Struggle With Joint Pain?

People of every age struggle with joint discomfort. As a child, you may have been told by your parents that it was just "growing pains". This was probably true, for as a child's bones lengthen at different rates than their tendons and muscles, it does hurt. But there are other reasons for joint discomfort.

Causes of Joint Discomfort

Joint pain is, in general, the result of injury. Joint swelling will cause joint pains, as well. Inflammatory diseases such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are well known causes of joint pain. These two diseases, especially, cause stiff joints, as well. Joint pains also increase with age due to bone degeneration, striking as early as the 40's and 50's.

Another type of joint pain is bursitis. The bursae are the pockets surrounding the shoulder joint. They can get swollen and filled with fluid, causing unrelenting pain.

Septic arthritis, the flu, rheumatic fever, and hepatitis also cause joint pain. They all deplete your immune system, and any time the immune system is compromised, inflammation follows.

Tendonitis is a swelling in the tendons in the forearm that causes excruciating elbow and wrist pain. It can be caused by any number of repetitious tasks. Often called tennis elbow, it affects not only tennis players, but violinists, car washers, and mechanics or other workers why use a manual screwdriver a lot.

External causes of joint discomfort include sprains, strains, and fractures.

Doctor's care is advisable in these situations. Any persistent pain for more than 2 or 3 days needs to be checked by a doctor.

Remedies for Joint Discomfort

There are many home remedies for joint discomfort. An old tradition in the southern United States is to carry a new potato in your pocket! If you have arthritis, this will supposedly absorb the toxins that cause inflammation, reducing the symptoms of arthritis, and the potato, instead of rotting, will turn into a rock. Usually, alternation between hot and cold packs help with the discomfort. Some people find relief with massage with essential oils or menthol creams. Still others find that a hand treatment using hot, melted wax gives their swollen finger joints relief. Nutritional supplements, as well, are said to increase circulation and reduce inflammation, giving relief from joint discomfort. Dietary anti inflammatories are ginger, omega 3 oils, and garlic, which are supposed to circulate well in your system, restoring your immune system and increasing circulation.

Who Gets Joint Pains

Even healthy people suffer from joint pain. It's not just athletes with joint injuries, or old people with arthritis. It can strike people of any age because in specific joints as a result of work or lifestyle habits. Physical labour, computer time, bad diet, lack of physical exercise, too much exercise, any of these, and more, can cause joint discomfort.

For persistent pain that doesn't go away with home remedies or change of activity, consult with your doctor.

Foot Arthritis - How To Treat It?

Foot arthritis could be described as one of the more common forms of arthritis. The problem with the foot is that it consists of 28 bones and 30 joints, of which any are susceptible to arthritis. If arthritis develops in any of these joints, its going to affect the way you walk, run and move in general. The joints in the foot which are more commonly affected are: the big toe, the ankle, the mid foot and the hind foot joint.

The most common form of arthritis which develops in the foot is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the result of getting older, and essentially wear and tear on the joints and cartilage. The cartilage wears down, and the bones rub together resulting in pain and swelling.

Traumatic arthritis is a common form of osteoarthritis that develops in the foot of a patient following some form of severe injury. This can develop in the foot even when the injury was treated correctly, and given time to recover fully. The most common forms of traumatic foot arthritis are a torn ligament, broken bone or severe sprain.

There are various symptoms and indications of foot arthritis, which should alert the sufferer to the condition immediately. These symptoms include swelling, tenderness, pain, stiffness and reduced mobility of the affected joint. All these symptoms will eventually lead to a difficulty in walking.

For a doctor to properly diagnose foot arthritis, a serious of tests and physical examinations will need to be performed. The doctor will also require information about your health and lifestyle to give clues on the complexity of the condition. The next step is to perform a walking analysis. In performing this walking analysis, the doctor will measure your stride and test your ankle and foot strength. Certain diagnostic imaging tests may also be required to further diagnose your condition- theses may include and X-Ray, CT or MRI scan.

After fully evaluating your foot arthritis, your doctor/physician will devise the most suitable treatment plan. There are many non-surgical treatments available, these include:

Taking anti-inflammatory medication

Steroid injection

Foot brace or cane usage

Ankle and foot support usage

Physical therapy

The final treatment option is surgery, and is generally reserved as a 'last resort' when all other treatment methods have failed. The key to effectively treating arthritis is early diagnosis. Don't ignore those sensations of stiffness and soreness; see a doctor as soon as possible, so that you have the best chance of treating your foot arthritis.

Nopalea - The Real Story

Nopalea is a wellness drink that is marketed by the company TriVita, Inc. The company claims that the ingredients used in their drink help improve the health of joints in the body, reduce pain that is caused by inflammation, relieve muscle swelling, and protect the health of cells. It also claims that Nopalea detoxifies the body and works against premature aging.

The Nopal cactus is the primary source of ingredients used in the Nopalea drink. Nopal cactus blooms get their dark red color from a chemical compound called Betalains. The same compound is what makes most of the beets found in grocery stores deep red in color.

According to TriVita, the main power of Nopalea lies in the Bioflavonoids present in the drink. Bioflavonoids are considered to be powerful antioxidants, and they have the ability to reduce inflammation in the body. Since chronic inflammation is said to be the cause of various different ailments, the drink seems to have a positive impact on most people's health.

Bioflavonoids are present in the Nopal cactus, as well as in beets, and certain weeds and fungi. Bioflavonoids are used by the plants to protect themselves from the harsh environment in which they live. Therefore, the harsher the habitat, the higher the quantity of Bioflavonoids normally present in a plant. The reason why the Nopal plant has a high percentage of Bioflavonoids is perhaps due to its presence in the brutal environment of the Sonoran Desert, where it is mainly found.

According to Wikipedia, in-vitro studies have shown that Bioflavonoids have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer properties. There have also been a number of positive reviews about the product from those who have used the product. Especially people who have been suffering from plantar faciitis, inflammatory arthritis, bursitis, joint pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and general aches and pains have found a substantial relief from their condition. While some doubt if these are psychosomatic relief symptoms, most people are positive that the drink really works.

However, it needs to be mentioned that Nopalea is promoted through a multi-level marketing scheme and some of the positive reviews could have been made by affiliates to promote the product and make sales. Yet, many of the reviews could also be genuinely made by real consumers who have found the drink effective in providing relief.

One of the main complaints against the product is its high price. Fortunately, TriVita, Inc., now offers a 32-ounce Nopalea bottle free of charge as part of the company's wellness challenge. Consumers can get their bottle free of charge by paying just for shipping and handling.

Discover The Common Symptoms for Rheumatoid Arthritis And Natural Treatments

Although the age of onset and severity of the condition can vary from one person to another, there are common symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis.

Also, the symptoms will vary from one person to another because everyone is different, and your genes and lifestyle choices will also play a role in how your condition progresses.

That's why it's important to manage your condition by making proper lifestyle choices as early as possible, such as following a treatment protocol and eating a proper anti-inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis diet.

According to the John Hopkins Arthritis Center:

"The major goals of treatment of the arthritis are to reduce pain and discomfort, prevent deformities and loss of joint function, and maintain a productive and active life. Inflammation must be suppressed...."

The main point in the above statement, at least to us, is that doing your best to counter inflammation is the key to managing the condition.

Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects joints equally on both sides: for example, it's rare to experience it in the fingers of one hand while not the other. The same goes for feet, knees, ankles, and so on.

Having said all of this, the common symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis are:

• morning stiffness
  


• fatigue and weakness
  


• muscle aches
  


• loss of appetite
  


• limited range of motion
  


• deformities of feet and hands
  


• swollen glands
  


• joint pains
  

There are more symptoms than this, of course, but these are common ones. Joint pains themselves don't usually manifest until later in the condition in which there is pronounced inflammation and destruction of cartilage.

As far as treatment methods, there are over the counter ones such as aspirin and ibuprofen; prescription ones such as COX-2 inhibitors like Vioxx; or cortisteroids.

All of these can have major negative side effects.

We personally go the natural route and fight inflammation with omega 3 fatty acid supplementation. Yes, the same omega 3 fatty acids that are essential nutrients and needed by the body for optimal heart and brain health.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center's website:

"Most clinical studies investigating the use of omega-3 fatty acid supplements for inflammatory joint conditions have focused almost entirely on rheumatoid arthritis. Several articles reviewing the research in this area conclude that omega-3 fatty acid supplements reduce tenderness in joints, decrease morning stiffness, and allow for a reduction in the amount of medication needed for people with rheumatoid arthritis."

The best source of omega 3 fatty acids is purified fish oil found in high quality fish oil supplements.

In New Zealand, there is a famous remedy called the green lipped mussel which is very high in omega 3 fatty acids and in that country is often taken by people who suffer from the common symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis.

At the University of Maryland Medical website they also acknowledge the green lipped mussel, stating:

"....New Zealand green lipped mussel ( Perna canaliculus ), another potential source of omega-3 fatty acids, has been shown to reduce joint stiffness and pain..."

As a last note: you should be aware that omega 3 oils can thin the blood; therefore, talk to your doctor if you are already on other blood thinners before using them as part of a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet to counter the common symptoms for rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis Compression Gloves For Joint Pain

There are many people around the world that are suffering from the disease that we know as arthritis. There are many people looking for a cure for this disease, only to waste a lot of money, time and patience looking for something that does not exist. If you shift your focus from looking for a cure, to looking for ways to relieve the pain, then you will find you are much more successful and you will be able to significantly reduce the pain that you are feeling. There are many different solutions for you, and one of them is arthritis compression gloves. What Is Arthritis?

