Tag: deformities

The Care of Rheumatoid Arthritis

The Care of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Leroy Gastering

There are different forms of arthritis each painful and possibly debilitating. Often attributed to those of advanced age, arthritis can afflict anyone and can develop for a number of reasons, depending upon the type. Since this particular disease affects the joints, the agility and mobility of the patient can be significantly impacted as it progresses sometimes to the extent of physical deformity.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease of the immune system which often targets the hands of the patient. In addition to great pain and inflammation of the joints, those who suffer from this form of arthritis will often experience a deformity of the hands and fingers. The disease typically affects both hands simultaneously and can cause exquisite pain, swelling and loss of normal function, in addition to severe deformity.
In broad terms, arthritis refers to inflammation of the joints. Where rheumatoid arthritis is concerned, the actual linings of the joints is what becomes inflamed. This causes the cartilage in the joints to grow and swell, which over long term erodes the joints. This is what causes the very characteristic crippling deformities that occur in the fingers and hands of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.
People diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis comprise only 1% of the population. (Vast numbers of people who suffer from other types of arthritis.) This disease affects women much more frequently than men. So far, there is no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, the only recognized treatment at this point, is to manage the pain. Doctors prescribe various remedies which depend upon the patient’s medical history, overall profile and other related factors.
Of the many types of pain control, oral medications are often used to control the swelling and pain thats associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Other options include braces and splints which gird weakened joints and remove excessive pressure from them and surgery, in more critical cases. The latter option not only aids in reducing pain, but also provides greater mobility and improves the appearance of the hands. These surgeries may consist of a synovectomy, osteomoty or joint replacement.
When diagnosed early enough, there are many steps that can be used to reduce pain and the other consequences of this type of arthritis. So, even though theres no known cure, if one experiences pain, swelling, or diminished use of the hands, one should contact a doctor immediately. A plan can be outlined to reduce pain, and prepare for future surgery.
No-one should have to live with pain of arthritis, now that so much progress has been made in the field of pain management. The first steps in managing the pain may be as simple as common aspirin or other medications. If they do not work, a doctor will then prescribe medication that specifically targets arthritis pain. But before that can happen,there has to be open communication between the doctor and the patient regarding the pain early in the treatment. So, it is not advisable to suffer quietly in this case.

About The Author

Leroy Gastering is the owner of Arthritis Biz, inc. which is a complete resource center for anything and everything related to Arthritis. For more details please visit http://www.arthritisbiz.com.

Reasons To Improve Your Poor Posture

How often do we think of our posture as an overall body workout? Probably not at all, but it is essential to supporting structures of the body from being injured. Progressive deformities are also prevented by paying attention to your posture. Correct posture is less stress and tension on the joints and some muscles in the hips, back, and neck. If you sit slouching or leaning when standing you are slowly but surely rounding your chances of increased stress relief and osteoporosis. When you talk about posture you are talking about sitting and standing in way that supports your upper and lower back, spine, and hip and ankle joints. If you already suffer from poor posture it is not too late to make corrections. If you stop carrying the laptop bag one shoulder and that heaver pocketbook on the other shoulder and carrying that grocery bag all at the same time. Things may be a little better for your posture if you take your time and put some of those things down or call someone to assist you. Extra added weight adds extra pressure on important parts of the back and neck areas. If you must carry a bag the ones that cross your back and distributed the weight evenly is best.

Problems with posture can begin at very young ages causing problems later in like. Of Course you remember your mother telling you to sit up straight. It was with good reason; they were trying desperately to keep you from damaging your spine, hips, and neck. They might not have known it but they were also saving you from musculoskeletal respiratory, circulatory systems, and digestive systems as well. Poor postural habits can be caused by low self esteem, degenerative processes, muscle guarding, and avoidance, or postures that stick over time. For example, if you have been hunching over for as long as youve been sitting upright, you find it to be a completely natural position. Excessive weight gain and even excessive weight loss can cause your posture to change.

