I had my hands in a bucket full of thousands of mealworms today.
That's not very interesting (or, at least, not on par with some of my past journal entries from my exciting life as a movie star and copyeditrix in sunny Hollywood), but I sure do like playing with bugs and dirt and other living things.
A bucket of thousands of mealworms actually makes a very specific sound, kind of like the sound of onion sauteeing in olive oil--a gentle crackle-swish-sizzle, which isn't surprising considering the cooking but is very surprising coming from a bucket of beetle larvae. I guess it's the rustle of exoskeleton against exoskeleton. "Hot Exoskeleton on Exoskeleton Action!" sounds like something you'd read on a case for insect pornography.
I have the mealworms to feed songbirds. With my arthritis and my proclivity to spend the afternoon watching birdfeeders, I am basically an 85-year-old woman. I look pretty good for 85. Bluebirds like mealworms, as do nuthatches and wrens. The bluebirds who come to my feeder are a pair. I have seen the male hold a larva in his beak and feed the female. This is very exciting and romantic. Again, I am 85.
The chickadees are my favorite, because like their observer, they are a) tiny and b) ballsy. I can get them to eat seed out of my hand. I really want to get a picture of said activity, because it's a) flabbergasting and b) makes me feel like a Disney princess (if Disney princesses spent the day in a Mastodon hoodie and booty shorts).
So that's my life. It's not getting groped by Crispin Glover or getting invited to elite intellectual salons or drinking martinis over the city, but it's certainly more relaxing, and I don't have to put on shoes.
That's not very interesting (or, at least, not on par with some of my past journal entries from my exciting life as a movie star and copyeditrix in sunny Hollywood), but I sure do like playing with bugs and dirt and other living things.
A bucket of thousands of mealworms actually makes a very specific sound, kind of like the sound of onion sauteeing in olive oil--a gentle crackle-swish-sizzle, which isn't surprising considering the cooking but is very surprising coming from a bucket of beetle larvae. I guess it's the rustle of exoskeleton against exoskeleton. "Hot Exoskeleton on Exoskeleton Action!" sounds like something you'd read on a case for insect pornography.
I have the mealworms to feed songbirds. With my arthritis and my proclivity to spend the afternoon watching birdfeeders, I am basically an 85-year-old woman. I look pretty good for 85. Bluebirds like mealworms, as do nuthatches and wrens. The bluebirds who come to my feeder are a pair. I have seen the male hold a larva in his beak and feed the female. This is very exciting and romantic. Again, I am 85.
The chickadees are my favorite, because like their observer, they are a) tiny and b) ballsy. I can get them to eat seed out of my hand. I really want to get a picture of said activity, because it's a) flabbergasting and b) makes me feel like a Disney princess (if Disney princesses spent the day in a Mastodon hoodie and booty shorts).
So that's my life. It's not getting groped by Crispin Glover or getting invited to elite intellectual salons or drinking martinis over the city, but it's certainly more relaxing, and I don't have to put on shoes.
VIEW 25 of 56 COMMENTS
depending on what joint some things are more feasible than others.. but..
you've got the standard hot and cold packs for increased circulation and reducing inflammation, acetaminophen for inflammation, and bengay/tigerbalm/flexall for sudden pain reflef.. that only really treats the symptoms though..
Some things that can help 'cure'/stave off further effects and peraps offer some repair are; (If you can't tell, I'm big on healing things from within, with nutrition and letting the body do what it was designed to do).
Lots o' water, everyday.
Omega-3's(not 6) flax oil if you can stand the taste is the best cheap source.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/country/omega.html (<-- softgel form)
chondroitin sulfate, gulcosamine and MSM in fair dosages in moderate/high dosages shows regrowth starting after 2 months of supplementation.
Zinc. good for so many things I'm not even going to list them all. 20-30mg/day from my guess at your body mass.
hydrolyzed collagen works very well but requires a very large dose per day(10grams+), so cost can be a factor.
Ginger root or ginger tea helps circulation, something that helps address inflamation and give more blood to the cartilage which is normally a low circulation area. turmeric also helps, along with capsicin. fresher is better for more potent oils.
Folic acid and b12 help reduce inflammation in the body overall and could possible provide pain relief if taken regularly.
Vitamins C & E in 1gram/1,000 IU plus per day dosages(one decent size vitamin each), have been shown to reduce pain and improve cartilage health, along with the myriad other things they are both good for. Also, Vitamin D deficiencies can effect cartilage and bone health, so if you haven't been getting much of that, you might want to drink some milk.
take your pick,
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/tke/joint.html <-- covers the basics
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/univ/flex.html <-- covers the most bases
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/now/gcm.html <-- good quality basics slightly cheaper.
The place i've pointed you at, bodybuilding.com, is not the only place to buy this stuff, but it is the cheapest i've found and has very good service.
you won't find immediate relief from any of these overnight, but over the course of 1-2 months you should see steady improvement. think how long it took for the joints to get into the state they are in now.
Now.. external remedies.
Hydrashock therapy, hot as you can stand water 5-10 minutes on the joint, icy cold water 5-10 minutes, repeated 3-5 times as your schedule allows. this is used to attempt to repair some damage, it forces the blood into and out of the area using a pumping action created by vaso-constriction/dilation. This can help heal the inflammation and reduce the pain while flooding the cartilage with nutrients from the blood. you can do it in a more relaxed fashion by hanging out at a place with a good hot tub and pool close to each other and just switching every 10 minutes.
ultrasound, similar to above, the vibration is also good for breaking up scar tissue from accumulated cartilage and fascia damage and reduces pain.
massage with capcasin or clove oil, see above.
accupuncture from a skilled accupuncturist may reduce pain, but probably won't help the healing.
Stretching and resistance training on the joints. some joints get joint pain from the ligaments becoming to lax and causing the muscles to be what carries the daily load of holding that joint togetherr, if the muscle isnt strong enough, it aches.
On the other extreme, If a muscle(s) in the surrounding area of the joint are improperly balanced in terms of muscle tension, they can cause inflammation in the surrounding area from the constant tension and strain. passive, deep, repetitive stretching of the antagonistic muscle everyday will slowly reduce the tension and relieve the pain and inflammation.
I might be able to tweak it a bit more with more specific information.
Hope something up there helps. I had to deal with arthritis(traumatic) across most of my body for about 10 years before i finally got it all healed up and fixed, so I know how it can effect your life.