Arthritis Pain Relief

Monday, June 19, 2006

What is Osteoarthritis?

So what is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is the most common of all the arthritis
ailments especially among older people. It is usually
referred to as the “degenerative joint disease.”
Osteoarthritis usually effect’s the cartilage which is
the “slippery tissue” that covers the ends on the bones
in a joint.
Healthy normal joints would just “glide” as in, allow the
joints (bones) to move freely and glide with out any
problems. It also absorbs the “shock” when some one is
doing something physical like jumping climbing,
walking etc. A healthy joint experiences no pain,
swelling or discomfort.

What happens when someone gets Osteoarthritis is that
the surface layer of the cartilage breaks down and wears
away, thus allowing the bones under the cartilage to rub
together.
Which will eventually aggravate the joint area and cause
swelling, pain and loss of motion.
Over a period of time the joint would become malformed and
bony spurs (small growths called osteophytes) may grow on
the edges of the joint. Eventually causing bits of bone to
break off and float around inside the joint space. Hence as
stated before cause more pain, swelling and damage.

Unlike Rheumatoid arthritis, Osteoarthritis affects only
Joints and not internal organs. Most people with
Osteoarthritis usually live with chronic joint pain have
limited movement and an inability to do tasks like
kneeling and crawling etc

How would you know if you have Osteoarthritis? Well other
then the obvious signs of pain and inability to do normal
tasks.
Usually the symptoms come on slowly and you would only
experience aching joints after physical work or exercise.
Osteoarthritis can appear any joint but most often found
in the hands, knees hips and spine.

More then 20 million Americans have Osteoarthritis and is one of the
most frequent causes of physcial disabilities among adults. some young
people could get Osteoarthritis earlier in life from their physical
activties and joint injuries.
Both men and women are equal in the fact that they have shown
evidence of osteoarthritis via xrays in at least one joint, but
after the age of 45 more women are found with the disorder.

Osteoarthritis

Monday, June 12, 2006

Arthritis what is it?

Arthritis Pain Relief

Ok what is Arthritis?

Well Arthritis can come in many forms, the 2 most commonly known are
Rheumatoid arthritis and Osteoarthritis however you will be surprised to see what is catagorised under the heading of Arthritis. There are more then you think.

The next question is: What is available for arthritis treatment and arthritis pain relief ?

Well first let’s have a look at what Arthritis is:

The word “Arthritis” Literally meant joint inflammation, but as I stated above it is often used to refer to a large group of 100s of other rheumatic diseases that will cause pain, stiffness of the joints, swelling of the joints, and effect other parts of the body including important supporting structures like the ligaments, muscles and bones, plus internal organs.

Now I do have a list of all the types of “Arthritis” type disorders but first I feel we should look at the two most common which are Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis.

Why do so many Americans (and of course the rest of the world) have Arthritis Pain
It is documented that Chronic pain is a major health problem through out the USA and Internationally and is one of the most weakening of arthritis symptoms.

Statistics indicate that over 40 000 000 people are effected by some form of arthritis and hence limits them from performing some of the most basic activities and tasks.

Osteoarthritis is by far the most common form of arthritis affecting over 20 000 000 Americans, while Rheumatoid Arthritis affects approximately 2 100 000 which is the most disabling form of the disease.

The big question is: What causes Arthritis pain and why does it vary?

Arthritis Pain comes from many different sources. This may include inflammation of the synovial membrane (which is tissue that lines the joints), the tendons or the ligaments: muscle strain: and fatigue. A combination of these factors will inevitably contribute to the intensity of pain.
Arthritis Pain varies considerably from person to person, for reasons that can not be explained. The usual signs for pain include swelling within the joint, the amount of redness or heat coming from the joint, and general stiffness which could come form continuous use and major activities or literally just climbing out of bed.
How people cope with the pain really depends on their psychological state, attitude and physical factors.

OK so Iv gone to the Doctor about my Arthritis pain and looking for Arthritis treatment what should I expect.

OK so you have gone to the Doctor to discuss your Arthritis pain and you are looking for Arthritis Treatment whether it be for Osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The Doctor can only go on what you tell him and describe to him. So it is important not to ramble how much you ache and demand a pill to take the pain away.

The doctor needs more precise guide to treat your arthritis properly and thoroughly.
It’s a good idea to keep an “arthritis diary” and jot in when your feeling the most stiffness (either waking up in the morning or after a major Activity eg gardening, walking etc). Plus other symptoms like increased pain, swelling redness, plus what you find helps to relieve the pain and what you can physically do to reduce your arthritic pain.
Another source is the doctor will ask you to indicate using the pain scale of 1-10 of how bad your pain is. ‘0” being normal/nil pain and “10” being the worst pain possible.

Usually the doctor will take your medical history so it is important to keep a record of any ailments, allergies, and a list of your prescribed medications, plus anything you are taking via a naturopath or any “off the shelf” vitamin supplements. (you would be amazed how many vitamins can have a reaction with pharmaceutical medication which could be dangerous!)

The doctor will also ask questions like;
How long have you had the pain.
How intense is the pain?
How often does it occure?
What causes it to get worse? ( Your Arthritis diary is great for many of these questions.)
You will also have to undergo so physical examinations such as Xrays blood tests, Urine sample perhaps even a CT scan (Computerized axial tomography) and even an MRI scan (magnetic resonance imaging) to see how much joint damage had been done.
Once all these tests have been done/accomplished then the Doctor
will disguss with you the next plan of action and what the best possible solution, and design a comprehensive managment approach for the pain caused by your osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid Arthritis.

OK that’s enough for today I will continue on in the next day or two with other suggestions when it comes to Arthritis treatment, Arthritis Pain and Arthritis Pain relief.

Arthritis Pain Relief

Saturday, June 10, 2006