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Pain, Antioxidants and Golfers

by: Theodore Hersh, MD, MACG
Professor of Medicine, Emeritus, Emory University

Arthritis! Bursitis! Tendonitis! What do all these "itis", sprains and strains mean to the golfer? Not only is there pain, discomfort, and impaired mobility but the worst is that the golfer is unable to enjoy his favorite sport.

Now, Thione International of Atlanta has introduced innovative healthcare products for the golfer and the health enthusiast, based on its Thione Antioxidant Complex™. Pain Relief Rx™ not only helps relieve the aches and pains, but also reduces the inflammation. The Company has also developed a chewable antioxidant tablet, ThioTab®, as an added aid to disease prevention and Thione's skincare brands for protection of sun damage to the skin on the golf course.

How does Pain Relief Rx accomplish its goal? Inflammation, which affects joints, muscles and soft tissues, produces countless free radicals. Free radicals, toxic molecules created during a cell's normal function, are markedly increased by "stresses" to the body such as after the ingestion of fatty foods, alcohol, tobacco abuse and other environmental pollutants, as well as during the skin's exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Free radicals are known to promote many illnesses, including heart disease and premature aging, and also increase the risks of developing cancers by altering DNA.

But how do we combat them? The answer: Antioxidants.

Antioxidants are the body's defense mechanism against free radical damage, as they scavenge and neutralize these injurious chemicals. The body's prime antioxidant is called glutathione and it works in concert with its antioxidant partners. Glutathione, the key protector and vital anti-aging factor, keeps the antioxidant defense system alive by regenerating the cell's antioxidants including vitamin C and E. Together they work for the benefit of the golfer in healing and prevention. They are thus adjuncts to therapy including to painful arthritis and muscular ailments. The antioxidant tablets are complementary and replenish the body's antioxidant stores, thereby helping to reduce free radical injury to the tissues.

Thione's novel topical preparation, which was recently granted a U.S. patent, comes in an easy roll-on applicator. Pain Relief Rx™ also contains an extract of the Mexican Chile Pepper called capsaicin. The legendary value of capsaicin in the relief of pain relies on its ability to reduce the body's natural pain messenger, called substance P, from the affected area. Thus, the combination of the Thione antioxidants and capsaicin help both reduce the inflammation and eliminate the pain, allowing for recovery of mobility. It is ideal for golfers whose arthritis, low back pain, muscle and foot discomfort have restricted their ability to play. The use of Pain Relief Rx™ will allow golfers to happily return to the fairways and resume their favorite sport. Maybe, it may even help their game.

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