Joints

Wai Jia: The Kung Fu Forum Kung Fu Training and Health
1

Now that I have your attention…

This might be a question for the old guys.

My joints are going south, seemingly at a high rate of speed.

Hips and shoulders mostly.

What have any of you tried and had succes with?

I’m taking 2-3 thousand mg of Glucosamine a day but am not sure
if I’m getting anything out of it.

I just started a jujutsu class two days a week and am hooking
up with the judo club on sundays. So, after about a 2 year
break from any consistant training, my joints are getting
cranked on 5-6 hours a week now. I realize that I’m going
through a readjustment to the training that will subside in another week or two but I know the difference between those
aches and pains and what I’m feeling in the shoulders and hips.

I’d like to know what others are doing to mitigate their joint
issues. What supplements are you taking, when (am/pm, all day)
whatever.

TIA,

Matt

2

I am 30, so not quite elderly yet but I do feel the difference from when I was 15…and even 25 for that matter.
Whilst supplements at this stage seem overkill and I don’t feel any different with or without them, I believe that the 4 joints-saveing rules are always the same:

1 - warm-up - the older we get, the more important and lenghty warming up must become.

2 - support - strenghten all the muscles supporting the joints as much as possible.

3 - stretch - range of motion, especially in the areas surrounding the joints, decreases with age: counteract this with daily stretching.

4 - preserve - during training avoid jarring and high-impact joint stress, such as jumps on hard floors with thin soles, lever techniques pushed too far, etc.

Hope it helps,

Wall

3

how long have you’ve been taking glucosamine? I’ve heard that it may take about a month before you can fully feel it’s effects - dunno how true that is. Also, it may or may not do anything for you. it’s been found to slow the development of arthtitis and to relieve joint pains, but like any other supplement, results vary from person to person. The results are not permanent either - you have to keep taking it to continue reaping the benefits. Keep taking it, and follow wall’s advice. hopefully you show some improvement.

How long have you been grappling?

4

guohen, thanks. I’ll look up both of those. Just so I don’t I don’t
end up looking at Environmentally Friendly Analprobes, what are
EFA’s??

wall:

1- I don’t do anything w/o 150-200 jj’s; 30 or more pushups & 80-100 abs of some sort.

2-Been doing that.

3-I’m ok limber and have a belief about stretching that precludes daily stretching. But that’s me.

4-Amen. I had to stop running two years ago. The bursa on my right hip swell when I do. I either ride a bike or use a stairclimber for aerobics conditioning. Luckily my schools floor is pretty flexible and bouncy. I wear wrestling shoes as a rule and I couldn’t do that on a wood or concrete floor.

As far as not working locks to full position: I try not to but I teach so I feel that in demonstration of technique I can’t NOT show my students how the lock is supposed to be. As my class is very small I end up the uke quite a bit when I have them work the technique near full speed as none of them are quite ready to take a full on fall, most especially because I don’t have good crash mats yet.

thanks for your input.

sevenstar

I’ve been taking glucosamine for several months but I’m a bad pill taker: I can’t ever remember to do it. I’ve been taking postit notes and putting them up on the fridge to help. I’ve heard a lot of different things about the dosage and that chondroitin is/isn’t a benefit in addition to the glucosamine.

I maybe made things sound worse than they are but I fully realize that I need to do better maintenance especially now that I’ve started training on a regular basis again.

How long have you been grappling?

:slight_smile: well, just shy of 22 years by my count. I wrestled all four years of high school and was starter 3 years so I did ok. Additionally, both sifu’s I’ve studied under took things all the way to the ground and finished with either breaking locks or striking. And we sparred strong, not full on 100% but high 75%. But, since it was just kung fu it probably doesn’t count for much:D

Just recently after getting some more time to devote to me, and following your advice from a while ago, I found the local judo club meets at the biggest karate dojo in town. I talked to the shihan who owns the school and found out they do a jujitsu only class twice a week so I started going to that as well as the judo club session on the weekends. A good bunch of guys all the way around. The karate guy is tight and the jj is being taught from mainly a sport aspect but with some attention payed to sd. There are some guys that have competed at a high level but I haven’t got details. One of those guys names is Chris Gant. I think he said he placed 2nd in a national event but not sure. I’m doing ok with all that and getting some surprised compliments.:slight_smile:

I’m having a good time and getting some good mat time with guys that are bigger than me.

5

cool, thanks.

6

Oso:

First I must recommend that you consider doing some research on joint mobility exercises and understand your condition by getting a sport doctor or medical exercise specialists to assess your muscular-skeletal system. There is a book called “SuperJoint” (www.dragondoor.com) which might be some help and I personally have used it for my own joint limitations.

