What Is Arthritis? What Are The Common Types Of Arthritis?
Because arthritis has impacted lots of individuals from around the globe irrespective of age, with this it’s important to understand what is arthritis and what are the symptoms and what can cause it.
Arthritis is well known as inflammation of one or two joints. Usually, it’s associated with joint pain. Arthritis comes in many different kinds, you will find over hundred of recognized types of arthritis, and then the number keeps growing. This disease may cause pain, stiffness in addition to swelling in the joints in any parts of the body. Some type of arthritis may impact other areas of the body for example bones, muscles and internal organs which might lead to incapacitating, even life-threatening problems.
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the 2 most commonly encountered types of arthritis. Arthritis is a ailment that could affect anyone irrespective of age which includes children. Arthritis is common in older adults. It may cause pain and may hinder patients from taking pleasure on the things they once appreciated.
When arthritis remains undiagnosed and with no treatment, it may result in long term or irreversible injury to the joints, bones, organs, and skin.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is usually known as a degenerative osteoarthritis that is triggered by wear and tear. Joints could be actually damaged in addition to its surrounding tissues because of the pressure of gravity and therefore results in: inflammation, pain, tenderness and minimized function.
Osteoarthritis is non-inflammatory in the beginning and it has a subtle and gradual onset that usually entails one or only a few joints. The knees, hips, hands and spine are the joints which are mainly impacted. Much like other forms of arthritis, the chance of osteoarthritis escalate with age. Weight problems, joint trauma and repetitive joint use are also risk factors of osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is definitely an autoimmune disease that is chronic and possibly crippling. It occurs when the body’s defense mechanisms is misdirected and incorrectly attacks the cell lining within the joint called synovium. This kind of arthritis may cause stiffness in the joint, pain, swelling and loss of joint function.
Although cause end up being hard to resolve, health professionals believe that genetics play a huge role. Rheumatoid arthritis can start progressively with subtle symptoms which makes it hard to diagnose early.
Juvenile Arthritis
Juvenile arthritis represents any type of arthritis which occurs in youngsters. This is common in youngsters and this comes in three main types: polyarticular which impacts many joints, pauciarticular which relates to just a few joints and systemic which impacts the entire body. The signs or symptoms may vary from one child to another. Simply because no single test can effectively set up a diagnosis, the Juvenile arthritis ought to be regularly existing for six or more successive weeks just before a proper diagnosis can be created.
Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic Arthritis can be compared to rheumatoid arthritis. Medical studies report that roughly 5 percent of individuals with chronic skin disease for example psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis. In this kind of arthritis, an individual are affected from joint inflammation and often inflammation of the spine.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia syndrome is an unpleasant condition indicated by poor sleep, muscle pain and persistent fatigue. Fibromyalgia suggests pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons, a kind of soft tissue or muscular rheumatism which doesn’t trigger deformities in the joints.
Gout
Gout is a type of arthritis that is unpleasant and could trigger unexpected and serious attacks of pain, redness, warmth, joint inflammation specially the big toe. Uric acid crystals that precipitate out of the blood and are generally deposited in the joint are accountable for creating pain and inflammation.
You may still find other common kinds of arthritis and they’re Pseudogout, Scleroderma, lupus and more. To remain from suffering from arthritis all that’s necessary is to find out more regarding arthritis, arthritis symptoms, factors that cause arthritis as well as natural arthritis cures.
Joint pain
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Article source: http://www.khsltv.com/guides/health/story/Joint-pain/Svz18aXi4kWDcx6FjXUjpw.cspx
Drugs for rheumatoid arthritis work wonders. So why don’t all patients take them?
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that progresses from joint pain to joint destruction and disfigurement. But that progression can be dramatically slowed by a class of medications called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, or DMARDs for short. If started early, these drugs can preserve patients’ joints for years, allowing them to continue working and improving their overall quality of life.
So why aren’t all RA patients taking them?
That’s a question that a group of researchers from Stanford, Brown, Harvard and UC San Francisco set out to answer.
They looked at four years’ worth of data on more than 93,000 RA patients from around the country who were enrolled in Medicare managed care plans. Between 2005 and 2008, the proportion of patients who took DMARDs ranged from 59% to 67%. But the one-third or more of patients who didn’t get the drugs wasn’t spread randomly across the country. In fact, the researchers noted several groups of patients that were less likely to get the dugs.
