Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Arthritis
What is Arthritis ?
Arthritis is a term that includes a group of disorders that affect your joints and muscles. Arthritis symptoms include joint pain, inflammation and limited movement of joints. When a joint is inflamed it may be swollen, tender, warm to the touch or red. Surrounding each joint is a protective capsule holding a lubricating fluid to aid in motion. Cartilage, a slippery smooth substance, covers most joints to assure an even, fluid motion of the joint. With joint arthritis, the cartilage may be damaged, narrowed and lost by a degenerative process or by inflammation making movement painful.
For most people arthritis pain and inflammation cannot be avoided as the body ages. In fact, most people over the age of 50 show some signs of arthritis. Joints naturally degenerate over time. Fortunately, arthritis can be managed through a combination of medication, exercise, rest, weight-management, nutrition, and, in some cases, surgery. Your doctor can tell if you have arthritis through blood tests and x-rays. He or she will then be able to help you decide on the best treatment for your case.
Arthritis is a chronic disease that can stay with you for a long time and possibly for the rest of your life. Your treatments will probably change over time and medication may be adjusted. Having a positive mental outlook and the support of family and friends will help you live with arthritis and be able to continue to perform your daily activities. Arthritis is not just 1 disease; it is a complex disorder that comprises more than 100 distinct conditions and can affect people at any stage of life. Two of the most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
The Two Major types of Arthritis are Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune condition which can affect the whole body. In this condition the body can turn on itself and attack the healthy cells causing inflammation of the joints. Some of the symptoms accompanying rheumatoid arthritis are pain and tenderness in the joints. A general feeling of fatigue and muscle aches. Stiffness which increases after a period of rest, fevers, inflammation and swelling of major joints.
Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is a degenerative arthritis which is caused when the cartilage in the joint wears down. Some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis are difficulty in sitting and standing, misshapen joints of the fingers. Some of the common areas affected by osteoarthritis are load bearing joints such as hips and knees making it difficult to perform simple daily activities.
Causes of Arthritis
An individual can develop arthritis due of several factors, some of the causes being gender, age, weight, previous injury and nutritional factors. Other causes could involve wear and tear of joints causing inflammation, systemic diseases, infections and fractures.
Age: Arthritis can occur in people of all ages. Rheumatoid arthritis commonly occurs in the 25 to 50 age group. Osteoarthritis commonly occurs in older patients, with some cases occurring due to injury in younger patients. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis affects children upto 16 years of age.
Weight: Obesity can lead to arthritis as the load-bearing joints can get damaged more easily. Some of the load-bearing areas prone to arthritis are the lower back and the hip.
Previous injury: Any previous injury such as a fracture or a muscle, ligament or tendon injury can develop into arthritis.
Systemic diseases: Systemic conditions such as gout and lupus which are types of arthritis.
Infections: Bacterial and viral conditions such as chlamydia, mumps and human parvovirus.
Erosion of cartilage in the joints is the most common cause of arthritis. This can result in the bones rubbing against each other to cause misshapen joints and deformities. Some congenital deformities like uneven bone structures or misalignment of bones in the joint may also cause arthritis.
preventive measures for arthritis
• The best preventive measure for arthritis or joint pain is to maintain a proper diet with complex carbohydrates and low salt, sugar, fat, and protein combined with proper exercise to keep the joints strong.
• Jogging for the years may produce the arthritis combined with other inherited weakness of the joints. The most common joints affected by this are knees and the lower back. And also the intervertebral discs may be affected by constant jogging. The best exercise is the swimming and to use the machine which works out the arms and shoulders, as well as the legs and heart.
• Forceful stretching of the joints may feel good, but it forces the ligament structures around the joint and causes microscopic tearing of ligaments. Ligaments do not repair by themselves. When enough fibers are broken, the adjacent joint will become unstable, and there will be movement in directions for which it was not made.
• When you diagonise the presence of the arthritis its better to take early treatment to slow down or to prevent further damage to the joints.
• Regular physical activity will help us to maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
•Try to intake the fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C which will reduce the risk for developing the inflammatory arthritis.
• Try to consume the green tea which helps in preventing the arthritis damage by reducing the inflammation and slows down the cartilage breakdown. A substance or the component called catechins of this tea helps in reducing the degradation of cartilage. And also other component polyphenols found in this tea reduces the inflammation of the joints.
• The most effective prevention and the treatment for arthritis are the replacement therapy of the Estrogen. This will prevent the bone loss, increase the bone density in the spine and the hips and reduces the risk of hip and spinal fractures in postmenopausal women.
• Breast-feeding avoids the rheumatoid arthritis in women.
• If you fell pain and the signs of arthritis take Rest.
• Try to maintain the proper body weight because extra weight increases the pressure on the joints and can create some type of arthritis.
• Try to use splints, braces, canes or shoe inserts to protect joints from the stresses of daily activities.
• Therapies such as moist heat increases blood flow and flexibility in the joint. And Cold therapy such as cold packs, cold-water soaks numbs the nerves and relieves inflammation.
Treatments for Arthritis
Exercise and Physical Therapy: Exercise programs combined with rest is recommended for people suffering from arthritis. Physical therapy can also be prescribed to strengthen muscles and increase flexibility. Physical therapy may include relaxation therapy, hydrotherapy and other therapies to reduce pain, muscle tension and stiffness.
Other non-surgical methods: Application of hot and cold packs is used to reduce inflammation, stiffness and pain. Other methods include massages, nutrition and nutritional supplements. Assistive devices such as splints, braces and canes are used to ease pain.