HEALTH PORTFOLIO (H-Portfolio)

H-Asset: Joint Wealth

Arthritis refers to nearly 100 different rheumatic diseases of the areas in and around the joints of the body. Lupus, scleroderma, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis have often been included with the classic arthritic conditions. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. In the United States, a staggering, 81 billion dollars in direct medical cost are spent each year on arthritis and other rheumatic conditions (CDC, 2015, 2017). Arthritis is the leading cause of disability, affecting more than 50 million Americans. A recent study showed, that since 2002, the number of patient complaints of arthritis-induced activity limitations has risen by 20 percent, even as the overall prevalence of arthritis has remained the same (CDC, 2017; PT in Motion News, 2017). Certain high-risk groups such as people with diabetes, obesity, and heart disease are especially prone to developing arthritis. These groups are more likely to exhibit impaired physical activity, especially if they are not managed well with exercise and diet.

Inflation could be your inflammation. Just as inflation can diminish your investments, inflammation can reduce your mobility. Making sound H-Investments early on could change these troubling statistics. Developing an H-Portfolio that includes joint wealth is extremely important, because a volatile market could prevent you from reaching your optimal health=wealth formula (H=W formula). The bottom line…get up and move and build your H-Portfolio today. It is never too early to invest in your bone health.

Diversify:

Review of the H-Investments

Exercise:

My H-Investment: As a licensed physical therapist, I am certain this MUST HAVE H-Investment is worth every cent. Building a lifelong fitness program that makes sense to you and your family not only makes you a more-informed investor, but could prevent well known H-Problems (health-problems) that may mean very expensive repairs. I try to get physical exercise by walking and/or biking each day. I walk at least 10,000 steps, five days a week. I rarely take the elevator if there are six flights or less of stairs. Stairs are a free exercise machine, use them.

History of this H-Investment: Physical exercise, along with maintaining a healthy weight is beneficial in preventing arthritis. Pharmacologic treatment of arthritis for pain has a lot of side effects, whereas 150 minutes of weekly exercise combined with other H-Investments, has shown positive results for many patients. Brosseau et al., 2017 noted that exercise has been shown to reduce frequency, duration, and severity of arthritis in several studies. Strengthening exercises in addition to coordination, balance, and functional activities caused significant improvement in physical function, quality of life, and reducing pain in those with knee osteoarthritis.

Maintain a healthy weight:

My H-Investment: This is definitely another one of my MUST HAVE H-Investments. I include plenty of fruits and vegetables in my diet each day in order to maintain a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight is always a good H-Idea (health-idea). We all know those people out there that always seem to be the same weight every time we see them. Their secret is building a H-Portfolio.

History of this H-Investment: As a licensed physical therapist, I have witnessed how being overweight damages your joint integrity among other H-Assets. Inflammation plays a large role in many disease processes. Developing information about the role of inflammation is being reported, and there is research to support the role of inflammation in the link between obesity and arthritis. 1 in 3 people who are obese have arthritis compared to 1 in 5 who are not obese (Arthritis Foundation, 2017).

To address the possibility of a “plunging market,” get ahead of the curve, you can reduce the extra load and force that is placed on your hips and knees with each step by losing 10 pounds. Shedding this extra load could decrease the breakdown of cartilage in the joints (Bartlett, 2012).

Meditation:

My H-Investment: Meditation has many benefits, but I will share this MUST HAVE as a tool for joint wealth. I try to meditate every day for at least 20 minutes. Even if I could sit cross-legged, I wouldn’t, because it doesn’t matter how you meditate. I have received enormous H-Returns from just taking some time out each day and focusing on my breath. Because of my medical history, I have dealt with tremendous amounts of joint pain and have since recognized the importance of building an H-Portfolio that absolutely includes the mind-body connection. I use several free podcasts from Hay House Meditations. Meditation calms and centers the body for the day, creating peace and relaxation.

History of this H-Investment: Archeologists have discovered evidence of meditation in wall drawings dating from 5,000 to 3,500 BCE. Indian scriptures describe meditation techniques dating back 3,000 years ago. As time progressed, many great religions began to practice meditation as part of spiritual development (Puff, 2013). The effectiveness of meditation has been studied in the literature for arthritis and pain reduction. This literature also suggests that meditation changes how we perceive and respond to pain, as well as playing an important role in reducing pain, anxiety, and stress associated with arthritis (Bernstein, n.d.; Prusak & Mahoney, 2014).

Acupuncture:

My H-Investment: Since I am a licensed acupuncturist, I have received incredible returns on this MUST HAVE H-Investment. I also became a acupuncturist because I was searching for a non-pharmacologic approach for my own joint pain. With acupuncture, the body’s vital energy (Qi) circulates through the body’s channels, called meridians. These meridians have branches connected to bodily organs and functions. Illness occurs when there is an imbalance or interruption of one’s Qi. Acupuncture increases overall energy and vitality, and helps the body achieve balance.

