I am often asked, “What supplements or nutrients have the strongest pain relief qualities?”

Great question.  After all, most people these days worry about the side effects of popular over-the-counter and prescription drugs.  Thanks to the wide reach of the internet, almost everyone knows about the dangers of drugs such as ibuprofen (kidney damage), aspirin (stomach bleeding), and opiates (constipation, addiction, sudden death), just to name a few.

Virtually all medications will have an adverse effect on your GI tract (stomach and intestines), kidney, liver, heart, and/or muscles and joints.   Obviously, you won’t feel like superman taking these pills on a regular basis.  Pretty scary, especially for those with chronic pain.

However, with nutritional supplements the pain-suppression properties are not as quick-acting or in most cases, as potent as synthetic drugs.   But, if you can lower your pain through other means– home therapy, an anti-inflammatory diet, exercise and stretching, meditation etc.– then you won’t need dangerous, strong medicines to keep the pain down; herbs and supplements will be enough to do the trick.

If you have any sort of chronic musculoskeletal pain, I recommend that you  maximize your body’s healing potential via an ongoing nutrient-dense diet and certain lifestyle changes, then resort to safer nutritional supplements/herbs to keep the remaining pain down.  You may not even need these herbs if your body does a great job healing itself.

Never underestimate the power of food and the human body’s ability to heal and regenerate itself.   Like a seedling, if you give it the proper nourishment and environmental conditions, your body will respond dramatically.

With that, here are three supplements that I recommend trying for joint and muscle pain.  There are many others, of course, but today we’ll focus on these:

Cissus quadrangularis

Cissus quadrangularis is a succulent (like a cactus) vine originating from Africa and Asia.  According to Web MD, it is one of the most commonly used medicinal plants in Thailand, and is also used in traditional African and Ayurvedic medicine.

While it is used for a wide variety of disorders such as PMS pain, obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and ulcers, cissus quadrangularis is best known for healing bone fractures, strengthening bones and relieving joint pain in athletes and body builders.  In fact, it is commonly referred to as “Bone Setter.”

How does it work?

Like many herbs, unfortunately, much of the evidence is anecdotal.  Large clinical trials involving hundreds of people are the best standard for confirming the therapeutic value of a nutritional supplement, but there aren’t such studies at this time.

However, anecdotal evidence; i.e. documented cases of people benefiting from the herb should not be dismissed.  Nothing like actual humans (not rats) to vouch for the effectiveness of something.

Speaking of rats, test tube studies and research in animals show that cissus quadrangularis has antioxidant, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties.   A study involving rats “demonstrated the anti-arthritic potential of C. quadrangularis and …validates its traditional use for the treatment of arthritis and other inflammatory disorders.”

As far as dosage goes, there is no set therapeutic dosage for cissus quadrangularis.  It depends on age, body size, health status and level of pain.  Start out with small doses; increase gradually every other day and note effects.  Stick with the dosage that gives you max benefit.

Dr. David Williams Joint Advantage 5x Gold

Dr. David Williams dedicates his life to personally exploring the far reaches of the globe,  investigating medicinal herbs used by the local populace.   When he finds one that’s worth investigating, he makes sure medical research is strong enough to support its therapeutic value before he recommends it.

Meriva – “Golden” pain relief

His latest formulation, Joint Advantage Gold 5x is his flagship product for reducing joint pain.    It features Meriva, an especially potent variety of curcumin.

Curcumin is a bright-orange herb that comes from the rhizome of the turmeric plant.   Research confirms that curcumin has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and even tumor suppression properties.  It offers protection at the lipid-rich cell membrane, as it is a fat soluble molecule.  So when you take curcumin, make sure to eat it with a meal that contains fat.

A study referenced in the Alternative Medicine Review found that the curcumin in Meriva is 45 times more bioavailable than ordinary curcumin; which means more of it gets into your cells, not to your urine.

In two clinical studies, Meriva decreased joint discomfort and stiffness by over 50% and significantly decreased inflammatory markers, especially the notorious C-reactive protein (CRP).   Take that, Ibuprofen!

Pain relief from an ancient tree

The other potent, pain-relieving ingredient in Joint Advantage Gold 5x is a concentrated form of Boswellia Serrata called AprèsFlex.

Boswellia comes from the sap of the Boswellia serrata tree, native to the Indian sub-continent.  The herb is often referred to as the Indian version of frankincense, which comes from the sap of the Boswellia saca tree species found in Africa.

Boswellia works by inhibiting lipoxygenase enzymes (LOX), which are powerful contributors to inflammation and disease.  By inhibiting LOX enzymes, Boswellia effectively blocks leukotriene synthesis.

Leukotrienes play a major role in promoting numerous age-associated, inflammatory diseases including arthritis, inflammatory bowel disorder, cancer, and pulmonary (lung) disease.   It is especially known for reducing cerebral inflammation.

In addition, Boswellia has been found to improve blood supply to joints and restore the integrity of weakened blood vessels, with no side effects.

