Pain Relief Report » Arthritis

Arthritis Sucks!

Bill Martin — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:07:21 +0000

I have had inflammatory arthritis since 2005. It has been hell. Now my doctor wants to reduce my prednisone due to the side effects. More suffering to follow…

Can you get arthritis in muscles? more than joints?

Bill Martin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:45:33 +0000

Every September I get a back ache in lower back muscles, without injury. I have read that arthritis is triggered by change of temperature and season…but virtually all arthritis documents i can find, talk about arthritis in JOINTS.,,, I seem to get a little gout in my foot sometimes . But my main problem is pain in back muscles. I have no disc injury or pain. Can you get gout/uric acid crystals in your muscles? Any way to get better info on this?

2009 Juvenile Arthritis Camp

Bill Martin — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 06:56:50 +0000

Estes Park, Colorado Why you enjoy coming to camp?

Natural Remedies For Arthritis

Bill Martin — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 04:23:20 +0000

Photo by Erica Benson< b>
Chris Gannon of Clarendon Hills" align="left" style="margin: 0 5px 5px 0" />Some people seek a natural remedy for arthritis for a variety of reasons including the cost of prescriptions, concern about side affects and drug interaction with other medications or just don’t believe in using chemicals to help their body heal. Several different herbs and extracts are available that work as a natural remedy for arthritis. Devil’s Claw, grown in the Kalahari Desert has extreme anti-inflammatory properties and is used as a natural remedy for arthritis. It has shown effectiveness again osteo-arthritis, rheumatism as well as small joint pain and pains in the lower back.

This plant is unique to Africa and is also known as Harpagophytum Procumbens and is not recommended for people with ulcers or heart problems without medical supervision. Some scientific studies have indicated it as a stimulant to the lymphatic system increasing its disease resistance in addition to its being a natural remedy for arthritis. Glucosamine is found in high concentrations in the joints, and this simple substance’s purpose is to repair cartilage, keeping the joints moving freely. Glucosamine sulfate has been approved in 70 countries for the treatment of arthritis and has been shown to help the body repair damaged joints. It is widely used in many countries as a natural remedy for arthritis.

Another natural remedy for arthritis is boswellia serata, an extract of a gum tree found in India. It had been used for centuries in the relief of inflammation and joint pain. It has been shown to reduce pain without the threat of inducing stomach ulcers. One product on the market today, JointEase Plus contains all three of these natural ingredients and claims to be a natural remedy for arthritis. It claims it can help restore tissue and joints to allow better, and less painful mobility.

Some other items deemed a natural remedy for arthritis are chrondroitin which helps draw fluids into cartilage helping them better absorb the shock of movement. Fish oils as well as oils from flax, sunflower and pumpkin seeds have also been used as a natural remedy for arthritis. Some food allergies such as wheat, dairy, tomatoes and others have been linked to cause arthritis. The results are still under study as to how the use of magnets can help reduce the pain of arthritis. Some suggested remedies should be avoided such as bee or snake venom as there is the real opportunity for an allergic reaction to something that has no scientific backing to relieving arthritis pain.

Knee Arthritis, What Are The Treatments For It?

Bill Martin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:37:57 +0000

Dr. O’Connor explains the treatments for knee arthritis. For more information on arthritis vist www.empowher.com

Knee Pain – Fitness Tip of the Week

Bill Martin — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 08:19:50 +0000

Most pain in the knee comes from one cause. Watch this video to learn what that is, what causes it and what to do about it.

If Psoriatic Arthritis is a “T” cell malfunction, does exercise have the same benefis as those with Osteo ?

Bill Martin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:49:19 +0000

I know that strengthening and stretching are good ways to support joints and maintain an active lifestyle with Arthritis, but the cause of my condition is genetic, and not physical. Will excercise have the same effect for me as it would for someone with Osteo-Arthritis, or even Rhumatoid?
Thanks for the answer…

I am a tennis pro who teaches full time on hard courts. I am worrie that my career is going to aggrivate my condition. Am I kidding myself in thinking that I can maintain my condition AND teach tennis for a living?

