Tag: Wear And Tear

Searching for Osteoarthritis Pain Relief?

Searching for Osteoarthritis Pain Relief?
Kristy Haugen

Osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease is a wear and tear disease of the joints typically seen in the older adult (usually over 60 years of age). Cartilage within the joints breaks down causing pain as the bones rub against each other. Osteoarthritis is commonly found in the knees, hips, hands, spine, and feet.
Obesity is a risk factor for developing osteoarthritis in the knees and hips. These weight bearing joints carry much of the weight causing increased wear and tear. Weight loss can significantly reduce the chance of developing osteoarthritis and can alleviate pain in people who currently have osteoarthritis.
Currently osteoarthritis treatment is limited because no medications are capable of preventing or retarding the disease process. Osteoarthritis treatment involves focusing on pain relief, the maintenance of quality of life, and functional independence. Let us take a look at some of the treatments that currently exist for osteoarthritis.
Many doctors recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol) as the initial analgesic (pain medication) of choice for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Acetaminophen has very few side effects. When using acetaminophen as a pain reliever, remember to follow the directions correctly. Acetaminophen is commonly overused by patients. You are recommended to not exceed 4,000 mg of acetaminophen in a twenty-four hour period. Acetaminophen is metabolized or processed by the liver. Excess acetaminophen can cause damage to the liver. Acetaminophen is also found in other pain medications such as Darvocet, Percocet, and Tylenol Cold. In fact, acetaminophen is found in quite a few prescription pain medications.
Traditionally NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) have been useful in the treatment of osteoarthritis associated pain. One major concern with the use of NSAIDs is irritation to the stomach lining. In more severe cases, gastrointestinal bleeds or ulcers may form. NSAIDs can affect the bodys blood clotting ability and interfere with kidney function. NSAIDs should always be taken with food to decrease stomach irritation or upset. Do not drink alcohol while taking NSAIDs. However, these drugs should not be taken for extended periods of time unless directed otherwise by a qualified medical provider. Some common types of NSAIDs are ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen (Aleve), and aspirin.
Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (COX-2 inhibitors) are a class of NSAIDs. COX-2 inhibitors suppress arthritis pain much the same way but with less stomach irritation. Many of us know of COX-2 inhibitors but not by this name. Vioxx (refecoxib), Celebrex (celecoxib), and Bextra (valdecoxib) are COX-2 inhibitors. Vioxx and Bextra have been removed from the market. These drugs can significantly increase the risk for stroke and heart attack. Celebrex remains on the market but does have a black box warning stipulating this drug also can increase the risk for cardiovascular events and gastrointestinal bleeding.
Capsaicin (Capsagel, Zostrix) which is derived from chili peppers can be applied topically for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain. Capsaicin will cause vasodilation, itching, and burning to the skin but after repeated applications desensitization will occur, decreasing ones pain. Methyl salicylate creams such as Ben-gay can also be used for osteoarthritis pain. Studies have shown that oral glucosamine and chondroitin supplements have a mild to moderate analgesic effect with arthritis.
For osteoarthritis patients who cannot tolerate their pain, glucocorticoid injections may be done. Glucocorticoids are similar to the hormone cortisol in the body. Glucocorticoids help alleviate pain by decreasing inflammation and swelling within the joint. Side effects are typically seen if you receive these injections too frequently.
Hyaluronan (viscosupplementation) injections can be injected directly into the joint for treatment of osteoarthritis. This medication helps supplement the synovial fluid. The synovial fluid is a lubricating fluid allowing the bones to move smoothly within the joint. This injection should relieve pain and improve your mobility of the joint. This treatment involves 3-5 shots within 5 weeks. You may experience pain and swelling after the injections but this should dissipate. Reduced osteoarthritis pain may last up to 6 months.
For patients that have decreased function and mobility of the joint, surgical intervention may be necessary. Surgical involvement should also be considered in patients whose pain has progressed to unacceptable levels. However, good surgical candidates are usually considered ideal for surgery. Certain health conditions can affect post-operative rehabilitation and healing. Surgery can hold just as much of a health risk as medications have side effects.
Osteoarthritis is not curable but there is hope for the future with advancements in medicine. Along with the above treatments for pain management, it is also important to remain active and healthy. Exercising regularly can help maintain mobility of the joint. Exercise also creates natural pain relievers such as endorphins. Pain may be a part of osteoarthritis, but pain doesnt have to be a part of your life!
Copyright 2006 Kristy Haugen

About The Author

Kristy Haugen is a mother working to finish her second bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering. She is also a Licensed Practical Nurse with a current bachelor degree in Biology and Chemistry. She writes to inform consumers about nutrition and health topics. Learn more about weight loss supplements at http://weightlosssupplements.vitaminmaniac.com. Learn more about vitamins and your health at http://blog.vitaminmaniac.com.

