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What is Arthritis? A Definition

What is Arthritis? A Definition
Wendy Owen

Arthritis is known to affect around forty percent of the
Americans and over fifty percent of the people globally. This is
one disease that is responsible for the maximum amount of pain
worldwide and thousands of dollars have been spent on pain
relief medications because of this.

Arthritis is one of the oldest diseases known to mankind which
could date back to thousands of years – in fact the Romans were
believed to have built the roman baths for therapeutic reasons
other than hygiene – as the hot water baths were used by ancient
Romans to ease the pains associated with arthritis.

The word ‘arthritis’ is a blend of the ancient Greek word
‘arthron’ which translated literally means ‘joint’ and the word
‘it is’ which means inflammation – the disease being
inflammation of the joint.

Arthritis is an autoimmune disease disorder, which causes
inflammation, pain and stiffness of the joints and connective
tissues. This may be accompanied by redness, swelling and warmth
of the joints, which are medically identified as signs of
inflammation of the joints.

Connective tissues are a set of supporting tissues for the
joints – typical examples of connective tissue being –
cartilages, tendons, ligaments and muscles. Arthritis is a wide
spectrum of disease conditions that include well over one
hundred diseases – predominantly those of ‘Rheumatoid Arthritis’
which can occur at any age and ‘Osteoarthritis ‘ which usually
occurs after sixty years of age.

Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that is known to occur due to
a disorder of the immune system and usually continues throughout
life with periods of remission (characterized by total absence
of disease symptoms) and exacerbation (with increasing severity
of disease). The disease is known to occur more often in women
as compared to men.

Arthritis is known to present in a variety of ways such as some
arthritic conditions are chronic while others are intermittent
such as Gout. The arthritic conditions are either inflammatory
or degenerative. The inflammatory form of arthritis is
characterized by the presence of swelling, redness and warmth of
the involved joints while the degenerative form of arthritis is
best identified as having a small element of inflammation and
being predominantly degenerative – which is best known for the
wearing out of the cartilages lining the joints.

Simply put, arthritis can be defines as any inflammation of the
joint and could either be chronic or short term in duration.
There is no simple cure for arthritis, however there are many
natural remedies available which can ease the severity of
arthritis symptoms and effect a repair on cartilage,

About the author:
Visit http://www.natural-arthritis-medication.com your resource
for information on natural remedies for arthritis. The author
Wendy Owen is a health writer and researcher. Join our list and
receive a free 6 part arthritis mini course

Arthritis – Home remedies for Arthritis

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about alternative medicine to be dangerous? Let’s see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from alternative medicine experts.
Arthritis – Home remedies for Arthritis

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Summary:
Arthritis refers to inflammation of joints. It is one of a number of diseases commonly called rheumatism. Arthritis arises from many causes and it is treated in many different ways.

Keywords:
arthritis, arthritis symptoms, arthritis home remedies

Article Body:
It refers to inflammation of joints. Honest is one of a number of diseases commonly called rheumatism. Arthritis arises from many causes and it is treated in sundry particular ways.

Arthritis has been classified as follows: –

* Arthritis caused by infection.

* Arthritis resulting from rheumatic fever.

* Rheumatoid arthritis.

* Degenerative arthritis.

* Arthritis just to joint injuries.

* Arthritis caused by gout.

* Arthritis originating from the nervous system. Rheumatoid arthritis and arthritis caused by rheumatic fever are classified as collagen ailment.

* Rheumatoid arthritis again degenerative arthritis are the two most common types. Millions of men and women are stricken with them. But good medical treatment begun early and continued faithfully amenability often accomplish much to alleviate the pain, crippling and disability.

Rheumatoid arthritis

It is a disease not of the joints but of the entire body, i. e. the connective tissues. This tissue reacts sensitively to substances in the body. Stress and worry make it worse. During damp season and winter months, pains in the joints become most severe.

Rheumatoid arthritis may appear suddenly or gradually. Fatigue, loss of weight, also poor weight can be early symbols. Sometimes it may cause an acute fever again pain, swelling again disability in many joints. Any shanty can be involved including those of the spine, but the hands and feet are most commonly affected. There may be vague or fleeting pains in early stages; it may rise in the morning and at the end of the day.

Women appear to be afflicated greater than men. Children too can be afflicted. Rheumatoid arthritis usually strikes at early ages unlike other types of arthritis. It appears during winter months. Americans are chronic sufferers from this disease.

Fresh raw fruit and vegetable juices offer an excellent treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. It is believed that garlic, musumbi, orange, carrot and beet juice consumed in plenty may give early cure.

Signs and symptoms of Arthritis

* Severe pain in the affected joints.

* Muscles, ligaments and cartilage change into inflamed.

* Movement of the joint becomes extremely painful, especially in cutting, windy and irrigate weather.

Central Remedies for Arthritis

* Drinking water kept overnight in a copper container accumulates traces of copper, which is said to strengthen the muscular system. A copper ring or bracelet is blase for the same reason.

* Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder with warm water helps cure arthritis.

* Captivating alfalfa tea twice a day makes a tip-top cure.

* Lime has also been found beneficial as a home avail for arthritis. The citric acid found in lime is a solvent of uric acid which is the primary cause of some types of arthritis. The juice of one lime, diluted with water, may be taken once a day, preferably first thing in the morning.

* Exercise the afflicted joints in tub bulky of boiling water.

