Arthritis Symptoms: Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms in Women

The first symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis may be swelling and morning stiffness or just a general aching of the joints. In 90 percent of women, the first areas affected by rheumatoid arthritis are the feet and hands. The disease often affects the wrist and the finger joints closest to the palm, as well as joints in the jaw, neck, shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, ankles and toes. Any joint in the body can be a target.

Inflammation can cause body wide symptoms such as low grade fever, flu like body aches, and a general feeling of not being well. You may also lose your appetite, lose weight, and feel like yo have no energy. Fatigue is a very common symptom of RA and may first overtake you in the afternoon. Fatigue may also be a symptom of anemia, which often accompanies RA. Inflammation can affect the tear producing glands in the eyes and saliva producing glands in the mouth, so you may experience dry eyes and dry mouth. You can have muscle pain and stiffness after sitting or lying in one position for a long time. Depression is also common.

At first, these symptoms may not add up to much. Often a women will complain of joint pain to her doctor, and all that can be seen in a puffiness of the hands, with no obvious redness or warmth. About one-quarter of women with RA develop raised, firm lumps called rheumatoid nodules. Rheumatoid nodules are actually abnormal accumulations of cells, much like the synovial cells that we see accumulating within the joint, but they commonly occur just under the skin. Nodules often appear in an area where there is repeated pressure, such as on the elbows where you lean them on a table, or the finger joints. Because rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease, nodules can show up in other places, such as the eye, the heart, the lungs. They can be very destructive, very damaging, interrupting whatever is in their path of growth. And they can be disfiguring and disconcerting to patients.

Up to half of RA patients can develop inflammation in the linings of the chest and lungs, causing pain on taking a deep breath and breathlessness; rheumatoid nodules can also appear in the lung tissues itself, not just the lining. Inflammation can also affect the sac around the heart, producing fever, chest pain, a dry cough and difficulty breathing. Blood vessels can also be inflamed; a common sign is tiny broken blood vessels in the cuticle area of the nail bed.

You may first notice the symptoms of RA during the winter, and symptoms often feel worse during the cold months and improve in warm weather. While RA develops gradually in about 50 percent of women, with symptoms coming and going for months, a more continuous pattern eventually emerges. This disease needs to be diagnosed very quickly and treatment needs to be started quickly. So that increases the importance of having women recognize the signs and symptoms.

Getting Rid of Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Fibromyalgia is an arthritis-like disorder. While it does not inflame the joints, muscles, or other tissues or harm them, it does lead to noticeable pain, stiffness and fatigue, and can hamper a person's regular life. Its symptoms include irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, painful menstruation, deadness or tingling of the limbs, uneasy legs, sensitivity to temperature, cognitive and memory difficulties ("brain fog").

Most of the patients of fibromyalgia are women and just 10-20% are men. This disease is first detected in middle age, even though the symptoms may be evident earlier. People suffering from specific rheumatic diseases like as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), or ankylosing spondylitis (spinal arthritis) are more prone to contract this disease.

Detecting fibromyalgia is quite difficult as most of the symptoms are similar to those of other problems, no symptoms are evident which will help the doctor and no conclusive laboratory test. It can be diagnosed only clinically, based on the background of chronic extensive pain that lasts for over 3 months along with soreness in a minimum of 11 from 18 particular sore point areas. Treatment fibromylagia is beneficial if it includes a combination of knowledge, stress minimization, exercise and medicine. According to research, aerobic exercises like swimming and walking, enhance muscle vigor and lower muscle pain and soreness. Heat and massage can also offer temporary relief. Those suffering from fibromyalgia will see their condition improve with a combination of exercise, medicine, physical therapy, and relaxation. Here are some suggestions for prevention and cure:

Do delayed food IgG allergy testing, like the one offered by the New Hope Medical Center. It needs 12 hours of fasting before the blood is taken. 148 antigens are checked against the patient's blood. Reactions are observed with the help of a microscope and noted down with the help of a digital camera. The patient is then offered consultation and an instruction manual focusing on the method of rectifying the problem. If the patient's blood is highly reactive then some intravenous infusions might have to be given before drawing the blood so as to lower this hyperactive condition and get a more correct test result.

Stay away from processed foods like white flour, refined foods like white sugar, and stimulants like tea, coffee and tobacco as all of them can weaken your immune system.

Try to increase your daily consumption of water. Ensure you drink 8 glasses of disinfected or reverse osmosis water everyday.

Ensure you have bowel movement at least once a day by eating more fiber in the form of fruits and vegetables. Oat bran and psyllium husk too are excellent sources of fiber. Coffee enemas are also effective for this purpose and help in liver detoxification by increasing bile secretion.

Get your basal body temperature measured to monitor your thyroid activity. You can do this be keeping a thermometer below your arm for 10 minutes before getting up from the bed on 2 successive days. In case of menstruating women, it is better to do it at the start of a menstrual cycle. The general basal body temperature should exceed 97.8 degrees, otherwise go for natural thyroid.

Treatment fibromyalgia should also include testing for free radicals damage caused by environmental pollutants like lead, aluminum, cadmium, and mercury. If it is high, then the patient should undertake heavy metal detoxification therapy.

Treatment fibromyalgia should supplement antioxidants like vitamins A, C, E, Bioflavonoid, and Coenzyme Q10, B-vitamins, magnesium, free-form amino acids, thymus gland, and acidophilus. Also include Proteolytic enzymes, DMG, and vitamin B12 vaccines. Chlorophyll in tablet or liquid form is also beneficial.

Herbal preparations made from burdock root, dandelion, echinacea, goldenseal and pau d'arco either in the form of combined teas or alternated everyday should form a part of treatment fibromyalgia.

Homeopathic nosode medications like those prepared from viruses themselves, are especially beneficial. But they must be used only on the recommendations of the homeopathic doctor. Other homeopathic medicines useful in curing fatigue are Carbo Vegetabilis, Cocculus, Ferrum Phosphoricum, and Phosphoric Acidum. Combination remedies may also help, particularly if they have the substance (like virus) recognized as the likely cause of infection and/or fatigue. Isode therapy like the preparations obtained from the patient himself is also effective here.

Have sublingual fermented lactobacillus thrice a day to recharge immune system.

Mild skin detoxification can be obtained via a health spa having steam sauna, infrared sauna, and/or contrast shower.

In extreme instances, treatment fibromyalgia should be through intravenous solutions, in order to elicit better and more absolute treatment. It should also provide for either vitamin C or amino acids or both combined.

Intramuscular vaccines may be given 1-2 times a week as they help in delivering energy medicines like B5, B12, AMP, NADH.

Subcutaneous energy vaccines can be given everyday and should include the medicines mentioned above as well as homeopathic medicines.

All the medicines and supplements mentioned above should be taken only after consulting a doctor. However, there are natural remedy programs to help guide you to becoming symptom free from fibromyalgia.

The Anti-Inflammatory Diet: How It Can Protect You From Disease

Inflammation is a good thing. It is the natural way your body responds to threats such as infections or wounds. We have all seen inflammation at work when we have pain and redness at an injury. We say it looks inflamed, and it literally is, because injury activates the inflammatory response.

When is inflammation a problem?

When inflammation lasts for long periods of time, we call it chronic, and it can cause problems. Some common causes of chronic inflammation include allergies, autoimmune disease, periodontal disease, arthritis and other diseases that activate the immune system over time. Even obesity is inflammatory, because fat cells give off chemicals called cytokines that trigger inflammation.

Why is it a problem?

Chronic inflammation causes damage to the endothelial lining of arteries, which can lead to atherosclerosis and heart disease. There is also evidence that it contributes to type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and a growing number of other chronic diseases that are common in modern, western societies.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of inflammation vary with what is causing it. You may even have no symptoms at all, as in the case of obesity. Here are some examples of specific disease related symptoms:

• Arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis ( joint pain, stiffness, swelling)


• Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis (abdominal pain and cramping, fever, diarrhea)


• Psoriasis or eczema (redness)


• Allergies (respiratory symptoms, hives)

More subtle, early indicators of problems could include headaches, muscles aches, fatigue, muscle stiffness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, gas, abdominal discomfort and even emotional problems including depression. These could be related to food sensitivities and intolerances. The most common food intolerances include dairy (lactose), wheat (gluten), yeast, soy, corn, eggs and even some artificial sweeteners.

How can you know if you have chronic inflammation if you don't have symptoms or a diagnosis?

You can find out if you have inflammation by having your C- reactive protein levels tested. The high sensitivity C-reactive protein, is the preferred indicator of chronic, low-grade inflammation.

What should I do if I have high levels of C-reactive protein?

If your C-reactive protein levels are high, you will first want to talk to your doctor to find out if there is an underlying infection, allergy, autoimmune disorder or other contributing disease. If not, your excess weight could be the cause and weight loss is your best line of defense. If you are a smoker, that could also be contributing to the problem.

How do foods influence inflammation?

Inflammation can also be influenced by the foods you eat. Research has shown that certain foods trigger inflammation and others suppress it.

Some of the foods that are pro-inflammatory include:

• Animal fats (corn-fed beef, dark meat and skin of poultry, pork, duck


• Hydrogenated fats (trans fat)


• Fried foods (fried in saturated,hydrogenated or polyunsaturated fats)


• Sweets (sugar, candy, cookies, cakes, ice cream, donuts, sweet drinks)


• Refined grains (white bread, pasta, white rice)


• Processed foods (chips, crackers, fries, cold cuts, hot dogs, canned meats)


• Dairy products (especially full fat milk, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, cream)


• Some people may also need to avoid the nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers)

Here are some of the best anti-inflammatory foods:

• Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, herring, trout and tuna (with omega 3 fatty acids)


• Grass fed beef also contain some omega 3 fats (unlike corn-fed beef, mostly saturated fats)


• Nuts and seeds (walnuts, flaxseed, almonds)


• Monounsaturated fats (olive oil, canola oil, avocados), by replacing polyunsaturated fats


• Turmeric (part of most curry dishes)


• Ginger, used in Asian cuisine (also helps control nausea)


• Whole grains (except wheat, barley and rye if you are gluten intolerant)

Foods that have high antioxidant levels also tend to reduce inflammation, possibly by reducing the damage that stimulates inflammation. Antioxidants are prolific in brightly and darkly colored fruits and vegetables.

