For Arthritis Patients the Wrong Doctor Could Spell Disaster

For Arthritis Patients the Wrong Doctor Could Spell Disaster
Rudy Silva

For Arthritis Patients the Wrong Doctor Could Spell Disaster

New Book “Take Back Control of Your Arthritis: The 12 Critical Steps” Debuts During National Arthritis Awareness Month in May

San Antonio, Texas – April 14 /Xpress Press/ – Choosing the wrong physician may have disastrous consequences for an arthritis patient,” says Dr. Joel Rutstein, a board-certified rheumatologist and author of the new book “Take Back Control of Your Arthritis: The 12 Critical Steps.”

Dr. Rutsteins book debuts during May, which is also National Arthritis Awareness Month.

“Finding a Doctor You Can Trust” is the books first chapter and first step in Dr. Rutsteins 12-step road-map, which teaches arthritis sufferers how to avoid “the wrong doctors” and better self-manage their rheumatic condition.

How do you know if you are seeing the “the wrong doctor”?

— Dr. Rutstein suggests asking yourself the following questions the next time you see or call your doctor. If you answer yes to any of them, you may be seeing a physician who is not providing treatment that is in your best interest.

— Is your doctor unsympathetic when it comes to your complaints about pain?

— Does your doctor under-treat your pain, or do you feel your doctor does not believe your complaints of pain?

— Is your doctor excessively busy or a “bad listener”? Does he or she seem uninterested in hearing your medical history or evaluating your multiple complaints?

— Is your doctor too rough when examining your joints and muscles? Do you sometimes leave the medical office in more pain then when you arrived?

— Finally, is your doctor a poor communicator? Is your doctor not explaining your diagnosis and plans for treatment clearly and in simple and understandable terms?

Patients should spend as much time picking the perfect doctor as they would the perfect spouse, cautions Dr. Rutstein. “After all, your physician is the medical expert responsible for making life and death decisions concerning your health.

“Take Back Control of Your Arthritis: The 12 Critical Steps,” ($19.95, 229 pages) is available for sale at www.ArthritisMall.com or by calling toll free 800-980-6255. Multiple helpful video programs, including innovative exercise videos, are also available for purchase at the site.

About Dr. Joel E. Rutstein

Dr. Rutstein is the publisher of ArthritisCentral.com, one of the largest patient information websites dealing with the subject of arthritis and osteoporosis. A Spanish language version of the site may be accessed at www.ArtritisCentral.com.

In 1978, Dr. Rutstein founded the Arthritis Diagnostic & Treatment Center in San Antonio. He is currently the clinic’s director. He is a fellow member of the American College of Rheumatology and the American College of Physicians and is also the Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. BestDoctors.com recently named Dr. Rutstein as one of the “Best Doctors in America for 2003-2004.”

About the author:

Press Release

History of Sports Medicine

Sports medicine was initially coordinated in the ancient areas of Greece and Rome where many of the young athletes were not being properly trained. Striving to improve this training and provide better overall supervision of the young athletes physical education was designed. This coordination of physical education was used to help increase the strength and abilities of the athletes in a carefully controlled way, which would allow their progress to be carefully monitored.

In events as far back as the 5th century, it is possible to notice distinct training to help discourage injuries starting with such people as Herodicus, whom is credited with using therapeutic exercise to help heal injuries, and also Galen who was a doctor that was assigned to monitor the gladiators of the 2nd Century. Previous attempts at using a doctor for preventative training was largely ignored with physicians and doctors only being used in the event that an injury did occur.

However, despite these efforts it was not until many years later that Sports Medicine itself was actually conceived. During the 1928 Olympics, which were held in St. Moritz a small committee was formed with the task of organizing the International Congress of Sports Medicine. Upon this concept, the idea of using actual doctors to help prevent the occurrence of injuries was brought to light. Starting in 1968 during the Summer Olympics, which were held in Mexico City, Dr. J.C. Kennedy organized a team of doctors that was to travel with the Canadian athletes to ensure they were well cared for.

In addition, Dr. Kennedy became the founder of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Kennedy earned the honor of being appointed to be the Chief Medical Officer for the first medical team to be officially associated with the Olympics in the 1972 Summer Olympics that were held in Munich, Germany. This was a task that proved even the Olympics were starting to place value in the idea of sports medicine.

As time has progressed the involvement of physicians and doctors in more than just treatment of injuries has increased. Many athletes see doctors regularly for check ups and testing to ensure that they are in the best physical shape possible, while still achieving the athletic goals that they desire. While the use of a sports medicine team by many is still considered a luxury, for others it is an essential aspect of being a responsible athlete.

As the amount of care provided to athletes before injuries occur has increased, the number of injuries that are being treated has decreased which leads to a better quality of life for many athletes. Deciding to be proactive in the treatment options of athletes is part of what sets sports medicine apart from many other fields. Rather than waiting until an injury occurs, sports medicine aims to continuously minimize the risk to athletes to achieve the best results.

Sports medicine has come a very long way in recent years, and continued research and growth in the field is abundantly clear. Most athletic teams travel with a team of doctors, and most athletes particularly professionals are all eagerly willing to work with a well qualified sports medicine team to improve their health. From reduced injuries to improving performance results, the field of sports medicine has made incredible progress since the beginnings in Ancient Rome and Greece.

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Arthritis Diet – Relieve Your Pain

Arthritis Diet – Relieve Your Pain
Hans Hasselfors

People who suffer from arthritis are always looking for ways to
relieve their pain. One way to ease or even prevent it is
through an arthritis diet. There are some arthritis diets that
some people will swear by, but have never been proven to make a
difference. There are some diets that make a definite difference
according to health experts.

