Weight
Under the spotlight: Aromatherapy
An ancient method of holistic healing, does aromatherapy have a place in treating arthritis today? Iona Walton investigates
Aromatherapy is the use of scented essential oils to help rejuvenate and regenerate the body, enhance wellbeing and relieve stress.
Its roots are planted 6,000 years ago when essential oils are known to have been used by a number of ancient civilisations in cosmetics, perfumes and drugs. Over the centuries our knowledge base has increased and today the oils are pure essences extracted or distilled from plants. Flowers, leaves, roots, resins, seeds and fruits of many herbs, shrubs and trees are used to provide aromatic oils, each believed to have their own healing properties. Some are reported to have balancing effects on the nervous and hormonal systems, others a powerful antiseptic action and some act as natural painkillers. Continue reading
New weighty syndrome links obesity to bone and muscle loss
US scientists have identified a new syndrome called “osteosarcopenic obesity” that links the deterioration of bone density and muscle mass with obesity.
“It used to be the thinking that the heavier you were the better your bones would be because the bones were supporting more weight,” explains Prof Jasminka Ilich-Ernst. “But, that’s only true to a certain extent.” Continue reading
Arthritis Digest half price sale
To celebrate Easter, this weekend save up to 50% on an online subscription to Arthritis Digest. Instead of £8.99 for four issues it’s only £4.99. Offer ends midnight Monday 21st April. Click here for more. And please spread the word!
Losing weight means better joint replacement outcomes, says new study
People who lose weight after a joint replacement do better in terms of function and activity level two years after the operation, says a study from the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York. And although many overweight people set out to lose weight after joint replacement, the same number actually gain weight as lose
“Our findings represent the first report to present evidence that weight loss is associated with improved clinical outcomes, while weight gain is associated with inferior outcomes,” says Dr Geoffrey Westrich, senior investigator. Continue reading
Exercise is important in osteoarthritis, highlights new UK guidance
The importance of exercise for people with osteoarthritis has been underlined again, this time in official guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
The updated clinical guidelines on the care and management of osteoarthritis in adults includes a reminder that the core treatment for osteoarthritis remains exercise. Benefits of offering advice on ways to lose weight for people with osteoarthritis who are overweight or obese are outlined too. Continue reading