Some of the best sources of antioxidants include:

• Berries: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, strawberries, cherries,


• Beans: Red beans, kidney beans, pinto and black beans


• Herbs: oregano, basil, sage, marjoram, thyme, dill, garlic, dry mustard


• Spices: cinnamon, cloves, cumin, turmeric, ginger


• Nuts: pecans, walnuts, pistachios


• Green tea is rich in both antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds


• Coffee, cocoa (or dark chocolate) and red wine (but caffeine and alcohol are inflammatory)


• Exotic fruits: acai, gogi, pomegranate, papaya, pineapple

Eating more of these anti-inflammatory and high antioxidant foods can help calm chronic inflammation and by doing so, reduce your risk for chronic diseases. Find ways to make these foods a part of your everyday diet and you will not only be protecting your body from disease, but you may find that some of your aches and pains improve.

How To Handle Your Hip Joint Pain

Hip joint pain is one of the primary problems of arthritis. For most people a diagnosis of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis means hip joint pain for years to come. However, finding the right method of treatment and exercise can help to stop your arthritis pain before it starts.

Your First Step

Your first step when you begin to experience hip joint pain is to stop by your doctor's office. While what you have may indeed be some form of arthritis, you need to be sure it is not a more serious condition like bone cancer. You will need to tell your doctor exactly what you are experiencing and when your symptoms began. He may move the joint around in a rotating, flexing, or extending motion to check for pain. He may even have you move around the office to see how your hips work and line up with each other. Moreover, you will probably undergo some x-rays to to see how much space you have in the hip joint as well as to check for bone spurs or other problems.

The Next Step

If you are only in the early stages of this disease, you may be able to handle your hip joint pain through nonsurgical and non-prescription medications. You could start by not overusing the hip joint. If you have small children, try to avoid carrying them as much as possible. If you have a job that requires continual lifting, see if you can find something that is more suitable to dealing with your hip joint pain. You should also try some light physical therapy. Swimming and water aerobics are good choices to dealing with your hip joint pain.

If changing your lifestyle doesn't help, you may need to investigate other ways to deal with your hip joint pain. Look at some of the other articles on this site that discuss natural methods of pain relief.

What is Rheumatoid Arthritis And How To Identify Its Symptoms

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be defined as a multisystem chronic disease of unknown origin. There is an array of systemic expression; the main distinguishing feature of rheumatoid arthritis is chronic inflammatory synovitis, typically symmetrically involving peripheral joints.

The likely influence of inflammation of the synovium leading to damage of the articular cartilage and erosion of the involving bones and consequent changes in the integrity of the joint is the characteristic of the disease. RA also involves the tissues around the joint as well as different organs in our body.

Characteristically, Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder, which occurs when the body's own defense mechanism wrongly interprets some bodily character and mistakenly attacks them.

The immune system is a multifaceted association of different protective cells and antibodies programmed normally to 'seek and destroy' the intruders into our body. The main role playing of the immune system occurs when an infective agent invades our system.

Patients having deranged immunity or autoimmune disorder produce antibodies (some proteins that have a killer potentiality towards intruders) in the blood that targets their own body parts, leading to inflammation. As rheumatoid arthritis can affect numerous other organs in our body, it is referred as a systemic disease.

The word "Rheumatoid" is coined from the Greek word "Rheumatos" which means 'Flowing' and the suffix "oid" refers to 'resembling'. The word "Arthritis" means 'inflammation of a joint'. So, together they mean 'inflammation of a joint that is flowing in nature'. In spite of its harsh potential, the course of the disease can vary a lot.

Some patients can experience a mere oligoarticular ailment (involving a single joint) of short duration with minimal or no joint damage, while others may suffer from a persistent progressive polyarthritis with striking functional impairment.

Rheumatoid arthritis has very common symptoms [http://www.arthritissymptoms.org/common-symptoms-for-rheumatoid-arthritis.htm] and according to a survey, it has affected more than two million people in the United States.

The disease is almost three times more common in women than in men and affects people of all races uniformly. The onset of the disease can be at any age, but the usual point of time is after forty years of age. Being a genetically determined disease,

Rheumatoid arthritis can affect multiple members in the same family. As for example, severe RA is noticed in approximately four times the usual rate among the first degree relatives of persons suffering from the disease in conjunction with presence of autoantibody - the Rheumatic factor- more than 10% of patients with RA will have an affected first degree relative.

In addition, monozygotic twins are at least four times more likely to develop RA than dizygotic twins. This is to be noted that, the highest risk of association id noted in twins who possess two HLA-DRB1 alleles (a type of genes) which is identified to be closely linked with RA. Genetic predisposing factors do not entirely account for the occurrence of RA, pointing towards some other factors. Environmental factors have a role playing action in the development of RA.

This is highlighted by epidemiological studies conducted in AFRICA, that indicated the role of urbanization and climate have a major impact over the occurrence and severity of RA.

Heel Pain From Plantar Fasciitis and Other Conditions

Heel pain is one of those complaints commonly diagnosed by a podiatrist, a foot doctor. The most common diagnosis for heel pain is plantar fasciitis and Heel Spur Syndrome is another name that is used to identify the condition.

Plantar means the bottom of the foot. The fascia is a long ligament that runs along the foot. Itis means inflammation. The name plantar fasciitis therefore means tearing and inflammation of that long ligament at the bottom of your foot. This is a result of small micro-tears in the fascia due to overstress.

A heel spur can develop as a result of the pull and stress of the fascia on the bone. However, the spur is usually not the cause of pain. In fact, many people with bone spurs do not have any pain at all. The pain comes from abnormal motion in your feet, usually pronation. When the feet turn in and collapse, the fascia takes on an extra stress at the heel. It only takes a small change in your activity or a change in shoes to cause a small tear if you are prone to this condition.

If you have low arches you are prone to heel spurs but you can also get them if you have high arches. The tearing that occurs at the fascia, near the heel, is microscopic. It is not a full rupture but it is enough to weaken the fascia and once the fascia is weakened, it tears more from the constant weight of the body putting a large force load on your feet. When your foot is injured it is worse.

When you have plantar fasciitis you feel a sharp heel pain usually when you first get up. It then evens out, and tends to gets worse throughout the day. Some only feel the pain when they are jogging or walking. The problem is often diagnosed by palpation or pressing on the inside of the heel or inside of the arch. These are the portions of the fascia that are under the greatest stress and have more inflammation. X-rays are used to rule out other conditions such as stress fractures or a tumor.

However, not all causes of heel pain are plantar fasciitis. There are other possibilities of heel pain.

Heel Neuroma

This takes place when a nerve in the heel is inflamed. It is usually caused by an injury.

Heel Bursa

A bursa is a small sac of fluid that the body builds up to protect one of its parts from unusual pressure. Pain takes place when there are small ruptures in the nerve which lead to a bursa.

Stress Fracture in the Heel

A stress fracture is an incomplete broken bone. It is still way over stressed and eventually a small break takes place. In the beginning it does not show up on an xray but as the break grows and causes more pain it will appear. It usually causes the body to send blood to the area which results in swelling and more pain.

Bone tumor

It is rare to have a tumor in the heel and if you should, the good news is that they are mostly benign. When there is pain with this it is usually because the bone has fractured also.

Bone spur at the back of the heel

This is usually caused from the shoe rubbing the back of the heel.

Arthritis

There are different kinds of arthritis associated with heel pain which is similar to the pain in plantar facsiitis. Usually there is a heel spur also associated with the heel pain. Rheumatoid arthritis, Crohns disease, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis are a few of the conditions that may cause heel pain. They usually appear with other symptoms such as back pain and stiffness.

If your pain is severe and has lasted more than four days or your foot is swollen and red, it is best to visit your doctor for complete diagnosis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis - Natural Remedies That Can Change Your Life

It's easy enough to realize that having rheumatoid arthritis can be life changing. The disease causes inflammation in your joints, causing pain and discomfort, and may also cause the joints to become disfigured. This results in a loss of flexibility and mobility in the joint, making you unable to move easily.

While this is one of the more well known symptoms of the disease, it is more than just a disease that attacks the joints of your body. Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is an autoimmune disorder - your own immune system is causing the damage to your body. RA may result in anemia, and can also affect your skin, lungs, kidneys and heart. Treatment can sometimes be difficult; some medicines that are effective in slowing the damage sometimes have negative side effects. Because of this, for some of those with the disease, natural remedies become more appealing that conventional drugs and medications.

Changing your lifestyle is one of the available rheumatoid arthritis natural remedies. This involves balancing moderate exercise to relieve stiffness with periods of rest. This will help maintain functionality and mobility of affected joints, as well as generally improving your health. However, if even moderate exercise causes you pain, you should stop exercising and consult with your doctor to find an exercise regimen that you can benefit from.

Changing your diet is another form of rheumatoid arthritis natural remedy. A variety of fasting programs and diets are available, with the goal of making your body healthier in order to combat the disease. Many of these diets have also begun to recommend consuming omega-3 fatty acids like that found in fish oil and fatty deep sea fish. Fish oil is also available in a number of supplements that a person with RA can take.

Aside from changing lifestyle and diet, you can also try herbal remedies. Herbs such as boswellia, devil's claw and horsetail are said to provide relief from the pain. Many times these herbs are available as teas, but may also be found in various food supplements used to treat RA.

There are many other options to treat rheumatoid arthritis with natural remedies. These can range from massage therapy, to meditative techniques, acupuncture and so on. Each have their advantages, though some do offer more immediate relief, and others offer more lasting relief. Many of them can be very effective, though they are best used in conjunction with conventional methods, or other alternative natural remedies. In this manner, you can combine treatments in order to receive better results.

