Tag: psoriasis

Treating Arthritis Naturally

Treating Arthritis Naturally
Mike Law

There are actually three common types of arthritis. These are Osteoarthritis which is the most common, affecting around 16 million Americans with an average age of 45. It usually will attack weight bearing joints like knees, hips, and ankles but has been found in the fingers, neck and spine. Each of our joints is cushioned by cartilage, a very dense, sponge-like substance. Osteoarthritis attacks that cartilage and gradually wears it down.

Another type of arthritis is Rheumatoid Arthritis. Extremely painful and inflammatory, it strikes the lining of the joints and actually attacks two million Americans in their twenties.

Psoriatic Arthritis is not as well known as the previous two, but actually eats away at the joints and can also manifest as psoriasis on the skin.

The term Arthritis literally translates to joint inflammation. If you suffer from any of the different types of Arthritis listed above, chances are you have taken drugs to combat the effects or tried other home remedies. If you havent
yet tried Urtication, it might be helpful. The term Urtication comes from the botanical name, Urtica dioica and dates back some 2,000 years to biblical times. Urtica dioica is Stinging Nettle. The treatment is to grasp the nettles in a gloved hand and swat the sore joints with the
nettles. This may seem bizarre, but the practice has proven to be so effective for some sufferers of arthritis that they now maintain a nettle plant on their window sill.

Here are a few more herbs that are used effectively for the treatment of arthritis:

Black Cohosh
Also known as Black Snakeroot, Bugbane, Rattleroot, Rattleweed, Squawroot. The dried root is the part used. This is a powerful relaxant as well as being extremely effective with easing painful menstrual cramps. Ovarian cramps will be relieved as well as bringing on a delayed
menstrual cycle. It is also effective in the treatment of arthritis, osteo-arthritis, rheumatic pain and neurological pain. In small doses, appetite and digestion are greatly improved and is very beneficial for the nervous system in
general.

Bogbean
Useful for treatment of rheumatism, osteo-arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Also has a stimulating effect on the walls of the colon and digestive juices.

Celery Seeds
Use dried ripe fruits to use as an anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, diuretic or anti-spasmodic. Great for treating rheumatism, arthritis and gout.

Chapparal
Very useful in cases of acne, arthritis, chronic backache, skin conditions of warts and blotches. Also one of the best cancer herbs.

Feverfew
Use the leaves to treat migraine headaches, arthritis, dizziness and tinnitus.

Nettle
The is the herb we referred to earlier and is another one of those universal plants. They are found all over the world and they strengthen the entire body. Rheumatism, arthritis, eczema, nosebleeds, arteries, lessen blood pressure are
just a few applications. Nettles contain calcium, chlorine, iron, potassium, silicon, sodium and sulphur.

Saffron
A natural hydrochloric acid (utilizes sugar of fruits and oils), thus helping arthritics get rid of the uric acid which holds the calcium deposited in the joints. Also reduces lactic acid build up. Good for measles, skin, scarlet fever and perspiration.

Yucca
Hope for arthritics. The extract from the plant has been used with surprising success on arthritis and rheumatism sufferers.

All of the herbs mentioned here should be available at your local health food store along with suggestions on how to prepare them for use. Some applications will be to ingest in teas while others may facilitate creating a topical treatment.

No matter what natural remedies you choose please consult your physician to make certain that your course of treatment does not interfere with medications that your doctor subscribes for your treatment.

Whether you are looking for renewed strength, energy and vitality in your life, drug-free relief from arthritis and joint pain, or wanting to make a difference in your financial future by becoming a MonaVie distributor, www.whatismonavie.com

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Mike Law is CEO of www.wealthontap.com whose mission is to better peoples lifestyles by substantially improving their health and or their financial status.

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The Difference Between Arthritis and Rheumatism

The Difference Between Arthritis and Rheumatism
Leong Y.H..M.D

‘Rheumatism’ is a traditional and non-specific term used in the East and West to refer to a variety of conditions affecting the bones, joints, skin, heart, kidneys, lungs. This term is rapidly falling out of favour in the West today because modern medical science has discovered that most of these conditions have different aetiologies (causes) requiring very different treatments.
You can say that it’s a word mainly used in Chinese (& traditional) societies; it’s also used by a minority of Westerners into homeopathic and alternative medicine. The only common characteristics among these conditions are: 1) they cause long-term chronic pain, and 2) they are very difficult to treat.
‘Arthritis’ is a broad term refers to inflammation of the joints, but doesn’t say anything about the cause. Includes conditions like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, infective arthritis, gouty arthritis, etc.
Generally, I’d divide arthritis into 2 big groups:
1) Osteoarthritis (OA)
This is primarily a ‘wear and tear’ condition affecting older people. Arises from overuse (e.g. marathon runners), previous injuries (football players), overweight, heredity. A lot of older Asian women get OA of the knees while the Americans and Europeans get it in the hips. The pain is more mechanical than inflammatory. So you get pain in the later part of the day after a lot of walking and climbing stairs.
Because it’s mainly a mechanical problem, treatment with painkillers is only a temporary solution. Long-term lifestyle changes are more important – reduce weight, mobility and muscle-strengthening exercises, reduce all kinds of weight-bearing activities (walking, jumping, running, carrying heavy objects). In severe cases, surgery may be warranted.