Before understanding how arthritis gloves can help you to reduce your pain, you should understand the disease that you are dealing with. There are two forms of arthritis that are very common. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of the cartilage in between the bones. The cartilage is the shock absorber of the joint and without it there is a lot of friction when doing even simple tasks. The other form of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis. This is an autoimmune disease and it involves the swelling of joints. You see them become very large, red and painful. It is also a very debilitating disease.

How Can Arthritis Gloves Help?

Arthritis gloves are a popular choice of pain relief for people suffering from arthritis in their hands. You can lose a lot of dexterity when you have arthritis in your hands. Even very simple tasks become painful. Arthritis gloves are great because they exert compression on the hands, which will keep them warmer. There are also other types of gloves like infrared gloves, these ones give of infrared rays and heat up the hands. The compression and the heat means that the hands are warmer and there is less friction in the joint, which means that there is a lot less pain in the hands. They are a very effective treatment and you will be able to reduce your pain significantly. There are also rheumatoid arthritis gloves that will help reduce the pain. They work differently from normal style gloves because the disease is different, but they too will bring dexterity back into your fingers and quality back into your life.

Are There Any Side Effects?

There are absolutely no side effects from using arthritis gloves to help your pain. They are very effective, safe and a cheap option. You should add it to your pain management plan if you suffer from arthritis in the hands.

Rheumatoid Arthritis - 6 Tips To Fight The Pain

Living with rheumatoid arthritis can be a very painful affair. It might mean living with and enduring chronic pain, fatigue and joint stiffness for years. It can even make you miserable for the rest of your life!

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease where the white blood cells attack healthy tissues, specifically the joints and cartilages, for no apparent reason. If you happen to be afflicted with this disease, you might be in for a very difficult time. But as with all other diseases, you can adopt several measures to help ease the pain brought by the symptoms of this crippling disease. Here are a few suggestions that may help you in handling the pain when a rheumatoid arthritis attack is in the offing:

Live a healthier lifestyle. It is never too late to start living healthy. Losing weight can be good for your joints - the less you weigh, the lesser the pressure on the joints and hence, you will feel less pain. So, start eating a healthy diet and get enough sleep to keep your weight at a healthier range.

Pop in a pill to reduce the pain - No matter at what stage your rheumatoid arthritis might be in, taking anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen may help keep the pain and the inflammation under control. However, keep in mind that all drugs have a tendency to cause certain side effects. So, take caution in taking these drugs for they might just increase your risks of developing certain heart problems and may lead to gastrointestinal bleeding. Your best bet? Take acetaminophen. It can effectively do the job without the risks!

Stretch those joints! Stretching is an important part of any exercise routine because it greatly enhances your flexibility. When doing your stretches, stop whenever you feel a mild discomfort and hold the position for 10 to 30 seconds before proceeding.

Try weight lifting - Making exercise a regular part of your routine may bring you tons of benefits. Performing moderate exercises such as weight lifting and aerobics can help ease mild to moderate rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. In this case, weight lifting is an ideal exercise since it improves your flexibility, strength and balance thereby allowing you an increased capability in handling the symptoms of the disease.

Before doing your lifts, don't forget to do some stretching exercises. Start with 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions. You can even begin your training without using any weights at all! Weights may be gradually added as your routine progresses. Lift the weights slowly and evenly to prevent doing any more damage to the joints and cartilages. Take things easy. Take a rest when your joints flare up to avoid adding any more strain to your already aching joints.

Try alternative therapy - Some people swear by the positive results of aqua therapy and Tai Chi in relieving the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Just remember to find a qualified practitioner before embarking on these routines. And as always, consult with your doctor first before doing any exercises.

Strive to learn more about the disease - Knowledge is power. To increase your fighting chances against rheumatoid arthritis, try to learn as much as you can about this disease. A large number of online as well as offline sources can give you all the information that you might need. When in doubt, ask your doctor to provide you with some reference on where to look for additional help.

Causes of Chronic Low Back Pain?

Low back pain is a very common and sometimes debilitating condition that affects up to 80 % of the population. Most patients that develop the acute onset of low back pain will able to return to normal activities of daily living and become a functional member of society within 6 weeks of onset. Yet, a small percentage of the population can go on to suffer with chronic disabling lumbar pain.

Despite many scientific advances in medicine over the decades, improvement in the quality of healthcare and the proliferation of various new pharmaceuticals, controlling chronic low back pain can be difficult but not impossible. Surgical solutions for treating low back pain is difficult and often met with mixed results and should be the very last option.

Causes of Chronic Low Back Pain

The causes of chronic lumbar pain are many and can include one or a few of the problems listed below in combination, and the causes are not limited to this list:

Degenerative Arthritis: This is the most common cause in adults, and is consistent with the normal wear and tear process to the lumbar spine.
Other types of arthropathies: There are a number of conditions which fall under this section such as Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diffuse Idiopathic skeletal Hyperostosis(DISH), Lupus, Ankylosing Spondylosis or other HLA-B27 conditions.
Fibromyalgia: Disease of disuse and muscle deconditioning.
Stress: This could be either emotional or social stressors which can lead to lumbar pain via muscle spasm.
Fractures: This can be as a result of any significant trauma such as a motor vehicle accident.
Muscle Strains: The most common cause as a result of work-related injuries lifting injuries or other types of other trauma.
Herniated Disc: Disruption of the disc that separates two vertebra that results in nerve root compression.
Spinal Stenosis: Compression of the spinal nerves secondary to naturally progressive age related arthritis.
Infection: Bacterial or fungal infection of the spine.
Cancer
Intra-abdominal or pelvic organ pathology: Kidney, pancreas, and aorta problems as well as others can mimic symptoms consistent with traditional lower back pain.

It is because the majority of lower back pain in our society is caused by muscle strain or arthritis, and the frequency is so common, that a delay or missed diagnosis of underlying rare conditions, such as but not limited to fractures, cancer, infection, renal stones, and aortic aneurysms, can occur.

What are the Predisposing Factors for Chronic Lower Back Pain?

There are a number of predisposing factors that can increase a patient's chances of having back issues. Problems such as smoking, alcoholism, obesity, low physical activity, psychosocial issues, sedentary jobs, prior failed back surgery, secondary gain, and deconditioning can all increase a patient's chances of developing or maintaining chronic lower back pain.

As it relates to treatment for lower back pain, it is fortunate that the vast majority of patients will have complete resolution of their pain within six to eight weeks of acute onset. The prevalence of lower back issues in our society persisting longer than two weeks is approximately 14%, with a point prevalence of approximately 7% (Deyo, R. A. 1990).

Treatment

The active treatment of lower back pain has two main focuses, the first of which should always be non-operative care. This should include physical therapy, chiropractic, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, limited use of narcotics, various injections (both diagnostic and therapeutic), weight loss, smoking cessation, muscle reconditioning, and the tincture of time.

As it relates specifically to aerobic exercise, fitness creates an overall protective effect on the spine by increasing muscle strength, endurance, and increasing endorphin levels. This can lead to avoiding conditions such as fibromyalgia, which is a disease of disuse.

The other generalized treatment algorithm may include surgery. It is known that surgical intervention for predominant low back pain typically does not result in excellent long-term results.

Surgical fusion has been met with mixed results for the treatment of predominant low back pain and decompression has a very limited role.

Artificial Disc Replacement (ADR) is showing some significant promise in the treatment of low back pain as well as artificial nucleus. Research is still ongoing as it relates to artificial nucleus replacement, yet artificial disk replacement is available and is no longer experimental as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has completed the initial research and approved ADR for human use since 2003. In Europe, artificial disk replacement has been an approved (CE mark) treatment for over 20 years.

Any patient that is considering treatment for chronic, disabling, low back pain should seek the advice of their primary care physician first and address many of the risk factors that have been outlined above.

Surgical intervention for chronic low back pain is not common, but evaluation by a spinal surgery specialist would be an important step to take if you, as a patient, have remained symptomatic, despite the conservative course, for longer than 6 to 8 weeks.

Arthritis Hands Symptoms - Initial Symptoms of Arthritis of Hands

Each hand is made up of 25 bones involving joints in fingers as well as the wrist. Any ailment of the hands leads to difficulty in performing routine functions such as gripping, holding etc. and could also lead to deformity.

Arthritis in hands causes inflammation, swelling, stiffness, pain etc. The two main types of arthritis are:

Osteoarthritis - This occurs generally in older people and pain gradually increases over a period of time. The padding or the natural shock absorbers of the hands - the cartilage is affected, causing pain, restricting movements and reducing strength.

Rheumatoid Arthritis - This is a more severe form and unlike Osteo, the location of pain in the body cannot be predicted. The effect is not only on joints but also on muscles, tendons and other tissues of the body.

Symptoms -

1- Pain - Initial symptoms include pain in hands with a burning sensation. It increases when the hands are stressed with activities like lifting weight, writing, knitting or any continuous and regular movement. Pain becomes so severe that at times, one cannot even sleep at night. Pain increases in humid weather and even small activities such as opening a lock or opening a jar in the kitchen are also hampered.

2- Swelling- with pain, if stress continues for a longer period of time, swelling is caused and restricts

further joint movement.

3- Stiffness- With persistent pain, the stiffness increases. Also, it is more in the mornings and in colder climate.

4- Warmth- The affected joint may feel warm when touched.

5- Increased mobility of other hands- The hands surrounding the affected one may feel more mobile than normal.

6- Cysts - Small cysts may form on the knuckles especially at the end.

7- Deformity- In advanced stages, continuous swelling may cause shape change. Also, the joint may feel loose and crippled. The basic structure of the joint may become weak.

