What your joints need

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. RA is a systemic disease, often affecting extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and muscles. Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause inflammation of the tissue around the joints, as well as other organs in the body. Rheumatoid arthritis is two to three times more common in women than in men and generally strikes between the ages of 20 and 50. But rheumatoid arthritis can also affect young children and adults older than age 50. About 60% of RA patients are unable to work 10 years after the onset of their disease. Rheumatoid arthritis is a common rheumatic disease, affecting more than two million people in the United States. The disease is three times more common in women as in men. It afflicts people of all races equally. RA can affect any joint, but the most common places are the hands or feet. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes redness, pain, swelling or a hot (or warm) feeling in the lining of a joint, the place where 2 or more bones come together. Worldwide, about 1% of people are believed to have rheumatoid arthritis, but the rate varies among different groups of people.

Rheumatoid arthritis is different from osteoarthritis, the common arthritis that often comes with older age. Rheumatoid arthritis is rarely associated with pyoderma gangrenosum, a necrotizing, ulcerative, noninfectious neutrophilic dermatosis. RA can affect body parts besides joints, such as your eyes, mouth and lungs. RA is an autoimmune disease, which means the arthritis results from your immune system attacking your body’s own tissues. Rheumatoid arthritis most often affects the smaller joints, such as those of the hands and/or feet, wrists, elbows, knees, and/or ankles. RA may start gradually or with a sudden, severe attack with flu-like symptoms. It’s important to remember that RA symptoms vary from person to person. In some people the disease will be mild with periods of activity or joint inflammation and inactivity. Along with painful, inflamed joints, RA can cause inflammation in other body tissues and organs. In 20% of cases, lumps called rheumatoid nodules develop under the skin, often over bony areas.

Treatments for arthritis have improved in recent years. Corticosteroids. These medications, such as prednisone and methylprednisolone (Medrol), reduce inflammation and pain, and slow joint damage. Medications used to control RA fall into two categories: those that relieve symptoms and those that have the potential to modify the course of the disease. Exercise is also an important part of a treatment program. Immunosuppressants medications act to tame your immune system, which is out of control in rheumatoid arthritis. Some of the commonly used immunosuppressants include leflunomide (Arava), azathioprine (Imuran), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan). These medications can have potentially serious side effects such as increased susceptibility to infection. Rituximab-Rituximab reduces the number of B cells in your body. B cells are involved in inflammation. The most common antidepressants used for arthritis pain and nonrestorative sleep are amitriptyline, nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor) and trazodone (Desyrel).

Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Tips

1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin and others), naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve), celecoxib (Celebrex) and many others.

2. Light exercise may be beneficial for improving blood circulation to joints.

3. Various anti-cytokine medications are now being used to treat painful disease states such as Rheumatoid Arthritis.

4. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is a type of medicine that reduces pain and swelling.

5. Severely affected joints may require joint replacement surgery, such as knee replacement.

6. Corticosteroids are man-made drugs that closely resemble cortisone, a hormone natural produced by the body.

7. Immunosuppressants medications act to tame your immune system, which is out of control in rheumatoid arthritis.

Surgical treatment options for RA. Watch this and more health videos at: www.answerstv.com

Patients suffering from arthritis can often encounter a whole lot of pain. During this time it becomes necessary for the patients to have some pain relief methods at their disposal to feel better. This article provides several methods that can be used to provide relief for a small period of time. The method provided gives patients the opportunity to undertake exercise. The following methods have been used time and again to provide pain relief to arthritis patients.

Hydrotherapy can be used to decrease pain and rigidity in the joints. Carrying out exercise in a large swimming pool can be better as water can help take off some of the stress of weight from the joints and provide temporary relief. There are many community centers that provide water exercise facilities to patients suffering from arthritis. Additionally some people get comfort from the warmth and movement from by the eddy.

Some of the symptoms from arthritis can be treated with moist heat. The heat can come from a whole lot of sources including warm baths, towels and showers for around 15 – 20 minutes a day. Also heat can be delivered to non-inflamed joint areas through microwave, ultrasounds and shortwave by a doctor. However it is not advisable to patients with deep inflamed joints. In everyday life, deep heat is used around the tendon muscles to make them more flexible and avoid injury during exercise.