2) Inflammatory (‘Rheumatic’) Arthritis
This group comprises the various types of arthritis which are mainly inflammatory , not mechanical, in nature. They usually result from an auto-immune condition, which causes the body’s immune system to go haywire and attack the joints and other parts of the body. E.g. rheumatoid arthritis (RA), SLE (skin, kidneys, joints, brain), psoriasis (skin, joints), ankylosing spondylitis (back, heart), gout (joints, skin, kidneys), rheumatic heart disease/fever (joints, heart, skin). All these conditions require different forms of treatment.
I’ll talk a bit about RA, the commonest condition in this group. Unlike OA, RA can occur at any age and is usually hereditary (we now have a test for the RA factor in the blood). Pain is usually in the early morning, worse when it’s cold, and gets better with activity and use. That means an RA sufferer suffers from morning stiffness and pain, but gets better in the afternoon when it’s warmer and when he has moved around a bit.
Treatment, unlike OA, is mainly through drugs – painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs like steroids, cytotoxic drugs like sulfasalazine and MTX. In Asia, treatment is mainly through accupuncture, medicated plasters and ointments. With the vast arsenals of drugs and non-drugs alternative treatments available today, RA can be controlled very well and the sufferer can actually lead a very active life. Many OA sufferers on the other hand may eventually require surgery since we don’t have very effective drugs for OA. About the Author
Dr Leong Y.H is a western trained medical doctor with a keen interest in Oriental medical treatment. He contribute articles to http://www.quick-pain-relief.com and http://www.chinese-culture.net. You may distribute this article as long as mention is made of the author and the website.

Learn about arthritis and how it can affect you

Learn about arthritis and how it can affect you
Dr Leong Y.H

‘Rheumatism’ is a traditional and non-specific term used in the East and West to refer to a variety of conditions affecting the bones, joints, skin, heart, kidneys, lungs. This term is rapidly falling out of favour in the West today because modern medical science has discovered that most of these conditions have different aetiologies (causes) requiring very different treatments.
You can say that it’s a word mainly used in Chinese (& traditional) societies; it’s also used by a minority of Westerners into homeopathic and alternative medicine. The only common characteristics among these conditions are: 1) they cause long-term chronic pain, and 2) they are very difficult to treat.
‘Arthritis’ is a broad term refers to inflammation of the joints, but doesn’t say anything about the cause. Includes conditions like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, infective arthritis, gouty arthritis, etc.
Generally, I’d divide arthritis into 2 big groups:
1) Osteoarthritis (OA)
This is primarily a ‘wear and tear’ condition affecting older people. Arises from overuse (e.g. marathon runners), previous injuries (football players), overweight, heredity.
A lot of older Asian women get OA of the knees while the Americans and Europeans get it in the hips. The pain is more mechanical than inflammatory. So you get pain in the later part of the day after a lot of walking and climbing stairs.
Because it’s mainly a mechanical problem, treatment with painkillers is only a temporary solution. Long-term lifestyle changes are more important – reduce weight, mobility and muscle-strengthening exercises, reduce all kinds of weight-bearing activities (walking, jumping, running, carrying heavy objects). In severe cases, surgery may be warranted.

2) Inflammatory (‘Rheumatic’) Arthritis
This group comprises the various types of arthritis which are mainly inflammatory , not mechanical, in nature. They usually result from an auto-immune condition, which causes the body’s immune system to go haywire and attack the joints and other parts of the body. E.g. rheumatoid arthritis (RA), SLE (skin, kidneys, joints, brain), psoriasis (skin, joints), ankylosing spondylitis (back, heart), gout (joints, skin, kidneys), rheumatic heart disease/fever (joints, heart, skin). All these conditions require different forms of treatment.
I’ll talk a bit about RA, the commonest condition in this group. Unlike OA, RA can occur at any age and is usually hereditary (we now have a test for the RA factor in the blood). Pain is usually in the early morning, worse when it’s cold, and gets better with activity and use. That means an RA sufferer suffers from morning stiffness and pain, but gets better in the afternoon when it’s warmer and when he has moved around a bit.
Treatment, unlike OA, is mainly through drugs – painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs like steroids, cytotoxic drugs like sulfasalazine and MTX.
In Asia, treatment is mainly through accupuncture, medicated plasters and ointments. With the vast arsenals of drugs and non-drugs alternative treatments available today, RA can be controlled very well and the sufferer can actually lead a very active life. Many OA sufferers on the other hand may eventually require surgery since we don’t have very effective drugs for OA. About the Author
Dr Leong is a Western trained doctor with a keen interest in Chinese medical treatment. He contributes articles to http://www.quick-pain-relief.com. This article may be republished provided acknowledgement is made of the author and the original website.

