Archive for May, 2009
to help the swelling to go down. Hand has been swollen for a month, and the meds are not helping the swelling?
Ice won't help it at this point. I suggest you use heat instead. Also, ask your doctor if you can take an anti-inflammatory.
I have had Fibro for 20 years. Aloe does not help with the pain. If you're looking for a topical try one with Capsaisin in it. Please wash your hands and under your nails really good if you use it, you do not want this stuff making it's way to your eyes! 
Is there a permanent cure for arthritis?
Posted by: | CommentsOne of my closest friends has arthritis on her left wrist and i want to know if there's any permanent cure for it
I don't think there is and, unfortunately, it will get worse with age. She can help the soreness and inability of the joints to move by wearing an ACE wrist bandage and possibly getting cortisone shots. She may want to start some sort of physical therapy as well, maybe buy a small plush ball that she can squeeze a few times a day just to keep her wrist from hardening up. I have some friends who have had some sort of surgery on the muscles surrounding whatever joint is inflamed that is supposed to loosen them up – like a snipping of some sort – but they all said it did no good.
Negative results for rheumatoid arthritis. What else can cause the same symptons?
Posted by: | CommentsMy daughter has recently been checked for rheumatoid arthritis-due to painful and sometimes swollen joints-particularly in her fingers. Test has come back negative. However she is still in pain. Any idea what this might be?
She could have what is called 'seronegative arthritis' ie patients with rheumatoid arthritis who happen to have a negative rheumatoid factor.
I presume you are going to follow this up with your doctor.
Good luck
What are some alternative treatments for arthritis?
Posted by: | CommentsMy grandmother has arthritis in her hands and she takes medication, but it only helps to a certain extent.
I was wondering if there were any supplements or natural treatments that may help her?
It is actually quite effective when some foods are eliminated from the diet. The following foods can cause allergic reactions as well as painful arthritis: animal protein, tomatoes, white potatoes, peppers, bell peppers, cayenne, chili, paprika, pimiento and eggplant. Some people feel better when gluten is eliminated from their diet as well as giving up all dairy products.
Rheumatoid Arthritis – Is A Poor Diet Causing Your Symptoms
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Rheumatoid Arthritis is the most common chronic autoimmune disease in our society at present. This disease is characterised by symptoms such as pain and inflammation in bone joints. It’s a debilitating condition that effects a high percentage of the worlds population, and it can affect anyone at any age.
All races have an equal chance of suffering from arthritis. For some people it will only effect one part of their body with the most common being the hands, but it can become systemic. This means that for some sufferers it will cause pain over the whole body, and in extreme cases can include internal organs.
The most common treatments for arthritis are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), coricosteroids, and disease-modifying anti rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Along with these drugs patients are also advised of lifestyle changes that include changing their diet and exercising.
Other medicines that can be prescribed are immune suppressants. These are used when the patients immune system is no longer in control.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that creates antibodies in the blood which attacks the sufferers own body tissues. This is what causes the pain and inflammation.
The most commonly affected joints are hands, feet, wrists, shoulders, hips, elbows, knees and neck. Once someone is suffering from this disease it will last the rest of their life.
All sufferers should talk to their doctor about possible treatments for their symptoms. And they should regularly update their doctor of any changes in they way they feel.
Diet plays a massive role in the symptoms of arthritis. Many foods will help your symptoms while many will make them worse. Some research will help you discover which are the foods that you eat that are triggering your symptoms.
Many sufferers have been known to eliminate a lot of their symptoms when they change their diet. Some foods contain chemicals called prostaglandins which are known to trigger some symptoms.
Some of the foods that you should avoid if you’re suffering from arthritis are…
Alcohol
Foods containing white flour
Tinned foods
Foods containing E numbers and too many preservatives
A diet rich in fresh fruit, vegetables and oily fish will help to ease your symptoms. You are what you eat, and the healthier you eat, the healthier you will become.
Always consult your doctor first before making any changes in your lifestyle that regard a diet and exercise plan. If you feel that your diet is making you feel worse then it’s not that difficult to make yourself feel better.
Jennifer King
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/rheumatoid-arthritis-is-a-poor-diet-causing-your-symptoms-553387.html
Low Back Pain: Discipline is Cure!
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Lower back pain has emerged as one of the commonest ailments across the globe. So great is the number of people affected by it that, it is said to be the reason for more sick leaves than any other physical problem.
Back pain can either be acute or chronic. Acute back pain is the one that hits you in a flash and is highly painful but does not last for very long. In other words, it hits hard but stays for a short while. Chronic back pain is hard and persists for a much longer duration. Both the kinds are equally capable of throwing away your life routine out of gear.
The acute lower back pain is normally a result of some kind of injury. For instance you might injure your back in the process of lifting a heavy object carelessly. A fall may also be injurious and so can be an accident. So, acute lower back pain occurs for a reason and the reason is very much visible. However, the same is not the case with chronic lower back pain.