History of this H-Investment: Acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years and there is a reason for that. It works! Acupuncture treatment has the advantage of being free of side effects. Patients and healthcare providers have been turning to complementary treatments, like acupuncture, for pain reduction and stress relief that goes hand-in-hand with treating pain syndromes. Present evidence has found benefit in incorporating acupuncture as an intervention for patients with arthritis, and has shown positive results in improving the immune system, physical function, emotional/psychological issues, and pain by reducing inflammation (Lin et al., 2016; McDonald, Cripps, & Smith, 2015). On the other hand, some people go for acupuncture because they have faith that it works. Faith can bind people to what they cannot fully understand. Unable to manage my own illness through conventional medicine, I took a leap of faith and I am glad I did.

H-Dividends

By considering your H-Asset, Joint Wealth, as carefully as you would consider your own financial nest egg, you will improve your bone health and never have the need to re-invest. This will lead you to significant returns and dividends on your “H-Investment”!

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LEARN HOW “H-INVESTMENTS” CAN MAKE A HEALTHIER YOU

What you invest in your health IS an important decision, and Dr. Lisa Williams can help you organize, prioritize, and maximize your H-Investments, using her unique Health=Wealth concept that will create health and balance, and empower you to invest and manage your own H-Portfolio. Take that first step and invest in your health and Contact Lisa today to schedule a free 15-minute phone, in person, or Skype consultation to discuss your individual health concerns. For over 30 years, Lisa has been helping people successfully overcome and manage a wide variety of ailments and conditions such as sleeping problems, stress management, digestive problems, sports injuries, orthopedic issues and musculoskeletal problems, among others.

About Lisa’s Fund Your Health Blog

Lisa developed the Fund Your Health Blog to inspire people to achieve their health and wellness goals, by sharing what she has learned throughout her career and from her own personal journey. With Lisa’s relentless pursuit to restore the natural healing process, she reviews specific health assets (H-Assets) and recommends sound health investments (H-Investments) for building health dividends (H-Dividends) that are the key to a healthy lifestyle and will pay off in years to come. Yes, it is all about the H’s in her Health Portfolio. Using her approach will empower you to find your own solutions for a healthy lifestyle.

About Dr. Lisa Williams

Lisa has developed a business culture of health equals wealth and a core philosophy that bridges the gap between health and wealth using what she calls H-Portfolios (Health Portfolios), which leads to overall health. Lisa’s quest for health answers began nearly 30 years ago, when she needed to start building her own H-Portfolio, and this led her to create a multi-pronged approach to health and wellness, and pursue other areas of medicine and attain her acupuncture license. Lisa has managed several health clinics and consulted in multiple corporate, health and wellness industries and branches of medicine. Her areas of practice and experience have included corporate wellness, fitness, health and beauty, internal medicine, neurology, pain management, pediatrics, rehabilitation, schools, scoliosis management, sports injuries, and weight loss clinics. 

References

Brosseau, L., Taki, J., Desjardins, B., Thevenot, O., Fransen, M., Wells, G. A., . . . McLean, L. (2017). The Ottawa panel clinical practice guidelines for the management of knee osteoarthritis. Part two: Strengthening exercise programs. Clin Rehabil, 269215517691084. doi:10.1177/0269215517691084

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015). Arthritis. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/data_statistics/cost.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2017). Improving the quality of life for people with arthritis. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/arthritis.htm

Lin, X., Huang, K., Zhu, G., Huang, Z., Qin, A., & Fan, S. (2016). The Effects of acupuncture on chronic knee pain due to osteoarthritis: A meta-analysis. J Bone Joint Surg Am, 98(18), 1578-1585. doi:10.2106/JBJS.15.00620

McDonald, J. L., Cripps, A. W., & Smith, P. K. (2015). Mediators, receptors, and aignalling pathways in the anti-Inflammatory and antihyperalgesic effects of acupuncture. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2015, 975632. doi: 10.1155/2015/975632

Prusak, K., Prusak, K., & Mahoney, J. (2014). An integrated mind-body approach to arthritis: a pilot study. J Tradit Complement Med, 4(2), 99-107. doi:10.4103/2225-4110.124364

PT in Motion News. (2017, March). Number of Americans reporting arthritis-related activity limitations on the rise. Retrieved from https://www.apta.org/PTinMotion/News/2017/3/8/ArthritisCDC/

Puff, R. (2013, June 7). Psychology today. An overview of meditation: its origins and traditions. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/meditation-modern-life/201307/overview-meditation-its-origins-and-traditions

Photo credit: Lisa Williams

Disclaimer: This material is provided for informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Information on this site is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. Doing anything recommended or suggested on this website/blog must be done at your own risk.