Coolness can be supplied by ice or cold vegetables wrapped in some sheet can help in cooling down the painful effect and stop swelling for around 10 – 15 min for a period. This method is often used for people with joints that are deeply affected by arthritis.

Mobilization techniques can be used to restore normal movements to rigid joints. It includes techniques such as massage, manipulation and traction to provide some relief to stiff joints. The effectiveness of this technique can be enhanced when carried by a well trained professional. The result can be more flexible tendons and muscles, as well as better control over pain.

Acupuncture has its roots in history and has been used for along period of time to counter the pain caused by arthritis. The acupuncturist will place needles along certain energy line which will help stimulate energy and flow in the body. It is believed that the insertion of needles causes the nervous system to release pain relieving chemicals.

Relaxation therapy is another effective method of providing pain relief to arthritis patients. Patients are taught to help release pain from their bodies. These relaxation courses can be found at several spas and vocational resorts.

The aforementioned methods provide an insight into possible ways of achieving short term pain relief. These must be carried out on a daily basis, so as to increase the effectiveness of the method. However before any of these methods are implemented, you must seek guidance from your nearest doctor and try the methods that are best suited for you, as each arthritis case shall be treated on a individual basis.

Pain relief from the discomforts of muscle and joint ailments such as arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, carpal tunnel, and rheumatism might be possible with alternative treatments. Arthritis is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world. Arthritis is easily among the most common of the geriatric problems faced by people over the world today. It is characterized by mild to severe pains in the various joints of the bones, especially in the joints of the hands, legs and the back. Arthritic pains are felt more acutely in the fingers. It makes the joints swollen, and if not treated in time, the joints may become permanently deformed.

Herbs can help with healing of neck pain and are good for acute and chronic problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints. Vitamins and minerals can help with arthritis relief by reducing the swelling of tissues and can provide relief from pain. In a cup of warm water, put two teaspoons of lemon juice and one teaspoon of honey. Have this twice a day. It will reduce the severity of arthritic pains. Most topical pain relief products contain one or more herbs as active ingredients which work as an analgesic and counter-irritant disrupting pain signals. Menthol applies to the skin selectively stimulates nerve endings sensitive to cold, producing a sensation of coolness.

Herbs has a local analgesic effect. Methyl Salicylate is the primary constituent in Oil of Wintergreen, a naturally fragrant oil. This chemical relative of aspirin also relieves the inflammation that causes pain and widen blood vessels. Camphor is a penetrating aromatic herb distilled from camphor wood and has a warming property. It alleviates pain, removes swelling, promotes blood circulation and is commonly used topically for contusions, sprains and traumatic injuries. Capsaicin is extracted from red chili peppers and is the substance that makes chili peppers hot. It is used for pain relief by reducing substance P.

Which is found at nerve endings and is involved in transmitting neuralgic and arthritic pain signals to the brain. Pain relief is not instantaneous after application as it is the cumulative depletion of substance P over a period of weeks that brings the full effect. Take two to four tablespoonfuls of castor oil per day. This will help to flush out the toxins collected in the areas of the joints. Also have a cup of strong ginger tea each morning. This keeps the digestive system quite efficient. Other herbal remedies used for pain also include belladonna, chamomile, cloves, devil’s claw, cayenne, dong quai, white willow and yohimbe.

There are various arthritis treatment options available. There are medications to keep the pain at the minimum.

There are also recommendations for dieting and exercises, joint replacement surgeries, physical therapies, and there are dietary supplements to take in order to slow down the degenerative process that is predominant with this kind of medical condition.

However, the general consensus is that the earlier it is detected, the better the arthritis treatment will be. In mild cases, the earliest arthritis treatment options may even limit the damage done by the disease on the affected joints, making it easier for the person to regain mobility and strength.