Chronic lower back pain can occur for a number of reasons and the causes are not so visible. The causes can be many, ranging from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis to disc degeneration and disc herniation. And these conditions can be diagnosed only after a series of tests and scans.
So far as the treatment is concerned, it depends very much on the cause of it. Fortunately, nearly all kinds of lower back pain, whatever their cause be, are treated without resorting to surgery in most of the cases.
So, the treatment is very much available but lower back pain can be dealt with much before it actually occurs. All it takes is disciplined living. Just keep your posture right and start exercising regularly. Back stretching exercises are particularly helpful in preventing lower back pain. The exercises to strengthen core abdomen muscles help a great deal in making your back strong enough to bear minor jerks and sprains with ease. Regular exercising increase the flexibility of muscles, which makes them less prone to injury.
Therefore, if you are suffering from lower back pain, pay attention to your posture and make exercise a part of your routine. Back pain would soon be a part of forgettable history.
kanishkmanchanda
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/low-back-pain-discipline-is-cure-135811.html
How Arthritis Affects Our Daily Lives.
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The first question you may have is what is arthritis? Most people have heard of the term but may not know the true meaning. The medical definition for the term arthritis is inflammation of a joint or multiple joints depending on how serious the case is. The common symptoms of arthritis are pain, swelling, redness and stiffness to the point where it is hard to move a leg or an arm or even your neck. There are many different types or levels of arthritis. Each is similar and different in many ways.
One of the most common forms of arthritis is called osteoarthritis or OA. This happens when the cartilage of the joint deteriorates and causes stiffness. The cartilage in your joints act as a cushion and almost like lubrication for the bones to move freely and without pain. When the bones keep rubbing against each other without any padding or lubrication they become inflamed and swell. Osteoarthritis is mostly found in your spine, hips, knees and fingers.
Wrists, shoulders and elbows can also suffer from osteoarthritis. These are not as common but usually result from a passed sports injury to that specific joint. Osteoarthritis can also be caused by continuous lifting. Some jobs require the employee to lift every day. After a while the knees and back may develop osteoarthritis due to the constant trauma the joints have taken.
Most different types are all due to inflammation of the joints. Someone with acute arthritis will have swelling, and pain around a certain area. This very painful due to the fact that your joints feel like it is constantly on fire. Another form of arthritis is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. This involves tenderness and swelling of two or more joints in children. This is also not only very painful but can stunt growth and development of children depending on the seriousness of the condition.
There are many different causes of arthritis. Sometimes it is heredity and other times it is because of overweight issues. The joints wear down faster due to the excess weight causing pressure on the joints. Age is probably the most contributor of osteoarthritis. Most people ages 65 plus will likely have osteoarthritis.
There are also many different medications that can help deal with arthritis. Most can relieve the uncomfortable pain that is caused by arthritis. You can purchase these medications from a local pharmacy and also from an online pharmacy. Some will send the product right to you so you will not have to leave the comfort of your own home. University Lab Technologies website has much more information on arthritis. They are also promoting an arthritis relief product which actually helps relieve arthritis for a long period of time.
If you are experiencing constant joint pain then you probably developing a form of arthritis. Take a visit to your doctor to find out how serious it is. He or she may prescribe some medication or just recommend medication that you can purchase over the counter. There is no cure for arthritis yet but scientists are working on it. The only thing we can do is suppress arthritis by lowering the inflammation of the joints to make the body more comfortable.
Markus Skupeika
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/how-arthritis-affects-our-daily-lives-138093.html
Did You Know About This Natural Remedy For Arthritis?
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When your body accumulates an excessive amount of acid, you are at risk for arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. If you already suffer from one of these diseases, high acidity will intensify your inflammation, soft tissue degeneration and bone loss.
A highly acidic pH prevents the body from functioning properly. The presence of acid waste makes it increasingly difficult for cells to absorb the fuel they need. Vital body systems like the immune system start to malfunction. The result is increased inflammation and soft tissue degeneration. Acids are also solidified and deposited throughout the body, leading to bone loss.
The longer you wait to reduce your body’s acidity, the longer you remain at risk for arthritis and related illnesses.
THE RISK
Arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia are autoimmune diseases. They are the result of an over-regulated or under-regulated immune system that mistakenly attacks the body’s healthy cells.
White blood cells, or lymphocytes, play a critical role in the immune system. They are the cells that bind with and disable germ cells. The fluid that surrounds the body’s joints is filled with lymphocytes, which is one reason these areas swell and become painful when you are fighting off an infection.
In an arthritic body, these lymphocytes mistakenly attack healthy cells. Because lymphocytes are so concentrated near the joints, they do considerable damage to the bone and soft tissue.
When acid waste accumulates in your body, the immune system is compromised. The acid damages and disorients the lymphocytes. Thus, if you don’t have arthritis or a similar autoimmune disease yet, but your body is acidic, you are at risk. If you already suffer from arthritis, excessive acid will intensify the damage.
