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.

What You Should Know About Arthritis

What You Should Know About Arthritis
Robert Thatcher

Should the person experience some muscle pain which lasts more than 2 or 3 days, there is a strong chance that one has arthritis.
Arthritis is a common disease that affects millions of people worldwide. This can be felt in the persons joints, skin and organs inside the body. Should the person feel anything wrong, it is advisable to go straight to the doctor.
Doctors have discovered that there are over 100 types of arthritis. Given the number, the doctor will not be able to know which one is affecting the person without an examination.
There are 2 common forms of arthritis. The first is rheumatoid arthritis which is considered a chronic disease. There is inflammation in the joints caused by cartilage damage. Anyone who has this will suffer long term joint damage that will lead to chronic pain and disability. Pain is usually felt when waking up in the morning and will gradually disappear during the day.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a problem that will not go away. This happens in three stages. The first is swelling. The second is the rapid division and growth of cells. The third is when these cells release enzymes that will eat the bone causing the joint to lose shape until the person will not be able to move it anymore.
Since this is systemic disease, it can spread and affect other organs in the body. The best way to prevent is from happening is detecting it early to prevent the person from being disabled.
This can be treated with proper medication and therapy. There many drugs available that the patient can use. Some drugs offer pain relief to reduce the inflammation. Others can just do one function.
The second is called osteoarthritis. This happens more often than rheumatoid arthritis but unlike the first, there is no inflammation present. The cartilage in the joint is damaged and will eventually degenerate. Pain will slightly be felt when the person gets up but this will hurt later on during the day.
Osteoarthritis can either be primary or secondary. When it is primary, it is often associated with age. It is similar to a car where the parts have to be replaced due to wear and tear. Doctors consider this to be normal as people grow older.
The secondary type is often associated with something else that has caused this to happen. Some of these factors are an injury that took place, heredity, obesity and bone density.
Osteoarthritis can be treated with medication, exercise, weight control, joint protection, physical and occupational therapy. This is done to relieve the pain and slow the progression of the disease.
Both of these are caused by different things. The common thing between these 2 types is that joint pain can happen anywhere in the body.
Given the many medications available to treat this disease, the patient has to be aware of the side effects of each before choosing which one to use. The doctor should explain these to the person in order to make the right decision.
Arthritis and its different forms will not go away. Since this is an insurable disease, the best thing that the doctor and others can do until a cure if found is to help the patient ease the pain the slow the growth of the disease.

About The Author

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides arthritis resources on http://www.your-arthritis-resources.info.

Using essential fatty acids for reducing arthritis joint pain

Using essential fatty acids for reducing arthritis joint pain
rudy silva

Essential fatty acids provide protection for the whole body. In particular it is effective in reducing inflammation as experienced in joint pain or arthritis.

Most people will have to deal with arthritis especially as they get older. One way to eliminate or minimize this pain is to supplement with the essential fatty acids.

Osteoarthritis, the most common arthritis, is not the only arthritis that affects so many people:

* rheumatoid arthritis

* arthritis from lupus

* gout

* psoriatic arthritis

* reiters disease

* infective arthritis

As you age, the constant movement of the joints creates wear and tear. Toxic wastes that circulate in the blood, dead cells, and liquid can accumulate in the various joints and cause inflammation and pain. Continual inflammation can cause damage to the joints. In some cases the cartilage that coats the bone ends, wears down and joints then rub bone to bone causing extreme pain.

Using the essential fatty acids provides lubrication for the joints as the move against each other. This reduces the wear that can occur at these joints and this results in less inflammation.

There are several conditions and lifestyles that contribute to arthritis,

* Obesity

* Diabetes

* Heredity

* Poor nutrition

* Poor digestion

* Lack of water

* Allergies

* Repetitive use of fingers, hands, legs or arms

* Body injuries sports or accidents

Arthritis is a difficult disease to treat because there is usually more than one cause. Just working on one cause may not help enough to give pain relief. But it always helps to know the many things that contribute to arthritis so that different nutritional and lifestyles changes can be made.