Second, I would suggest that you learn more about developing core stability and good posture because it may not be your joints, but the lack of core stability and posture that may be the cause of your joints going south. A non specific atheletic book by Christopher M. Norris called “Abdominal Training” is a great physio-rehab layman perspective text on core strength and posture training. You can get this at your local bookstore?

Third, you might want to develop joint strength by moderately
praticing max. strength training. You dont want to lossen your joints, but strengthen them properly.

Fourth, when it comes to joint conditions and then some please check out these products which have shown great benefits for joint pains and then some. Each sites has information and scientific research showing their claims. 1 Barefoot’s coral calcicum: www.supremecalcium.com 2. Natural Calm (Magnesium) www.naturalcalm.net 3. Cartilage (shark cartilage powder, pill, cream) www.earth-heart.com .

The listed supplements are excellent built on quality and solid research and many many people have successful benefited from them like me. I do not get money from these people nor do I sell these products. However I personally used them for preventive medicine and generally health and (no BS and I am 26) and have highly recommended them to my own family members who are older or experiencing degenerative disorders, my clients, and friends who are seeking hoslitic health and recovery from aging to etc.

Good luck.

Mr Bao

7

Mr Bao, thanks, when I have some time this weekend I’ll be hitting the net to check out those sources.

My core strength should be pretty good. I say this because even though I don’t have impressive gym oriented weight lifting stories I can lift heavy objects very well which I attribute to core strength. I may be wrong in this.

And, I do feel it’s at least mostly joint specific due to the degree of noise originating in the joints themselves and injuries I know I have taken.

thanks for the input and I will check into those products.

8

You might want to check out chicken sternum cartilage products as well for joint health.

It’s a whole different approach then Glucosamine sulfate and Chondroitin. If you are getting inflammation Bromelain which is a proteolytic enzyme from pineapple fruit could be very helpfull.

If you are using Glucosamine you should only use the sulfate and never the lower quaility N-acetyl glucosamine or Glucosamine monohydrate. Check which kind you are using. Calicum is also a good add on choice as well as Zinc monmethionine.

9

I also recommend Superjoints (Pavel’s material). In addition to this, you may want to take a look at “Warrior Wellness” from RMAX.TV (Scott Sonnon). Really good series on joint mobility and strength.

I have similar problems with my joints (especially shoulders and knees) and use Warrior Wellness on a daily basis.

KG

10

thanks, guys. I’m settling in for the afternoon with a gin and tonic and google for some research.

11

I’m taking the glucosamine chondiritin stuff and I think it helps a little. I notice a difference when I take it in terms of recovery time. I also am a fan of eating animal ligament, tendon, stomach, etc.

12

good, I thought I was the only one. :wink:

13

Anyone heard of this stuff:

http://www.activexamerica.com/athletes/

got around to doing some research this morning.

this stuff looks pretty ok as it has a little of everything.

as far as efa consumption goes, I eat an egg a day for breakfast and usually at least on can of tuna during the day and I eat a balance of chicken, turkey, pork, beef and fish for dinners (not all at once but I don’t eat any of the meats out of proportion to the others). So, I would assume I get a decent amount of efa’s.

comments, please.

thanks,

Matt

14

one thing I have to do is make the process easy otherwise I will forget to take the stuff. That supplement had O-3 and 0-6 in it as well as other things.

Certified Ingredients Per 1/4 oz. of Syn-flex™

1250 mg Glucosamine HCL and Glucosamine Sulfate
25 mg Shark Cartilage (20% Chondroitin Sulfate)
8 mg Boswellin
3 mg Yucca Powder
7 mg Ascorbate (Manganese Ascorbate)
5 mg Manganese (Ascorbate)
1 mg Bromelaine
5 mg Vitamin C
5 mg Omega 3 Fatty Acid
5 mg Omega 6 Fatty Acid
80 IU Vitamin A
2 IU Vitamin E

15

Hi,
For me, my knees were trashed due to Gout (I have like the worst case on the planet)

Aside form the previously mentioned suplements, I have found deep static holing postures to be EXTREMELY benificial in rehabbing my knees. I think it’ because they strain the joint enough to stimulate debvelopment, but not enough to harm (after all, your just standing there).

If the problem is in the shoulder, you could devise holding postures that include holding wieghts in standard martial postures.

I hold anywhere from 30 secs, to 3 minutes. I found the longer I hold, the better my knees are feeling.