Muscle Arthritis - Symptoms and Treatment Explained

Myositis is the medical term for inflammation of muscle tissue and one type of muscle arthritis is dermatomyositis. (Without the rash, the condition is called polymyositis.) In this form, there is soreness and inflammation and pain in the muscles but there is also an accompanying dry rash affecting the skin. This rash is commonly seen on the face and neck, chest and back and the shoulders. Heart muscle may also be affected as well as the lung tissues. It is usually dusky and a purplish red color. This is an autoimmune condition and is treated with anti-inflammatory medications including steroids.

Another disease that can be considered muscle arthritis is called fibromyalgia. Along with muscle pain and aches, fibromyalgia can produce pain in the joints and other connective tissue like tendon and ligaments, as well as fatigue, depression, headache, anxiety, sleep problems and numbness in the extremities. To have this diagnosis, symptoms must last at least three months and at least 11 of the 18 trigger points associated with FM must be tender to the touch.

Treatment for FM has until very recently been simply medications directed at relieving pain and specifics for other symptoms, but now medications specifically for fibromyalgia have reached the market and can be prescribed. About 2% of the population has symptoms of FM.

Another muscle arthritis is the systematic illness called lupus. Usually joints are affected but some lupus patients also have muscle aches and pain associated with the condition. Lupus is treated with corticosteroids and other immune system modifiers. Symptoms of lupus can include a butterfly shaped rash across the face, fevers, fatigue, multiple joint arthritis and many other symptoms. Blood work can help to make the diagnosis. Lupus is also an autoimmune disease and the cause is not known. It is about ten times as common in men as it is in women.

Finally, there is polymyalgia rheumatica. The symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica are moderate to severe muscle pain and the location is almost always in or near the neck, shoulders and hips and can come on very suddenly. In virtually every case, a person with polymyalgia rheumatica will have an abnormally high red blood cell sedimentation rate. This disease is often associated with a serious vascular affliction called polyarteritis or sometimes giant cell arteritis in which blood vessels become inflamed. However, prompt treatment usually controls both conditions or polymyalgia rheumatica alone.

A corticosteroid like prednisone is usually given and will produce a remission which can last some time. If the condition recurs, the drug is restarted and can control symptoms. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications are also used. The disease may also go away on its own but this can take a year or more.

One last form of muscle arthritis is a side effect of drugs given to lower cholesterol called lipid reducing drugs or statins. While not common, this condition called rhabdomyolysis can have serious implications including kidney and heart damage. Persons taking statins need to report any unusual muscle aches and pains to their physicians at once.

While muscle arthritis can be painful and frightening, most forms of it do respond well to treatment. The most important thing is to report muscle pains to a physician, learn the cause, and to then use appropriate treatments for whichever condition is to blame.

Help With Arthritis Pain - Basal Joint Arthritis

Definition:
Basal joint arthritis is arthritis of the thumb. The basal joint is also known as thumb CMC (carpometacarpal) joint. This joint receives an enormous amount of stress especially with pinching motions. The amount of pressure taken in this joint when grasping, using a pinch between the thumb and index finger, is approximately 6 to 9 pounds of pressure for every 1 pound of pinch. It's no wonder that this joint wears out and has so many arthritic problems.

Arthritis in the basal joints can be one of many types of arthritis. The most common types of arthritis affecting this joint are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and traumatic arthritis. Traumatic arthritis generally happens due to injury of the joint. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease.

Diagnosis:

Your Physician can do an array of tests to diagnose basal joints arthritis. These tests may include ex rays, bone scans, MRI, and a physical examination including manipulation of the joint.

Symptoms:

Symptoms of basal joints arthritis can include:

o Pain at base the of the thumb with use

o Aching joints at the base of the thumb that continues to be bothersome even after discontinuing use

o Deformity in the joint at the base of the thumb

o Tenderness of the base of the thumb

o Swelling in the joint at the base of the thumb

o Decreased strength in the basal joint

o Decreased range of motion

o Difficulty in doing tasks such as turning keys, doorknobs, jar lids, buttoning buttons and zipping zippers

o Severe pain when gripping

o Severe pain when pinching the thumb and fingers together

o Decreased ability to grip

o An unstable feeling in the basal joint

o An out of joint appearance at the base of the thumb

o An enlarged, bony appearing joint at the base of the thumb

o Limited joint mobility

Cause:

Exact cause of basal joints arthritis is unknown. Repetitive use and factors including injury, stress, muscle weakness, the aging process, heredity, and obesity may be contributing factors. Cartilage normally cushions the basal joint. When basal joint arthritis is involved cartilage cushioning degenerates and the bones rub together. This is what causes damage due to joint friction. Bone spurs of pure as the body attempts to repair the damage.

Increased risk factors include:

o Age (these joints arthritis generally happens after the age of 40).

o Gender (basal joints arthritis is more frequent in females).

o Past injuries to the basal joint including fractures, sprains, and jamming the thumb.

o Disease such as rheumatoid arthritis.

o Excessive use of the basal joints.

o The family history of basal joint arthritis.

Treatment:

Treatment for basal joint arthritis can include medication for pain and swelling, corticosteroid injections, splints, and in some cases surgery. The main focus of treatment is pain reduction.

Arthroscopic surgery may be required to reduce pain. Surgery can only be performed during early and middle stages of basal joints arthritis. Advanced stages of basal joints arthritis cannot be repaired with arthroscopic surgery. This is why it is important to discuss treatment options with your doctor during early stages of the condition. Other surgical treatments available are; joint fusion, Osteotomy (bone cutting), Trapeziectomy (removal of the trapezium bone) and joint replacement.

Pain reduction:

Limiting the use of the joint is one of the best ways to decrease pain. One way this can be done is by wearing splints that immobilize the basal joint and facilitate proper positioning.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including OTC medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium, can be used to treat joint pain and swelling. Tylenol can also be used for pain relief. When these OTC medications are non-effective your Physician can prescribe stronger NSAIDs.

Often a combination of splinting and NSAIDs will greatly decrease pain.

Corticosteroid injections can be used for pain relief. Corticosteroids work by reducing inflammation in the joint. Care must be taken when using corticosteroids.

Range of motion exercises can also improve joint pain and mobility. These are done by manipulating the joint through all natural movements. This should be done carefully multiple times daily.

Applying heat or cold can also assist with pain. Many people find ice packs work great in alleviating pain and swelling in the basal joint. Other people have difficulty using ice as it increases other types of arthritic pain. Application of heat works better in these cases. Using a heat pack or a heating pad for 10 to 15 minutes of the time several times throughout the day can decrease stiffness and pain in the joint.

Decreasing use by modifying household chores and finding ways to use other joints when possible to allow this joint time to heal is also an effective way of decreasing pain. Any way that you can decrease use of the basal joint and still keep your independence will be helpful. Simple adjustments in the house such as finding larger handled flatware, adding a key chain or something large to grasp to zipper pulls so that you can manipulate your own zippers, specialized door handles, specialized faucets, and many other adjustments that can make throughout your home can decrease the aggravation you put on the basal joint.

Rheumatoid Arthritis - What Are Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms?

Arthritis affects many people all over the world in the US alone over twenty million Americans are reported that are afflicted with this debilitating disease. Arthritis is the general condition involving the damage of the joints in the body. There are many forms of arthritis and one of the most common forms of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory form of arthritis that causes severe pain, stiffness, swelling, and inflammation. In rheumatoid arthritis, the autoimmune system of the body mistakenly attacks the tissues of the body causing the lining of the joints to swell, that can result in pain, swelling, and eventually become deformed. One characteristic of the disease is that it is symmetrical in nature, meaning both parts of the body such as the wrist, knees, elbows, and hips can be attacked at the same time and pain is felt on both sides of the body.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms can even bring daily activities such a burden like walking or holding a pen. The symptoms maybe chronic or it could be a transient disease. When the joints are inflame this is the active stage of the disease, which is also called flare ups or flares, the inactive stage is called the remission stage and this can be due to medication or treatment, and it can last for weeks, months or even years depending on the management and the severity of the disease.

The remission of the disease varies from person to person, though the reason for the recurrence is still unknown patients are given some pointers on how to manage the disease and how to spot the early onset of the rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms may include general feeling of fatigue, malaise, fever, loss of appetite, muscle and joint pain and stiffness, which is usually felt during the morning after waking up; you feel stiff all over and have a hard time to move because of the pain. This can also be felt during prolong inactivity, the muscles becomes stiff and harden and movement is difficult. During this episode, the affected areas of the body are inflamed, swollen and warm, and the skin around the area is red and tender to the touch.

At the early onset rheumatoid arthritis only affects the small joints of the body, the fingers, wrist, ankles and feet. As the disease progresses large part of the joints are affected especially those that are weight bearing joints such as the hips, knees, elbows, and shoulders could be affected. Deformity is a common sight for people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis this is due to the rheumatoid nodules that sprouts around the bones, bones become brittle and eventually loss its function.

As of this date there are no known cure for rheumatoid arthritis, the treatment that is available right now aims to slow down the bone degeneration and maximize joint function, reduce the pain, swelling, and inflammation. Disease management involves family education, medications, rest, exercise for joint and bone strengthening and protection. Treatment varies from the stage of the disease, age of the patient and general health, support of the family is one of the important factors of the treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.

Hot and Cold Therapy for Arthritis

Arthritis affects the joints, causing stiffness and pain. While there are a number of treatments you can do at home, hot and cold therapy is one of the easiest and definitely one of the safest arthritis treatments used to relieve the painful symptoms. Doctors often recommend hot and/or cold therapy to reduce inflammation and relieve aching joints. Trying hot and cold therapy is the only way to find out if this treatment will work for you. You can then work with hot and cold to find the particular combination to treat your specific symptoms of arthritis.

