What your joints need

Arthritis – and the way it can affect your health and quality of life – can be a difficult thing to come to grips with. Arthritis isn’t so much a specific disease as it is a condition that can arise as a result of over 100 different illnesses. Generally, arthritis involves degeneration or inflammation of the joints. However, it can also include swelling, deformity, and – eventually – disability. Some forms of arthritis can even damage seemingly unlikely organs like the heart, eyes, urinary tract, and skin.

Arthritis affects over 46 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC also estimates that more than one-fifth of our adult population has some form of arthritic condition. Again, arthritis can come in many different forms, and – although they are all related – its not always easy to recognize arthritis in all of its different guises. The diseases gout and pseudogout are forms of arthritis in which crystals form in the joints.

Psoriatic arthritis is a condition that only affects those who already have the skin disease psoriasis, and ankylosing spondylitis is a form of arthritis that is focused specifically in the spine. Despite its more exotic incarnations, most Americans with arthritis suffer from one of two types: rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and osteoarthritis (OA).

Rheumatiod arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own defenses are turned against healthy tissues. RA can be a debilitating disease, characterized by a painful swelling of the joints that can be quite severe. Arthritis can impact the lives of people of all ages, and the most common form of arthritis in children is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis is so common that many of the aches and pains we simply accept as “part of getting older,” are symptoms of osteoarthritis. The bad knees and hips many of us have experienced are – generally – the result of the degeneration of cartilage on these load-bearing joints, caused by osteoarthritis. What options do we have when faced with such a variable, widespread condition?

First, it is important to determine whether or not you are in fact suffering from one of the many forms of arthritis. The diagnosis of the condition can involve a physical exam, evaluation of medical history, x-ray tests, ultrasound, and perhaps even blood and urine tests. Once it is determined that you actually do have one of the forms of arthritis , it is important to understand that there is no cure for the disease. However, there are a number of treatment options that can help you minimize the disease’s painful symptoms, and maximize your quality of life.

Treatment of arthritis can take on a variety of forms in order to address the three key issues for any patient with the disease: alleviating pain, preventing degeneration, and maintaining and improving joint mobility. Treatment can include: exercise, physical therapy, occupational therapy and medications. In the most severe of cases, surgery may be required in order to remove growths, or replace an entire joint. The replacement of an entire joint in known as arthroplasty. Arthroplasty of knee joints has become a very common and effective procedure for patients with severe degeneration of cartilage in their joints. In addition to these various forms of treatments, there are now a number of lifestyle products that are custom-designed for people of all ages who’s lives have been affected by arthritis.

One of the most difficult aspects of dealing with arthritis is that it can make simple tasks you have always taken for granted painful and difficult. We rarely worry about opening a jar or a door, but arthritis can make even these basic tasks challenging. With Great Grips, you can open any door or jar. Just stretch the Grip over the knob or lid, and you suddenly have the leverage and gripping surface you need to make any gripping task a snap. The cordless, ergonomic, automatic Gizmo Can Opener can bring the same kind of ease to your kitchen tasks, insuring that arthritis won’t sideline the home-gourmet in you.

The Evoluent company has even built a better mouse so the computer -savvy arthritis sufferer can stay logged-in without stress or strain.

Consult your doctor. Find out if you are suffering from arthritis, and what you can do about it. With the right treatments – and the right products – arthritis doesn’t have to be such a pain.

Psoriasis is a skin disease that may first show as an arthritic condition called Psoriatic Arthritis to some patients.

The disease is characterized by a rough and scaly type of skin irritation or rash. It usually starts to show in elbows, knees and the scalp. Problems in the toes, fingernails and eyes may also be experienced.

Although, the disease is not contagious, its cause, like some types of arthritis, is unknown. A proper diagnosis is needed to check for the occurrence of psoriasis and its accompanying psoriatic arthritis. Blood tests, X-rays and joint fluid tests, medical history and physical examination are required.

People with a weak immune system are believed to be most susceptible to the disease. Insect bites as well as cuts and scrapes are known to trigger the outbreak of the disease.

Psoriatic arthritis causes swelling and pain in the scaly patches of the body affected by psoriasis and not just the joints. Only a minimum of 10% of those who have psoriasis may develop this type of arthritis which usually target men and women ages 20 to 50.

Usually the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis come slowly and in mild cases. They include apparent pain and redness of the eye, swelling and stiffness accompanied by pain in the joints and the occurrence of grey or silver patches on the scalp, knees and elbows as well as the lower end of the spine. Fingers and sometimes the toes may swell resulting in limited capacity for movement.

There are five known types of psoriatic arthritis and patients may suffer from more than one type.

Asymmetric arthritis does not cause swelling and pain of the joints on the two sides of the body but affects the ankles, wrist, hip and knee.

Symmetric arthritis has symptoms similar to rheumatoid arthritis but milder and the case of deformity is less. Mistaken for osteoarthritis, Distal Interphalangeal Predominant involves the last joints of the toes or fingers. A more serious and severe type of psoriatic arthritis is the arthritis mutilans that affects joints of the feet and hands which eventually result to the destruction of bones and cartilage.

Another rare and serious condition is the Psoriatic Spondyloarthritis which causes deformity and probable changes in posture. Movement of the neck and the lower back may be painful as the spine suffers inflammation.

Treatment for psoriatic arthritis does not include its cure but only prevention of further damage from inflammation and pain relief. Soaking in warm water or warm baths, may give relief along with other heat applications. A dermatologist is needed for the skin problem and a therapist or rheumatologist for the joint disease.

Exercise may be found helpful to strengthen muscles and bones to facilitate better movement. Drugs such as anti-inflammatory analgesics may also be prescribed depending on the patient’s case.

Steroid injections may also be done in certain cases while surgery is usually necessary for severe cases of joint damage. Any form of treatment must be discussed with the doctor because different patients have different conditions and generally have different combinations of the joint disease.