The use of flax seed oil, omega-3, is known to provide anti-inflammatory benefits. Omega-3 breaks down into prostaglandins. It is the prostaglandins that provide the anti-inflammatory results.

So by using the omega-3, GLA, and EPA/DHA supplements, you can get some relief from arthritis. These oils reduce inflammation and pain and provide lubrication, thereby preventing some damage from occurring in your joints.

It is recommended that you use a good dose of,

* Borage oil

* Primrose oil

* NKO oil

Using these oil spread across the day, provides the benefit of feeling reduce joint stiffness and pain in the morning. Use the different oils one bottle at a time. This gives you the health benefits that these different oil provide.

One additional benefit to using these oils is the coating protection that GLA has in the stomach lining.

The standard treatment for arthritis is the use of NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors. These, however, have undesirable side effects such as attacking the stomach lining. Thousands of deaths and visits to the emergency are associated with the use of NSAIDs.

You can benefit greatly if you use NSAIDs by adding GLA oils to your diet and help to prevent the serious side effects of the NSAIDs.

There you have it. Eat the essential fatty acids and provide your body with what it needs to build strong and healthy joints.
Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He is the author of Constipation, Acne, Hemorrhoid, and Fatty Acid ebooks. He writes a newsletter called “Natural Remedies Thatwork.com”. For more information on arthritis go to: http://www.arthritis-remedies.for–you.info

Types Of Arthritis Treatments

Types Of Arthritis Treatments
Gray Rollins

Contrary to popular belief, arthritis is not a condition that only old people get. It is a condition that can impact people of all ages, and in severe cases, the pain associated with arthritis can be absolutely debilitating. In its simplest definition, arthritis is the pain that emerges in the area where two joints come together such as the fingers, knees, elbows, hips, and shoulders.
There are a number of tests that can be performed that will help determine the cause of the pain, the degree and frequency of the pain, and the areas most impacted. Once all of this information is gathered, there is a better chance an effective course of arthritis treatments can be offered. Here are some of the more common arthritis treatments.
NSAIDS/Over the counter treatments
NSAIDS, which stands for Non-Steroid Anti-Inflammatory Drugs are effective at treating the symptoms of arthritis. Many different drugs fall into the category of NSAIDS, many of which are available only by prescription.
Over the counter medications that reduce pain and inflammation are for many people, effective arthritis treatments. Aspirin, acetaminophen, naproxen and ibuprofen are all safe if taken as directed and easy to obtain without a prescription. These types of arthritis treatments are relatively inexpensive and have few negative side effects.
Taken as directed, NSAIDS can help arthritis sufferers get relief from stiffness, swelling, inflammation, and pain in the joints. Before taking any of these treatments however, be sure to discuss the risks and all known side effects associated with taking this type of medication.
COX-2 Inhibitors
These types of arthritis treatments are better known by their brand names: Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra and the like. While these products do an effective job treating the symptoms of arthritis, their effectiveness came with a heavy price in the form of potentially life-threatening side effects. Several of these name-brand products have been taken off the market. If youd like more information about COX-2 Inhibitors, you should consult your doctor. http://www.arthritisnatural.com/safetyofarthritismedications/
Joint Replacement
This type of arthritis treatment involves a surgical procedure and is most often prescribed for patients with severely damaged joints. During surgery, the damaged joint is removed, and a replacement part is put in place. The resulting pain is mainly caused by the incision and generally will pass in several weeks. After recovery, patients should be able to resume up to 75% of mobility in the affected joint area. Hip replacement is the most common type of joint replacement surgery but regardless of the type, replacement is a very effective arthritis treatment.
Other Types of Surgery
Sometimes rather than replacing a joint, surgery is prescribed to repair a tendon that has become damaged or to remove the tendons covering if that is whats causing the pain. The lining inside the joint cavity is also something that might be removed during a surgical procedure, as could the removal of a bone. Sometimes the joint pain is being caused by nerves that have become trapped and a surgical procedure can alleviate this situation as well.

About The Author

Gray Rollins is a featured writer for http://www.arthritisnatural.com. For more information about arthritis treatments, please visit http://www.arthritisnatural.com/arthritispainrelieftips/.