This therapy works to improve the body's own healing abilities. Heat allows dilation of the blood vessels. This in turn promotes circulation, resulting to reduced spasm of the muscles and increased oxygenation. Heat also defers the sensation of pain. Dry heat, such as lamps and pads, can be used as well as moist heat through hot baths, or wash cloths soaked in hot water.

According to the American College of Rheumatology, 5 to 10-minute ice massages applied to a painful area within the first 48 hours of pain onset can help relieve pain while heat should be used for pains that last longer than 48 hours.

When using heat therapy, you have to be careful with the heat being applied to prevent burning the skin. You want it hot, but not hot enough to be uncomfortable. You will find the temperature that your body can tolerate by testing gradually starting at lower temperatures and gradually increasing the temperature. Heat therapy can work well if done just before exercising. In between the exercise, heat packs can also be applied. Moist heat therapy can be done to provide additional relief from pain in arthritis. Other types of heat therapy includes heat patches, belts, hot packs, heated pools, moist heating pads, warm baths, showers, whirlpools, hot tubs, and warm towels or cloth that can be heated through the microwave. Also, many people with arthritis find soaking in hot baths and saunas effective relief for arthritis pain. Heat packs applied to arthritic joints at least twice daily has been proven to relieve pain and stiffness.

While heat opens blood vessels, cold constricts the blood vessels. Cold therapy can work on swollen parts of the body by producing a dulling and numbing effect and also reducing the swelling of inflamed joints. Ice packs are most effective during arthritis flares and can be effective when applied over joints. The cooling sensation of the skin above the affected areas lessens spasm of the underlying muscles, which improves the threshold of pain. Cold packs can easily be done by filling zip-lock baggies with water and placing them on the freezer to chill. For some people with arthritis, cold therapy may be enough to completely ease pain. However, many people choose to alternate hot and cold therapy.

Autoimmune Disease: Type I Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Celiac Disease, and Many Others!

Some of the most common diseases in the U.S. are classified as autoimmune disease. As you recognize, some of these diseases can cause disability. Our lives may never be the same. You may or someone you love may suffer from them. During my almost 3 decades of pharmacy practice I saw many people suffering with these diseases. The situations seemed hopeless at times. Now, as a graduate of Dr. John Christopher's School of Natural Healing with a rating of Master Herbalist, I see them through more hopeful eyes.

What are we talking about when we mention "autoimmune disease"? Here is a partial list from the National Institute of Health:

• Addisons Disease


• Celiac Disease


• Dermatomysositis


• Graves Disease


• Hashimoto's Thyroiditis


• Multiple Sclerosis


• Pernicious Anemia


• Reactive arthritis


• Systemic Lupus erythematosus


• Type I Diabetes

Certainly you know at least one person with one of these problems. Why does autoimmune disease happen? Our immune system is designed to attack foreign (non-human) protein in our bodies. For example, bacteria in the wrong place will be attacked and killed by our immune system. Sometimes - in Type I Diabetes, for example - we see the immune system attack our own tissues. In this case the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas are attacked and destroyed. This is a rather simplified version of what happens in auto-immune diseases of all types.

To understand why the immune system attacks our own bodies we must understand one thing clearly: our immune system is working correctly. It identifies non-human proteins that have become attached to our own internal tissues and attacks those non-human proteins. Without launching into a long explanation, these non-human proteins get into our bodies from various sources; for example colon disease, antibiotic injections, vaccinations, and yeast overgrowth. What is more important to understand is how we treat these auto-immune conditions.

Conventional western medicine will treat symptoms of the disease. One method is to use drugs that suppress the immune system. These drugs have toxicities. Let us consider chlorambucil for example.

This drug has adverse effects including:

• Although chlorambucil is used to treat cancer, it may increase your risk of developing another form of cancer.


• This medication can also decrease your bone marrow function, lowering your body's ability to fight an infection.


• Chlorambucil may damage chromosomes (genes) and causebirth defects. It may also possibly leave men and women unable to have children in the future (sterility).


• Opening our systems to all sorts of infections - viral, fungal, and bacterial all included.

Other than immunosuppresion, your prescriber may choose to prescribe a drug that suppresses symptoms of the disease. This is frequently the case with rheumatoid arthritis in which we see non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs being prescribed. A drug such as ibuprofen may be used to relieve pain symptoms and swelling symptoms. At times the destruction of the joints can be slowed (but not stopped) by using this drug.

On the other hand, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) do have some adverse effects including

• Heartburn


• Gastric ulcers (recall that non-human proteins can enter our systems in this way, causing the bringing about more auto-immune disease!)


• Raised blood pressure


• Increased plugging of the small blood vessels (atherosclerosis)


• Increased likelihood of heart attack

You may be saying to yourself "there must be a better way".

Aside from Divine Healing by prayer (which is the best), Natural Healing can fight auto-immune disease more effectively than conventional medical treatment. And, it can do it at a fraction of the cost and without the horrible side-effects involved with pharmaceutical drugs. This approach times weeks, months, even up to years for very severe medical conditions to effect complete healing. However, you will begin to see results soon after you begin

Here is what needs to happen to get better:

• Cleansing including the 3 day Juice cleanse and extended cleanses


• Use of herbal aids such as a 1 to 1 ratio of Marshmallow root powder and Astragalus root powder capsules. To kill pain a combination of Wild Lettuce and Valerian Root may be used. Externally, cayenne ointment helps with pain control.


• Eat, eat, eat! But use the Mucusless diet to avoid a recurrence of the auto-immune disease. You may look at my blog site listed in the author's box below to find my article "Good Nutrition, What Do I Mean By That"


• Avoid any protein being injected hypodermically


• Heal any digestive tract ulcers.

I pray for your success in beating this. Please let me know how you do or how I can help you in your quest.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Causes, Symptoms and Remedies That You Ought to Know

Rheumatoid arthritis is a kind of arthritis and it is also related with the pain and inflammation of joints. It is a chronic joint disease which usually damages the joints of the body. Usually the inflammation of the joint lining tissue is responsible for the damage of joints. In the condition of this type of arthritis inflammation is responsible and it is misdirected to attack the joints. It is often referred to as RA.

Some of the important facts -

1. Inflammation in the joints results into pain, stiffness and swelling in addition to other symptoms.

2. Due to inflammation, the other organs and systems of the body also get affected.

3. Inflammation must be stopped or at least slowed immediately and permanently otherwise it will damage the affected joints and other tissues.

It is different from other types of arthritis. Though rheumatoid arthritis mostly affects the joints but it is said that it is the disease of the entire body. Besides the joints, it can affect many organs of the body. So sometimes it is referred by the name of systematic disease.

The exact cause of the rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. But some of the common factors which contribute towards the condition of this type of arthritis are hormones, genetics (heredity) and possibly infection by a virus or bacterium.

There are different types of symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis but joints are always affected. Joints of hands, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles and feet are always affected by the problem of rheumatoid arthritis. The rheumatoid arthritis may affect shoulders, hips and jaws which are having the larger joints. Some of the important symptoms are -

Stiffness: In this condition the joints are not in a position to move. Person suffering from this problem are unable to stretch their arms, legs, or finger properly. They are unable to move their different parts of body in different direction.

Swelling: Affected area becomes swollen and puffy.

Inflammation: Some of the important sign of inflammation are redness, tenderness and warmth.

Pain: In rheumatoid arthritis pain appear from different direction. There may be pain due to inflammation or swelling of the joints and the tissues surrounding. From individual to individual, there is a variation in the pain.

Some of its general symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, malaise and weakness or loss of energy.

Person suffering from this type of arthritis has to take proper care of their diet, medications, exercise, yoga etc which directly affects its improvement.

Arthritis and the Lower Back Pain Relation

Arthritis is one of the most pervasive diseases in the United States and is the leading cause of disability. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention one out of every three Americans is affected by one of the more than 100 types of arthritis. Arthritis simply means a painful condition of the joints. There are different types of the disease - many inflammatory and others more degenerative in nature. Across the world there are 350 million people suffer from the chronic joint inflammation of Arthritis. In US the number reaches to the 37 to 40 million. All of us know that there should the joint pain that is accompanied by the arthritis. The joint pain referred as the arthralgia. To suppress the join pain all of the people search for the natural arthritis treatment.

There are many forms of arthritis (over one hundred and growing). The forms range from those related to wear and tear of cartilage (such as osteoarthritis) to those associated with inflammation resulting from an over-active immune system (like rheumatoid arthritis).Together, the many forms of arthritis make up the most common chronic illness in the United States. People are spontaneous to react in way of finding the treatment of arthritis symptoms and anxiety of its various forms.

In the world there are two types of arthritis- 1) Osteoarthritis and 2) Rheumatoid arthritis. The Osteoarthritis mainly affects the cartilages of or around the bones. The cartilages provide the bone with the cushion and thus to protect it from the rubbing friction. On the other hand the Rheumatoid arthritis is the joint chronic inflammation that also the affect the body autoimmune system. Rheumatoid arthritis is also the main disease that causes the pain in or around the joints. Only the arthritis low back pain relief is the main pain suppression methodology for both of the arthritis. Here Autoimmune disease must be explained. The autoimmune disease is that illness by the blood antibody or the cells whose main job is to seeking and destroying body invaders preferably the infections mistakenly attack the body tissues.

For most people arthritis pain and inflammation cannot be avoided as the body ages. In fact, most people over the age of 50 show some signs of arthritis. Joints naturally degenerate over time. Fortunately, arthritis can be managed through a combination of medication, exercise, rest, weight-management, nutrition, and, in some cases, surgery. Your doctor can tell if you have arthritis through blood tests and x-rays. He or she will then be able to help you decide on the best treatment for arthritis for your case.

