervals of knitting (an hour or two max) seems to help me feel like my hands are less stiff. I experience no extra pain when I spend a short amount of time knitting.
The same I am finding true for sewing. The biggest complaints I have for pain related to sewing is the neck pain i have from the focused attention it requires. The ergonomics of my sewing area need to be addressed to help with the stiffness & pain i have in my back, shoulders and neck. It's for sure a work in progress.

My chiropractor is working hard with me on getting those shoulders & neck loosened up. I am even considering a special medical device to help my cervical spine, but more about that later.

For now I encourage you to do your own research. Find what's going to work for you. I will share more along the way.

Happy Sunday! Sarah

Chiropractic Care & RA (and fibromyalgia too)

I'm doing a lot of research on the benefits, and potential negatives of choosing Chiropractic care for your RA & Fibromyalgia pain.

I've used Chiropractic care for years on and off, always finding it very beneficial. I had stopped going in the fall, choosing to give the various medications my Dr was prescribing a chance to work. Clearly that isn't happening, and I'm rather disheartened with the traditional medical field at the moment.

Not only am I back with my chiropractor, I'm also looking a much more homeopathic course of treatment.

Will I still see my Dr. Yes, for the time being anyway.

LOTS more to come on this subject in the coming weeks. For now, do you use more holistic or homeopathic remedies for your pain? Comment and let me know.

Sarah