The Truth About Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain Relief - Does Sitting in a Hot Tub Really Help?

It's quite common advice - although probably not from the strict professionals - that spending time, soaking in a hot tub is a great method of rheumatoid arthritis pain relief. But is this actually true? Is this something that people in pain actually do, or is it just lame advice dished out by an uneducated friend?

In this article we'll take a closer look into whether this approach is right for you or whether it's just an overly recommended myth. Here are some things to think about before considering a hot tub as effective rheumatoid arthritis pain relief:

It May Be A "No Go" To Start With: You don't really need anyone to tell you that you might not even be able to get into the hot tub in the first place. If you're in that much pain, then climbing over the edge of the steep sides or up a precarious ladder can be next to impossible. So, no matter how much rheumatoid arthritis pain relief other people have experienced with a hot tub, it's not worth you injuring or hurting yourself even more. And it's one thing climbing into the hot tub, but remember, you'll have to climb out again, only this time wet and slippery. So use your own judgement: if you have the ability to get into the hot tub, then there's no harm in giving it a shot, but don't go beyond your limits.

It Depends On You: The thing with rheumatoid arthritis pain relief, is that it varies so much from person to person. What works for one rheumatoid arthritis sufferer could have absolutely no effect on another sufferer, or could even make their pain worse. You need to know what works for you. Do you find that cold water eases up your pain the most, or simply cool air? Or do you find that actually moving your joint or applying pressure gives you the most relief? At the end of the day, sitting in a hot tub could be the complete opposite of what has given you relief up until this point.

Be Careful Of Flare Ups: You may find that applying heat does help your general rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, but during a flare up of your joints, adding heat just makes the feeling worse. Again, try and use your own judgement.

In conclusion, to answer the question: does sitting in a hot tub provide relief of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms? The answer is: maybe. If you're capable of climbing over the sides and know that up until this point, heat usually helps with rheumatoid arthritis pain relief, then it's definitely worth giving the idea a shot. However, you just need to know that it's definitely not a clear cut rule that works for everyone, and to not place too much expectation on the idea.

Eliminating Certain Foods From the Diet Can Reverse Arthritis

It has been found over the years that eliminating certain foods from the diet and including others can help you eat away arthritis.

This is one of the good news messages out there of the quick growth of healing called alternative or natural healing medicine.

Looking To Alternative Methods

People today are taking a closer look at healing through alternatives methods to the tune of 20 billion dollars annually. The thought wave is the high cost of drugs and their side effects in the treatment, with the many different side effects, is not worth the cost or trouble when severe damage may be done. Natural healing medicine is a lot less expensive and there are no side effects in most cases when taken as directed.

The Arthritis Foundation

The Arthritis Foundation for many years has been warning the public that arthritis is an incurable disease and only by using what they recommend can symptoms be suppressed. They tell the public that the disease is always there ready to flare up at any time. To make you feel even worse if you have it the Arthritis Foundation tells us the the disease will be epidemic in the future unless proper funding actions are taken now to limit its impact.

Rheumatologists Say

According to rheumatologists associated with the foundation the cause of the disease remains unclear, while only theories and not fact continue to mount. Arthritis today has become a collective name for the hundred or so many different varieties of arthritis. According to the foundation there are no drugs out there today that can cure the disease. Perhaps they are making these dreadful predictions to keep the research money rolling in and their jobs secure.

The Arthritis Foundation admits that people who are over weight provokes osteoarthritis and includes fish oils, fasting and food allergy as possible treatments for arthritis. They flatly state, however, no diet or food has any important beneficial or causative effect on the disease of arthritis.

Much Information Emerges

Much new information began to emerge in the late 1970's from research institutions, medical centers and universities that has made the informational seeking public re-evaluate almost everything we previously knew about the destructive disease. This intensive research continues today and finally its ideas are sinking into the conventional wisdom of arthritic treatment.

Today there has been convincing clinical proof from various branches of medicine that various foods are a contributing cause of arthritic disease. More importantly there is now convincing evidence that healthy joints are dependent on gastrointestinal health and well being.

Double Blind Study

There was a double blind study done in late 1979 by Dr. Anthony Conte, a Pittsburg nutritionist, and his associate Dr. Marshall Mandell, a well know allergist, that provide evidence that arthritis can be in may cases, an allergy related disease that can be treated by simply avoiding certain common foods.

Another research study was done by a Dr. Robert Stroud, a prominent rheumatologist at the University of Alabama School of Medicine, stating that patients with arthritic disease respond very well when certain foods are completely eliminated from their diet. He also discovered that during a fast arthritic symptoms completely clear up and become non-existent. This should prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that arthritis is food related. Unfortunately you cannot fast forever.

Expansion On The Food Allergy Theory

In recent years scientists have expanded on the food allergy theory using diet to treat rheumatoid arthritis. In an ongoing experiment Drs. L.G. Darlington and N.W.Ramsey from Epsom General Hospital in England took 100 patients and treated them to a special diet only treatment. After 7 1/2 years patients were still doing well with most signs of rheumatoid arthritis gone. The doctors also found the foods you eat can influence your digestive tract, the bacteria in your gut and inflammation, all of which ultimately affect arthritis.

New Information Found

What has been found in the last decade is that arthritis is not the incurable disease we once believed. Doctors aand scientists today are now saying that many forms of arthritis are aggravated by foods we eat. While food allergies do not cause arthritis, they may, along with poor eating habits and genetic susceptibility, encourage your body to attack its own joints.

Other studies have drawn a connection between leaky gut syndrome and autoimmune disorders, like rheumatoid arthritis. Some arthritic individuals have sieve like gastrointestinal tracts that allow partially digested food to seep into their own bloodstream. This is how food allergies and possibly allergy to your own body, called autoimmunity, happens.

Conclusion

This confirms what folk healers have said for years, that certain health destroying foods are a primary reason for arthritis. By replacing them with certain health restorative foods, we can encourage remission of this disease together with elimination of stiffness, pain, and inflammation.

How to Deal With Children Having Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

While rheumatoid arthritis strikes older adults at around the age of 75, there is a type of rheumatoid arthritis that is seen in children. Children have the possibility to be affected with most diseases concerning the skeletal function and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is one of those. Addressing concerns about this disorder is important because childhood is the stage where growth and development is most crucial. It affects both females and males and can be diagnosed in children as young as 6 years old. Like rheumatoid arthritis for adults, JRA is a lasting disease which affects the joints of the body.

How can we detect JRA?

There are several types of this disease. Most children with the first type of JRA present signs and symptoms such as having alternating high fever and episodes with normal temperature, the appearance of rashes, swelling of lymph nodes, and enlargement of some organs of the body such as the liver and spleen. The joints are also involved and the symptoms may last for about 6 to 12 months. The second type of JRA is divided into two, one affecting girls and the other affecting boys. Most girls experience inflammation of the uveal tract of the eye which is usually painful and may lead to visual impairment or even blindness. The type affecting boys cause arthritis which is prevalent in their lower extremities. The third type of JRA affects four or more joints. This is somewhat similar to the rheumatoid arthritis which is found in adults. Signs and symptoms include fever, body pain, fatigue, weight loss, anemia, poor growth and development, and enlargement of the organs of the body. JRA can be very painful to the children and can make them irritable. It is important that parents know about these signs and symptoms in order to help their children cope better with this disease.

What are the usual treatments for JRA?

While rheumatoid arthritis cannot be cured and the treatments are only to delay its progress, the prognosis for children with JRA is positive. Treatment includes the use of non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other medications to reduce the swelling and relieve pain. Methotrexate, a drug proven to relieve patients of joint pain and swelling, is also used when symptoms are more aggressive. Usually, there is the same treatment for adults and JRA.

Another important aspect of treatment is nutrition. Foods rich in vitamins, protein, and iron are recommended because it helps the body repair and build tissues. According to researches, food intake with higher amount of carbohydrates is not recommended since it only worsens the swelling that is common among children with JRA. However, since it is a crucial time for growth and development, carbohydrates cannot be eliminated from the diet. The solution for this dilemma is by preparing diet which has low carbohydrate content. Instead of serving food rich in carbohydrates, foods rich in protein and fats are given. Low carbohydrate fruits and vegetables such as apple, orange, pear, banana, pineapple, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, onion, and squash are ideal. Protein reduces inflammation and can be found in beef, chicken, fish and eggs. In addition, fish oil which is rich in omega 3 can also help lessen inflammation. These products are readily available in the market. When included to the child's diet daily, it can have favorable effects.

Bee Pollen Arthritis Cure Helping Thousands Around the World

Have you ever wondered if there was a bee pollen arthritis cure?

There is, and while many are still uncertain about using this healthful supplement it offers many benefits, including relief from arthritis symptoms.

There are plenty of things that people are using pollen for, and while some doctors claim there is no evidence to support how effective pollen is, there are studies available that have proven it to be very effective.

Bee Pollen Arthritis Studies Done in Ukraine

In the late 1990's there was a study done in the Ukraine with patients that were suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

The study was done just to find out if in fact pollen was effective in treating arthritis symptoms. The study did show that pollen was effective for symptoms of rheumatoid, but it was also proven to be effective for other ailments as well like gastritis, peptic ulcers, and more.

Studies on Pollen Indicate it is Strong for Related Conditions and Diseases

Those patients who tend to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic disease find that pollen is effective in getting relief for their symptoms.

The only thing better is finding out that pollen is effective in treating other conditions like osteoporosis, which many patients get when they have arthritis. Osteoporosis is a condition that occurs as a result of bone loss, and pollen has been shown to help improve this.

It's important to remember that while bees add their own special touch to pollen they are collecting it from plants and flowers, and that is essentially where many of our nutrients are coming from. So, the real challenge lies in the fact that we are all going to experience something different with pollen, because pollen will be different when it is collected by bees in various parts of the world.

What Makes Pollen Good for Arthritis?

Scientific evidence does tell us that pollen is loaded with various nutrients and is high in proteins, enzymes, and much more.

