It must have been sometime about my early 60’s when I became aware that I had difficulty maintaining my balance while standing in a stationary position. Within 15-30 seconds or moving in short, turn motions, I would have to change foot positions to ‘correct’ myself or reach out to steady myself, without being too obvious. Toweling off after exiting the shower also presented problems; resting one foot on the toilet seat to dry off my leg forced me to reach for something stationary to steady myself to keep myself from falling. I guess some would describe it as similar to an inner ear condition; an imbalance, but not a dizzy feeling. I’ve been a bicyclist for 28+years and recently I read an article regarding an Amino Acid called “L-Carnosine” due to it’s reputation for helping to repair skin, particularly aging skin and my skin is exposed for 3-4 hours/bike ride.
I purchased a bottle of 90 caps of 500mg each and began to taking 2/day ( one cap in the evening and one cap, first thing in the morning) for about 2 weeks, then changed to only 1 cap in the morning. After about week 4 or 5, I began to notice that the ability to stand still without balance loss was no longer difficult and no longer need to support myself in a standing position, or toweling legs after a shower, and the skin seems to be improving greatly, but I’m more excited about the muscular and imbalance improvements than anything else. I’ve reached an ”85% - 95%” recovery and according to the information of L-Carnosine, there is nothing related to these remedies …but this return to ‘normalness’ is either God’s work or L-carnosine is responsible.
A few years ago, I developed a case of Sciatica (due to Spinning Classes; primary injury was from a session of 120rpms in a standing position) and developed pain from my left-hip down to my left big-toe, and left my left-calf in a ‘non-developed’ (for lack of a better word) state, a bit smaller than my right calf. The strength of my left leg didn’t allow me to clip-in first, to begin a bike ride; I had to clip-in with the right foot, then the left foot after being in motion; or able to standup in a pedaling style to ascend a long hill. This too has been remedied during this period… I know this sounds like hocus-pocus, witchcraft, but it’s all true and L-carnosine is the only supplement that I’ve added during this period. If you have seen the movie "Cocoon", then you know how I feel :)
FYI
http://www.naturalskinrepair.com/l-carnosine.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?L-Carnosine,-Rejuvenation-and-Prevention&id=900864
http://www.1stvitality.co.uk/az/carnosine/
Now the Pain Reliever (discovering Castor Oil Pack within 1 month of the L-carnosine)
Castor Oil & Pain???
Call it what you wish, Voodoo, Witchcraft, ‘BS’, whatever….but it DID work for me.
Having recently torn the cartilage in my left knee and simultaneously diagnosed ‘with a little arthritis’ in the same, and swelling behind the knee. My Sport’s Ortho said that the swelling was common with the torn cartilage but should go down in time. I began searching on the Web for a magical pain relief remedy (other than my already supplementation of Glucosamine Sulfate, Chondrotin, Taurine, Collagen, HA, Cats Claw, Bromelain, MSM, etc., etc., etc….all of which I have been taking for years due to 27 yrs of cycling….but at almost 68yo, something had to give). One subject that kept surfacing on the Searches was an old time remedy of Castor Oil. I’m not in terrible pain, but it is a 24/7 aggravation, as anyone who has similar discomforts can attest to. I decided to give it a try; purchased a package of ladies’ cosmetic, cleansing pads (~3”x4”) and a small bottle of Castor Oil (CO), I placed a pad on a saucer, saturated the pad with CO (not dripping) and popped it into the microwave for about 35 secs. I, then placed the (105°?) warm pad on my knee; wrapped my kneepad with plastic wrap (to keep the CO from staining the heating pad) and then applied a heating pad, set to Med. heat. I left it on for about 1 hour and when I removed everything, I did a ‘test walk’…not only was my knee not stiff, and the swelling was 95% GONE!! I could walk with 100% less discomfort and this was 10x more effective than the Cortisone or three Hydraluronic Acid injections I had received in a two months period. The other nice thing, is that you don’t have to throw the saturated pad away; place in a Ziploc bag for the next application and just add a little more CO….
I generally apply this treatment daily, each time the knee feels better…I know it’s not going to remedy the situation 100%, but has made my life much better..
http://www.diagnose-me.com/treat/T350155.html
http://www.edgarcayce.org/th/tharchiv/therapies/castor1.html