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eLearning Series: Arthritis
I Want Arthritis Relief Now!
DISCLAIMER: Note that the contents here are
not presented from a medical practitioner,
and that any and all health care planning should be made under
the guidance of your
own medical and health practitioners. The content within only
presents an overview
based upon research for educational purposes and does not replace
medical advice
from a practicing physician.
Let's Get Started...
Arthritis is a
big issue. Look at some introductory facts. Referred to as
the nation’s number one crippling
disease and
the most common chronic disease in people over 40, arthritis
affects more than 40 million Americans. And this figure is
expected to rise to 60 million by 2020, according to the
Center for Disease Control.
Arthritis
generally afflicts people between the ages of 20 and 50, but can affect
all
ages, even infants. The average
age of onset is 47 and about three out of every five people
with arthritis are under 65 years of age.
Arthritic expenditures
for just one person due to lost wages, medical treatment
and other related expenses can
come to
more than $150,000 in his or her lifetime.
And doctors
believe there are over 100 different forms of arthritis,
all sharing one main characteristic: all
forms
cause joint
inflammation.
What can be done
for arthritis relief? Many things. For example, weight and
nutrition are only a
couple
of factors
that play
a role in arthritic pain. And yet shedding even 10
pounds to relieve weight from knees and finding the
right nutritional
strategy can help relieve pain a lot.
This guide
will present you with the most recent research and findings
available so that you can learn
more about
arthritis relief, covering as many bases as possible
from A to Z.
Arthritis
Basics
Arthritis
signals people in a variety of ways. Joints might crack suddenly,
like knees upon
standing. Other
joints
may be stiff and creak. Maybe pain occurs,
like when trying to
open a jar. What’s it all about? Let’s look
at the basics and learn more.
Arthritis actually
means “joint inflammation” and has over 100 related conditions
or type
/ forms
of disease.
Left
untreated, it can advance, resulting in joint
damage that cannot be
undone or reversed. So early detection and
treatment are important.
The two
most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA)
and rheumatoid
arthritis
(RA). Although
both have similar symptoms,
both happen for different reasons. When
joints are overused and misused, the results can
be OA. What
happens is that
the cushioning cartilage that protects
the joint breaks down, resulting
in the bones rubbing together. This generally
happens in the knees, but can be found
in the hips, spine
and hands
often,
too. And only in later stages will a person
most often feel pain, after quite a bit
of cartilage
is lost.
The second type,
RA, refers to the body’s immune system attacking joint tissue.
Still
not fully
understood in the medical community,
this condition most often starts in a
person’s hands, wrists and feet. Then it advances
to shoulders, elbows
and hips.
Similar symptoms
include pain, stiffness, fatigue, weakness, slight fever
and inflamed
tissue
lumps under the skin.
And both OA and RA generally develop
symmetrically, i.e. affecting
the same joints on both the left and
right sides of the body.
A difference
in OA and RA to note is with swelling. With RA, people
report “soft
and squishy” swelling.
While
with OA, people
report “hard and bony” swelling.
Another difference
is that a person is more likely to develop RA if a
sibling or parent
had it.
While a person
with a
history of joint damage, either
an injury
or chronic strain, runs
a higher risk for developing OA.
There is no specific
age for arthritis sufferers. While it can affect
every age group, it seems
to focus on
those over
45 years of age.
And while neither
gender is immune, a reported 74 percent of OA cases
(or just
over 15
million) occur
with women
and a slightly
lower percentage of RA cases
occur with women.
People with
excess weight tend to develop OA, especially in
the knees
when reaching
over
45 years of age.
However, losing
weight can turn the odds
around almost by half. Regular activity
combined
with exercise
also
reduces risk,
strengthening joint
muscles and reducing joint
wear.
Although there
are no cure-alls for arthritis, there are
a variety of
pain relief treatment
strategies. Aside from
medications,
remedies, replacement alternatives
and other helpful treatment
options and alternatives,
the four main
arthritis relief
aids are gentle exercise,
good nutrition, a positive
attitude
and
rest. And each will be
discussed further in subsequent sections,
because education
can
play a huge role
to dispel “old wives
tales” and myths that “nothing
can be done about arthritis.”
Notable is that
today,
only a small
percentage
of those
afflicted with arthritis
become crippled.
And most never need canes,
wheelchairs, or other ambulatory
devices.
Also note if you
suspect you may have
arthritis, it is advisable
to seek
medical advice.
Because healthcare providers
can
help to determine if
the symptoms are not something
else
like a
virus or tendonitis or
other similar problem
that cold
potentially worsen if
left untreated.
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