Regular Boswellia extract contains glycoproteins which act as a barrier to digestion, but the AprèsFlex formula combines other natural components of the tree that dilute and weaken these glycoproteins, improving absorption into the blood stream.

In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 59 subjects with stiff and achy joints took 100 mg of AprèsFlex or a placebo daily for 30 days.  Three tests were used to measure discomfort, stiffness, and physical function—and in all 3, AprèsFlex soundly beat the placebo (fake supplement).

• In a measure of pain intensity, AprèsFlex showed a 14.8% better reduction than the placebo starting in just 5 days.
• In a measure of daily functions hindered by discomfort, AprèsFlex showed a 16.3% better reduction starting in just 5 days.
• After 30 days, those taking AprèsFlex reported a 40.1% improvement in joint comfort–a 41.3% improvement in stiffness–and a 38.8% improvement in functional ability.

So if you have sub-acute or chronic pain in any joint of your body—hands, low back, hips, knees—give JAG5x a try.  It contains the research dose of 1,000 mg.   Make sure you take it with a healthy meal that contains good fats, for better absorption.

Check out Joint Advantage Gold 5x Here.

Capsaicin Home Made Compound

Here’s a simple home remedy you can try for pain.  Get some cayenne pepper at your grocery store, located in the spice section.  Pour about 1-2 ounces in a small bowl, then pour about 3 ounces of light olive oil in it and mix.  Using your fingers, rub it into your painful joint.

Capsaicin is the substance in peppers that is responsible for  generating the sensation of heat.  It can relieve pain temporarily by uptaking into the neural synapses—the space between connecting nerve cells where neurotransmitter molecules act to polarize the cells; thus interfering with pain signal transmission.

To enhance this therapy’s effect, apply an infrared heat lamp over the painful area for 10 minutes.  This opens the skin pores and increases capillary circulation, which enables more of the capsaicin to reach those nerves.

Well, that’s it!

If you have joint or muscle pain, give these natural alternatives a try.  The first two nutrients work primarily by blocking the inflammatory process; the last by interfering with the pain signal to the brain.   Best of all, they won’t hurt you like the big pharma drugs can.

Here’s a quick health tip I’ve been meaning to share with your for a while– “grounding,” or “Earthing.”

Your body is a mass of cells, water and organic matter comprised of molecules.  These molecules are made of atoms bonded to one another.  And,  there is the constant activity of biochemical reactions that produce mobile molecules that enable our organs and systems to function — signaling proteins, enzymes, catalysts, co-factors and so on.

Our bodies are constantly exposed to the magnetic fields of the earth, weak ionizing radiation (ionizing= capable of creating ions – more on this later) from the sun; and more significantly, magnetic fields generated from electrical wiring in our homes and offices,  and radio frequency waves (mobile phones, remote control devices, etc.) generated in huge amounts in our environment.

Who these days isn’t exposed to a lap top, cell phone, home and office electrical wiring, outdoor power lines, transformers and light bulbs?

Do you think these fields may have an effect on our atoms and therefore cells; and therefore cell function and body function i.e. health and the way you feel?

I will admit that I am no physicist, but I do know that electrons can be “stripped” from atoms by other atoms and ionizing radiation, and through cellular respiration (extracting energy from food at the cellular level) which produces free radicals.  And when this happens in large numbers, it can have an adverse effect on the body.

When an atom has the same number of protons (+) as electrons (-), it has a neutral  charge.  When the number of protons and electrons differ, there is either a positive or negative charge, and the atom is called an ion.

When it has one more electron than protons, it has a negative (-) charge and is called an anion (pronounced ANN-eye-on).  When it has one less electron than protons, it has a positive charge (+) and is called a cation (pronounced CAT-eye-on).  It is the positively charged atoms or molecules that are harmful due to their instability.   These cations are better known as free radicals; and for positively charged oxygen molecules, reactive oxygen species (ROS).  Your body has anti-oxidant defenses that neutralize much of these ROS as they are formed in the body, but low anti-oxidant levels and excessive ROS production spells trouble, especially over time.

Free radicals seek stability by “snatching” an electron from nearby molecules.  When that happens, the donating molecule becomes unstable itself, and seeks an electron elsewhere.  This cascade effect causes electrons to be stripped from cell membranes, proteins and other nearby molecules, affecting their ability to carry out their functions.  

Oxidative stress is the cumulative effect of long-term stripping of electrons (called reduction) from tissues, resulting in damage.  Oxidative stress is implicated as the mechanism of tissue degeneration in chronic degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis and diabetes.  It is also the basis of one of the theories of aging.

According to Dr. Joeseph Mercola, a well-known natural health researcher:

It is known that the Earth maintains a negative electrical potential on its surface. When you are in direct contact with the ground (walking, sitting, or laying down on the earth’s surface) the earth’s electrons are conducted to your body, bringing it to the same electrical potential as the earth. Living in direct contact with the earth grounds your body, inducing favorable physiological and electrophysiological changes that promote optimum health.

So, when was the last time your feet touched the earth?