First we’ll take a look at some arthritis diets where there’s
little or no evidence that they actually make a difference. One
of the most common arthritis diets is to eliminate potatoes,
tomatoes, eggplants, and most peppers. While the diet won’t do
any harm, it hasn’t been proven to affect arthritis at all.
Another arthritis diet seeks to reduce the acids in one’s body
eliminating sugar, coffee, red meat, most grains, nuts, and
citrus fruits. It’s intended to be followed for just one month.
People may feel better because they lose weight which reduces
the stress on their joints, but again there is no evidence to
support this. It also excludes many sources of vitamin C which
is essential in fighting arthritis. Drinking green tea has been
shown to reduce the effects of rheumatoid arthritis in mice, but
there are no conclusive results on human studies yet. Shark
cartilage is supposed to relieve arthritis. Animal and lab
studies show promise, but there are no human studies to support
this yet.

Not let’s take a look at some arthritis diets that have been
shown to work. Switching fats can reduce inflammation. Eating
fats found in red meat and poultry have actually been shown to
increase inflammation. Switching to cold water fish can help
reduce the inflammation. Using corn, safflower, and sunflower
oils also helps. Another arthritis diet is the ASU
(avocado-soybean unsaponifiable). It has been shown to relieve
osteoarthritis, stimulate cartilage repair, and lessen a
patient’s need to NSAIDs to control pain. Ginger has been shown
to ease pain and inflammation as well as protect the stomach
from gastrointestinal effects from taking NSAIDs. Glucosamine is
a supplement that relieves pain in some patients with
osteoarthritis. It helps the body rebuild cartilage, but can
take up to two months to see the effects. If you are allergic to
shellfish, check with your doctor before taking this as it is
derived from crab, lobster, or shrimp shells. Before taking any
supplements talk with your doctor as some can interfere with or
worsen side effects from your medications.

Of course the best arthritis diet is a good old-fashioned well
balanced diet. Eat 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables, and
go easy on fats and cholesterol. A heart healthy diet is
especially important to patients with rheumatoid arthritis as
studies have shown a link between this disease and heart
failure. Vitamin C is good for repairing body tissue. Vitamin D
helps absorb calcium, build bone mass, and prevents bone loss.
Calcium helps strengthen your bones. If you are on medication,
ask your doctor if he/she recommends taking vitamins. Some
medications can create vitamin or mineral deficiencies. When
choosing your arthritis diet, be sure to talk with your
physician as different types of arthritis have different needs.

DISCLAIMER: This information is not presented by a medical
practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes
only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always
seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care
provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical
condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay
in seeking it because of something you have read. Since natural
and/or dietary supplements are not FDA approved they must be
accompanied by a two-part disclaimer on the product label: that
the statement has not been evaluated by FDA and that the product
is not intended to “diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.”

About the author:
About the Author: Hans Hasselfors is the founder of SubmitYourNewArticle.c
om. Visit our article directory for varied articles about
arth
ritis pain.

You Can Help Eliminate Arthritis

You Can Help Eliminate Arthritis
Roger Carr

Are you aware that today over 66 million people have arthritis
or chronic joint pain? On average, that is approximately one in
three people that are suffering from arthritis at this moment.
That is almost as large as the population of Virginia…times 10!

Do you think the chronic joint pain caused by arthritis is
reserved for the elderly? It isn’t limited to those that are
older. Arthritis affects all ages. There are nearly 300,000
children in America with some form of arthritis or rheumatic
disease.

If you happen to be one of the fortunate who is not currently
suffering from arthritis, don’t think it is not affecting you.
Arthritis costs the U.S. economy $86.2 billion annually. That is
not a mistake. The cost to our country is in the billions of
dollars each year.

I know several people whose lives are impacted by arthritis and
related diseases. My wife is one of those. Kim continually
experiences joint pain due to arthritis and lupus. She takes
medications daily and frequently visits doctors and physical
therapists to cope with the hurting. Surgeries have also taken
place in the past.

Do you know someone with arthritis? You might be surprised at
what he or she has to go through to deal with the hurting. You
might also be surprised at the limits it places on daily living.

I decided to make a difference. I became a volunteer for the
Arthritis Foundation. They are the only national not-for-profit
organization that supports the more than 100 types of arthritis
and related conditions with advocacy, programs, services and
research. They partner with organizations to offer exercise
programs and courses specifically for those affected by
arthritis. They offer these programs in my own hometown of
Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Each year the Arthritis Foundation holds walks across the
country to raise funds and awareness. My team, the Pain Killers,
participated in the Fredericksburg Arthritis Walk this past May.
We helped raise more than $33,000.00 in Fredericksburg for the
Arthritis Foundation. I now have the honor of being selected as
the chairperson for the 2006 Fredericksburg Arthritis Walk.

I encourage you to honor that person you know with arthritis by
helping with the Arthritis Walk in your area. Get your friends
and coworkers involved as well. There are many ways to get
involved. You will make new friends and have fun while working
to eliminate the #1 cause of disability.

About the author:
To learn more about arthritis and to find an Arthritis Walk in
your area go to http://www.arthritis.org or call 404-872-7100.
To join or donate to Team Pain Killers go to
http://arthritiswalkfredericksburg.kintera.org/faf/r.asp?t=12&i=1
50101&g=1161782. Roger Carr is the founder of Everyday Giving
(
http://www.everydaygiving.com) and a volunteer with the
Arthritis Foundation, Virginia Chapter.