Arthritis Neck Pain: An Exciting New Treatment for the Relief of Arthritis Neck Pain

Arthritis is medically defined as inflammation of the joints. Arthritis can occur in any joint of the body, including most commonly the fingers and knees, which are typically hard-used joints. Inflammation is the primary feature of arthritis, which is the body's natural reaction of joint tissues that have endured some sort of damage or injury, either through overuse due to physical abuse or excessive weight gain or in some cases hormonal or environmental factors.

Nutritional factors, including dangerously low levels of calcium, magnesium and essential fatty acids can also cause temporary arthritis, but these are probably the most easily solved once they are identified as the culprits.

What are some of the best natural remedies for arthritis pain?
Along with a host of prescription medications and medical options, those suffering form the arthritis neck pain who want to avoid potential side effects of over-the-counter medicines as well as prescription anti-inflammatory drugs have a variety of natural remedies that have proven quite effective.

One of the most commonly recommended home remedies for arthritis pain is to wrap the painful joint in heat. Heat causes the muscles around the joint to relax, which in turn releases the pressure and strain on the joint and eases the arthritic pain. In general cold-water treatments should be avoided by the patient suffering arthritis as this causes additional tension and can inflame the joints again.

Additional natural remedies for arthritis neck pain depend on the cause of the patient's arthritis, including a careful and structured loss of weight to ease the strain on the joints. In many cases, arthritic pain caused by weight gain can be completely eliminated when patients lose the extra weight and incorporate joint-healthy exercise into their daily lives.
Arthritis neck pain can also be eased and even eliminated through therapeutic massage. Massage therapy has been shown to ease arthritic pain at any age and with regular massage therapy, many arthritis sufferers can return to pain-free, normal functioning again.

What are the best natural supplements to relieve arthritis?
Some of the natural remedies for arthritis include dietary supplements and some of the most effective supplements are as follows:

Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate - in a recent National Institute of Health (NIH) study, glucosamine combined with chondroitin sulfate provided statistically significant pain relief compared with placebo. Approximately 79 percent of those studied had a 20 percent or greater reduction in pain versus about 54 percent for those taking the placebo.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) - which is a naturally occurring source of sulfur in the health food industry that has proven to have anti-inflammatory effects on the human body. Some of those suffering osteoarthritis have experience significant reduction in their daily pain and improved physical function without major side effects.

Manganese - which is a trace mineral that participates in many enzyme processes within the human body has been shown to be helpful in the utilization of key nutrients, such as thiamine and abscorbic acid. While not specifically used to treat arthritis symptoms, manganese has been shown effective in helping the human body properly absorb and distribute nutrients that can be effective at easing arthritis symptoms. In that regard, manganese is more properly defined as a helper remedy.

Rheumatoid Arthritis - What Triggers Rheumatoid Arthritis?

One of the most prevalent types of arthritis afflicting people of different races and of any age is Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The disease appears earlier than osteoarthritis at anytime of a persons life from infancy to old age but it usually upsets people in their 20's to 40's. Women are more prone to acquire the disease than men although this is evened out when the men reach their 50's.

The most familiar place for this kind of arthritis is in the foot, hands, wrists and lastly the ankles. But most cases are found in the foot where more joints are put under a lot of pressure. As a joint disease, it is also symmetrical in which it affects both joints of the body involved.

An acute illness accompanied by high fever with intense inflammation of the joints could mark the start of a rheumatoid arthritis. But the cause of the disease is unknown and its existence among children known as Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis has been dubbed as a mystery.

Several views have been provided to explain the occurrence of the disease. One such view postulates that the body's antibodies, produced to fight against infection, actually attack the joints which results in swelling and redness. The cartilage and bone may eventually be damaged as the inflammation spreads to the tissues around the joint.

The study of genetics has found a certain chemical marker among those positive with rheumatoid arthritis leading to the belief that a virus or a bacteria actually triggers its development. Some say that sudden and traumatic injuries like ankle sprains would eventually have the affected joints to be vulnerable to the disease in the future. Symptoms may also develop through severe stress, obesity that aggravates most arthritic conditions and bowel disorders like colitis.

Treatment for the disease does not include its cure as there is no existing cure for it. But treatments are available to relieve pain and discomfort. Drug therapies are available to control the spread of the disease which in its severe form could affect other parts of the body. Aspirin and ibuprofen as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be used.

Cortisone shots or steroid injections may also be helpful to relieve intense pain. Drugs known as DMADs are also available if NSAIDs does not work. Surgery is sometimes the last resort if all the other traditional means are ineffective to ease the pain and the progression of the disease.

Among children, the disease is outgrown while older people get stuck with it for a long time. Children are afflicted around 5 to 16 years old where diagnosis is quite difficult because they could easily find ways to ignore the pain. Even if they do get treated for the disease or the disease may go away, the chances that it will come back in later years is high. Its treatment is different from that of the adult rheumatoid arthritis especially on its drug medications.

Children or adults afflicted with the disease are encouraged to do exercise to strengthen their bones and help them move but it should be guided by a therapist. Proper treatment of the disease and any other alternative plan of action after the diagnosis should be discussed with your doctor.

How To Recognize The Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis

The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can be painful and debilitating. If you are experiencing any symptoms similar to the one listed below, it is essential to see a doctor right away for an accurate diagnosis. This is critical because rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that can progress quite rapidly and lead to joint deformity and even organ damage in some individuals.

What are the early symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis? In most cases it can start with a feeling of stiffness, especially in the morning which can wear off as the day goes on. The stiff feeling usually starts in the small joints of the hands and feet and can include the wrist and shoulders as well.

Both sides of the body are usually affected symmetrically, which means both left and right hand and feet. The moment this type of stiffness is noticed is the time to get a diagnosis. It may be nothing to worry about, but if it turns out to be rheumatoid arthritis, an early diagnosis is one of the best things that can happen. If your doctor seems dismissive, go and find another, or ask to be referred to a rheumatologist. It's very important to start rheumatoid arthritis treatment as soon as possible.

After the initial feelings of stiffness, the joints may become painful and inflamed. You may feel very tired for no apparent reason or have a slight fever and flu like symptoms, you may even lose your appetite. At this stage a lot of people will shrug this off as the flu and the aches and pains that normally accompany the flu. This is what makes this disease so destructive, the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can be similar to the symptoms of other diseases.

Over time the pain and inflammation will worsen. The affected joints may feel "hot" and the surrounding skin may appear red. Eventually the symptoms will spread to other parts of the body such as the hips, knees and possible the jaw. There may be weakness in the muscles and joints and swelling in the lymph glands. You may even notice the appearance of small bumps under the skin near the affected joints. These are known as rheumatoid nodules.

Eventually, if the disease remain untreated, deterioration of the cartilage surrounding the joints will occur and the joints will become deformed and this will further limit movement. There are various surgical procedures that can be performed these days which can give sufferers a better quality lifestyle.

Unfortunately the joints are not the only body parts that can be affected. Rheumatoid arthritis can also spread to connective tissue and blood vessels all through the body and cause inflammation in certain organs, such as the heart and lungs, increasing your risk of respiratory and infectious diseases. This is another reason why accurate diagnosis is so important.

To make diagnosis more frustrating is the fact that the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can be confused with those of osteoarthritis, which is a more mechanical form of arthritis. However osteoarthritis does not typically affect both sides of the body symmetrically and there is no accompanying inflammation or fever. However in mild cases it is sometimes hard to tell the difference when joint pain is the only symptom.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis can also come and go. Frustratingly they can disappear when you are at the doctor's surgery, only to reappear when you arrive home! More often there will be flare ups which can last for indefinite periods of time, followed by a period of remission. Sometimes the disease will disappear, never to return and in some cases it will be present all the time.

The main thing is to always monitor your body for unusual or new symptoms. If you notice any stiffness combined with flu-like signs or persistent tiredness, have them checked without delay as they could very well be symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and the progress of this disease is very rapid.

15 Natural Remedies for Arthritis and Joint Pain That Work

This article has compiled some important natural remedies and pain relieving oils that can be used to get relief from the arthritis symptoms -

1. Essential oils such as ginger, lavender and eucalyptus oil are very good for arthritis massage. A few drops of essential oil may be added to carrier oils like apricot or almond, and used for massaging twice a day. Apart from relieving pain, the soft, sweet aroma emanated by the pure essential oils, soothes and relaxes the mind.

2. Castor oil is also beneficial for treating arthritis. Warm castor oil may be directly applied on inflamed joints to get immediate relief, two tablespoon of castor oil may be added to fresh orange juice and taken every morning to combat arthritis symptoms, two teaspoon of castor oil may be added to a cup of ginger tea and taken every night before going to bed. It will give relief from the ailing symptoms of arthritis. The arthritis patient may also cover the affected joint with flannel cloth dipped in hot castor oil, and apply an electric heating pad at least for 30 minutes. This will reduce joint swelling.

3. Coconut oil acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. It can penetrate easily and repair damaged tissues.

4. Dandelion root extracts improve bowel movements and treat arthritis.

5. Few pieces of garlic are to be boiled in mustard oil. It is very good for rubbing on aching joints.

6. Birch oil is good for rheumatism and gout.

7. Black pepper oil is also quite effective for muscle and joint aches.

8. Chamomile oil has anti-inflammatory properties, and can improve arthritic conditions.

9. Omega3 fish oil is very good for treating rheumatoid arthritis. It takes some time to show results, and does not act like instant pain killers.

10. Heated mustard oil with powdered camphor added to it can treat effectively the affected joints.

11. Australian Emu oil functions as an effective pain relief rub.

12. Massaging joints with hot vinegar yields good results.

13. An effective massage ointment may be prepared by mixing two parts of olive oil and one part of kerosene. It functions as a beneficial rub.