There is no doubt that pollen is good for something, but for each person that will be different.

Each person has their own idea of what they would like to try pollen for, and while it may not completely cure you, it can definitely help in getting relief from symptoms that can prevent you from enjoying everyday life.

Wouldn't you agree?

Which Brand of Pollen is Best?

It's hard to say which pollen is best, but before you buy your pollen do some significant research.

The internet is a great tool and you should be able to find plenty of information there leading you to what region offers the best pollen available today.

Look to reputable suppliers as well as those countries that have ideal climates with little pollution. The more pristine the environment the better quality you will find.

Once you get the pollen try only the minimum amount to see how you react, and if you don't have a reaction chances are that you can take more if you like.

Early Symptoms of MS - Things to Look Out For

Early symptoms of MS usually appear between the ages of 20 and 40. The onset of multiple sclerosis can be dramatic or can be so mild that a person does not recognize the symptoms until much later when the disease is far more advanced. The problem with many of the early symptoms is that they are common to many conditions, so it is difficult to determine what may be early symptoms of MS or another disease or condition.

The following is a brief outline what may be early symptoms of MS. These are the symptoms reported by ms sufferers that they experienced early on at the onset of their disease.

Fatigue is a major symptom of MS but since fatigue is present in so many disease processes, and in fact in our fast paced busy life styles it may not be recognized as one of the early symptoms of MS until paired with other symptoms. Fatigue for the MS individual may be insidious and may not resolve with rest. It may seem that no matter what you do you are always exhausted and run down.

Uncharacteristic clumsiness is a hallmark sign of MS, with a difficulty maintaining balance, tripping or falling. This clumsiness can cause a person to knock things over or frequently drop things as well. Unexplained weakness is another common early symptom of MS usually affecting both the arms and legs.

Verbal skills can also be affected early on, with slurring of words or being unable to come up with the right words to say being common. This symptom will often be discounted to other things or will not be severe and dismissed altogether. Along with this is the inability to concentrate, and although these particular symptoms maybe mild and not a warning flag of something wrong, they will cause considerable frustration for the person afflicted.

Depression is another hallmark sign of MS but since depression can have so many other causes or stand alone on its own it is often missed as part of a diagnosis.

Other early symptoms of MS include Urinary incontinence and visual disturbances such as blurring or eye pain. Visual disturbances in fact are usually one of the signs that send many individuals into the doctor first. Usually this symptom along with numbness or falling will be the warning signals that alert a doctor to look for MS.

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Beer - A Strange Relationship

Rheumatoid arthritis is incredibly painful and debilitating. The usual course of treatment involves taking steroids long term, as well as taking pain medication to help you deal with the pain, inflammation and soreness that goes hand in hand with the condition. However, new research from scientists in the UK seems to indicate that beer might be of significant benefit to those who suffer from RA.

What has scientists buzzing (as well as RA sufferers), is a study conducted with almost 2,000 participants. There were 873 people who consumed alcohol and just over 1,000 people who did not. All of these individuals had rheumatoid arthritis. The study found that those who drank more beer, wine or cocktails had less pain, less swelling of the joints and fewer problems than those who didn't drink at all.

Interestingly, the same study found that people who consumed alcohol on a regular basis were far less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis in the first place. That last bit is a real stumper for scientists, who are still unsure how alcohol can protect against RA and provide benefits for sufferers of the condition as well.

Of course, that doesn't give you carte blanche to become a lush in the hopes of preventing RA or treating the symptoms of your arthritis. The heaviest drinkers in the study were those who had just over 10 drinks in a single month, and doctors still suggest having no more than two beers or glasses of wine per day. However, even that small amount might be enough to help keep you from getting RA in the first place, or of alleviating the pain and disability associated with RA if you currently have it.

Of course, if you do have RA, then you need to have some other treatment options. Beer is great, but it's not going to do the job alone. You need to visit your doctor and discuss a treatment plan with him or her, and you need to add exercise to your diet, as well. It seems that more exercise can actually help you beat swelling, pain and disability, even though it causes pain in the short term.

Combined with a healthy diet, a limited intake of alcohol from beer or wine and the right medication, exercise can be a definite factor in helping sufferers reduce their symptoms both now and for the longer term.

Poto Cervesia,
Dustin Canestorp

Cat Arthritis - Symptoms And Treatments

Cat arthritis is a progressive disease characterized by the inflammation of the joints. It tends to be a chronic condition and its symptoms recur, becoming more severe over time. Cat arthritis usually appears in older or geriatric cats but it can also develop in younger pets. It's not very common, but it can be a very uncomfortable, even debilitating disease among our feline friends.

There are several types of cat arthritis that your pet might develop. These include:

Osteoarthritis

This is the degenerative form of cat arthritis, a chronic condition that results from joint fatigue or wear and tear of the cartilage that protects the surface of the joint. When this happens, bones grind against each other and later becomes damaged from the friction. This usually appears on the shoulders and elbows.

Traumatic Arthritis

This usually results from a sprain or joint injury. Trauma or damaged sustained from accidents, falls, even fights can injure the joint and promote the development of cat arthritis.

Progressive Polyarthritis

This type of cat arthritis affects several joints at once and symptoms tend to worsen as the disease progresses. This results from the erosion of the protective cartilage, exposing the bones.

Another factor that may lead to cat arthritis is a congenital joint problem, something that your cat was born with and will suffer from by virtue of his genes. Obesity may also contribute to the wear and tear of the joints due to excessive weight.

Symptoms of Cat Arthritis

Cats usually exhibit the signs and symptoms of cat arthritis when the disease has already progressed, which makes it difficult for us to detect the condition in its early stages. However, it's good to note any changes in your cat's behavior especially if he or she is advancing in age. Cats with arthritis also show limping or joint stiffness. They will be reluctant to move or play and will often resist touch especially if it involves the affected area. Since the condition is quite painful, cats often show signs of irritability.

Is Prevention of Cat Arthritis Possible?

It's difficult to prevent cat arthritis caused by age or at least to predict whether a cat's breed or size will contribute to the development of this disease. What is important is that the cat is treated when signs appear. Do not try unproven treatments or supplements without first consulting the veterinarian. Prompt diagnosis and proper care are best.

Treatment for Cat Arthritis

It is unclear whether cat arthritis may be prevented but it may be prudent to ensure that your cat is not overweight. Try to keep a balanced diet to ensure that your cat is well-nourished but that he does not gain too much weight. Proper exercise is also key to help cats maintain their weight so make sure your pet has enough opportunities to participate in physical activities.

An early diagnosis of cat arthritis will be an important factor in helping minimize symptoms and prevent further damage. Regular medication may also be prescribed to relieve pain and inflammation. Some of the most common include painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, which are strictly available through prescription only. Supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin, which show promise in helping in the development and repair of cartilage, may also be used.

Certain medications, such as Adequan, may be injected into the affected area in order to bring about relief in severe cases. Some medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids which are used to reduce inflammation and minimize pain, are used sparingly. The limited use is due to their side effects, especially to cats with liver, kidney or heart disease.

Consult Your Veterinarian

Once your cat has been diagnosed with arthritis, never, under any circumstances, try to treat the condition on your own using common painkillers. Aspirin, for example, may be tolerated in small doses, but cats lack the natural enzyme with which to process aspirin in their bodies and may not be able to excrete the drug efficiently. Other painkillers, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen may even be fatal to cats.

For severe cases of cat arthritis where joint malformation is already evident, surgery may sometimes be recommended. If the pain is untreatable, some owners may even choose to euthanize their pet in order to prevent further suffering.

Cat arthritis tends to be a life-long condition and it is often best to seek the help of a veterinarian for proper diagnosis and treatment if only to help prolong your cat's life. Try to keep your cat as comfortable as possible and be aware of any symptoms or side effects that treatments may produce. No one else can come to your cat's rescue except for you, so it's best to be fully aware.

What You Need To Know About Psoriatic Rheumatoid Arthritis

If you are a psoriasis sufferer, you may have already thought of all the complications that could accompany this disorder. Psoriatic rheumatoid arthritis is probably the most troublesome of all the complications that you will encounter. Somewhere between 10% and 30% will develop this debilitating affliction. Your main joints are the ones that are most affected with possible involvement into some secondary joints. While the disorder can occur at any age level, it most commonly starts in the fourth decade of life with woman being affected more so than men.

Trying to get out of bed or hold items or walk from a stationary position requires a great deal of effort. You will need to perform some stretching exercises to get the joints operating properly. Once in motion, leisure walks are a great therapy. As with all forms of arthritis, psoriatic rheumatoid arthritis will require a regimen of anti-inflammatory agents to help you get through the difficult times. The most common over the counter drugs used for this include acetaminophen, ibuprofen and good old-fashioned aspirin. Some buffering in stomach such as food or milk is well advised to guard against any gastrointestinal upset.

If stronger agents are indicated, your doctor has a large selection of prescription drugs to choose from. Other non-steroidal drugs include celecoxib, meloxicam and ketorolac. Beyond these nsaid's as they are called we see the use of steroids such as cortisone and prednsione. Unfortunately all of the aforementioned agents do not protect the joints from further destruction. If your physician would like to use more aggressive therapy which will protect the joints, he or she can choose from two newer categories of drugs. The first is a class of DMARD's or disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs such as azathioprine or methotrexate and the second category of biologic agents known as biologic response modifiers. This second class includes agents such as etanercept and infliximab.

As with everything in life, greater reward comes with greater risk. As such, these newer agents can bring much relief and joint protection but they also come with some serious side effects. That does not mean you should not try them if your physician feels they are right for you. You should consider all forms of therapy by learning about them, when deciding upon a course of action.

While no drug, prescription or otherwise, is without side effects, the goal of any therapy is to control the symptoms, bring relief to the patient and increase the quality of their life while keeping the side effects to a minimum. Working with your physician to achieve these goals is something you can definitely do to control your psoriatic rheumatoid arthritis!