The best way to begin to the process of correcting poor posture is to have an examination by a doctor to determine the best treatment. Some observations can be done at home. Watch the patient as they sit stand and walk or estimate any deviation from an ideal posture. The doctor however, will actually perform a spinal segment alignment, possibly a flexibility tests, and muscle length and strength test to determine the exact cause of the trouble. Because most of the posture correcting process is related to muscle tightness or weaknesses found during the examination. Once a diagnosis is done then you can concentrate on the solution. The treatments will be very relaxing and maybe even invigorating. Well, first you want to treat the area with heat; stretching, massage and strengthening exercises. Anything extra will spend time on treatment of ligaments, for bones, or nerves for the over all posture treatment. Exercise of antagonist muscles to increase the strength of those muscles providing more power to lift and stretch in a way that is comfortable for the body as opposed to tension causing. So make sure to take good care of your back and other areas of the body that are affected by good posture and enjoy strong muscles, better concentration, and blood circulation.

It may take a period of discomfort and unpleasantness to be able to correct your posture. But once you are able to get the problem taken care of, you will experience benefits for the rest of your life. So as soon as you can, get recommendations from a doctor so that you can find out what course of action you should take for repairing your poor posture. It might involve simply buying a special type of chair, or it might involve expensive chiropractic treatment. No matter what, you should follow through with treatment.

Scoliosis in Adolescents

Normally, a spine when viewed from rear should appear straight but if the spine is lateral or curved or sideways or rotated then it is affected by scoliosis. It gives an appearance as if the person has leaned to a side. According to Scoliosis Research Society the definition of scoliosis is the curving of the spine at an angle greater than 10 degrees on an x-ray. Scoliosis is a kind of spinal deformity and shouldnt be confused to poor posture. Usually there are 4 common kinds of patterns of curves experienced in Scoliosis which are: Thoracic wherein the right side has ninety percent curves, lumbar wherein left side has seventy percent curves, thoracolumbar wherein right side has eighty percent curves and double major where both right and left sides have curves.

In majority of the cases, as high as eight to eighty five percent, the cause of the deformity is unknown, this is also known as idiopathic scoliosis. It is observed that females have scoliosis more commonly than males. According to some established facts 3 to 5 children per 1000 has chances of developing spinal curves which is a number big enough requiring medical treatment. There are three types of scoliosis that can develop in children namely congenital, neuromuscular and idiopathic. Congenital scoliosis is seen in 1 out every 1,000 births which is caused due to vertebraes failure in normal formation, vertebrae is absent, vertebrae is formed partially and vertebrae is not separated. Neuromuscular scoliosis is linked with various neurological conditions and particularly in children who dont walk like cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, tumors in spinal cord, paralytic conditions and neurofibromatosis. The cause of third type of scoliosis called Idiopathic scoliosis is still unknown. It is further divided into infantile, juvenile and adolescent scoliosis. Infantile scoliosis occurs up to the age of 3 years from birth wherein the vertebrae curve is towards left and is more frequently observed in boys. The curve takes normal shape with the growth of child. Juvenile scoliosis is common in children of age three to nine. Adolescent scoliosis is common in kids of age ten to eighteen and this is also the most common form of scoliosis occurring more in girls than boys.

The other possible causes of the deformity include hereditary reasons, different lengths of legs, injuries, infections and tumors. There are numerous symptoms attributed to scoliosis which can vary from individual to individual. The symptoms are: Difference in heights of the shoulders, off-centered head, difference in the height or position of the hip, difference in the position or height of shoulder blade, different arm lengths in straight standing position and lastly different height back sides when the body is bent forward. Other symptoms include leg pain, back pain and change in bladder and bowel habits do not belong to the symptoms of idiopathic scoliosis and require medical checkup by a doctor. The symptoms may be similar to other problems related to spinal cord or other deformities or could result from an infection or injury and consulting a doctor is the best bet in this situation who may conduct diagnosis to know what exactly it is.