14. Narayana oil is actually sesame oil treated with herbs. It is very useful for massaging painful joints and reduces muscle tightness.

15. Rumatone gold oil available in market has anti-inflammatory properties. It is helpful for arthritis. This massage oil not only treats inflamed joints but also relaxes muscle around joints. This herbal preparation is good for aching joints.

Permanent Solution To Cure Arthritis

Arthritis is a disorder of the joints. The word "arthritis" is a Greek Words "Arthon" which means joint and "Itis", which means inflammation.

That goes to mean that arthritis is the inflammation of joints which a lot of people will experience in their life time. There are hundred types of joint disorder and they are all related. This means everyone will experience joint pain at some time of their life but you may not know when it will be your turn.

Arthritis is usually characterized by pain, swelling and stiffness which can lead to deformity. Sometimes it can also be called rheumatism which is a term use commonly to describe aches and pains in muscles and joints.

A joint is where two bones meet. There are immobile and mobile joints. Immobile joints are referred to as inflexible and semi-inflexible joint of the body. These joints does not move much as they have no cavity, e.g. head and spinal cord.

Mobile joints are the flexible joints of the body; for example the shoulder, knee, waist, toe, finger, etc. They all have a cavity.

There are different type of Arthritis:

1. Osteoarthritis is the most common type that almost everyone will experience at some point of their lives. This is because it is a degeneration or wearing out of joint due to old age, over-exertion or injury. This type of arthritis affects the mobile joints of the body and can be due to wear and tear, heredity or excessive stress on dislocated joint, not properly healed injured joint and overweight that put extra weight on those hips and knees.

Those who stand for longer hours every day are prone to pain on the knees. And those whose occupation requires lifting heavy objects are prone to waist pain which is usually called lumbago.

2. Rheumatoid Arthritis
This is an inflammation of the same joints on the two sides of the body e.g. say you experience a pain in the right knee or shoulder on one side, it will still be showing up at the other side. The pain or symptoms tend to come and go. This is more common between the age of 25 and 55. Infants can also experience this type of arthritis.

This type is usually caused by viruses that live in the body for a long time undetected and never treated. It can be cause by immune-deficiency syndrome, a situation where the anti-bodies that was suppose to fight against foreign agents begin to attack the tissues of the joint which cause inflammation and pain.

Early Signs Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Pain and stiffness in one or two joints like the hands and feet and the pain come and go. It is usually worst in the morning and wears off during the day. As this progress, the pain and inflammation becomes more painful and starts to spread to other parts of the body such as the elbows, knees, hips, waist, ankles, shoulders and neck. It can make the person weak, tired, feverish and pale plus the eyes become dry due to a reduction in tears. The mouth also becomes dry due to reduction of salivary fluid and lack of appetite which can be followed by weight loss.

How To Eradicate Arthritis Pain

To treat arthritis and eradicate the pain, the aims are:
1. To strengthen the bones
2. Repair damaged joint tissues e.g. the cartilage
3. Strengthen the immune system against bacteria and viruses
4. Eradicate the pain symptoms

To achieve these aims, diet is very important. Processed or refined food and drinks like sugar, cold foods, biscuits and ice-cream or coffee must be avoided. Smoking and alcohol of all kinds must be avoided.

Take plenty of water upon rising up daily and use fruits for breakfast. Fruits and certain vegetables can help mops off uric acids deposited from the joints and help in the healing process.

Get the right bone supplements that can repair damaged cartilage (the damaging of the cartilage is what results in deformity or folding of body due to arthritis) and strengthen the immune system against bacteria and viruses.

Effective Ways Of Treating Arthritis Back Pain

Although arthritic conditions may not originate in the lumbar region, they can also affect the back and result in arthritis back pain. Commonly, there are a few types of arthritic conditions that may need back pain treatment as well, such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. These conditions may not begin in the spine, but may ultimately travel to the lumbar region.

Osteoarthritis refers to the loss of protective cartilage that results in abnormalities surrounding the bone. Osteoarthritis strikes in two forms: primary, the most common, progressive type that sets in around age forty-five and the secondary form resulting from a trauma or injury. Osteoarthritis also affects the spine and it can be painful at any age. The condition commonly affects the small joints in the hands, the hip, the knee and the spine. A typical symptom of Osteoarthritis is pain without activity upon waking up. The pain subsides with movement and intensifies in damp weather. In addition, sitting for a prolonged period of time also causes the spine to hurt.

Typically, back pain patients suffering from Osteoarthritis are advised to maintain a regular regimen of gentle exercise and proper weight balance. In addition, they are also prescribed with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) which can help them to relieve the back pain and allow the recovery of weak muscles.

Another common arthritic condition that may lead to arthritis back pain is rheumatoid arthritis. This form of arthritis, usually affects the knee, hip, hand, neck and spine areas. It is usually more common in women than in men. The first symptom of rheumatoid arthritis is malaise and fatigue, including morning tenderness and prolonged stiffness of the joints, particularly in the hands and feet. As symptoms intensify, drug therapy is used to prevent irreversible cartilage loss or deformity. If joint swelling worsens, the inflammation process proceeds to the cartilage and bone. In the final stages, overgrowth of cartilage and destruction of the bone throw ligaments out of position.

One effective treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is to remain active during the day. You should exercise for at least twenty minutes a day to help build muscle strength. Besides this, NSAIDS are being used to reduce swelling and pain in the joints. If NSAIDS do not work, you may instead be given cortisone to reduce inflammation.

For more information on effective back pain remedies, quick cures for back pain or fun back pain exercises, you can visit this site: Back Pain Clinic

Upper Back Pain Between Shoulder Blades

When it comes to upper back pain between shoulder blades, there is some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that there is a whole host of problems that can cause upper back pain between the shoulder blades.

Fortunately...
The pain is not always the sharp intense pain that is associated with osteoporosis, herniated discs, sciatica, a malformed spinal cord, compressed vertebra, rheumatoid arthritis, or one of the other many degenerative physical problems that can create upper back pain.

These sort of disorders require professional medical treatment - frequently will require surgery - and are beyond the scope of this article...

It's a scary list of problems that can cause back pain.

But, for severe back pain relief, there is hope...
Though it is often far more annoying than the sharp pains mentioned above, we often experience a dull ache between the shoulder blades. This type of malady is frequently muscular in nature and treatable with some simple exercises.

One main cause of this upper back pain between shoulder blades is poor posture. When you have poor posture, the extra pressure placed on the neck muscles is often the cause of upper back pain.

The first step is to be aware that our backache is caused by poor posture - check with your family physician. Then - of course - it is important that you find the best way to get rid of that pain. One of the best treatments to get rid of inflammatory back pain is to exercise.

Not only will exercising the muscles loosen them up, but you'll learn to maintain the proper posture that will keep the upper back pain between shoulder blades away.

Here are 5 ideas...
1. One of the best stretches that you can do to loosen the muscles is to sit with your legs extended straight out in front of you.

Bend forward and reach for your toes, if you can, hook your fingers under your feet. If you aren't able to do that (yet), stretch your arms as far forward as you can. Bending forward helps to loosen the muscles of the lower back, and stretching your arms helps to loosen the muscles of your upper back.

On ALL stretching exercises - do them as a gentle, continuous stretch - don't bounce! Bouncing can strain or even sprain your muscles. In extreme cases it could cause vertebral injury.

Another excellent stretch is to lie on your back and reach your arms and legs as far in the opposite directions as possible. This therapy will help to loosen and relax the muscles that you have tensed up with poor posture.

One way to prevent and relieve the chronic pain we often get in our neck is to actually strengthen our neck muscles.

Here is a simple way you can exercise your neck to build the muscle strength that will help you avoid the causes of and get upper back pain relief.

2. Push your neck in one direction with your finger, while your neck muscles push your head in the other direction.

3. You can also use your head to hold a ball against the wall as an exercise to work out your neck muscles. You can start simply by holding it, then move on to pushing it against the wall 10 or 20 times, then pushing the ball against the wall continuously for 20 to 30 seconds.

4. Work in some exercises to help strengthen your back and abdominal muscles, especially exercises that focus on the upper back. Exercises that require your arms to pull, use your upper back muscles. Strengthening these muscles is one of the best ways to avoid and get relief from upper back pain between shoulder blades.

5. Correct your posture by practicing standing up straight and holding your head up high. Roll your shoulders back in order to lift them and keep your spine straight. Point your chin forward and lift your head to correct your posture.

Be careful if you are going to work out your neck to reduce upper back pain between shoulder blades. Your neck is delicate and can be sensitive, and you could injure it if you aren't careful. Start slowly when doing neck exercises, and slowly increase the intensity of your neck workout as time progresses. If you start to feel sore, stop.

Medication...
As soon as we start to feel any pain in our body, many of us immediately go for the nearest pain medication. Medications (such as ibuprofen) can help with the immediate inflammation... but this can be a big mistake. Medication only treats the symptoms, not the root causes of the problem and you will find only temporary pain relief. As soon as the medication wears off, the chronic back pain comes back.

True, it's more work and a bit of a hassle, but taking the time to exercise and strengthen your back and neck muscles will have long term benefits and is well worth the effort.

Check to be sure you don't have any sort of vertebrae herniation or disease and you'll often find that a simple massage will do the trick! Or possibly a visit or two to get an acupuncture treatment.

The point is, not all back problems are the result of stenosis or osteopathic in nature or require back surgery. Often, to get rid of upper back pain between the shoulder blades, the top therapy may be a daily 10 minute exercise session.