Arthritis Of The Foot

Arthritis Of The Foot
Dr. Jeffrey A. Oster, Medical Director Of Myfootshop.com.

Arthritis is a term used to describe a number of diseases that cause inflammation of joints and results in the progressive destruction of joints. Arthritis is actually a collection of many different joint diseases that affect the body and the foot in many different ways. In this article, let’s talk a bit about arthritis and how it affects the foot. We normally discuss treatment alternative for conditions, but due to the scope of this topic, we will not discuss treatment of each of the individual forms of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is by far and away the most common form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is known as the wear and tear type of joint disease and will effect most of us at one point in our lives. In our discussion on osteoarthritis, please refer to the nomenclature and anatomy sections below for definitions of the terms that my be unfamiliar to you.
When I think of osteoarthritis (OA), I think of my grandmother’s hands. Those hand have done a lot of work in their time and have a bit of arthritis to show for it. The fingers, crooked and bumpy show many of the changes brought on by osteoarthritis. The bumps on the fingers are called Heberden’s Nodes. Heberden’s Nodes are a very obvious example of how osteoarthritis occurs. If you’ve ever known anyone whose experienced the symptoms of OA, they’ll tell you that a joint will flare for a period of several weeks. It may be mildly painful or even painful to the degree that the joint is unusable. And then suddenly, just as passively as it came, it leaves. Occasional, brief morning stiffness was not unusual for grandma. The pain that had been present in her hands was actually due to a series of small micro-fractures that occurred in the subchondral bone (just beneath the cartilage). It seems that in cases of osteoarthritis, the bone just below the cartilage becomes very fragile. When loads are applied to this fragile bone, it breaks down. The more the joint is used, the more the bone seems to break down.
Over time, as the bone undergoes a series of flare ups, the ability of the bone to support the cartilage becomes unstable. The subchondral bone creates an unstable supporting surface for the cartilage. When the joint tries to complete its’ normal range of motion, the cartilage is irregular and progressively erodes. This moves us into the second phase of OA pain, and that’s when we have joint range of motion that is bone on bone. Cartilage has no nerve endings to sense pain, but bone on the other hand, has plenty. As the joint moves and the bone is eroded, significant pain can be experienced.
This erosive process seen in OA seems to occur at different rates in everyone. In fact, every joint seems to undergo the changes of OA at a different rate. The rate of change does seem to be effected by the history of damage to the joint. In fact the classifications used to describe OA include Primary (idiopathic or no known cause) and Secondary (some known cause for the disease such as trauma). Past injuries seem to accelerate the rate of OA in most joints. We all know someone with that old football injury, right?
The cause of OA is unknown. Many authors have speculated that the cause may be mechanical as described above, but others have described changes such as biologic, biochemical or enzymatic; or even a combination of each of these.
Changes that occur in the foot with OA are numerous. The most common is midfoot pain that is diffuse. The midfoot is a jigsaw puzzle of pieces that are difficult to manage when effected by a systemic disease of this nature. Other finding include atrophy (loss) of the plantar fat pad of the forefoot and heel. The big toe joint is often effected by the changes of OA with bunions and hallux limitus as common complaints.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a very complex and debilitating disease that affects approximately 1% of the general population. Women are 2-3 times more prone to develop RA. RA is a process where the body’s immune system attacks the cell lining the joint capsule (synovial cells). The end result is thickening and fibrosis of the joint with destruction of the cartilage.
Symptoms of RA include an abrupt onset of inflammation. The swelling associated with RA may be isolated to one joint or effect several. Symmetrical involvement is typical with both hands or both feet being affected. In comparison to OA, morning stiffness seen in RA may last more than 30 minutes.
The finding of RA in the foot often progresses to subluxation of the joints, particularly the metatarsal phalangeal joints. Atrophy of the plantar fat pad is common.

Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis (PA) is an interesting form of sero-negative arthritis. PA is associated with psoriasis in many cases, but it is not unusual to find the symptoms of PA in a patient with no previous history of psoriasis of the skin or nail.
The symptoms of PA in the foot include focal swelling of the interphalangeal joint (the toes). The toe will appear to have swollen and become painful with a limited history of injury or pain. X-rays often show slow changes that exhibit erosion called a pencil and cup appearance. This finding is common on the metatarsal phalangeal joint.

Reiter’s Syndrome

Reiter’s Syndrome (RS) is an unusual form of arthritis that is usually found in men.. RS is often described as a sexually transmitted disease due to the history of the disease occurring following sexual intercourse which resulted in a chlamydial infection. It is suggested to treat those with RS, and their sexual partners, for C. trachomatis infections.
The symptoms of RS include burning upon urination (urethritis), dry eyes and joint pain. Joint pain in the back and feet are common. These symptoms occur 7-14 days following sexual intercourse and subside over a period of several months to years. Recurrence of pain is not unusual. About the Author
Jeffrey A. Oster, DPM, C.Ped is a board certified foot and ankle surgeon. Dr. Oster is also board certified in pedorthics. Dr. Oster is medical director of Myfootshop.com and is in active practice in Granville, Ohio.