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I am now almost 85 years old, so maybe a hopeless case, but I have been struggling with osteoarthritis in recent years. I suffer from pain in my hips, knees and shoulders. I have now had a number of operations, tried dry needling and I have been treated by a physiotherapist. Medical taping seems to help, but according to my physiotherapist it can only be used temporarily. How long can it be treated with medical taping? And can nutrition possibly help with my problems?
Mrs Hanrath – van Balen
Mark Chen, physical therapist:
First of all I would like to say the following: I don’t believe in hopeless cases! I think it’s really good that you keep looking for a possible solution.
medical taping
To answer your question about medical taping: the method can be used for as long as you want. There are no drawbacks to long-term use. It may be very easy to take someone you see more often than the physiotherapist to teach them how to apply the tape. This way you are not dependent on the physiotherapist to have the tape applied and that time can be used to treat the shoulder, for example.
Roll food
The role of nutrition in physical complaints is a much-discussed topic and science is not yet settled.
My experience is that the effects of nutrition on the functioning of the body and fighting disease are greatly underestimated. It is clear to me that a body performs better when it is well nourished. As far as I’m concerned, it’s definitely worth a try and see what the effects are.
Inflammation
At the same time, as we age, we also become more prone to inflammation. The diet can certainly be adjusted accordingly. In that case, the advice is to get enough (or extra) omega-3 through food such as fatty fish, avocados and (wal) nuts. Red meat and dairy are moderately or completely omitted from the diet.
Supplements
You can also use supplements, such as glucosamine, MSM and chrondroitin. These can positively influence the quality of the cartilage. If you want a more specific, tailor-made overview of what may be missing in the body at the vitamin and mineral level, it may be advisable to visit an orthomolecular therapist.
I hope this is of some use to you. If changing the diet has a positive effect (which should definitely be noticeable after one or two months) I’d love to hear about it!
Mark Chen is a physiotherapist and NASM trained personal trainer. Since August 2014 he has been working in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Dry needling and medical taping are an important part of his vision and training predominates.