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of alternative medicine. Share your new understanding about alternative medicine with others. They’ll thank you for it.

The Common Types of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is a science of healing that has been existing for several hundreds of years now. This is the typical resort of people who want to be free from their daily stressors. People from all walks of life see this as an ultimate solution to their aching muscles and as an escape from the pressure which their busy lifestyle imposes on them. For sure you have already tried one after the other. In reality, there are more than eighty recognized kinds but this article is about to cover ten of the popularly used types of massage therapy. Read on and find out what they are and what they are comprised of.

The first one is called the Swedish massage. This is a typical find in the United States. It is known to be done in such a relaxing and gentle way. With this kind of massage therapy, the masseur or masseuse makes use of the long strokes that are basically made up of the circular and kneading movements on the muscles by using either oil or lotion for a more relaxing effect.

The next one is termed as Aromatherapy. This is the term used simply because the professional masseur or masseuse uses one or more of the known scented plant oils in the execution of the massage session. You will be asked to choose the oil of course. Among the many plant oils, the lavender is one of the most sought-after because of its recognized effect in the alleviation of stress, both physically and emotionally.

Have you heard of the hot stone massage? Well, this is another kind. With this, smooth stones are heated and then placed on particular points of the body which need to loosen up the tight muscles. The stones also help in balancing the energy centers of the body. If you experience muscle tensions, you may request the professional to apply some gentle pressure.

The deep tissue massage is known to heal the deeper muscle layers and the connective tissues. Slow strokes are used across the muscles. The strategy is also referred to as the friction technique. This kind is employed on people who experience painful or chronically tight muscles, repetitive muscle strain, problems with the posture, and to help those who are recuperating from serious injuries.

Then you also have the Japanese massage therapy that is called Shiatsu. This therapy utilizes the localized finger pressure following some rhythmic sequence as what is done in acupuncture. The points are held for about 2 up to 8 seconds because the massage is meant to enhance the energy flow within the body.

Thai massage actually resembles Shiatsu in such a way that it re-aligns the energy in the body by applying the gentle pressure on some points. Stretches and compressions are done as different postures are followed.

The pregnancy massage is perfect for the expecting women. It is crafted to lessen swelling, aches, stress, depression, and anxiety.

Reflexology or foot massage includes the use of pressure as applied to particular areas on the foot. The practitioners believe that every point on the foot is associated with an organ in the body.

Sports massage is used on the athletes who need to get their physical injuries treated and prevented.

The back massage is of course another popular one. It is applied to relieve the tension in the back as caused by improper posture, lifting of heavy objects, and long sitting.

There you go with the types of massage therapy. Choose one which best applies to you!

MASSSAGE THERAPY

Massage Therapy is just one persuasion from a wide array of other very effective and closely related persuasions such as Acupressure, Body Work, Manipulative Therapy, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Structural Integration, Alternative Medical Systems, Mind-Body Intervention, Biologically Based Therapy, Energy Therapy, Shiatsu and Tui Na. And all these as a group come under the wide umbrella of alternative medicine and body-based methods. Massage Therapy is a procedure in which various methods are utilized to manipulate soft tissues of the subjects body such as the muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, joints, connective tissues as well as the lymphatic vessels and organs of the gastrointestinal system.

The primary goal of Massage Therapy is to affect physical, psychological and functional curative changes by performing manipulative functions which involve moving or stationery pressure, structured or unstructured force to strategic points, vibration, stroking, kneading, and so on. On occasion, mechanical devices are used as tools of the trade, but for the most part, Massage Therapy is applied manually with the therapists hands, fingers, elbows, forearms and feet as the subject is fully clothed in a massage chair or partially to totally naked but covered with a towel on a massage table or on a mat on the floor.

Ancient scriptures have attested to the fact that massage therapy dates back into antiquity and it has been a fundamental practice in many different cultures such as the Roman, Greek, Japanese, Chinese, Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Indian. Even Biblical writings from c. 493 BC speak of daily massage with olive oil and myrrh being applied to the wives of Xerxes (Esther, 2:9-12) as part of their daily beauty routine. Hippocrates of Cos, a Greek physician of the fourth century BC who is also considered the father of medicine and after whose teachings the famous Hippocratic Oath was named, wrote that The physician must be experienced in many things, but assuredly in rubbing.

Advancing to more modern times, Massage Therapy gained its popularity in the United States when it was presented by two physicians from New York in the 1800s. Their techniques were an adaptation from the Per Henrik Ling Massage Therapy which was developed in Sweden. With the introduction of new and exciting innovations in medicine during the 1930s and 1940s, the popularity of Massage Therapy waned but was revived again by the athletic community in the 1960s and 1970s. Massage Therapy was provided as a central medical service for the first time in the United States during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

Etymologically speaking, the word massage in English comes from a long line of derivatives as follows: the French word massage which means the friction of kneading, which comes from the Arabic word massa which means to touch, feel or handle, which comes from the Latin word massa which means mass or dough. The Greek word for massage is anatripsis and the Latin word is firctio. However, the oldest known origin of the English word massage comes from the Biblical Hebrew word me-sakj which means to anoint with oil.

What we refer to as Massage Therapy today has in the past been merely referred to as Massage. However, the therapy portion of the Massage Therapy came into being only when the illegal prostitution and sexual services in the United States began advertising themselves and their wares as massage. Wanting to distinguish itself, the legitimate massage became Massage Therapy while the illicit continued to be called massage.

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