Rheumatoid Arthritis Online

Arthritis

Arthritis

Arthritis covers a broad spectrum of disease. To many, the term arthritis means pain and inflammation of the joints – but, arthritis is a much more complex medical condition. The term arthritis comes from the Latin phrase, “arth” meaning joint and “it is” meaning inflammation. There are over 100 illnesses associated with the term arthritis. Arthritis can range from something as simple as tendonitis to something as chronic as rheumatoid arthritis.

Three Most Common Types of Arthritis

Osteoarthritis – the most common type of arthritis. This degenerative joint disease affects over 16 million Americans. This form of arthritis is caused when the cartilage surrounding the ends of the bones begins to degenerate and the joints are no longer cushioned. This caused the joints to rub together and in severe cases, you can hear the bones grating against one another. At the onset of osteoarthritis, the symptoms are usually mild and consist of pain and stiffness of the joints. As the disease progresses, inflammation and loss of motion can occur. In some severe cases, deformity can occur if the grinding joints wear one side of the joint more than the other.

Rheumatoid arthritis – This is the second most common type of arthritis and the most severe. Symptoms usually begin appearing between the ages of 25 and 50 – however, children and senior citizens can experience the onset of this disease. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is considered an autoimmune disease because factors other than wear and tear of cartilage can cause the disease and the disease can affect other organs, such as the eyes, lungs, and heart.

Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects the joints on both sides of the body – for instance, both hands will be affected, both wrists will be affected, and both legs will be affected. The most common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are pain, stiffness, swelling, redness of the skin, fatigue, weight loss, and low-grade fever. Not only affecting the joints, rheumatoid arthritis can give you an overall feeling of sickness. Rheumatoid arthritis can be a debilitating disease, however patients can experience periods of remission in which the symptoms disappear and they can lead a normal life.

Fibromyalgia – This is a type of arthritis that does not directly affect the joints. Rather, the inflammation and pain affect the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and soft tissues under the skin. Many patients have tender spots under the skin that are painful when any type of pressure is applied. The symptoms for Fibromyalgia include deep muscle pain, fatigue, sleeplessness, and depression. Symptoms may come and go, but the disease is long term and chronic.

Other Types of Arthritis

Anklyosing Spondylitis – a chronic, inflammatory disease that affects the spine. The common symptoms include lower back pain and stiffness that lasts for more than a period of three months, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, weight loss, and low-grade fever.
Gout – this disease usually affects the joints of the big toe, but can extend to the ankles, heels, knees, wrists, fingers, and elbow. The common symptoms are tenderness, pain, redness, warmth, and swelling of the affected joint.
Infectious Arthritis – this type of arthritis is caused by an infection, and can be caused by both bacterial and viral infections. The onset of infectious arthritis is sudden and the symptoms include swelling of the joint, soreness, warmth, leakage of tissue fluid, fever, and chills.
Cervical arthritis – this type of arthritis affects the upper back and can cause pain in the neck and arms. Cervical arthritis is caused when the cartilage protecting the discs that support the neck deteriorate. The most common symptom of cervical arthritis is chronic neck pain, but can include loss of balance, headaches, muscle weakness, and stiffness.
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis – this inflammatory arthritis affects children. The most common symptoms of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis are swelling, pain, and stiffness in joints. The symptoms are usually worse in children upon waking in the morning and after a nap. There is no known reason for the onset of arthritis in children and, unlike rheumatoid arthritis in adults, children sometimes outgrow the disease and the symptoms disappear.

These are just some of the many types of arthritis. In general terms, arthritis is any disease that involves inflammation – swelling and pain of the joints or muscles. If you suspect that you suffer from arthritis, you should consult your physician to determine the type of arthritis and learn what treatments are available.

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Although we usually think of arthritis as one single disease, it is actually a complex disorder comprised of several distinct conditions and characterized by a common symptom: pain and inflammation of the joints. One of the most common forms of arthritis is osteoarthritis (OA), otherwise known as degenerative arthritis.

Signs of osteoarthritis start to occur during the onset of the breakdown of the cartilage of one or more joints. Eventually, as the disease progresses, the cartilage becomes completely damaged, resulting to loss. The common affected areas include the hands, feet, spine, and large weight bearing joints, such as the hips and the knees.

Osteoarthritis occurs in over 20 million people in the United States, comprising 30% of the 70 million people in total affected by arthritis and other rheumatoid conditions. It is also more frequently observed among women over the age of 55.

What causes it?

Osteoarthritis is most primarily related to aging. As the person ages, the cartilage (the connective tissue that provides cushioning in the joints) increases in water content, in turn, causing its protein content to degenerate. And as the cartilage is mostly protein, this change entirely upsets the cartilage makeup.

The cartilage thins as a result of wear and tear. Without the cushioning provided by the cartilage, repetitive use of the joints over the years causes friction, which in turn results in irritation of the joints and eventually swelling.