Unfortunately, there are no established ways or methods to prevent arthritis. This is due to that fact that there are multiple causes and types of this disease and there are also some unknown variables that trigger arthritis in otherwise healthy people. Additionally, some types of reactive arthritis only evolve weeks after the person has contracted infections that may subsequently inflame surrounding joints. In such cases, the best arthritis treatment is to start dealing first with the earlier infections. Once these recede, treatments for the crippled joints can be followed through. Again, treatment depends on the probably causes and types of arthritis.

For arthritis caused by infections and fractures, it would be best to treat these first before tackling the joints. Otherwise, both the initial illness and its consequences will only take longer to heal. As for specific types of arthritis, these would also need specific treatments.

For example: osteoarthritis or degenerative arthritis is the gradual degradation of joints, cartilage and even the surrounding bone; a condition that is usually brought about by old age and hereditary diseases. There are no treatments that can reverse the painful arthritic process, but there are ways to slow down the erosion, and thereby improving the person’s way of life.

Strong medicines are usually given only to suppress the pain caused by arthritis. Most of these include analgesics, paracetamols, and pain killers. Dieting and exercises are recommended treatment option as well, especially if the person who has osteoarthritis is on the heavy side. Managing the weight also means less strain on the larger joints like hips and the knees, making it easier for the person to move about with fewer joint aches.

Exercises help keep muscles limber despite the poor condition of the joints. Walking and swimming are both low-impact workouts that can eventually help the person regain mobility. Medical or surgical treatment options mean the installation of implants like chondrocytes into the affected area (arthroplasty.) This biodegradable and biocompatible material not only supports the bones and muscles surrounding the affected joint, but this also helps increase natural cartilage stimulation.

Any successful surgical treatment for arthritis eventually leads to physical therapy, so that the person can learn the extent and limitations of the joint movements with the installed implants. Some people eventually regain complete mobility just after 6 months of physical therapy.

As for dietary supplements for people with osteoarthritis, some of these include: chondroitin and glucosamine. Other health care providers would recommend increasing the person’s omega 3 fatty acid intake, as well as Vitamin B9 (folate,) Vitamin B12 (cobalamin,) Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, and Vitamin E.

Arthritis is one of the biggest problem that has been faced by million of people worldwide. Arthritis is a general term that literally means pain and inflammation in joints. Though previously it was believed that only old people suffers from arthritis but now it has been seen that people of younger age group are also being affected by this disease. Arthritis is not a disease in itself. There is a general condition in which the joint becomes inflamed and causes great pain. Arthritis can be of many types but commonly three types are frequently seen. These are: -

(a) Rheumatoid arthritis

(b) Osteoarthritis

(c) Gout

(a) Rheumatoid arthritis – it is a kind of arthritis that is more associated autoimmune disorder that occurs due to attack of our immune system on the joints. It is also associated with the deformity in the body. It is commonly seen in people who are in their mid forties.

(b) Osteoarthritis – it is another form of arthritis that occurs due to age related changes. In this condition there is formation of osteophytes in the joints. The cartilaginous structure gets ossified and gets converted in the bone. This bone formation in the bone leads to the hindered movements and causes extremes pain whenever the joint is made to move.

(c) Gout – it is concerned with the formation of uric acid crystals in the joint. Due to any kind of deformity there is decreased in the serum uric acid metabolism thereby leads to the accumulation of uric acid in the joints. It is commonly called as the riches disease as it is more commonly seen in people who are well off.

Causes

· Ageing

· Over use of joints

· Hereditary factors

· Wrong feeding habits

· Infections

· Metabolic disorder

Symptoms

· Pain in joints

· Swellings in joints

· Restricted movements

· Redness over joint

· Deformity of the joint

· Cracking sound on movements.

Treatment

Though the anatomical changes are very difficult to be reversed but their have been certain ayurvedic preparations that are extremely helpful in suppressing pain and prevent any further damage to the joint. Belo are few ayurvedic herbs that are very effective in curbing arthritis.