When the weather is hot, more people are open to walking barefoot outside.  There’s nothing like walking on soft beach sand and soaking your feet in a cool stream.  But during the winter months, it is less common for people to walk barefoot on the ground for obvious reasons.

And regardless of the season, it is easy for some to go for months without having their feet touch the earth.  You put on your shoes in the morning, work in a building, come home, take off your shoes and stay inside until the next day and repeat.

What I recommend you do is make it a point to walk barefoot on grass for ten minutes a day; or at least every couple of days to discharge positive ions that have built up inside your body.

It is even better, as I explain in the video, that you do it after or during a rain shower.  Large volumes of water moving through the air and crashing down to earth release billions of negative ions (remember, negative ions are the good ones) which can negate the positive ions in your body.  A large waterfall and ocean waves crashing against the rocks are other good areas to pick up negative ions for health.

Lush forests and places with thick vegetation on a sunny day are another good source of taking in negative ions as plants emit them through photosynthesis.  Better yet, how about both?   Now that’s something your body will love.  If you are fortunate to live near the ocean and a forest, you can do a lot for your health by walking barefoot in those areas and doing what I call a “positive ion detox.”

Give it a try, and take note of how you feel.  It’s magical.

Sciatica is a disorder involving pain in the buttock that may radiate down the leg and is characterized by:

• Deep, sharp pain in the buttock and/or leg that is worse when sitting and bending forward at the waist
• Sometimes accompanied by lower back pain
• Burning or tingling sensation down the leg and sometimes foot
• Weakness, numbness, or difficulty moving the leg or foot
• Constant or intermittent symptoms

WHAT CAUSES SCIATICA?

Sciatica is caused by compression of the sciatic nerve or neurons that comprise the sciatic nerve.  The neurons (individual nerve cells) originate in the brain and travel down the spinal cord; branch out from between the lumbar vertebrae and sacrum as nerve roots and finally combine in the buttock region to form the sciatic nerve.

This means that compression of nerve tissue anywhere along this path is capable of producing sciatica.  In fact, although rare, brain tumors can produce sciatica symptoms.

The three most common compression sites for sciatica are in the central canal of the lumbar region of the spinal column, the lateral canals, and under the piriformis muscle of the pelvis.

Central canal stenosis

Stenosis, or narrowing of a spinal canal is often the source of compression especially in older patients.  Stenosis occurs with degenerative joint disease, where bone spurs occlude the canal, pinching or rubbing against nerve tissue, as shown in the model above.  This is the top view of an L4 vertebra , showing narrowing of the central canal due to spondylosis, or vertebral bone degeneration.  Notice how the bone contacts the nerves (yellow structure in the canal).  This contact fires the nerves, causing shooting pain and/or numbness and tingling down the legs.

Thickened ligaments can also be a source of stenosis.   For a person with stenosis, bending the spine in certain directions may exacerbate or alleviate sciatica.

A bulging disc can also cause stenosis and produce sciatica by narrowing the lateral canal and pressing against a nerve root.  This is also called lumbar radiculopathy.

Piriformis syndrome is a less common form of sciatica and occurs when the sciatic nerve is pinched by the piriformis muscle, a deep pelvic muscle that externally rotates the hip.

Rare, red flag causes of sciatica are brain tumors, spinal tumors and pelvic masses; and maybe even viral infections of the sciatic nerve.  Check with your doctor to make sure none of these apply to you.

Seek immediate medical attention if you have progressive lower extremity weakness and/or loss of bladder or bowel control.

DIAGNOSING SCIATICA

Sciatica from spinal stenosis is diagnosed by X-ray or lumbar MRI.  Simple muscle strength and sensory nerve tests can be done to determine if the nerve is not functioning 100%.  But basically, if you have nerve pain down your leg, it is fair to assume the nerve is compromised somewhere.

If you know the source of your sciatica after being diagnosed and informed by your doctor, you should have a better idea of your prognosis, or chance of eliminating it.

If you aren’t able to see a doctor for your condition for whatever reason, asking yourself a few questions may help you  identify what is causing your sciatica:

• Did you experience sharp, low back pain at the same time as your sciatica?  If so, this points to lumbar radiculopathy (sciatica from nerve root compression) by lumbar disc herniation.
• Are you over 50, had a heavy labor job most of your life; have a history of accidents or injuries to your spine or engaged in a high impact sport for many years?   If so, this points to central or lateral canal stenosis from degenerative joint disease of the spine.
• Do you sit long hours and/or do squats or other activities that strain the buttock muscles?  If so, this points to sciatica from piriformis syndrome.

These aren’t definitive assessments, of course.

The likelihood of being able to self-resolve sciatica depends on what is causing it:

Sciatica caused by central canal stenosis from degenerative joint disease has the worst prognosis.  These cases eventually require spinal decompression surgery.

Sciatica caused by lateral canal stenosis has a better chance of recovery.  Certain exercises and manual procedures may be able to widen the opening and remove pressure from the nerve root.

Sciatica caused by piriformis syndrome has the best chance of recovery.   Manual techniques such as stretching, posture correction and hip mobilization can often correct the problem.