The diagnosis of scoliosis requires thorough medical history of the teenager, diagnostic tests and also physical examination. The doctor asks for entire prenatal history, birth history and also would want to know if anyone in the family has scoliosis. The doctor may also ask for the milestones related with the development of the teenager since some kinds of scoliosis are known to be related to neuromuscular disorders. The delay in development may need additional medical evaluation. Doctor may also prescribe x-ray, CT scan and MRI scan of the back to measure the degree of curvature in the spinal. There are various treatments available for scoliosis which is decided by the physician depending on teenagers age, medical history and health in general. The method of treatment also depends on the extent to which disease has reached. The tolerance of the teenager to certain medicines, therapies and procedures are also taken into consideration. Expectations and opinion of the parents or teenager is also the criteria in deciding the type of treatment. The main aim of the treatment is stop the curve from progressing and avert deformity. The treatments include observation and repetitive examinations, bracing and surgery to correct the defect.

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Arthritis exercise

Arthritis exercise
Robert Kokoska

Thinking about exercise and arthritis? It is not uncommon for
people to show their horror at this thought. For many years it
was believed that arthritis and exercise doesn’t go hand in
hand. However a recent study has revealed that exercise can in
fact help people with arthritis. Additionally exercise is
becoming a vital tool in managing arthritis.

Regular exercise helps in improving the flexibility of the
joints, decreasing pain and rigidity in the joints. It also
helps in improving the general muscular structure of the body.
Besides it brings extra benefits as well which includes, better
overall fitness, more self-esteem and lower levels of
depression.

This article aims to deal with several exercise approaches that
can be used by arthritis patients to get pain relief and manage
arthritis more effectively.

Range of motion exercises involves trying to
move the joints in all possible directions. It is more of a
gentle exercise. It needs to be carried out on a regular basis
in order to decrease the rigidity of the joints and avoid
deformities. This exercise becomes more important for arthritis
patients who tend to avoid much joint movement due to high
inflammatory pain.

It is believed by some people that normal day activities like
dressing, bathing, housework are a substitute for ROM exercises;
however this is not the case.

Strengthening exercises are used in everyday
life to improve the muscular structure of the body, which allows
the body to withstand pain more easily. Similar arthritis
patients can use this exercise to help build strong muscles,
which will lead to more stable joints and less pain. This type
of exercise comes in two packages, which includes isotonic and
isometric.

Isometric exercises are used in conditions where the joint
motion is impaired. It involves tightening the muscles without
moving the joints.

Isotonic on the other hand, involves tightening the muscles in
coordination with joint movements.

Endurance exercises involve bringing the heart
beat level of your heart to an optimal level for a short period
of time. This optimal level of heart performance is acquired on
the basis of the patient’s age and physical condition using
computer. It helps in improving the cardiovascular fitness. In
order to increase the effectiveness of these exercises, these
shall be undertaken around 3 times a week. Carrying out theses
exercises helps patients achieve better physical strength and
improve mental attitude.

There are several exercises that be can undertaken by an
arthritis patient. Walking is an ideal choice. It helps in
building strength and improves mobility of the joints. It is
also helpful for maintaining bone health.

Similarly running can bring about pain relief to arthritis
patients. Research has shown that running on soft surfaces
doesn’t cause osteoarthritis. This is a good option for people
suffering from less extreme version of arthritis.

Yoga has long been an ultimate exercise for arthritis patients.
Yoga can help bring relief to joints, decrease pain and relax
muscles. It is also a good range-of-motion exercise as it
includes controlled movements, maintaining pressures, and deep
breathing relaxation. However this exercise must be carefully
used if the condition is getting worse rapidly and try not to
put pressure on the inflamed joints.

Cycling can be used as a low level exercise option. This
exercise can be carried in either position; freestanding or
stationary. Additionally, cycling equipment can be fixed and
altered according to the condition of the patient, in order to
make the experience easier and less physically imposing.

The aforementioned exercises give an insight into possible ways
of improving the health of patients suffering from arthritis. In
order to effectives of each technique it is essential to be
consistent. The exercise shall be started on a low note and then
build up gradually in order to allow the body to adjust to the
outside pressure.

Also it is important to keep in mind, that each exercise shall
be carried within its own limit. Excess exercise during
flare-ups can worsen symptoms. However before the exercise is
undertaken, it is important to contact your nearest doctor and
seek professional advice as each case of arthritis shall be
dealt on an individual basis. This can be help in seeking a more
effective approach to this condition.

About the author:
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