· Ashwagandha (withinia somnifera) – it is one of the best herb that has the potential to suppress pain and inflammation. It has certain properties that are very helpful in reducing the vata dosha in the body that is solely responsible for causing all pains and inflammation in the body. Ashwagandha is a medium sized plant that is easily found in areas having warmer climatic conditions. The roots of Ashwagandha are the plant parts that are being used to make medicines. Generally Ashwagandha is taken in as powder form but it is now available in capsules and syrup forms also.

· Guggul (commiphora mukul) – Guggul is one of the most prestigious herbs that has been very popular among ayurvedic physicians. Guggul is vata suppressant and hence is widely used to treat vata related disorders. Guggul not only reduces pain in the body but is also responsible in suppressing any kind of inflammation and edema that occurs in the body. Various preparations like mahayogaraja Guggul, laxadi Guggul, rasnadi Guggul and gokshuradi Guggul that are being widely used to curb any kind of pain in the body.

· Rasna (pluchea lanceolata) – Rasna is an excellent analgesic and has excellent results in suppressing pain in the body. It is a small plant that can be used in preparing various forms of preparations. It is used as powder, decoction and oils. It has the potential to reduce the vata dosha in the body and is very successful in curbing its effect.

· Arthcare oil – arthcare oil is one of the prestigious ayurvedic preparations that have been found extremely helpful in treating various pain disorders like arthritis, musculoskeletal disorders, backache, joint pains, wounds etc. It has been empowered with the wonders of certain ayurvedic herbs like errand (ricinus communis), Rasna (pluchea lanceolata), devdaru (cedrus deodara), shuddha Guggul (commiphora mukul), rasone (garlic), marich (black pepper), nirgundi (vitex negundo), ajwain (trachyspermum) and til tail (seasum). These all herbs are famous for their activities in suppressing and curbing any kind of pain and inflammation that might occur in the body. The oil is gently massaged on the affected part and then hot fomentation is done. This is the simple procedure that is all you have to do to get relief from the pain and arthritis.

Many people are unaware that arthritis is a term used to cover over 200 different diseases that involve symptoms of pain and inflammation of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is among the most common and potentially disabling forms of arthritis.

This article addresses some of the basic facts about rheumatoid arthritis, to help you better understand the symptoms and causes of this disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis is not restricted to any particular area of the body. Most joints can be affected by the disease, in addition to other areas, such as the blood, the heart, and the lungs.

Roughly 2.1 million Americans, or about one percent of all American adults, suffer with rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis is characterized by an inflammation of the joint lining, which causes the joint to be stiff and painful. The joint area may also swell, feel warm to the touch, and the skin may have a red appearance.

With rheumatoid arthritis, this inflammation can also affect salivary glands, tear ducts, and the linings of the heart and lungs.

Rheumatoid arthritis is often a life-long condition, and over the years, the disease may change in severity, changing from pain-free periods, to those of intense suffering, often abruptly and without warning.

Rheumatoid arthritis is most often first diagnosed in patients between the ages of 20 and 50. As mentioned above, the most obvious symptoms include a long-lasting joint pain and swelling, and a red and tender joint area. One distinction between arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is where the disease presents. With arthritis, in the beginning a single joint may be affected, but with rheumatoid arthritis, often both elbows, or both knees, or other groups of joints, are affected at the same time.

Rheumatoid arthritis is in the group of auto-immune diseases. With these diseases, the body immune system is actually creating the problem. In some cases, the immune system has malfunctioned, and mistaken healthy tissue as invading tissue. When this occurs, the body attempts to destroy the joint tissue, which causes the pain and other symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

The exact cause of this malfunction has yet to be discovered, but many scientists believe that heredity and genetics play an important role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis.

When diagnosing the disease, doctors often employ a blood test which identifies the presence of the rheumatoid factor–an antibody that is often an indicator that the patient does in fact have rheumatoid arthritis. Because between 70 and 90 percent of those with rheumatoid arthritis have this antibody in their blood, it provides a fairly accurate confirmation of the disease in those with the other typical symptoms.

X-rays may also be ordered by doctors to identify the amount of joint tissue that has been affected by the disease.

