What You Should Know About Arthritis

What You Should Know About Arthritis

 

What You Should Know About Arthritis


Should the person experience some muscle pain which lasts more than 2 or 3 days, there is a strong chance that one has arthritis.

Arthritis is a common disease that affects millions of people worldwide. This can be felt in the persons joints, skin and organs inside the body. Should the person feel anything wrong, it is advisable to go straight to the doctor.

Doctors have discovered that there are over 100 types of arthritis. Given the number, the doctor will not be able to know which one is affecting the person without an examination.

There are 2 common forms of arthritis. The first is rheumatoid arthritis which is considered a chronic disease. There is inflammation in the joints caused by cartilage damage. Anyone who has this will suffer long term joint damage that will lead to chronic pain and disability. Pain is usually felt when waking up in the morning and will gradually disappear during the day.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a problem that will not go away. This happens in three stages. The first is swelling. The second is the rapid division and growth of cells. The third is when these cells release enzymes that will eat the bone causing the joint to lose shape until the person will not be able to move it anymore.

Since this is systemic disease, it can spread and affect other organs in the body. The best way to prevent is from happening is detecting it early to prevent the person from being disabled.

This can be treated with proper medication and therapy. There many drugs available that the patient can use. Some drugs offer pain relief to reduce the inflammation. Others can just do one function.

The second is called osteoarthritis. This happens more often than rheumatoid arthritis but unlike the first, there is no inflammation present. The cartilage in the joint is damaged and will eventually degenerate. Pain will slightly be felt when the person gets up but this will hurt later on during the day.

Osteoarthritis can either be primary or secondary. When it is primary, it is often associated with age. It is similar to a car where the parts have to be replaced due to wear and tear. Doctors consider this to be normal as people grow older.

The secondary type is often associated with something else that has caused this to happen. Some of these factors are an injury that took place, heredity, obesity and bone density.

Osteoarthritis can be treated with medication, exercise, weight control, joint protection, physical and occupational therapy. This is done to relieve the pain and slow the progression of the disease.

Both of these are caused by different things. The common thing between these 2 types is that joint pain can happen anywhere in the body.

Given the many medications available to treat this disease, the patient has to be aware of the side effects of each before choosing which one to use. The doctor should explain these to the person in order to make the right decision.

Arthritis and its different forms will not go away. Since this is an insurable disease, the best thing that the doctor and others can do until a cure if found is to help the patient ease the pain the slow the growth of the disease.

About The Author

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides arthritis resources on http://www.your-arthritis-resources.info.

What You Should Know About Arthritis
 

  • Knee Osteoarthritis
    Wearing high heeled shoes also aggravates the pain. Changes occur due to constant rubbing of joint bones leading to deformity of joints that is equally painful. The deterioration of articular cartilage, a smooth and fibrous connective tissue that acts as a protective cushion, narrows the joint space between bones.

  • The Care of Rheumatoid Arthritis
    This is what causes the very characteristic crippling deformities that occur in the fingers and hands of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. Of the many types of pain control, oral medications are often used to control the swelling and pain thats associated with rheumatoid arthritis. No-one should have to live with pain of arthritis, now that so much progress has been made in the field of pain management.

  • A Look At Arthritis: America's Leading Cause of Disability
    The long-term goal of pain management is to help you cope with this chronic, often disabling disease. With your personal input, a medical specialist will develop a management and treatment plan designed to minimize your specific pain and improve the function of your joints. According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Control, in 1997, medical care for arthritis (in the U.S.) was $51 billion.

  • Green lipped mussel extract treatment for arthritis
    Other products you might have been recommended for your pets arthritis inflammation are the non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs which include ibruprofen. The downside of using these drugs are the side effects which can cause stomach problems including ulcers if administered too frequently. Recent animal studies have compared the two forms and found a stabilized lipid extract to be significantly more effective than a non-stabilized extract at decreasing inflammation. Where is it found ?Green-lipped mussels are found in the oceans off New Zealand.

  • Using essential fatty acids for reducing arthritis joint pain
    In particular it is effective in reducing inflammation as experienced in joint pain or arthritis.Most people will have to deal with arthritis especially as they get older. Omega-3 breaks down into prostaglandins. He writes a newsletter called "Natural Remedies Thatwork.com". Thousands of deaths and visits to the emergency are associated with the use of NSAIDs.You can benefit greatly if you use NSAIDs by adding GLA oils to your diet and help to prevent the serious side effects of the NSAIDs.There you have it.

  • Cetyl Myristoleate for Arthritis Science or Speculation
    Siemandi conducted a double blind study under the auspices of the Joint European Hospital Studies Program. Cetyl Myristoleate for Arthritis Science for Speculation By Rusty Ford There are a lot of fabulous stories about Cetyl Myristoleate (also known as CMO or CM) floating across the Internet. All but two showed significant improvement in articular mobility (80% or better) and reduction of pain (70% or better). With over 10,000 people a year dying from Nsaids would it not be great to find a safer and more effective product.

  • Osteoarthritis and Glucosamine
    OA is a joint disease related to aging and overuse causing a breakdown and eventually a loss of the cartilage in a joint. Glucosamine is found naturally in the body and is extremely effective in decreasing OA symptoms on a long-term basis. However, the hands, shoulders, and spine are also at risk.

  • Natural Arthritis Medication to the Rescue!
    Unfortunately some side effects will only show up in time. Well the best thing is not to get caught up in the hype in the press. Acupuncture for Arthritis Acupuncture is another natural remedy for arthritis. Acupuncture involves the use of needles to stimulate energy centres in the body for effective pain relief. Vioxx was a major drug for arthritis pain relief.

  • Arthritis Its Debilitating and Detrimental Effects
    The Uric Acid deposits crystals in the joints, leading to Gouty Arthritis. This is totaled by lost wages, medical treatments, and the cost of medically based needs and care. Not only are the joints susceptible to attack, but the surrounding muscles, tissues, and organs are vulnerable to the effects of Arthritis as well. The top three common forms of Arthritis include Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Gout. About The Author Written by John Robben of Ultimate Water Massage, Inc.

  • YOGA AND ARTHRITIS: A REVIEW
    Clin Exp Rheumatol 1988; 6(3):253-260. While there is a great deal of anecdotal evidence of the benefits of yoga, to date only a handful of scientific studies have been conducted on persons with OA and RA (though several more are currently underway). 14.Scully D, Kremer J, Meade MM, Graham R, Dudgeon K. A clinically controlled minimized cross-over study.