As osteoarthritis progresses, the cartilage begins to flake off or forms tiny crevasses. In some cases, the cartilage of a person with osteoarthritis may even form new bone outgrowths called “spurs.” Eventually, when the case is so advanced, there is total loss of the cartilage, leading to extreme pain and limitation of joint mobility.

Symptoms

Unlike the other two common forms of arthritis (lupus and rheumatoid arthritis), osteoarthritis is not a systemic illness. That means, it only affects the joints and not any other organs of the body.

The most common symptom of osteoarthritis is, of course, joint pain, often after repetitive use. The pain is worse later in the day usually though pain could also occur right after an extended period of rest. Patients with osteoarthritis may also observe swelling, warmth, and creaking of the affected joints. Some stiffness and pain may occur as well.

Osteoarthritis may vary from patient to patient as some may be so debilitated by the disease that they cannot move. Others may suffer only few symptoms despite the degeneration of the joints.

Additionally, the symptoms of osteoarthritis can be intermittent. That means that patients with osteoarthritis may suffer pain for several years and then suddenly enjoy pain free intervals the next. As there is no cure yet, the disease may never completely go away.

How to Diagnose

X-rays of the joints affected by osteoarthritis are the most accurate method of diagnosing patients with this kind of arthritis. The x-ray will show whether there is loss of joint cartilage, or there is narrowing of the joint space between adjacent bone. X-rays are also helpful in order to determine what caused the joint pain – whether it is only caused by overusage or whether there are really the beginnings of the disease evident.

Arthritis Knees are commonly known as osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease where cartilage in joint gradually wears away. Another is rheumatoid arthritis, which can also affect the knees, where the joint becomes inflamed and the cartilage may be destroyed. Arthritis does not only affect the joints, even supporting structures such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments may also be affected.

Signs of Arthritis Knees and Diagnosis

A person who has knee arthritis may experience pain, swelling and a decrease knee motion. The most common symptom is morning stiffness that usually reduces after moving around. Sometimes knee joints locks or clicks when the knee is bent or straightened, but these signs may also be present in other knee disorders. The disorder may be confirmed through diagnosis performed by a doctor through x-rays, which would show loss of joint space. Blood tests are very helpful in diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis, but other tests may be needed. Fluid analysis from the knee joint helps in the diagnosis of some kinds of arthritis as well. Arthroscopy can be used by the doctor to visualize damage to cartilage, tendons, and ligaments and to confirm diagnosis. However, arthroscopy is only usually done if a repair procedure is to be performed.

Arthritis Knees Treatment

In its early stages, knee arthritis is treated with non-surgical measures:

Lifestyle modification includes losing weight, switching from running or jumping exercises to swimming or cycling, and also includes minimizing activities that pushes stress on the knee like climbing the stairs.
Exercises help in increasing range of motion and flexibility as well as strengthening the muscles of the leg.
Using supportive devices such as cane, wearing a brace on knee sleeve, or wearing energy-absorbing shoes or inserts can be helpful.
Other measures like applying heat or ice, water exercises, liniments or elastic bandages, can improve the condition.

Use of prescribed drugs like anti-inflammatory medications (aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen) helps reduce swelling, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate may relieve the pain of osteoarthritis, corticosteroids that are powerful anti-inflammatory agents that are injected to the joints, and other types of drugs. However, since every patient is different and not all people respond to the same medications, consulting a doctor is always the first step before taking any medication.

Surgical treatment

If  arthritis knees do not respond to these non-surgical treatments, then a surgey may be needed.
Arthroscopic Surgery

This type of knee arthritis surgery uses fiber optic technology to enable the surgeon to see inside the joint and clean it of debris or repair torn cartilage.

Osteotomy

This type of knee arthritis surgery cuts the shinbone (tibia) or the thighbone (femur) to improve the alignment of the knee joint.

Total or Partial Knee Arthroplasty

This type of arthritis knees surgery replaces the severely damaged knee joint cartilage with metal or plastic.

Cartilage Grafting

Is a possible procedure for some knees with limited or contained cartilage loss from trauma or knee arthritis.

New ways of treating knee arthritis have been continually researched by orthopedic surgeons as well as new drugs on cartilage transplants and other ways to help slow the progress of arthritis.

Hip Osteoarthritis is a major problem for many people; it arises as a result of deterioration, whether normal or accelerated, by rheumatoid arthritis, trauma, or joint collapse caused by a fault of blood supply to the femoral head (the ball of the joint).

The hip is made up of a ball and a socket that is resistant to wear. Joint surfaces are covered with smooth layer of cartilage, which functions as a shock absorber together with the normal joint lubrication provided by the joint lining. As a result, they provide smooth low friction surface. This surface cartilage however, has a limited capacity to heal itself. As it wears away, bone is exposed. Once the bone surfaces get in contact, they cause pain while the cartilage has no sensation. The inflammation caused by the wreckage of joint wear, causes pain and stiffness, and leads to a new bone reaction of loss of motion. When this happens, hip joint replacement is sometimes needed. This is most common with advancing age; however, there may be cases where one may be subject to early or accelerated wear that requires earlier replacement surgery.