THE DAMAGE
When lymphocytes attack healthy cells near the joints, they create acid waste as a by-product. This acid collects around the joints and causes further swelling and degeneration. The acid also poisons the damaged lymphocytes, disorienting them further and causing them to attack additional healthy cells.
As the lymphocytes attack healthy cells, germ cells freely invade the body and multiply. The germ cells attack healthy cells, release bacteria that produce acid waste, and then die out and become acid waste themselves. The body’s pH level continues to become more acidic.
The acidic body environment also damages the nervous system. This is bad news for anyone suffering from fibromyalgia, another type of autoimmune illness that’s characterized by inflammation of the soft tissue and myofascia, or muscle covering. The nervous system damage causes pain impulses to spread globally throughout the body. Thus, acidity can worsen the severity of fibromyalgia.
High levels of acid also lead to osteoporosis. Not only does the acid eat into the bone, causing loss of bone mass, but the body also leaches calcium from the bones. The body uses calcium to solidify acid in an attempt to store it safely away from the body’s organs. Therefore a highly acidic body suffers extreme calcium depletion. Calcified acids deposited in joints and on the surfaces of bone lead to osteoarthritis.
THE BENEFITS OF A BALANCED pH
Fortunately, a significant reduction in your body’s acid level can lead to regeneration of healthy cells and tissue. A diet that’s more alkaline can help you reverse the damage caused by acidity and arthritis.
The right combination of fresh vegetable juices, for example, can help your body break down and destroy excessive acid waste. To prevent acid from accumulating further, you should eliminate sugar and refined carbohydrates from your diet. Vitamin and mineral supplements specially formulated to balance pH are an important part of your strategy as well.
If you start to balance your pH level through supplements and easy-to-learn diet and lifestyle changes, you will reduce your vulnerability to arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. You can look forward to greatly improved health.
Janet Emerson
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/did-you-know-about-this-natural-remedy-for-arthritis-126221.html
Natural Pain Relief Tips for Arthritis
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I got rid of my arthritis and arthritis pain naturally by drastically changing my diet. I stopped eating the standard American diet (SAD.)
Arthritis sufferers today are continually seeking relief from their arthritis pain.
Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease of the joint cartilage and bone, often thought to result from “wear and tear” on a joint, although there are other causes of arthritis such as congenital defects, trauma and metabolic disorders. Unlike some other types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis is not systemic – it does not spread through the entire body. The pain in arthritis can be moderate to severe.
Damaged joints cause pain and sufferers are constantly looking for ways to relieve the pain. Cartilage contains chondrocytes, water, proteoglycans and collagen; chondrocytes are the basic cartilage cells and are necessary for balance and function. The ability to make repairs to cartilage becomes limited as cartilage cells age.
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. Although osteoarthritis generally accompanies aging, osteoarthritic cartilage is chemically different from normal aged cartilage. As chondrocytes (the cells that make up cartilage) age, they lose their ability to make repairs and produce more cartilage; this process may play an important role in the development and progression of osteoarthritis.
Nutrition experts say it takes a combination of supplements, that no one supplement can relieve arthritis pain, build cartilage, etc. One natural approach is to consume foods that are known to help relieve arthritis pain or prevent arthritis. One natural treatment method involves avoiding all inflammatory foods.
If you’re not already doing so, make a big effort to watch your diet. 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. Natural treatment for arthritis is usually a better choice because it’s non-invasive to the body.
Some foods and beverages to avoid that are inflammatory are: caffeine, salt, sugar, meat, dairy products, additives, soft drinks, white flour, white rice, alcoholic beverages, fast food, processed vegetable oils, refined, packaged and processed food. 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).
The first step in managing your arthritis is to change your diet; I think all experts would agree on this. With natural treatments there will be fewer, if any, side effects or adverse reactions.
Whatever you do, keep moving; don’t sit when you can stand, don’t stand when you can walk. Exercise is good for joints affected by osteoarthritis. Keep a bedside basket of arthritic aids for arthritic hands (Thera-putty, hand grips, Taiji chime balls, etc.) to be used at bedtime or while watching television. A good exercise routine is the key to beating arthritis and arthritis pain.
Use Taiji health balls, with the chimes, to strengthen the finger joints: hold two balls, move in a clockwise circle with your fingers to rotate them, then try counterclockwise and do throughout the day. To be on the safe side always seek your doctor’s advice before starting or changing your exercise program. Fight arthritis through proper exercise!
If you’re going to go the conventional treatment route and take medications, ask your pharmacist for drug inserts so you can read up on the drugs and understand any side effects or adverse reactions, before taking them. At the very least, understand what the side effects and adverse reactions are for any drug you take. 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.
Changing your diet to predominately fruits, raw veggies, nuts, and seeds like I did, can turn your arthritis pain around almost overnight. More and more doctors are investigating the benefits of alternative therapies and most don’t object to patients trying them. One should not only search for relief of arthritis pain but work on preventing it.
Helen Hecker
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/natural-pain-relief-tips-for-arthritis-123002.html