Treat Your Arthritis With Miraculous Homeopathy

Skeleton, the body frame, the attached muscles, ligaments and sheaths form the basic structure of human beings. So, the disorders associated with these parts form the biggest malady in human beings.

Back: There is a statistical record that the disorders of back are the commonest cause of sickness related absence from work. Back problems can be roughly divided into:

1) Disorders related to vertebral column

2) disorders related to spinal musculature.

How Homoeopathy helps?

Homoeopathic remedies help to tackle the root cause of the disorder. They alleviate the pain as well as prevent further damage to the stressed ligaments, muscles and bones.

In cervical spondylosis, there is spinal disc degeneration in cervical, i.e., neck region. The symptoms may include neck pain, giddiness etc. Remedies like Rhus tox, Lachananthes, Gelsemium, etc. along with certain neck exercises can avoid inconvenient neck belts.

In case of lumbago (low back pain) one must rule out spinal pathology, kidney stones, white discharge in women due to pelvic inflammatory disease, prostate pathologies and chronic fatigue syndrome or paraspinal musculitis. The treatment must be directed to tackle the cause. For example, women who have undergone caesarean section with spinal anaesthesia often complain of lumbago (low back pain). Remedies like Hypericum, Ledum pal etc. help them to get rid of it. Other remedies like Sepia, kali carb, Rhus tox, Arsenicum album, Lucopodium etc. help to relieve lumbar pathologies.

Arthritis of various joints: Arthritis is an inevitable degenerative process that affects various joints with age.

1) Shoulder pain: Though there can be various causes of shoulder pain, the most common are traumatic, degenerative or inflammatory in origin. Remedies like Ferrum met, Sanguinaria, Arnica, etc. are helpful particularle in shoulder pain.

2) Hand and wrist pain: Remedies like Ruta, Actea spicata, Kalmia, etc. act particularly in wrist pathologies.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that mainly occurs as a result of aging process. It affects different joints including hip, knee, joints of hand, etc. There is aching type of pain usually provoked by the use of the joint. As the disease progresses, there can be limitation of movements and in later stages, there can be deformities.

Homoeopathic medicines like Ruta, Pulsatilla, Rhus tox, etc, act in 3 steps.

1) Alleviate pain

2) Arrest further progress of the disease and

3) Revert the pathology to certain extent. (Depending upon the individual response to drugs)

In Rheumatoid arthritis, RA factor, i.e., rheumatoid factor is positive. If it is an early rheumatoid arthritis, Homoeopathic remedies are capable of curing it completely. In later stages when deformities set in, Homoeopathic remedies arrest further damage and revert them to some extent. At least with these remedies, without any side effects, patients can carry out day-to-day activities without any hassles!

Psoriatic Arthritis - More Than Just Joint Pain

What could be worse that this awful joint pain and stiffness, you wonder as you try to will yourself out of bed. While the pain and fatigue that goes along with rheumatoid arthritis can be excruciating and is without a doubt a possibly debilitating condition, there is actually a form of arthritis that is worse. Psoriatic arthritis is a form of the disease that affects not only the joints, but also the skin, and possibly the tendons, eyes, spine, heart and lungs.

In most people who suffer from psoriatic arthritis, the first sign that something is wrong is the inflammation of the skin. Patients can develop psoriasis on their elbows, knees, scalp, and area around the navel and around the anus or genitals. Psoriasis causes red, raised areas of scaly skin. The signs of the skin disease are first seen in the forties or fifties and generally precede joint pain by several months to years. Once the joint pain starts, it generally involves the joints in the feet, ankles and knees. Inflammation can cause the joints to become red, hot and swollen. Often toes and fingers swell so badly they can resemble sausages. Psoriatic arthritis can also affect the spine.

In addition to skin inflammation and joint pain, psoriatic arthritis also attacks the ligaments and tendons of the body. One of the most common tendons to become affected it the Achilles tendon. This Achilles tendonitis causes the patient to have pain when walking and when climbing steps. Along with affecting the tendons in the heels, the arthritis can also inflame the chest wall and the cartilage that links the breast bone and ribs. This inflammation can cause chest pain and shortness of breath.

Along with the joints and tendons, psoriatic arthritis can also affect the major organs of the body such as the heart and lungs. The lungs can become inflamed causing both shortness of breath and chest pain, especially with deep breathing. If the heart becomes inflamed by the disease, the aortic valve can leak. This leak could result in breathing trouble as well as heart failure.

In its rampage on the body, psoriatic arthritis can also damage the eyes. Redness and itching are common results of the condition. The iris or colored area of the eye can also become painfully inflamed, especially when exposed to bright light. Often the only way to relieve this irisitis is to inject cortisone directly into the eye.

Psoriatic arthritis can often be difficult to diagnose especially in the early stages. One common symptom of this form of arthritis, however, is the pitting of finger or toe nails. Sometimes the disorder can cause the nails to turn loose and fall off completely.

Like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis results from the body's own immune system turning against itself. Unlike the rheumatoid variety, however, psoriatic arthritis can affect not only the joints, but also the skin, eyes and many of the major organs of the body. Left untreated this disease can progress until it become debilitating and sometimes even life threatening.

What Is Uveitis - Learn About Causes Of Uveitis, Symptoms And Cure

Uveitis- An Overview

Uvea or the uveal tract is the middle layer of the eye that is located between the sclera and the retina which supplies most of the blood to the retina. The uvea encompasses the iris, the choroid of the eye, and the ciliary body. The condition of inflammation or the irritation and swelling up of the uvea is called as uveitis.

There are several kinds -Anterior, Intermediate, Panuveitic Forms and Posterior Uveitis. The extremely common type that is found is Anterior Uveitis. It is the condition of inflammation of the front part of the eye which is called as iris and hence it is referred to as Uveitis and Iritis as well.

Causes of Uveitis

Statistics provide that around 10% of the blindness in USA is because of Uveitis. Uveitis is commonly seen in young and middle aged individuals. Uveitis can be caused by several causes such as autoimmune diseases like psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, infections or exposure to toxins. Blindness can develop if uveitis is left untreated. There are other causes for Uveitis like diseases that can damage the immunity system of our body such as tuberculosis, AIDS, Syphilis, Herpes etc, Cancers like Lymphoma and severe injuries to the eye also cause Uveitis.

Symptoms of Uveitis

Mostly all the symptoms of Uveitis are associated with eventual loss of vision. Hazy and blurred eyesight, severe pain in the eye, photosensitivity or sensitivity to light, Blood shot eyes, constriction of pupils and changes in the color of the eye are the major symptoms of uveitis and Iritis. However it is essential to observe that the children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis or Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis generally do not tend to have any Uveitis symptoms until vision loss occurs.

Uveitis Treatments

Treatment for Iritis is rather simple in cases of mild implications. The patient will be prescribed eye drops or steroid drops to control the immune system, these drops also help in dilating the pupils and bringing down the muscular spasms to control pain to some extent. The patient will be asked to wear dark glasses for the protection of the eye. Oral steroids may also be prescribed as a treatment option for uveitis. If Uveitis is caused because of some body infection, strong anti-inflammatory medications called corticosteroids and antibiotics may be prescribed to the patients.

It is necessary that you hurry without delay to an ophthalmologist who is specialized in treating uveitis. It is also essential to go for regular eye checkups to protect and prevent your eyes from uveitis attacks.

What Causes Arthritis Knee Pain?

Arthritis is a disease which causes pain and damage to the body's joints. Any joint can be affected, and all will cause different quality of life issues. One of the problems that affects many sufferers is arthritis knee pain. There are different causes for this pain depending on the type of arthritis that you have.

The knee is made up of three bones. It is located where the bottom of the femur and the top of the tibia meet. It is protected in the front by a bone known as the patella, or kneecap. There are a number of tendons and ligaments which hold the bones in the proper alignment and allow the bones to hinge properly. There is also cartilage which is located on the bones and under the kneecap that cushions the joint and prevents damage to the leg bones. A tissue pad called the meniscus also helps cushion the joint.

In osteoarthritis, knee pain is a result of the break down in cartilage. The ends of the bones become rough and jagged in later stages of the disease, and knee damage and pain can result. Osteoarthritis is normally a disease which affects older people but younger people who have injured their joints may also experience the symptoms of osteoarthritis. With rheumatoid arthritis, the body's immune system attacks the joints and can destroy cartilage. There is inflammation, heat and swelling in addition to joint pain. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect people of any age, which makes it different than osteoarthritis.

There are a few different ways that you can treat knee pain that comes from arthritis. There are anti-inflammatory medications, pain relievers and supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin that are designed to support and repair cartilage. If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, there are oral medications which are designed to modify the way the disease is affecting you. They include methotrexate. Gold therapy is also used although this is much less common now that safer drug alternatives have been discovered.

If you are suffering from pain in your knees, you should check with your doctor to make sure that there are no untreated injuries. This can include torn cartilage, damaged ligaments, or even a dislocated kneecap. Surgery can correct these. If your joints are severely damaged by arthritis, you may need to have the joint surgically replaced.

Other non medical means of treatment can include heat wraps and arthritis creams. These can soothe sore joints and provide some relief. Remember that you should never heat a joint that has been affected by rheumatoid arthritis. You want to calm the heat that is in the joint, not add to it. You also want to make sure you are continuing to use the joint since letting it become immobile will not help and you will end up with more severe problems down the road. Arthritis websites or a rheumatologist can help you establish a safe and effective exercise routine.

Knee pain can be one of the most difficult aspects of arthritis to deal with. You use your knees for so much in your life that having pain can cause problems in your every day routines. Knowing what your treatment options are can help you get on with your life and stay as normal as possible.

5 Rheumatoid Arthritis Early Symptoms - Tell Tale Signs of Joint Disease!

A lot of people are predisposed to rheumatoid arthritis and they don't even know it. Some of them -- the smart ones anyway -- make sure they know about rheumatoid arthritis early symptoms and how they might appear. Knowing about these early rheumatoid arthritis symptoms might just mean the difference between staving off the FULL disease for years to come OR having to face it DIRECTLY every day for the rest of your life! Which sounds more appealing?