Among them:
Patients who were at least 85 years old – about 42% of them used the drugs, compared with 72% of Medicare beneficiaries between age 65 and 69.
Men – 61% of them used the drugs, compared with 64% of women.
Nonwhite patients – nearly 57% of black patients and 58% of patients whose race was described as “other” used the drugs, compared with 64% of white patients.
Low-income patients – 55% of them used the drugs, compared with 64% of patients who were not low-income.
Patients who lived in certain parts of the East Coast – about 52% of patients in the South Atlantic region got the drugs, along with 59% of patients from the Middle Atlantic. By contrast, 67% of patients in the Pacific region got them.
Patients who lived in areas with a doctor shortage – 62% of those patients got the drugs, compared with more than 67% of patients who had access to plenty of doctors.
The study is the first to look at patterns of DMARD drug use across the entire country, according to the researchers. Though a substantial proportion of patients aren’t taking them, it’s hard to know how much lower that number should be. For instance, some patients may not be able to take the drugs because they cause dangerous interactions with other medications that they need to address more pressing health problems. That might help explain the particularly low use among the oldest patients in the survey, the researchers said.
Cost is almost certainly a factor, but the researchers couldn’t nail that down because they couldn’t tell what kind of prescription drug coverage the patients had. They noted that some of the 17 DMARDs can cost more than $4,000 per year, while others cost less than $1,000. Even with that price tag, however, the copayments may be too high for some patients.
“Given the enormous individual and societal costs associated with rheumatoid arthritis, and increasing substantial evidence that DMARDs can reduce these costs, variations in DMARD receipt based on demographics, socioeconomic status, and geography are unacceptable,” they concluded.
The study was published in Wednesday’s edition of the Journal of the American Medical Assn.
Article source: http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-rheumatoid-arthritis-drugs-20110202,0,2590438.story
Mountain Medicine: Exercise: A multi-purpose solution for obesity, arthritis
When your joints hurt, your natural inclination is to stop
moving. This is exactly what you should NOT do, especially if you
have arthritis.
Arthritis is the most common disease among America’s adult
population, and for those who are obese or overweight, the chances
of getting arthritis is much greater, especially in the knees.
It is estimated that a force of nearly three to six times a
person’s body weight is exerted across the knee while walking. So,
someone who weighs 200 pounds is exerting 600 to 1,200 pounds of
force on their knees when they walk. Because of the extreme force
placed on the knees, studies have shown obese women are four times
more likely to get arthritis of the knees and obese men are five
times more likely to get arthritis of the knees.
In women whose body mass index is greater the 25 (which is
considered overweight), losing just 11 pounds reduced the risk of
knee arthritis by more than 50 percent. Unfortunately, it also goes
the other direction — gaining 11 pounds can increase the risk of
arthritis by more than 50 percent.
Many people are under the assumption that exercise will cause
further pain or damage to achy and stiff joints. The exact opposite
is true. A recent study showed that one hour of low-impact
exercise, twice a week, actually reduced pain and fatigue and also
improved joint function.
Arthritis stiffens the joints and can even immobilize the joint,
but exercise keeps the joints moving by increasing flexibility.
Exercise also strengthens the muscles, which help support the
joint. Exercise reduces joint pain because the joints are not as
stressed when they have stronger muscles supporting them, allowing
the joint to have more flexibility and movement. Exercise also
maintains bone strength by helping to preserve and even increase
bone density.
Additionally, exercise has so many benefits including increased
overall energy throughout the day and it helps to control weight.
In fact, exercise can offset the genetic predisposition for
obesity.
Researchers have found that being genetically predisposed to
obesity “had no effect on those with above average physical
activity scores.” So, in addition to helping keep the joints strong
and flexible, exercise fends off obesity, even if obesity is
genetic and runs in the family.
The American Heart Association recommendation on exercise is at
least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a day.
This can be as simple as a brisk 30-minute walk around the block or
on a treadmill. Other simple activities include swimming, riding a
stationary bike, walking laps around the school track, lifting
light weights or doing yoga at home or in a class.