Symptoms
Hip arthritis symptoms generally start slightly. Walking tolerance diminishes over many years to the point where one or two blocks of walking would require resting. The pain of hip arthritis is increased by activity and cold damp weather. The arthritic hip loses range of motion slowly especially rotation. Climbing or descending stairs or arising from a chair is especially painful, activities of daily living becomes difficult.

Diagnosis
Diagnosis is usually simple. Arthritis can be easily seen on plain X-rays. Hip motion is generally limited and painful, and the pain is often in the groin or radiates into the thigh or even to the knee. In cases where the x-ray and physical exam does not match the pain complaints, other tests may be done, such as MRI, bone, scan, or joint injection test to limit on the cause and source of the pain.

Surgery
Replacing the worn joint through surgery is usually performed on both the ball and the cup of the hip except in cases where there is a fracture present. Generally, the cup of the hip is replaced with a metal shell which is rough on its outer surface and encourages bone ingrowths. The femoral stem is cemented into the marrow canal of the femoral shaft, pressing on to this a metal ball with a hard plastic liner locked into the metal cup, forming a stable joint that can be walked upon right away.

A patient who would undergo total hip replacement should be ideally greater than sixty years old and with good health. There should be no history of prior hip infection, because any chronic or recurrent infection elsewhere may lead to late prosthetic infection.

Treatment of hip arthritis should begin with the most basic steps, like weight loss, activity modification, walking aids, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications and joint supplements. Treatments of hip arthritis vary from patient to patient, and that is why discussion about proper treatments with your doctor is always required.

Alternative arthritis pain relievers can offer safe and natural solutions for those people who seek a more normal way of treating arthritis and avoid the serious side effects of conventional medications and other anti-inflammatory drugs. After proof of complications of the use of Cox-2 inhibitors present in most arthritis pain reliever medications were ascertain, alternative arthritis medicines are becoming more and more popular.

There are many alternative arthritis pain relievers today for arthritic pain. An easy to use alternative arthritis pain reliever is an arthritic diet, exercise programs, relaxation, positive emotion coping techniques, and even acupuncture are considered to be an alternative arthritis pain reliever.

It is always advisable however, to check with your doctor first for medical opinion before using any alternative arthritis pain reliever. Then later on, when time and resources allow, you can test other options for alternative arthritis pain reliever.

Alternative Arthritis Pain Reliever Diet:

Consulting with your doctor before starting any diet is definitely recommended. Overall dietary health is important and it plays a role as an alternative arthritis pain reliever. There are many factors to consider regarding any alternative arthritis pain reliever like diets and nutritional healing and each factor may differ from one individual to the other. The best way is to look at each arthritic condition and adapt an approach to the situation based upon specifics.

When it comes to what food should be avoided to take when suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, a lot of nutritionists suggest keeping away from dairy products as they seem to worsen rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups. One should be discouraged from taking doses of vitamins that are higher than recommended without a physician’s advice, in hopes that vitamins are a more natural alternative way of arthritis relief. Increasing vitamins and minerals through food therapy is a much better way than overdosing on vitamin pills as an alternative arthritis pain reliever because some vitamins and minerals can actually worsen certain arthritis conditions.

Dietary supplements like chondroitin, fish oil and glucosamine. Chondroitin draws fluid into cartilage which improves shock-absorbing ability and weight control; less weight equals less joint pressure. Fish oils helps to control inflammation in the body.

Alternative Arthritis Pain Reliever Exercise:

Exercise as an alternative arthritis pain reliever can be very beneficial; it relieves the stiffness in joints, strengthening thus reducing stress on joints, keeping the bones and cartilage tissue strong and healthy and increases flexibility. Exercise also plays a vital role in your health. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of walking as an alternative pain reliever. At the same time, to improve the arthritic condition, carrying weights as light as one pound and using the arms is a good way to improve the whole body’s health.

Yoga is also a good alternative arthritis pain reliever involving many forms of stretching and pose-oriented exercises, which are extremely advantageous towards accomplishing flexibility and lessening stress physically and mentally.

Alternative Arthritis Pain Reliever Acupuncture and Relaxation:

Acupuncture has been a way for people to get rid of some body illnesses and pains, the insertion of needles into the skin to stimulate targeted places in the body (acupoints), bring about therapeutic results.

Relaxation techniques on the other hand, have a place in healing the body. This alternative way has only recently been recognized throughout the medical industry, and the general public has yet to know and understand its effectiveness. Relaxation that involves meditation showed immense benefits; mental and physical health benefits are realized from such practice, as well.