The Cheaper Arthritis Treatment: Improve Your Diet To Prevent Or Cure Arthritis

Bill Martin — Sun, 30 May 2010 03:54:13 +0000

Arthritis is often associated with people in their 50s or older. But nowadays, more and more younger people are showing signs of this joint-related disease. What exactly are the causes of joint inflammation and what are the best arthritis treatment? Inflammation of the joints can result from previous injuries, like tibial plateau fracture, which affects certain sensitive cartilages and muscle tissues. A person can also develop joint swelling and pain if two or more of his or her family members have gout or any related illness. Needless to say, age is also one of the most significant factors in determining the onset of swelling of the joints. As a person gets older, his or her bones tend to be weaker and more fragile as one of the results of the natural laws of aging. But this doesn’t necessarily mean teenagers or the twenty-somethings can be complacent. There are cases of brittle joints among younger age brackets because of extraneous determinants like weight and existing illness.

what do doctors prescribe for arthritis?

Bill Martin — Tue, 18 May 2010 13:54:54 +0000

im only 19 years old but have severe arthritis. i havent seen a doctor about it yet but my fingers and wrist hurt when i pick things up or touch them. my neck also has severe pain like 3-4 days a week. and when it rains my knees hurt so bad its hard to walk. ive been taking a supplement to help joint cartilage. but it doesnt seem to work and i was just wondering if doctors can prescribe anything for it.

What Are The Risks For Heart Disease From Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Bill Martin — Sun, 16 May 2010 05:11:21 +0000

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, progressive, systemic, autoimmune disease for which there is no current cure. It is a common disorder affecting more than 2.1 million Americans.

Patients who present with complications of RA outside the joints- what is termed extra-articular disease- are at particular risk for early death. Extraarticular problems that can be seen in RA include, skin ulcers, anemia, eye inflammation, lung inflammation and damage, heart disease, inflammation of blood vessels, and rheumatoid nodules(these are bumps consisting of inflamed tissue that grow at certain areas such as the fingers, elbows, heels, and back of the skull).

A predictor of the presence of extra-articular disease is the level of rheumatoid factor in the blood. The higher the rheumatoid factor, the more likely a patient will have extra-articular disease.

A newer blood marker, the anti-CCP (anti cyclic citrullinated peptide), also appears to predict higher risk of extra-articular problems as well as more severe disease.

The bottom line is that RA is not a benign condition. In fact, it carries the same mortality as first heart attacks, untreated diabetes, and stage 4 Hodgkins disease in some studies. RA must be diagnosed and treated aggressively.

Probably the primary cause of the increased mortality is cardiovascular death. Estimates range from 33-50% of all deaths in RA patients are due to cardiovascular causes. Patients with RA are at significantly increased risk for atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, heart attack, and vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels).

So what are some of the risk factors that particularly are important?

Among them are:

Severe RA disease

Severe extra-articular disease

Elevated blood levels of homocysteine which is aggravated by methotrexate therapy

Abnormalities of blood vessel walls

Drugs that are used to treat RA such as corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Overproduction of inflammatory cytokines (chemical messengers of disease)

Rheumatoid nodules

A note about drugs…

Methotrexate, the most commonly used disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug is associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular death. Unfiortuantely, nonsteoridal anti-inflammatory drugs which are commonly used to treat symptoms in RA increase the risk of blood clots, cardiovascular disease, and congestive heart failure.

The role of other medical problems such as blood sugar, elevated lipids, and so forth are a subject for another article.

Recommendations for reduction of cardiovascular risk in RA patients include:

Low dose aspirin (which should be supplemented with some type of stomach protection) particularly in patients who are taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Statin drugs for people with elevated lipids

Folic acid supplementation to minimize the elevated homocysteine levels seen in RA

Caution with the use of TNF-inhibitors in patients with congestive heart failure

Control of co-morbid conditions such as smoking, diabetes, and hypertension that might aggravate the tendency towards cardiovascular risk.

Complicating this issue is some data showing that TNF inhibitors can elevate serum lipids in some instances. The implications of this phenomenon on the overall picture is still unknown.

A bright note: there is increasing evidence that aggressive treatment with methotrexate and TNF-inhibitors reduces the incidence of cardiovascular events. Therefore, the above-mentioned lipid problem may not be that important. Further studies are obviously needed to confirm these findings.