The Early Symptoms of RA...

- Frequent Morning Pain. After any long period of inactivity (I.E. sleeping) followed by a sudden increase in movement, joint pain & discomfort makes its appearance. That said, waking up FREQUENTLY with joint pain is most definitely an early sign of RA.

- Strange Bouts of Fatigue. Unexplainable "attacks" of fatigue that just hit you out of the blue. This could be daily, or just a few times a week. Whatever the frequency, check to be sure this fatigue is NOT accompanied by other rheumatoid arthritis early symptoms. When other early symptoms of RA are present, well, I'm sure you can put 2 and 2 together.

- Odd Warmth in Joints. Are your joints uncommonly warm or are they a bit redder than other areas of your skin? This could be a sign of things to come. If this warmth and redness doesn't last more than a day or two, then fortunately your worries can be put aside. Then again, if it DOES last for long periods of time, you may be looking at yet another early symptom of rheumatoid arthritis.

- Discomfort & Stiffness. This isn't really pain, but more of an overall feeling of "uncomfortableness". Your joints are stiff & tight and the level of discomfort you are feeling just isn't normal by any means.

- Loss of Appetite. You haven't lost all will to eat, you just don't have a real big desire for food anymore. In fact, you probably only eat breakfast, lunch, & dinner because its what you are used to doing. Be sure to identify other rheumatoid arthritis early symptoms before making any kind of self-diagnosis. Why? Because this symptom is kind of useless (alone) for identifying RA.

If you're able to identify these rheumatoid arthritis early symptoms before it's too late, you may have a chance to get ahead of the disease and reduce pain and discomfort before it even has the chance to start! How is that possible, you ask? Simple, you would start using easy, natural pain relief treatments -- most of which can be done at home RIGHT NOW in very little time.

Stop Arthritis Pain - Make Wiser Food Choices!

The pain associated with arthritis can definitely be very intense. What's worse is that every time your arthritis flares up, your normal range of motion can be limited to a significant degree. As a result, you cannot do all the things you used to do before arthritis took over a great part of your life.

There are many different forms of arthritis, the most common of which includes rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and gout. Contrary to popular belief, arthritis can be managed quite successfully. All you need to do is enlist the aid of certain medications formulated specifically to deal with the symptoms of the disease and adopt some healthy lifestyle changes. Be free from the ties that bind you with arthritis and live life the way you used to! Here are some surefire strategies that can help you deal with arthritis:

o Keep excess weight off! Those extra pounds just add stress to your already inflamed joints so you better do something about it! Eat a well-balanced diet and make sure that you have enough of the nutrients needed to reduce the pain associated with arthritis. Getting enough vitamin C will help your body repair damaged tissue while substantial amounts of vitamin D will help your body absorb calcium, protect your bones and prevent bone loss. And don't forget to get enough calcium - it will help strengthen your bones.

o Give those joints some work out! To reduce arthritis flare ups, you need to adopt a moderate exercise routine. This may help you increase your flexibility and stability and may also aid in strengthening your joints. However, people with rheumatoid arthritis should refrain from exercising during flare-ups to prevent further damage. A word of caution - you should only exercise to the point where you feel mild discomfort. Do not over-exercise!

o Sleep it off! You should be getting enough sleep - it would be great if you can put in 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night.

What you put in your mouth has a great deal to do with your arthritis. Eat the wrong kinds of foods and you are sure to suffer from the consequences of your actions. Eat the right kinds of foods and you'll be spared from the pain. There's just no getting around it - your diet can determine your fate! To help you in dealing with your problem, here is a list of some of the foods that can be your ally in your fight against arthritis.

Bananas - These golden fruits enjoy the status of being one of nature's "perfect foods". Bananas are better known for being one of the richest sources of potassium but do you know that they are excellent arthritis fighters as well? Bananas contain high amounts of vitamin B6, folate and vitamin C - some of the nutrients needed to keep your joints and bones healthy. They are also a great source of soluble fiber so they can play an important part in your weight loss efforts as well!

Green Pepper - Vitamin C can be of great help in controlling the symptoms of arthritis but if you are not very fond of eating citrus fruits, you can reach out for a green pepper instead. A single green pepper can provide you with 176% of your daily needs for vitamin C while the red and yellow varieties can provide you with more than twice that amount! And not only that - sweet peppers are also known as excellent sources of vitamin B6 and folate.

Salmon - Salmon is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, also known as the "healthy fats". It also contains calcium, vitamin D and folate - some of the nutrients that help in the fight against arthritis.

Shrimp - The mighty shrimp can be one of your best bets in conquering arthritis pains. You can get about 30% of your recommended daily amount for vitamin D in just three ounces of cooked shrimps. That's much more than what you can get in a cup of milk! Shrimps also contain essential omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, iron and vitamin B12.

If you are serious in your desire to control your arthritis, be sure to include these wonder foods in your diet. They can sure help you a lot!

Rheumatoid Arthritis, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Rheumatoid arthritis - a systemic disease of connective tissue, mainly affecting small joints of the type of erosive and destructive polyarthritis of unknown etiology with a complex autoimmune pathogenesis.

Causes of the disease on this day are unknown. Indirect data, such as increasing the number of white blood cell count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) indicate the infectious nature of the process. It is believed that the disease develops as a result of infection, which causes a compromised immune system in genetically susceptible individuals, with formation of so-called. immune complexes (of the antibodies, viruses, etc..), which are deposited in tissues and lead to joint damage. But the ineffectiveness of antibiotic treatment of RA is likely to indicate the incorrectness of this assumption.

The disease is characterized by high disability (70%), which comes pretty early. The main causes of death from the disease are infectious complications and renal failure.

Treatment focuses primarily on relieving pain, slowing disease progression and restore damaged by surgery. Early detection of disease with the help of modern tools can significantly reduce the harm that can be inflicted joints and other tissues.

For the first time may occur after heavy physical exertion, emotional shock, fatigue, hormonal changes during the period, the impact of adverse factors or infection.

Epidemiology

Rheumatoid arthritis is distributed worldwide and it affects all ethnic groups. Prevalence of 0,5-1% (up 5% in the elderly) ratio M: F = 1:3 peak of illness onset - 30-35 years

Etiology

As with most autoimmune diseases, there are 3 main factors:

1. Hereditary susceptibility to autoimmunity.

2. Infection factor Hypothetical triggers of rheumatic diseases

Paramyxovirus - viruses, mumps, measles, respiratory syncytial infection

Hepatitis B virus

Herpes virus - herpes simplex viruses, herpes zoster, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus (much higher in the synovial fluid of RA patients

Retroviruses - T-lymphotropic virus

3. Start-up factor (hypothermia, insolation, intoxication, mutagenic drugs, endocrinopathy, stress, etc.). For women, duration of breast-feeding reduces the risk of RA. Breastfeeding for 24 months or more reduces the risk of developing RA by half.

The course of disease

Rheumatoid arthritis progresses in three stages. In the first stage, the swelling of the synovial bags causing pain, heat and swelling around the joints. The second stage is the rapid cell division that leads to compaction of the synovial membrane. In the third stage, the inflamed cells release an enzyme that attacks the bones and cartilage, which often leads to deformation of the affected joints, increasing pain and loss of motor functions.

Typically, the disease progresses slowly at first, with the gradual deployment of clinical symptoms for several months or years, much less - subacute or acute. In about 2 / 3 of cases fever occurs, and the rest - a mono-or oligoarticular form, and articular syndrome often has no clinical specificity, which greatly complicates the differential diagnosis. Articular syndrome is characterized by morning stiffness for more than 30 minutes and similar expressions in the second half of the night - symptoms of "stiff gloves", "corset"; ongoing spontaneous pain in the joints, increasing during active movements. The disappearance of the stiffness depends on the activity of the process: the more activity, the greater the duration of restraint. For the joint syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by monotony, the duration, preservation of residual effects after treatment.

There may be prodromal clinical symptoms (mild transient pain, pain relationship with meteorological conditions, autonomic dysfunction). Distinguish "joint damage" and "joints exception." Rheumatoid arthritis is often combined with other joint diseases - osteoarthritis, rheumatism, systemic connective tissue diseases.

Allocate the following options for the clinical course of rheumatoid arthritis:

The classic version of the (symmetric defeat both small and large joints

Mono-or oligoarthritis, mainly affecting the large joints, most often the knee. Severe disease onset and reversibility of all manifestations during 1-1,5 months (arthralgias are migratory in nature, radiographic changes are absent, anti-inflammatory drugs offer relatively positive effect in the latter there are all the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis).

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) - For a long time there was no specific test that would unambiguously confirm the presence of the disease. Currently, diagnosis of disease based on biochemical analysis of blood, changes in the joints are visible on x-rays, and the use of basic clinical markers, but also in conjunction with the general clinical manifestations - fever, malaise, and weight loss

In the analysis of blood examined ESR, rheumatoid factor, platelet count, etc. The most advanced analysis is the titer of antibodies to cyclic citrulline-containing peptides - ACCP, anti-CCP, anti-CCP. The specificity of this indicator is 90%, while it is present in 79% of sera from patients with RA.

Diagnostically important clinical features are the lack of discoloration of the skin over the inflamed joints, the development of tenosynovitis flexors or extensors of the fingers and the formation of amyotrophy, typical strains of brushes, so-called "rheumatoid wrist.

The criteria for poor prognosis are:

1. Early damage of large joints and the appearance of rheumatoid nodules
2. swollen lymph nodes
3. involvement of new joints in the subsequent exacerbation;
4. systemic disease;
5. persistent disease activity with no remission for over a year;
6. persistent increase in the ESR;
7. early appearance (within the first year) and high titers of rheumatoid factor
8. early (up to four months), radiographic changes in the affected joints - a rapid progression of destructive changes;
9. Detection of antinuclear antibodies and LE-cells
10. Carrier antigens HLA-DR4

Symptoms

Rheumatoid arthritis can begin at any joint, but most often starts from small joints in the fingers, hands and wrists. Typically, joint damage is symmetric, for example if the sore joint on his right hand, then ill be the same joint on the left. The more joints afflicted the more advanced stages of disease.

