What your joints need

Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition where involves inflammation of joints which leads to further swelling and pain. It causes an upset inside the body where the immune system starts attacking joint tissue, cartilage and other organs. However the causes of rheumatoid arthritis are still not known fully. This type of arthritis is the most common and affects one in every 100 people. Rheumatoid arthritis affects people of all ages but mainly effects people within the ages of 30 to 50. Women are three times more likely to be effected as men. Patients carrying this form of arthritis most often complain of fluctuating pain and inflammation of joints, which can get gets worse during flare-ups. This article aims to offer an insight into several treatments that can be used against rheumatoid arthritis.

There are two main kinds of drugs used against rheumatoid arthritis; first line drugs, fast acting drugs, and second line which are slow acting drugs.

First line drugs include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Examples of NSAIDs are aspirin, ibuprofen and etodolac. These can be used to reduce pain and swelling of joints. Aspirin has long been used to decrease inflammation. It can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis by using doses that are higher then those used during fever. Newer types of NSAIDs are effective as aspirin and require fewer intakes per day. However just like all medication, it has its own side effects which include stomach pain, abdominal pain and a few others. In order to minimize the side effects of NSAIDs, they are regularly taken with meals. Another type of first line drugs includes Corticosteroids.

They are more powerful then NSAIDs and are given either orally or through an injection to the inflamed areas such as joints. Corticosteroids are given in small doses, mainly during flare-ups as it reacts more strongly to inflammation. However it can have serious side effects on the body if given for an extended period of time in high doses. These include weight gain, easy risk of infection, easy bruising and others. The side effects can be minimized by decreasing the level of doses given to the patients slowly as the condition of the patient improves. A sharp decline in the doses given to the patient is discouraged as it can lead to flare-ups and other symptoms of the disease.

Second line drugs include Disease-modifying Anti-rheumatic Drugs or DMARDs. These drugs are mainly used to prevent destruction of joints and deformity. DMARDs are used for an extended period of time in order to be effective. DMARDs can often be used with a combination of other second line drugs as therapy. Some examples of DMARDs include Sulfasalazine, Hydroxychloroquine, D-penicillamine and others.

Apart from the above methods, there are some other approaches that can be used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. The patients can undertake exercise that can help them improve their physical condition and improve joint mobility. Additionally it is important to have a healthy intake of food. Many often patients with rheumatoid arthritis can experience weight loss. This can be combined with medication and therapy to come up with a more potent combination against the condition. Depending on your position, you can under go either physiotherapy or occupational therapy. This will help improve flexibility, mobility, and reduce pain in your joints.

The aforementioned approaches to rheumatoid arthritis have been used time and again. However it is essential to seek your nearest doctor to get firm guidance. Each arthritis case shall be dealt on an individual basis. With the passage of time, new and more effective treatments against arthritis are starting to come through. However the only way to gain the maximum benefit from the existing treatments will be to remain punctual throughout the course of the medication. It is important to constantly consult your doctor and keep him or her up to date with your condition, so that the doctor can advise you further and give more effective feedback.

Because arthritis has become a very “popular” disease today, people are finding ways to totally eliminate the problem. But is there really a cure for any of the arthritis diseases? Is there an arthritis medication which can take away the causative problem of your disease? Well, the answer is no.

Rheumatoid arthritis treatment comes in many ways. Aside from the medications and the surgeries for arthritis, there are several other therapies which help a lot in the cure of arthritis. To name a few are: hydrotherapy, massage therapy, paraffin dip, and a number of exercises. With the use of these treatments, a patient will be relieved not only of the pain but the inflammation of the joints as well. If these are done continuously, the ill person will be able to go back to his normal way of living again.

Arthritis treatment can be given to alleviate the patient’s condition and to make the patient feel as comfortable as possible. But to eliminate the root of the problem is quite impossible; since we all know that arthritis is a genetic problem, nothing can “erase” it as it runs in your system already. The list given below will explain how each form of treatment can provide for a temporary relief from arthritis.

Arthritis Cure through Medications

Arthritis cure through medications is impossible. However, they help tremendously in putting your disease on a resting stage. The medications can control several symptoms of your disease such as the inflammation, pain, and stiffness of the joints; but it can never take them away.

