Rebuilding Cartilage

[Treena]

I've heard this can be done through qigong/chi kung methods. Has anyone had a go at it?

[spyrelx]

I've heard this can be done through qigong/chi kung methods. Has anyone had a go at it?

 

Don't know anything about the chi kung, but there's two supplements out there -- glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate -- which are supposed to help. They are completely safe and natural, and are involved in cartilage and tendon creation. I'd suggest that any therapy/chi kung that you do for this should also include use of these supplements.

 

Good luck.

[Lozen]

A naturopath told me that not eating nightshades can also be helpful, as well as addressing the issue behind why you are losing cartilage in the first place.

[RedFox]

I was told a couple years ago by a tracker student that I could either take glucosamine pills off the shelf, or I could just start eating animal cartilage, that it was the same stuff. So I just started doing that, focusing on chicken knuckles and branching out from there a bit (that also got me in the habit of going for marrow too). Obviously, pasture fed animals whenever possible.

 

I liked this link on it.. sounds like the good ol' home brew be good for the joints, too!

 

http://finch.customer.netspace.net.au/skep...rgos/dec03.html

 

So what in our diet is rich in glucosamine and do we really need to take pills of the stuff? Well cartilage is for starters. Those soups made from the skin of any animal, chicken carcasses, bacon knuckles, fish bones, shark fin or birds' nests (the ones stuck together by the bird's saliva). For vegetarians, diets rich in the cell walls of fungi (mushrooms, yeast) or the yeast or bacteria in fermented products such as Vegemite, home brewed beer, Soy tempeh or yoghurt would be a useful source. The exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans are mainly glucosamine derivatives; so prawn shell soup, chocolate-coated ants, locusts in honey, Bogong moth fry-up or witchetty grub shashlik should be on your summer menu. [Commercial D-glucosamine is derived from crab and prawn shells -- ’ so beware if you are allergic to either; but there is a version made from corn syrup by fermentation with a genetically engineered microbe]. So, if your diet is high in D-glucosamine, will this help your OA?

Edited October 23, 2006 by RedFox

[Treena]

Thanks all for your very helpful tips.

 

Redfox, the Bogong moth fry-up sounds particularly tasty!

 

Actually very cool information. I had no idea glucosamine was derived from prawn and crab shells. Eating animal cartilage does sound like a better way to assimilate the glucosamine. Sounds like a good Chinese remedy.

 

When did we give up eating this and marrow by the way? From reading smatterings of historical info, marrow was one of the treasured parts of the animal. And the cartilage and bits like that were made into head cheese, I believe. That ooky gelatinous meat chip jello thing.

 

Nowadays we're into throwing a pizza pocket into the microwave.

[freeform]

Yumm! I love marrow... I could eat it all day.

 

Having Jamaican friends I've eaten my share of oxtail soup (which when it gets cold turns into the jelly you're talking about)

 

It's also a traditional Armenian breakfast (for special occasions only) to have boiled cow hooves (or at least that part of the leg - the actual hooves are cut off)... it's a really thick and heavy soup that's basically dissolved cartilage - one has to eat it with a lot of garlic (which I love!) to counteract the effect of having so many dense fats and things.

 

regarding the reparing of cartilage, it's probably a good idea to do joint rotations - Intu Flow being the current Tao Bums favourite - really great drills - many more benefits than just healthier joints...

[thaddeus]

Yumm! I love marrow... I could eat it all day.

 

Having Jamaican friends I've eaten my share of oxtail soup (which when it gets cold turns into the jelly you're talking about)

Have you tried cow cod soup? Ask one of your jamaican friends if you haven't heard of it..

 

Also, on connective tissue..been reading about Vitamin C and L-Proline..google it.

T

[Yoda]

Max had pointed this link out re: regrowing teeth, but ultrasonic (using a wire batter?) stimulation might could help with regrowing bone and cartlidge or anything else for that matter... (???)

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/...60628234304.htm

[Treena]

[Lozen]

I eat soup with ligaments and tendons and stuff at the Korean restaraunt once or twice each winter.

[thaddeus]

I eat soup with ligaments and tendons and stuff at the Korean restaraunt once or twice each winter.

I have a decent korea town near me with lots of restaurants..what's the name of that soup? I remember trying bone soup, and of course ginseng/chicken soup(which was pretty good)...

T

[Smile]

Try Knox gelatin and Kelp or any kind of sea weed that has a lot of silica.