The Wear and Tear of Anxiety, Panic, and Nervous Breakdown

The Wear and Tear of Anxiety, Panic, and Nervous Breakdown

People often hear of a type of energy that has little to do with muscles and work, an energy without focus or function nervous energy. And most often than not, people recognize it by any other names such as anxiety, stress, panic, nervous breakdown, or feeling uptight.

Older people have no monopoly on this sense of malaise. Each year, Americans of all ages spend more than $300 million on tranquilizers and sedatives to soothe their fraying nerves.

In reality, stress is a 20th-century phenomenon, the price people pay for a living in our high-powered, fast-paced world. In the short tern, most people pay the price in headaches, heartburn, sleepless nights, and stiff, aching muscles.

In the end, the price gets higher. Stress has been implicated as a contributing factor in conditions that range from alcoholism to hypertension, from arthritis to impotence.

Its effects are cumulative. Whereas, episodes of intense stress affect our immediate well-being, decades of life under pressure affect how long and how well people will continue to live.

Stress is not always negative. Some of lifes happiest momentsbirths, weddings, reunions, retirementsare enormously stressful. Stress is a spice of life, a motivating force for growth and adaptation. But the human body cannot simply differentiate between positive and negative stresses, between genuine threats and vague anxieties.

When stress becomes a problem, it can lead to one devastating mental disorder known as nervous breakdown. Experts do not consider this as a clinical term but more of a popular term because it is commonly used by people to avoid the shame of a particular clinical finding.

Nervous breakdown could also be caused by many factors such as anxiety and panic disorder. Even if they seem to mean the same, each has its own unique characteristic.

People, who were diagnosed with anxiety disorder, generally pertain to those who have mood disorders such as bipolar disorder or depressions.

On the other hand, panic disorder refers to the repeated occurrence of unforeseen panic attacks. Panic happens when your body instantly reacts to whatever kind of stressor that is available as of the moment.

There are times when some people were brought up negatively, with pressures more than what they can handle. These things usually happen when parents tend to demand more items from their kids. What happens next is that their children get anxious of always doing things right according to what their parents have told them. Otherwise, they are bound for numerous punishments.

Yet, despite constant and chaotic stresses, anxieties, and nervous breakdowns, people can actually cope. And most of the time, people cope very well.

Physiologists explain these day-to-day, person-to-person differences in terms of the all-or-none law. Every nerve cell, or neuron, responds either to maximum capacity or not at all. Like a rifle, a neuron either fires or does not.

An overestimated neuron is like a rifle with the safety switch off. Even a slight stimulus can startle it from a quiet to an active state.

The point here is that the more active the nervous system, the more active it is likely to become. This cycle of reactions is caused by the feedback mechanisms of the sensory receptors in the muscles.

With that in mind, it can be concluded that many people nowadays are strolling around with intense nervous breakdowns, anxieties, or panic disorders that frequently transform to physical sensation feeling.

Whatever the meanings are, these things all pertains to one basic truth there is an increasing behavioral and environmental attack. All of these things highly recommend that people, whether young or old, must not take their health undervalued.

Cure IBS Permanently

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a very common digestive disorder yet hard to get diagnosed accurately at once. This is because the digestive track is a very complex part of the body, unbelievably compressed inside the stomach. The small intestine alone measures an approximate 21 feet long, making it hard to imagine how it added bulk to the body trunk. Imagine how the body mechanism works hard 24 hours, seven days a week in every food processing taking place in the digestive system? If an automobile needs overhauling out of wear and tear, the counterpart of that in human body functioning is getting sick and being given the right medicine. Talking specifically of IBS, once diagnosed, options to have relief vary. IBS is a very tricky condition especially if it is associated as a symptom of another disease.