Exercise can even help make you look and feel younger. Forget
the expensive anti-wrinkle creams; save your money and exercise.
Studies have shown that regular exercise can shave 10 to 12 years
off of your chronological age.
If these tips don’t help or you feel a better alternative is out
there, then bariatric surgery might be the answer for you. If you
are considering weight-loss surgery, Flagstaff Medical Center’s
Bariatric Surgical Weight Loss Center offers free information
sessions the second Tuesday of every month from 6 to 7 p.m. These
sessions include a presentation by our surgical staff on the causes
of and complications related to morbid obesity, as well as the
types of surgeries available. To register to attend a free
information session, call 214-3737. To learn more about the
program, visit FMCBariatrics.com.
Celeste Hebets, P.T., is a physical therapist and
coordinator of FMC’s Bariatric Surgical Weight Loss Center. Is
there a health topic you’d like to know more about? Please write to
Mountain Medicine, c/o FMC Public Relations, 1200 N. Beaver St.,
Flagstaff, AZ 86001, or visit FlagstaffMedicalCenter.com
Article source: http://www.azdailysun.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/article_ea0b41a7-2fff-50b9-9a38-51b0ba0a1ff9.html
Effects of Arthritis Pain, Treat Arthritis
Pain is the most common symptom of arthritis of the shoulder. Often, the pain is aggravated by activity and progressively worsens. If the glen humeral shoulder joint is affected, the pain is centered in the back of the shoulder and may intensify with changes in the weather. Arthritis affects many of us and can be very painful. Some of us do not have the money to by prescription drugs. There are many things that you can do to relieve this naturally. You can first start by not eating certain foods as frequently. Potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers contain solacing an inflammatory element. If you cut back on you intake of these foods it will reduce the flare-ups.
Effects of Arthritis Pain: – Arthritis pain is passed off by many as an inconsequential pain and that it is ‘only’ arthritis, but those with arthritis pain know how difficult it is to live and function daily.
If you suffer from arthritis, get moving and do some exercise. Arthritis sufferers can minimize joint pain by keeping those joints moving.
Amazingly, approximately 40% of the world’s population have one type of arthritis or another and as a result suffer significantly from arthritis pain. And, because of arthritis pain pharmaceutical companies sell billions of dollars each year in over the counter and prescription drugs.
Symptoms: – The preliminary symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis include swelling of the joints. At first, the delicate lining of the joints are inflamed. Gradually, the joints stiffen and turn red. You may also suffer from a low fever, loss of appetite, and/or fatigue. As the disease progresses, the synovium gradually becomes thickened.
Arthritis is a painful, potentially crippling disease associated with the joints. Arthritis causes painful swollen joints throughout the body. Arthritis doesn’t just strike older people; it can happen at any age. There are many ways to naturally ease arthritis symptoms.
1. Low fever;
2. Fatigue;
3. Multiple sore or achy joints;
4. Multiple swollen or inflamed joints
How to Treat Arthritis: – On the other hand there are many foods that sooth the pain of arthritis. Cherries, blackberries, blueberries, onions, celery, cayenne pepper, and garlic are great for reducing joint irritation caused by arthritis. These will reduce the pain often associated with arthritis.
1. Vitamin Supplements: – A few vitamins that are effective in fighting arthritis include: Vitamins B5, B6, B12, C, and Vitamin K. Making these vitamins part of your daily vitamin regiment will both prevent and treat your arthritis.
2. Olive Oil Massage: – Arthritis is just one of the many ailments that Olive Oil soothes and cures. Use this treatment daily for the best results.
3. Prevention: – Prevent arthritis all together by exercising regularly and eating a healthy well balanced diet.
4. Herbal Remedy: – Head down to your local health food store and pickup a few oils extracts of herbs that are popular in treating arthritis. A few such herbs include “Devil’s Claw” and Lavender.
Lower your storage areas shelves so you don’t have to strain your leg joints or climb on foot stools. You can also buy a hand gripper for items that are hard to pick up.If you have to climb stairs lead with your stronger leg and on the way down lead weaker leg. If you are working outside in the yard use a stool rather then stooping over especially if you have lower back pain from arthritis.