Other common symptoms include:

Fatigue
Morning stiffness. Generally, the longer the constraint, the disease activity.
Weakness
Flu-like symptoms, including low heat.
Pain during prolonged sitting
Outbreaks of disease activity are accompanied by remission.
Muscle pain
Loss of appetite, depression, weight loss, anemia, cold and / or sweaty palms and feet
Violation of glands near the eyes and mouth, causing insufficient production of tears and saliva.

Treatment

In the presence of infection need the appropriate antibacterial therapy. In the absence of bright extra-articular manifestations (eg, high fevers, Felty's syndrome or polynervopathy) treatment of joint syndrome begin with the selection of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). At the same time in the most inflamed joints injected corticosteroids. An important point in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is the prevention of osteoporosis - restoration of the calcium balance in the direction of increasing its absorption in the intestine and reduced the excretion. Sources of calcium are dairy products (especially cheese, which contains from 600 to 1000 mg of calcium per 100 g of the product, as well as cheese, to a lesser degree of cottage cheese, milk, sour cream), almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts, etc., and calcium supplements in combination with vitamin D or its active metabolite.

Importance in the treatment is therapeutic exercise, aimed at maintaining maximum joint mobility and maintaining muscle mass.

Physiotherapy (electrophoresis of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hydrocortisone phonophoresis) and spa treatment. With persistent mono-and oligoarthritis includes introduction of isotopes of gold, yttrium, etc., With persistent strains of joints is carried out reconstructive surgery.

Modern Therapy

Systemic drug therapy involves the use of four classes of drugs:

1. nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs),
2. basic drugs
3. glucocorticosteroids (GCS)
4. biological agents.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
NSAIDs remain the first line of therapeutic agents that are directed primarily to the relief of acute manifestations of the disease, as well as ensuring stable clinical and laboratory remission.

In the acute phase of illness use of NSAIDs, corticosteroids, pulse therapy with corticosteroids or in combination with cytotoxic immunosuppressive agents.

Current NSAIDs have a marked anti-inflammatory effect which is caused by inhibition of the activity of cyclooxygenase (COX) - a key enzyme of arachidonic acid metabolism. Of particular interest is the discovery of two isoforms of COX, which are identified as COX-1 and COX-2 and play different roles in regulating the synthesis of prostaglandins (PG). Proved that NSAIDs inhibit the activity of COX isoforms, but their anti-inflammatory activity is due to inhibition of COX-2.

Most of the known NSAIDs inhibit primarily COX-1 activity, which explains the appearance of complications such as gastropathy, renal failure, encephalopathy, hepatotoxicity.

Thus, depending on the nature of blocking COX, NSAIDs are divided into selective and nonselective COX-2 inhibitors.

Representatives of the selective COX-2 inhibitors are meloxicam, nimesulide, celecoxib. These drugs have minimal side effects and retain high anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity. COX-2 inhibitors can be used in all programs of the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, which require the use of NSAIDs. Meloxicam (Movalis) in the early treatment of inflammatory activity assigned to 15 mg / day and subsequently transferred to 7.5 mg / day as maintenance therapy. Nimesulide is assigned a dose of 100 mg twice a day.

Celecoxib (Celebrex) - a specific inhibitor of COX-2 - is assigned to 100-200 mg twice a day. Selection for the elderly dosage of the drug is not required. However, patients with body weight below the median (50 kg) it is desirable to begin treatment with the lowest recommended dose.

You should avoid combining two or more NSAIDs, because of their effectiveness remain unchanged, and the risk of side effects increases.

Basic Preparations

Basic drugs continue to play a pivotal role in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, but now there has been a new approach to their destination. In contrast to the well-known tactic of gradual treatment of rheumatoid arthritis ("principle of the pyramid"), is now advocated early aggressive treatment of basic drugs immediately after diagnosis, the purpose of which - changed the flow of rheumatoid arthritis and remission maintenance. The reason for this are the lack of early rheumatoid arthritis deformities, osteopenia, and severe complications, formed by autoimmune mechanisms, the high likelihood of remission.

The main drugs of basic therapy of rheumatoid arthritis include: methotrexate, sulfasalazine, gold preparations, D-penicillamine,. By means of the reserve include cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, cyclosporine A. The new group consisted of the following drugs: Remicade.

Ineffective for 1.5-3 months of basic drugs should be replaced or used in combination with corticosteroids in low doses, thus reducing the activity of rheumatoid arthritis before the start of the first. Six months - a critical period, no later than that should be adjusted effective basic therapy.

The best preparation for the start of basic therapy in severe rheumatoid arthritis and RF-positivity, presence of extraarticular manifestations of methotrexate is considered - cytotoxic immunosuppressive agent, which is well tolerated for prolonged use and has fewer side effects than other drugs of this group.

In the treatment of basic drugs carefully monitored the activity of the disease and side effects.

Corticosteroids

A new approach is the use of high doses of corticosteroids (pulse therapy) in combination with slow acting tools that can improve the efficiency of the latter; combinations of methotrexate with salts of gold, sulfasalazine, as well as a selective immunosuppressive agent cyclosporin A.

With a high degree of inflammatory activity are used corticosteroids, and in cases of systemic manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis a form of pulse therapy is used. Corticosteroids only or in combination with cytostatic drugs - cyclophosphamide. SCS is also used as supporting anti-inflammatory therapy after failure of other medicines.

In some cases, corticosteroids are used as local therapy. The indications for their use are: mostly mono-or oligoarthritis of large joints,

Biological agents

In rheumatoid arthritis the synovial membrane, for unclear reasons, secrete a large amount of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase that also destroys the disulfide bonds in the cell membrane. In this case, there is "leakage" of proteolytic enzymes from the cell lysosomes, which cause damage to surrounding bones and cartilage. The body responds to this by making cytokines, among which also has a tumor necrosis factor -the A TNF. Cascade of these reactions in cells are triggered by cytokines, further aggravating the symptoms of the disease. Chronic rheumatoid inflammation associated with TNF-α, often causing damage to the cartilage and joints, leading to physical disability.

The treatment uses a monoclonal antibody to the cytokine TNF-the A, which is effective with high affinity in binding to TNF, both in its soluble and transmembrane forms resulting in neutralizing activity of TNF.

During the progression of rheumatoid arthritis, Joint damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis is observed as a narrowing of the joint space between bones and erosion of bone in the articular space. Clinical trials of monoclonal antibody showed its use as a slow erosion and narrowing of the space between the bones.

Getting Rid of Rheumatoid Arthritis Naturally

Many people with a chronic problem of rheumatoid arthritis know only too well that they cannot stay without using formulas to check the progress of this debilitating disease. Yet they also respect the wisdom of using natural remedies. Natural solutions have the ability to draw from nature the beauty and soothing quality of its elements. They come unchanged and have no side effects, which is more than can be said about pharmaceutical products.

Before we look at a few of these remedies, let us see what we are avoiding in pharmaceutical products. After all, someone could ask what it is we are afraid of in these other products.

The matter is rather simple. Take aspirin for example. It is a very good reliever of pain and it even calms down swelling of joints in rheumatoid arthritis. You could ask why with such a pain killer of world repute and with an equally strong anti-inflammatory effect should have to worry anybody. It is true. It will not cause heart trouble of mess up lung tissue like some of the steroid based medicines. But with continued use, it will cause you bleeding in the gastrointestinal region.

So, do you still want to know what is on offer naturally?

- The Devil's claw: so called from the appearance of hooks on the fruit of this plant, it has been used for longer than Christianity has existed. The people of South Africa have used it to treat rheumatoid arthritis, pancreas trouble, skin conditions and even fever. It has been proven to contain harpagosides and the painkilling ingredient, vioxx.

- Fatty acids (the omega-3): our bodies are not producers of omega-3 fatty acids but they need it. There have been studies to test the validity of the claim that these have any assistance to offer the rheumatoid arthritis patient. From salmon fish and other cold water fish, they are found in oil and have a way of dissuading persistent swelling. Since most fish now have traces of mercury, you can obtain your supply of omega -3 fatty acids in oil extracted, screened for chemicals and packed as capsules.

- Boswellia: the herb is a native of India and it is acidic in component structure. It works as an inhibitor to swelling. What's more, it brings on no irritation. It ihas been packaged as a pill now which should be easy to obtain and use. The extended use of this by rheumatoid arthritis patients should be abserved by a doctor.

- Gamma-linolenic acid: this one is found to be contained in borage oil, evening (primose) oils and black currant seed oil. It works like omega-3 fatty acids as an anti-inflammatory.

When you choose your medication, remember to consider your age, extent of joint damage and whether other treatments have worked before.

Mum's Knitting - A Natural Arthritis Treatment Story

Arthritis can cause such a lot of discomfort in so many ways when you get older. It was one thing when mum started to lose her sight a bit as she got older; she still managed to knit things for all her grandchildren, and could do most of it from a good memory. However once arthritis started to cause her the discomfort that it typically does, her knitting needles became something which caused her pain and not pleasure.

Mum has knitted things since she was younger than me. She knitted my school jumpers and I always had some striped something or other from socks to scarves from remnants! Her hands have always been nimble. Arthritis is strange because it makes your fingers painful but they can also swell and become stiff. It is very frustrating to watch somebody try to accomplish something that used to be so easy.

That is when we starting trying some remedies to see if we could help her. I am the one in the family that is more inclined to try natural treatments so I looked into some of the remedies available. There are all different types of arthritis but two of the main ones are rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. Not knowing which one mum had, as there is also another type which appears more with age which is degenerative arthritis, we thought we would try something which has helped many people with the symptoms, so I bought her some omega 3 fish oil. Most people do not get enough of this type of oil in their diet anyway so it was worth a try. Sure enough, it has helped her immensely.