Generally, IBS is buried in every stomach dysfunction considered chronic and broad in nature with no exact cause but diagnosed based on the patterns developed in a patient. Although there are some lists of medicines for specifically for IBS, there is no exact cure other than management of symptoms. There are categories of medicines for other broad IBS linked discomforts to alleviate the symptoms follows:

1. Laxatives to ease bowel movements and promote fecal softening

2. Corticosteroids and Inhibitors a medication for Crohns Disease as linked to IBS and for ulcerative colitis

3. Anti-diarrheal Medicines and Oral rehydration solutions aids in suppressing the attacks of diarrhea and its effect of robbing the body of the necessary fluids. The combination of both drugs will work to control the embarrassing and consequential dehydration if the diarrhea worsens.

4. Antacids helps ease stomach pain due to excessive acid production the stomach to those who are suffering from hyperacidity.

Taking medicines to relieve IBS helps temporarily until one gets nauseated enough to look for permanent cure. Instead of getting imprisoned by medicine dependency, changing into having healthy lifestyle may pave way to a good start. Shifting to a healthy diet by eliminating synthetic and allergy-causing foods is one of the best preventive measures in giving the stomach some rest. These solutions may sound universal, but basically people never know the abuses done to the body until it is signaling red alert thru body discomforts. Like a machine, food digestion is one the bodys basic and important task. It is all about what the body is taking; therefore, managing IBS is all about having quality food intake to prevent getting into stomach trouble.

How to Treat Osteoarthritis at Home

Osteoarthritis is a painful type of arthritis. It is caused by the wear and tear of joint cartilage. It degenerates overtime. Those with a severe form of osteoarthritis literally have two bones rubbing together. This, unfortunately, is very painful. If you have recently been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, your doctor will recommend over-the-counter pain pills or write a prescription for stronger medication. Take these pills, but there is more that you can do and right at home.

Exercise. Do not believe you must visit a gym to get a good workout. In fact, those suffering from osteoarthritis should start at home. Fitness centers have many great machines, but they may be too hard for you to use. Start with low impact exercises. You may feel pain at first, but it should minimize overtime. Your goal is to work and loosen your painful joints. This will reduce stiffness and lessen the later risk of deformities. Another goal is to build muscle strength. With strong muscles, you can rely on them more, as opposed to your painful joints.

Alter your activities at home. Of course, you dont want to give up your passions. One should never let osteoarthritis get them down. To reduce pain or the likelihood of it, you will need to alter some of your at-home activities. For example, do you enjoy gardening? Instead of bending down, start an above ground garden with raised planters. Do you enjoy sewing by hand? If so, opt for a sewing machine. Less hand movements are required.

Use heat to treat pain. It has long been known that heat lessens pain. So, use it. Draw a warm bath and climb in. If positioning yourself in the bathtub is too difficult, opt for a reusable heating pad or a warm washcloth. If heat does not treat your pain or it stops working overtime, make the switch to a cold compress. It should have the same results. In fact, some medical professional recommend switching between the two.

Learn to relax. There is no doubt that osteoarthritis patients deal with pain. In fact, they deal with severe pain and often. Still, our emotions pay a huge role in the pain we experience. The more you focus on your pain, the more it will hurt. So, dont. Instead of focusing on that pain, focus on ways to lessen the severity. Yes, pain relief products and heat will help, but so will relaxing or doing something that you love!

Research home remedies. Did you know that over-the-counter pain pills and topical arthritis creams are not the only way to seek relief? Many patients report success with natural and home remedies. One being supplements. Devils Claw, Cats Claw, and Gingko occasionally work. Certain foods can also provide natural relief from pain and inflammation. The supplement Bromelain is recommended, but it is also found naturally in pineapples. It reduces the pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. So, head to the internet and do a little bit of research. Your next stop may not be the medicine cabinet or the drug store, but your refrigerator or kitchen cupboard.

In short, osteoarthritis cannot be cured. Although it may seem as if all hope is lost, it is not. There are many ways to prevent, treat, and manage the pain and swelling associated with disease. By taking the above mentioned suggestions, you never have to leave home!

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