If you have been experiencing symptoms such as those associated with rheumatoid arthritis for longer than two weeks, be sure to make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible for further assessment. Because of the degenerative nature of the disease, the sooner it is diagnosed, the better potential outcomes.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammation of the joints, the surrounding swelling and discomfort is painful. How the body treats this attack to the equalibrium is by attempting to repair the afflicted area, in doing so the surrounding area may have the bone and cartilage disrupted and broken down. Everyone has different results with intervals where the symptoms are less but cruelly return again later as if taunting the sufferer.

A Feeling of Stiffness in the Joint

Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers waking in the morning often feel joint stiffness for more than an hour. This is one of the first signs that arthritis may be starting. Observing the joints in question should reveal some swelling and tenderness in more than one part of the body. The discomfort may reside to acceptable levels after a while but can come back in periods of inactivity.

The early rheumatoid arthritis symptoms do not necessarily have to be confined to the joints of the body. Upon closer inspection of the joint area can reveal small nodules under the skin or even an accumulation of fluids. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause a loss of appetite and body shaking chills, other than the common pain of the joint area.

As time moves on the person afflicted with the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis have times of :

* unusual tiredness

* morning stiffness

* extensive aches and pains

* low stamina

These early rhumatoid arthritis symptoms need to be heeded because if treated quickly the joints permanent ruination may be lessened or at least slow it down to manageable levels. Failure to action these arthritis symptoms early enough will condemn the person to a life of medications, monitored exercise programs, physical therapy or even surgery.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms can greatly reduce the mobility of the person to such an extent where previously accepted lifestyles need to be readdressed. The joint mobility and resulting pain and discomfort should cause the person to follow through with treatment, thus preventing the rheumatoid arthritis from having free reign and causing much more damage than necessary. Seeking out appropriate medications, natural remedies and dietary changes can provide comfort and allow the sufferer to maintain the lifestyle at a standard that they are used to for many years to come.

Arthritis is an inflammatory and painful condition of joints that most people suffer from across the globe. Most people are under a notion that there is no treatment for arthritis once it has occurred. Even medical experts have claimed that there is no effective treatment available for arthritis once it strikes. There are several medications topical creams and oils available for relieving the symptoms of arthritis.

However, a recent research and medical claims have proved that arthritis can be effectively treated. In fact, there are several exercises and medicines available on the market, these days for treating arthritis. If you are not aware of the treatment options available for arthritis, here is detailed information on all types of treatment options that can be opted for treating different types of arthritis.

Most of the medications for arthritis aim towards reducing the arthritis symptoms, delaying the progression of the disease, preventing joint damage, reducing deformities, preserving mobility, reducing deforming chances and preserving range of motion.

People who observe early symptoms of arthritis usually like to go for over the counter or not prescription medication such as topical creams, traditional methods such as massages, ice, heat and pain relief medicines without consulting a medical expert.

Medical experts feel that if a joint pain, swelling or stiffness persists for more than two weeks, you must rush for medical help. It is only a doctor who will diagnose arthritis. Remember that an accurate diagnosis it is very important to initiate the right treatment.

Visit a rheumatologist or an arthritis specialist who will prescribe you the best treatment options after analyzing your condition.

Some common drugs used to treat arthritis:

- COX-2 Inhibitors

- NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)

- Pain medication or analgesics

- Corticosteroids

- DMARDs (disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs)

- Biologic response modifiers or biologies

It is important to ask your doctor for prescriptions of medication for arthritis rather than deciding one on your own.

-Other treatment options for arthritis:

a) Injections into a joint

This is also a common procedure for treating arthritis. You would find a wide variety of injections that can be giving to the joint locally. The five common types of injections available include Synvisc, Supartz, Hyalgan, Orthovisc and Euflexxa.

b) Natural Treatments

These are really common and popular among people because there are no side effects. The treatment options include Biofeedback, Tai Chi, Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Acupressure, Massage, yoga, meditation, magnets and supplements such as chondroitin, fish oil, MSM, glucosamine etc.

c) Complimentary medications

These are alternative medications that can be used interchangeably. These include regular work out, stress management and eating a nutritious diet.

d) Surgical options

A joint surgery is considered a last option when it comes to arthritis treatment. There are several options available under this treatment category such as resection, partial knee replacement, arthrodesis, osteotomy, synovectomy, and revision joint replacement.

e) Pain relief

Arthritis pain can be really troubling. It can even interfere in our daily life. Several pain relief techniques and medications are available these days to help people with arthritis.