Now? Well she is no longer with us, but I know that she managed to knit right up until she couldn't sit up. The good part was, her quality of life was helped by a natural arthritis treatment. Who would have thought that a natural arthritis treatment using an oil supplement could bring somebody so much more pleasure and quality of life by relieving some of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis? I didn't, but now I endorse the use of natural products to all the people I care about who suffer from arthritis.

Hand Surgery - A Useful Solution to Get Rid of Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis can be extremely painful and make every day activities become increasingly difficult and frustrating to deal with. It can strike at any age, but most commonly begins near the age of 40. There still is not a single cause that can be pinpointed, nor any guaranteed prevention methods. In fact, it usually isn't even detected until symptoms are already visible.

There are medications available that can help relieve the pain and there are some that can help stop the rapid progression of this disease; however, rheumatoid often causes major deformities of the hand, making mobility severely restricted. In these cases, sometimes the best answer is hand surgery.

Signs of rheumatoid arthritis, which most commonly occurs in the hands but can also affect the feet and other joints, usually begin with noticeable inflammation of the area. Most people find themselves waking up feeling stiffness or pain that lasts for up to an hour.

As arthritis progresses, the joints continue to deteriorate, making movement increasingly difficult and eventually causing deformation. The fingers often become twisted at odd angles although there is no one single pattern that may occur.

For some patients, if caught early on medication may be enough to treat symptoms; however, very severe and late stage rheumatoid arthritis can often benefit from surgery. Many people are able to return back to their former jobs or continue to do hobbies they enjoyed in the past that have become too painful or difficult to continue due to complications, such as art and exercise.

If you find that arthritis is adversely affecting your life and causing great physical pain as well as emotional distress, you may want to seek a consultation about possibly undergoing operation.

Hand surgery will vary depending on your specific problems or deformity, but commonly the tendons will be repaired, reconnected back properly so the fingers and hand can regain normal functioning and movement once again. If the joints have been significantly damaged, these may be replaced with prosthetics to improve aesthetic appearance as well as functionality.

Many patients find that their pain has been greatly reduced following procedure, the appearance of the hand is much more natural, and its functions are restored to a much better condition.

There are risks and complications involved with surgery, including infection, bleeding, blood clots, loss of sensation, and no improvement in the condition. Since this procedure has the potential to decrease mobility further, you should carefully consider all options. Most patients will find operation provides some degree of relief, much of the results depend on the preexisting state of the tendons and joints.

Surgeons differ on when during the progression of surgery is best performed, so you may want to consult with one as soon as you are diagnosed and research a few different views before making your own, well-informed decision.

Your general practitioner may be able to offer you referrals to specialists, and you will most likely want to visit with several before choosing which you feel most comfortable with.

Arthritis Treatment: How to Treat Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis (PA)is one of the most common forms of inflammatory arthritis. Like its not so distant cousin, rheumatoid arthritis, PA is a systemic autoimmune driven form of arthritis. It is most common in people who have an extensive amount of psoriasis. According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, between 10 per cent and 30 per cent of people with psoriasis will develop PA. Interestingly, patients may develop the arthritis before they have clinical psoriasis.

Most patients with psoriatic arthritis, if joint symptoms are minimal, usually see a dermatologist before realizing they have PA. Symptoms include swelling, heat, redness, and pain involving not only the joints but the entheses (tendon attachments into the bone) as well. In addition, tendon sheaths in the fingers and toes can swell, causing what is termed a "sausage" digit. Stiffness in the morning is usually present.

Patients with PA can have variants of the disease. Some patients have more involvement of the spine than others. PA is typically non-symmetric as opposed to rheumatoid arthritis which tends to be symmetric in presentation. It is this asymmetry that can be useful for suspecting the diagnosis.

In addition to the typical rash of psoriasis, patients may have nail pitting or lifting up of the finger or toenail.

Like other autoimmune forms of arthritis, there is a systemic component to this disease. In particular, patients with PA can develop eye inflammation.

Imaging procedures such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help confirm the diagnosis. Specific changes at the entheses are characteristic of PA.

Treatment starts with making the diagnosis. Diseases that can be confused with PA are rheumatoid arthritis, gout (the serum uric acid can be elevated in patients with PA), fibromyalgia, pseudogout, ankylosing spondylitis, sarcoidosis, Lyme disease, and Reiter's disease.

The aims of proper therapy are to slow down the progress of the disease and restore function. A combination of an anti-inflammatory drug and a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) is the usual starting point of treatment. While methotrexate is the DMARD of choice for rheumatoid arthritis, it may not work quite as well in PA. Options include sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), leflunomide (Arava), and hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil).

In patients who do not respond within eight to twelve weeks, biologic therapy using a TNF inhibitor is the next logical step. Among the options here are etanercept (Enbrel), infliximab (Remicade), adalimumab (Humira), and golimumab (Simponi).

Patients with a single inflamed joint or tendon may respond to steroid injection.

Doctor... I Have Rheumatoid Arthritis - Can I Drink Alcohol?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common chronic disease and the most common cause of crippling. RA affects roughly 2 million Americans.

The treatment of RA involves the use of two major types of medications. The first type is the anti-inflammatory group. These help with symptoms. The second type is the disease modifying group. These help slow the disease process down.

Both groups of medicines are metabolized through the liver. What that means is that it is not a good idea to use alcohol either heavily or chronically while on these medicines. In fact, many rheumatologists advise their RA patients taking methotrexate- one very common disease modifying drug- to avoid alcohol altogether.

Another issue is the increased rate of peptic ulcers that can develop in patients taking non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Concomitant alcohol use increases the risk of ulcers.
Now... what is the evidence to the contrary?

A recent Swedish study found that a copious dose of alcohol reduced the risk that mice would develop rheumatoid arthritis.

Lead researcher Dr. Andrzej Tarkowski, professor of rheumatology at Goteborg University said, "I wouldn't dare to do it (the experiment) in humans."

The mice were given a daily regimen of tap water supplemented with 10 percent alcohol. "That would do liver damage in humans," Tarkowski noted.

Tarkowski, published the findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (December 19, 2006).

Tarkowski was interested in the mechanism by which alcohol might help prevent rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks its own joint tissue.

"We have shown that it goes through the up-regulation [increase] of testosterone," he said. "That down-regulates inflammation, which is part of the arthritic process."

"Test tube studies also show that alcohol increases the migration of white blood cells, which take part in the inflammatory process," Tarkowski added.

In the experiment, male mice were given injections of collagen to induce rheumatoid arthritis. The researchers noted a significantly lower onset of disease and fewer destructive symptoms in mice who drank water with 10 percent alcohol added in, than in those who drank plain tap water.

Does this now give permission for RA patients to party hardy?

The study has very little application to humans in that it was a study designed to study possible RA prevention in male mice through testosterone modulation.

Since most RA patients are women, the results of the study probably aren't useful for most RA suffereras. It might be interesting someday to look at possible RA prevention in men using alcohol but it's entirely too premature to look at it now.

Tarkowski also alluded to the possibility of using acetaldehyde, a breakdown product of alcohol, in preventing rheumatoid arthritis. Acetaldehyde though is toxic and it would have to be used cautiously, if ever, in a human trial.

My advice is that it's OK to have an occasional drink. In particular, there is evidence that red wine might have beneficial effects as far as cardiovascular risk, which is a real worry in RA patients who appear to have accelerated atherosclerosis as part of their disease. But do it in moderation.

Laser Therapy for Arthritis Pain Relief

Arthritis is the disease that affects the musculoskeletal system; in particular, it affects the joints. It is the main cause of disability among older people, and to be precise it is more commonly observed in people over 55 to 60 years old. Arthritis is group of diseases and covers many medical conditions. The most common type of arthritis is Osteoarthritis (OA), while rheumatoid arthritis is the second most common. Moreover, there are some additional types of arthritis that can affect people at a very young age. The condition is caused by malfunction in one of the many parts of any joint. Basically the type of arthritis is diagnosed based on which organ is affected the most, which ultimately affects the ligament, synovial fluid, bone joints or even cartilage.

Its symptoms can be severe pain in joints, tenderness when pressure is applied to the joint, swollen and inflamed joints, unusual stiffness in the joint, etc. In the rheumatoid condition, for example, there could be developments of lumps of tissues under the skin. Unfortunately and after continued research, there is still no cure. Living with arthritis can be painful, but there are lots of treatment options available to minimize its negative impact on your daily life. Apart from prescribed medications, mainly painkillers, newly developed laser therapy can be a good alternative for pain relief.

Laser therapy for arthritis lessens the swelling and inflammation. It does this by increasing blood flow and overall circulation to the malfunctioned area. Moreover, laser therapy helps the cells find their chemical balance. Therefore, the cells reenergize and consequently begin healing. Naturally, the ligaments, tendons and muscles have a new and rejuvenated support system, which in turn lessens a lot of pain.

Laser devices can be divided into four classes: Class I, Class II, Class III and Class IV laser therapy. The difference between the four is the amount of power they emit. The Class IV is a high-powered therapy device ranging from 6 Watts to 10 Watts. Since this power is much higher than cold laser therapy, the penetration of the Class IV Laser system is preferred over its counterparts.

Class IV laser therapy is performed in outpatient wards and is a non-invasive, painless procedure. Since it is advanced, FDA approved, convenient and very effective, it is quickly gaining popularity in the US. It is available in many chiropractic health centers across the nation, but you will have to seek out which chiropractors have the Class IV laser in your area.

Because Class IV therapy is much more powerful than its counterparts, it provides greater tissue penetration. Many advanced chiropractic wellness specialists are proud to have this groundbreaking technology for not only people affected by arthritis, but also for people suffering from chronic pain associated with the knee, neck and lower back. And laser therapy isn't just effective, it's very safe as well and does not have any side effects. The other advantages of using a Class IV laser a faster recovery time, more relaxed muscles, improved tissue activity, increased blood circulation, fair reduction of inflammation, the regeneration of nerve cells and most importantly, it increases joint flexibility.