Typical Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms

Nearly one out of three persons in the United States suffers from a joint disease. The more common type of arthritis that afflicts persons is rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is a disabling joint disease where chemical changes in the blood caused by inflammation have been found to take place. The inflammation is believed to be produced by the body's auto-immune immune system attacking itself. It damages the surrounding tissues like blood vessels, nerves, skin, heart, muscles and lungs when the inflammation is left without immediate treatment.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms may start showing at an early age such as those seen in children suffering Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Most often, the symptom begins with sudden fever accompanied by a light rash that immediately disappears. And similar to adults, persistent joint swelling, stiffness of the affected area especially in the morning or after a day's rest are also felt.

Unlike osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis symptoms may show before the age of 45 among adults. It may start as part of a severe illness usually with high fever. Sometimes the disease also develops in a subtle way without the patient noticing its occurrence until it is too late.

This happens when there is no amount of discomfort felt except the apparent loss of appetite, decrease in weight and probably a mild fever. Often, without immediate treatment deformities have developed before the disease could be pointed out as the cause. Tenderness, redness and excessive warmth on the areas affected also indicate the presence of the disease.

The inflammation of the joint usually lasts to as short as a few minutes or continue to a number of years depending on the treatment. At the onset of the disease, the tendons become shortened and the normal balance of the muscles is hampered. When the muscles are weakened they lose their strength. This is most evident in the inability to grip or make a tight fist among patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the hands.

The stiffening of some parts of the body that build up during time of rests or a night's sleep which gradually disappears when the patient starts moving, is one of the most common rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. The stiffness results from the muscular weakness caused by the disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms are most obvious in the hands and feet. It also appears in other body joints such as elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, spine and ankles. Sometimes the jawbones are involved. Among patients, the involvement of both joints on the two sides of the body and usually with the same pattern of development is due to the fact that the disease is symmetric. The symptoms may not come often to some people but they generally appear and heighten at periods of severe stress.

It is also possible that one might show symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis but may actually be suffering from other specific types of arthritis. A related but separate disease is the Ankylosing Spondylitis which shows symptoms similar to it. Sometimes, the presence of the disease predisposes the patient to other types of joint disease like cervical arthritis.

Proven Facts on the Benefits of Marijuana For Arthritis Patients

Proven Facts on the Benefits of Marijuana for Arthritis Patients

Any number of marijuana users, whether medicinal or recreational, will tell you that "Mary J" is great for relaxation. In fact, you would probably receive a list of problems the drug has helped relieve or alleviate all together.

As an arthritis patient looking for alternatives to synthesized medicines, unable to use traditional medications or physically unreceptive to traditional medication, you may be skeptical. You may be disbelieving. You may, in fact, consider marijuana users to be a little lacking in the intelligence quotient, merely trying to make their drug use acceptable.

However, as the title of this article indicates, there is scientifically proven evidence that medicinal marijuana can, indeed, provide relief from arthritic pain.

What is Medicinal Marijuana?

First, it must be noted that there are two major differences between medicinal marijuana and commercial or "street" marijuana.

1. Commercial marijuana can come from any number of cannabis strains. Different strains have varying pain relieving, anti-inflammatory, etc. potencies. The potency of commercial marijuana can't be guaranteed. Medicinal marijuana strains, on the other hand, are chosen for specifically for their potency and effects.

2. Some commercial marijuana has been fertilized with unsafe fertilizers. These fertilizers may contain metal derivatives and other toxic substances or by-products. Medicinal marijuana is fertilized carefully, with the health of the patient in mind, with nontoxic fertilizers.

It is not recommended that one buy commercial marijuana (or marihuana) to replace a prescription for medicinal marijuana.

Proven Benefits of Marijuana for Arthritis Patients

Although the legal aspects in many countries, funding and other issues inhibit the number of studies on the therapeutic aspects of marijuana, there is still a surprising amounts of information available. The facts so far are clear:

- Marijuana has shown to be an anti-inflammatory
- The potential for cannabis use to help inflammation and muscle spasms have been proven for several illnesses
- Marijuana has been used as a pain treatment for hundreds of years, if not thousands (some records date back to B.C.)
- Studies suggest that marijuana may not only help inflammation, but may lower the actual growth of the disease itself

Dr. Tom Mikuriya, a member of Mensa and several well-known organizations studying medicinal marijuana, wrote in 2002:

"Clinical interviews of over 6500 members at cannabis buyers clubs and patients in my office practice lead to this generalization: Many illnesses or conditions present with both inflammation and muscle spasm. Cannabis is both an antispasmodic and anti inflammatory."

Well known and respected as an authority on the therapeutic uses of marijuana, Dr Mikuriya also states "Chronic inflammatory conditions like arthritis and lumbosacral disease responds well to cannabis compared with other analgesics."

In 2005, Rheumatology Advance Access online published a study by Dr. Blake et al of the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath. Noted as "the first controlled trial of a CBM [cannabis based medicine] in the symptomatic treatment of RA in humans", the study was based on several facts:

- Marijuana has historically been used as a pain treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, although its therapeutic potential has never been evaluated in a clinical study.

- THC and CBD, the two main components of marijuana, have been recognized as "key therapeutic constituents that act synergistically together and with other plant constituents."

- THC has shown pain relieving abilities for both nociceptive and neropathic pain.

- CBD has shown the ability to block the progression of rheumatoid arthritis, while both THC and CBD have anti-inflammatory effects.

"In comparison with placebo, the CBM produced statistically significant improvements in pain on movement, pain at rest, quality of sleep, DAS28 and the SF-MPQ pain at present component. There was no effect on morning stiffness but baseline scores were low. The large majority of adverse effects were mild or moderate, and there were no adverse effect-related withdrawals or serious adverse effects in the active treatment group."

Due to the surprising responses, the researchers ended the study with a call for more studies. "We believe this to be the first controlled study of a CBM in rheumatoid arthritis, and the results are encouraging. The beneficial effects occurred in the context of a dosing regime restricted to evening dosing in order to minimize any possible intoxication-type reactions. However, 24-h dosing with this CBM (Sativex) using a self-titration regime in the context of multiple sclerosis resulted in only minimal intoxication scores [9]. Larger, more prolonged studies of CBM in rheumatoid arthritis are indicated."

In 2006, the Center of Drug Discovery in Boston, Massachusetts published a study entitled The Cannabinergic System as a Target for Anti-inflammatory Therapies. With habitual cannabis use proven to affect the immune system, endocannabinoid research has helped to understand the effects through cell-based or in vivo animal testing.

According to the study, these tests "suggest that regulation of the endocannabinoid circuitry can impact almost every major function associated with the immune system.... the results suggest therapeutic opportunities for a variety of inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, atherosclerosis, allergic asthma, and autoimmune diabetes through modulation of the endocannabinoid system."

Although many a naysayer mentions the potentials for overdose, it must be noted that there has never been one documented case of someone overdosing on marijuana, whether through recreational or medicinal use. As well, many are concerned about cancer-causing agents through inhaling the smoke, but a comprehensive study in 2006 could show no proof of marijuana causing lung cancer.

Finally, remember that medical marijuana should not be smoked. Using it in baking or with a vaporizer will offer the therapeutic benefits needed to alleviate arthritis symptoms.

Know How to Identify An Arthritis Symptom

There comes a time in everyone's life when age starts to creep up on us. In some cases, the amount of damage we've done to our bodies in our youth has a way of coming back to haunt us, especially when it comes to certain types of arthritis.

As we grow older, most people wake a little stiffer in the morning and experience typical aches and pains, but how do you know if it's arthritis that's troubling you? Knowing how to identify an arthritis symptom can take a load of worry off your mind.

First of all, it's important to know what arthritis is. It's not just a disease that strikes old people. Many children, teens and young adults are diagnosed with some form of arthritis every day. While over 40 million adults suffer from one form of arthritis in the United States, nearly a quarter million of those are children.

As a matter of fact, most people who suffer from arthritis are under the age of 65, and nearly 60 percent of those are women. In addition, there are over 100 different forms of the disease, though the two most common, and generally known, are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

An arthritis symptom can be one issue, or a multitude of issues. For most, the classic symptom is joint stiffness, followed by swelling, redness and even warmth in the affected joint area. For some, these symptoms may be fleeting and may occur more often in cooler weather than warm. For some, joints may be painful and tender to the touch, while for others, pain is felt as a persistent ache that lingers for days.

Because arthritis is a rheumatic disease, arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis, can affect more than just the bones, muscles and other connective tissues to involve major body organs. For some, arthritis symptom signs may also include fever, as well as an unexplained weight loss, fatigue and a general feeling of blase.

Early diagnoses of many forms of arthritis can prevent future damage to bones and tissues as well as to prevent loss of joint movement through various treatment methods such as exercise, medications and rest. If you feel that you may have an arthritis symptom, or are uncertain, schedule a visit to your doctor and explain your concerns. Your doctor may ask for a series of x-rays to determine bone health and size, and he or she may also request blood work to determine what's going on.

In many cases, primary care physicians will refer people to a rheumatologist, or in plain English, an arthritis doctor, in order to determine exactly what form of arthritis you may be suffering from. However, keep in mind that just because you wake up occasionally with achy joints doesn't mean you have arthritis. Knowing your body is the key.

Most people are able to determine when something's not quite right with their body, and accompanying pain is often an indication that it's time to visit the doctor. Early diagnosis of arthritis can prevent further damage and help you to get back to that healthy, active lifestyle that you've always enjoyed.

Knowing your body and understanding different arthritis symptom clues may greatly enhance your chances of maintaining that lifestyle, so always listen when your body is trying to tell you something.

Arthritis Treatment: What Is Hemochromatosis and What Kind of Arthritis Does It Cause?

Hemochromatosis, or as it is often referred to as hereditary hemochromatosis, is due to a mutation in a gene that controls the amount of iron absorbed from the intestine.