Once in a while, your symptoms will attack; but if you regularly comply with the treatment regimen given to you, the chances of disease occurrence would be unlikely. This is why doctors stress the importance of religiously conforming with your arthritis drugs; for without them, it will be impossible to relieve you of the symptoms your are experiencing.

Arthritis Cure through Surgery

The best arthritis cure that is considered today would be surgery. Because an operation fixes your bones, joints and ligaments, it can very well remove your arthritis problems. However, this form of arthritis cure does not mean that you are totally safe from another disease attack.

Although most of your symptoms may have been removed by the surgery already, your genetic problem is still at large. Since genes are the cause of your problem, it cannot be taken cared of by surgery. Like the medications, surgery will give you a temporary arthritis cure. Through time, the disease will emerge again and will attack your system the second time around.

Arthritis Cure through Other Therapies

Another considered treatment would be the variety of therapies available. Like the two treatments mentioned above, the other therapies for the disease can not be considered as an arthritis cure. Therapies like natural remedies, paraffin wax treatments, exercise and diet can only alleviate a part of your arthritis symptoms; but they cannot fully eradicate the origins of your disease.

It is a good thing that several forms for temporary arthritis cure are being generated in our world today. This alone is a big help to those who are experiencing the pains of arthritis. What people need to do is to be thankful for the variety of treatments available. Gratitude to these innovations can be shown through compliance with whatever treatment the doctors give you. After all, it is you who will enjoy all the benefits you can get from an arthritis treatment.

There is a little-known natural solution to curing oneself of arthritis pain, which I discovered many years ago. Getting rid of arthritis pain, without drugs, was one big relief for me.

Arthritis pain can be experienced whenever a stiff or swollen joint is used. 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. Sometimes arthritis occurs in the wrist, elbows, shoulders, and jaw but you generally don’t find it there.

The ability to make repairs to cartilage becomes limited as cartilage cells age. Joints are designed for normal and painless movement and are primarily supplied by the synovium and cartilage. Collagen is the main protein found in all connective tissues in the body, including the muscles, ligaments, and tendons.

Aging cells may be a factor in the development of arthritis. One possible cause of arthritis is the inflammatory response due to the over-reaction of the immune system to an injury or other assault in the body, like an infection. It’s generally thought that inflammation plays a minor role in osteoarthritis and is more likely to be a result, not a cause, of arthritis.

With natural treatments there will be fewer, if any, side effects or adverse reactions. Many have told me that going off dairy products and gluten containing foods relieved their arthritis pain entirely. Not a food, but many, including one well-known professional golfer, still wear copper bracelets and swear by them.

Watch your diet closely – load-bearing joints are affected by excessive weight; they are the hips, knees, feet and spine. For natural treatment for arthritis make an appointment with a naturopathic doctor, called a naturopath; ask around for referrals. A study in Great Britain touted the beneficial effects of cod liver oil on osteoarthritis; relieving pain and stiffness, and reversing the destruction of joint cartilage within 24 hours.

For snacks, choose raw nuts without salt instead of lifeless roasted nuts. And avoid all inflammatory foods, if you can.

Try massaging your fingers or other affected joints with coconut oil twice a day. If you really want to get rid of your arthritis pain forever it may take a radical change in your diet and ongoing commitment.

Important exercises for arthritis are range-of-motion exercises, isometrics, and some weight bearing exercises. For arthritic fingers, a good exercise is to put your finger tips together and press hard and release, then repeat several times. Even if you don’t think you can exercise, you can do some movements. At bedtime try putting on a pair of stretch gloves to help reduce the pain and swelling in your fingers for those of you who have arthritic fingers.

Whatever you do, keep moving; don’t sit when you can stand, don’t stand when you can walk. Try to keep painful joint areas in motion, even in a limited manner. A good exercise routine is the key to beating arthritis and arthritis pain – keep moving.

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.

If you’re planning to take any of the non-prescription NSAIDS for arthritis, make sure you understand what bad effects they can have on the stomach, liver and/or kidneys and discuss this with your doctor. For conventional treatment of arthritis – if you do choose to take drugs or medications, be very careful and read the labels thoroughly.

One should not only search for relief of arthritis pain but work on preventing it. Knowing more about arthritis and how it works will ultimately help contribute to the relief of your arthritis pain. More and more conventional doctors are investigating the benefits of diet and alternative therapies.

Using medication to treat and manage RA. Watch this and more health videos at: www.answerstv.com