I discovered several years ago a little-known natural solution for curing arthritis pain. I found relief from my arthritis pain, naturally, and you can do it too. To get the arthritis pain relief you’re seeking it’s helpful to understand how arthritis works.

There are more than 100 different types of medical conditions that can affect your joints; it’ll be difficult to treat your condition effectively unless you know exactly what your diagnosis is; get diagnosed. As a result of arthritis, the bone beneath the cartilage undergoes changes that lead to bony overgrowth and the tissue that lines the joint can become inflamed, the ligaments can loosen, and the associated muscles can weaken.

The combination of the collagen meshwork and high water content tightly bound by proteoglycans creates a resilient, slippery pad in the joint, which resists the compression between bones during muscle movement. Collagen is the main protein found in all connective tissues in the body, including the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Damaged joints cause pain and sufferers are constantly looking for ways to relieve the pain.

Aging cells may be a factor in the development of arthritis. Most experts now believe that osteoarthritis results from a genetic susceptibility that causes a biologic response to injuries to the joint, which leads to progressive deterioration of cartilage. Genetic factors are thought to be involved in about 50% of osteoarthritis cases in the hands and hips and a somewhat lower percentage of cases in the knee.

If you really want to get rid of your arthritis pain forever it may take a radical change in your diet and an ongoing commitment. Gluten may be a culprit in arthritic diseases including fibromyalgia; avoid wheat, barley, rye, spelt, triticale, kamut and oats (although not a gluten grain it gets contaminated at the wheat mills). One natural approach is to consume foods that are known to help relieve arthritis pain or prevent arthritis.

Many have told me that going off dairy products and gluten containing foods relieved their arthritis pain entirely. Make highly nutritious raw applesauce using a food processor and put in 3-4 cored pesticide-free apples, with the skin on, and mix for a minute; so much better for you than canned highly processed applesauce and add 1/4 tsp. cinnamon or two tablespoons of freshly ground flaxseed for another boost. Watch your diet closely – load-bearing joints are affected by excessive weight; they are the hips, knees, feet and spine.

One natural treatment method involves avoiding all inflammatory foods. Studies done on antioxidant vitamins question the value of these supplements; it’s clearly better to consume these antioxidants in living foods because they may also need to work with other nutrients present in the foods to work properly.

Try avoiding the eight most allergic foods, wheat being the most allergenic; they are wheat, corn, eggs, milk, peanuts, fish, shellfish and some nuts, not all. For natural treatment for arthritis make an appointment with a naturopathic doctor, called a naturopath; ask around for referrals.

Don’t just sit there, keep moving. Exercise your affected joints every day, to keep them flexible. Fight arthritis through proper exercise! Exercise is good for joints affected by osteoarthritis.

If you have pain and swelling in your fingers, try squeezing Thera-putty made for this purpose or exercising with two Chinese chime balls. Sign up for water aerobics classes at your local community center. For arthritic fingers, a good exercise is to put your finger tips together and press hard and release, then repeat several times.

Conventional doctors may suggest the standard protocol for your joint pain; they tell you to take over-the-counter NSAIDS or prescribe COX-2 inhibitors, of which all have side effects. Drugs commonly used for arthritis pain can cause ulcers, heart disease and liver or kidney damage. For conventional treatment of arthritis – if you do choose to take drugs or medications, be very careful and read the labels thoroughly.

The biggest secret to arthritis pain relief is to change your diet now; eat foods that are alive. One should not only search for relief of arthritis pain but work on preventing it. Following these suggestions can help you get back in the swing of things and allow you to spend your days enjoying life once more.