The gene mutated with hereditary hemochromatosis is called HFE. Each parent contributes the HFE gene. The HFE gene has two common mutations, C282Y and H63D.

If a patient inherits two mutated HFE genes, the likelihood is very high, they will get hemochromatosis.

If one abnormal gene is inherited, the likelihood is the patient won't develop hemochromatosis.

Still the amount of iron absorbed from the intestine may be a bit higher than normal and the mutated gene can be passed on to children.

Genetic testing can detect mutations in the HFE gene.

Normally, about 10 per cent of iron is absorbed from the gut. There is a balance the body establishes so that iron absorption is controlled by iron loss.

In people with hemochromatosis, the amount of iron absorbed can be 20-30 per cent making it impossible for the body to get rid of enough iron. Iron accumulates in various organs including the liver, heart, pancreas, and joints.

Risk factors for contracting hemochromatosis are: genetics, family history, Northern European extraction, and male gender. After menopause, women tend to have an increased incidence as well. It appears that menstruation may be protective premenopausal. Symptoms include fatigue, joint aches and pains, impotence, loss of menses, and abdominal pain.

Diagnosis can be established through screening blood tests such as serum transferrin saturation and serum ferritin.

Liver biopsy is definitive.

Genetic analysis can detect the HFE mutation.

Complications of hemochromatosis include cirrhosis of the liver, heart abnormalities such as rhythm abnormalities and congestive heart failure, as well as thyroid deficiency, diabetes and arthritis. Patients develop discoloration of the skin also.

Arthritis is present in 80 per cent of people with hemochromatosis.

The arthritis is characterized by involvement of the hands, wrists, shoulders, hips, and knees. People with this type of arthritis almost always have calcium pyrophosphate deposits in the affected joints. The arthritis is usually not symmetric. It can mimic osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The treatment for this type of arthritis is identical to treatment for other patients who have calcium pyrophosphate arthritis.

Treatment of hemochromatosis involves phlebotomy as well as avoidance of iron-containing foods, vitamin C which enhances iron absorption, alcohol, as well as raw seafood. The latter contains potentially harmful bacteria that can cause life-threatening complications in patients with hemochromatosis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment - How a Deer Can Help Rebuild Cartilage and Cure Arthritis

Did you know that rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most debilitating forms of arthritis because symptoms make everyday tasks nearly impossible? Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory condition which causes the joints to throb and eventually become disfigured. Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) include: inflammation; pain; little movement; and joint disfigurement.

Though the cause of RA is unknown, there is an effective arthritis natural treatment which allows arthritis suffers to reduce the pain, reduce the inflammation and rebuild the cartilage between the joints. If you suffer from arthritis, you should immediately begin simple remedies to reduce the symptoms and rebuild the cartilage.

Why You Shouldn't Choose Prescription Medications

It might be important to consider why you want to rebuild the cartilage between the joints. Normally, arthritis sufferers take some form of medication reducing the inflammation and eliminating the pain. However, the problem with this remains that the joint is still aching but the brain is not registering the pain. Therefore, the unaware arthritic patient goes on hurting the joints and cartilage more and more while severely damaging the joints and existing cartilage.

The equivalent of this would be putting a piece of tape over the car's 'check engine oil' light and hoping you can finish the road trip. Though you might make it back to your house, the engine will eventually blow up without oil. You must put oil in your engine and you must rebuild cartilage if you wish to use your joints the rest of your life.

And above all that, you might want to safe your liver from the harsh drugs?

How to Reduce Arthritis Pain and Rebuild Cartilage

If you have ever been around deer you might notice something miraculously astounding about bucks (male deer). The male deer can naturally regenerate its antlers in months! In fact, a deer will grind its antlers on a tree, and completely strip the velvet off. However, months later, the deer antler velvet regenerates itself completely.

This isn't the end of our science lesson though. Russian scientists discovered after isolating compounds in deer antler velvet; they could use the compounds to rebuild cartilage between human joints. In fact, this natural remedy has been used for hundreds of years first starting with Asian countries.

How does this relate to you? This is one simple natural treatment to cure arthritis and not only hide the pain!

Other Simple Cures for Arthritis

Did you know that you can treat and cure arthritis with other simple cures? In fact, by eating a proper diet, drinking the correct fluids (water), doing the correct breathing exercises daily, getting an adequate amount of low-impact exercise, reducing stress and taking the correct vitamins and natural supplements you can actually eliminate almost 100% of arthritis NATURALLY (No Drugs and No Surgery Needed)! To discover what thousands of arthritis sufferers already have, please visit our Natural Cure for Arthritis Website.

Naturally Cure for Arthritis

Reduce Arthritis Pain by Changing Your Diet

Many people have long believed that certain foods contributed to arthritis pain flare ups. For years, people who claimed to experience pain relief by eliminating certain foods and food groups from their diet were dismissed. Today, physicians and laypersons alike are discovering that diet is often linked to worsening or improvement of conditions like arthritis.

People suffering from joint pain have revealed that red meat, fat, salt, caffeine, sugar and tomatoes were foods that made joint pain worse. When the offending foods were removed from the diet, the arthritis pain was reduced.

Certain dairy products, especially cow's milk, are also associated with increased pain in arthritis sufferers. While a strong connection has not yet been made, it is feasible that arthritis and the consumption of milk products are linked when there are signs of a milk allergy. An allergic response is a sign that the body recognizes something as harmful or foreign, which can trigger a systemic inflammatory reaction. Various studies have pointed out that some people who suffer from arthritis may have an allergy to cow's milk. The proteins found in cow's milk, such as casein and whey, have also been found to be possible allergic triggers. However, cow's milk also contains hormones and antibiotics which may also cause health problems in some people. If you believe cow's milk is causing your arthritis symptoms, then eliminate all foods that contain cow's milk from your diet for at least 2 weeks. If your symptoms improve, then you should consider getting your calcium from other food sources. Some foods that are abundant in calcium include dark green leafy vegetables, sardines, almonds, and tofu.

Dietary changes can help relieve the discomfort of arthritis. Omega-3 oils taken as a supplement or by eating foods rich in omega-3 and polyunsaturated fats helps relieve joint pain. Foods rich in natural plant fats and antioxidants, but low in saturated fats may help relieve joint pain. Vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help cleanse the body of cell destroying free radicals. A diet of grains, beans, fruits and vegetables can help relieve joint pain. Keep a food diary to document pain flare ups in connection with the kinds of food you eat. If you notice your joint discomfort increase or decrease in connection with a particular food, adjust your diet accordingly. Adding a dietary supplement of fatty acids may help if a change in diet does not provide adequate pain relief. Flaxseed or blackcurrant oil is available at health food stores. See your physician before beginning a regimen of supplements and always follow the dosage instructions.

Foods that usually contribute to arthritis pain are all dairy products, corn, meat, eggs, potatoes and citrus fruits. Grains such as wheat, oats and rye have also been linked to joint discomfort. Nuts, coffee and tomatoes have also been linked to increases in arthritis pain. Eliminating or reducing these foods from your diet may help reduce joint pain.

Foods that will almost never contribute to increased arthritis pain or other inflammation are brown rice, dried and cooked fruits, pears, prunes and cranberries. Vegetables such as artichokes, broccoli, lettuce, beans, squash and sweet potatoes should not contribute to increased discomfort. Include brightly colored vegetables like pumpkin and greens cooked or raw in your diet. Drinks that contain caffeine may cause increased joint pain. Eliminate caffeine from your diet to help alleviate the pain of arthritis.

How to Stop Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain!

Having a debilitating physical condition is bad enough, but it's even worse when doctors don't even know the real cause of the illness. Welcome to the delemma faced by two million sufferers of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis(R.A.) is a painful condition that can fully impact your quality of life and your lifestyle because it effects the joints. Doctors are still baffled by the causes but they do know that it is an auto immune system disease. So basically with Rheumatoid Arthritis the bodies auto immune system (which is the gatekeeper for all of the foreign substances that can enter your body) ) breaks down! When this occurs, it cannot defend and drive away the viruses and bacteria.

Those who suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis have an immune system which is constantly under attack; can't ward off the intruders and eventually malfunctions as a result. Even otherwise normal parts of the body are prey and are vulnerable to this takeover.

The main symptoms come from the tissue area that surrounds the joints,( usually in the feet or hands) and there is considerable inflammation which causes a varying degree of pain. In the course of this tissue attack, the joint region is open to further destruction and degeneration.

Joints are a meeting place where two bones converge. They rotate around each other. The different parts include the cartilage, which provides a smooth surface and allows the bones to move around without friction. And surrounding the cartilage is a membrane called the synovium, which produces a thick oil-like substance that lubricates the joint.

The joint itself is supported by a wrapping of ligaments which hold the bones in place and keep them moving in the right direction. For sufferers of Rheumatoid Arthritis, the bodies immune system attacks the healthy tissue of the joints. Fluids enter along with antibodies and defense cells and the joint starts to swell; stiffen and cause pain! After a while there can be permanent decay and degeneration which could cause disfigurement if left untreated.

So, what do you do to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis and how do you stop R.A.'s onslaught?

Since the causes are still unknown it's hard to say that you can prevent it, but knowing the effects of the disease can help you to treat the symptoms that start with the breakdown of the joint itself.

Recently, the use of an all natural substance called cetylmyristoleate (CMO) has proven to be very effective. Cetylmyristoleate (CMO) is a waxy/ gooey substance which is taken orally, that lubricates the membrane of the synovium, thus restoring some of the lost fluidity of the joint. This relieves the swelling; inflammation and pain and also assists in a broader range of motion.

Can we stop Rheumatoid Arthritis?.... probably not! - but we can ease the pain and suffering by regenerating parts of the joint region. We can start by using cetylmyristoleate(CMO) on a regular basis.