Doctor...Why Does Arthritis Cause Fatigue?

Fatigue is extremely common in patients who have arthritis. While it is a common complaint in patients who have "bread and butter" types of arthritis like osteoarthritis, it is even more common in patients who have inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Fatigue is often a sign of a flare of disease.

Another condition often accompanied by fatigue is fibromyalgia.

There are many factors that may be responsible for fatigue.

Sometimes it is the body's method for dealing with a chronic painful condition. The body craves rest because it uses so much energy to combat the pain.

Another common reason is that arthritis often interrupts sleep. Not only is it more difficult to get to sleep but patients will wake up during the night, they will have difficulty falling back to sleep, and they will awaken early in the morning. This early morning awakening may also signal the presence of depression which is also a common problem in patients who have arthritis. Depression is also a cause of fatigue in patients with arthritis.

A corollary to this is stress. Stress not only aggravates the pain of arthritis; it can also aggravate fatigue.

Patients with more serious types of disease may have anemia which compounds the fatigue problem.

Medications can also contribute to fatigue. For instance some patients who are on methotrexate often report a "washed-out" feeling that occurs for one to two days after taking their methotrexate dose.

Fatigue has a major impact on the life of a person with arthritis. It causes daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and limits interpersonal relationships. Participating in all types of activities becomes more difficult. Also, some people fall into a nasty cycle of feeling tired, taking a nap during the day, which prevents them from getting to sleep that night.

So what can be done?

The most important thing is to get the arthritis under good control. That often improves fatigue by itself. Effective medications often make a big difference!

Correcting anemia is another action step. Sometimes the anemia will correct itself when the disease is controlled. Other times iron deficiency or other problems need to be addressed.

Improving the quality of sleep can help. Changing to a mattress made of memory foam is reported by some patients to be useful.

Getting into a regular sleep cycle is a good idea. Avoid large meals and caffeinated beverages before going to sleep. Sounds like common sense but too many people don't follow common sense rules1

Medicines that adversely affect sleep like prednisone and hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) should be taken in the morning rather than in the evening.

A nice hot bath or shower before going to bed sometimes is helpful. Using warm moist heating pads is also a nice thing to try. Getting into a regular relaxing routine that consists of reading, listening to soft music, etc. can also ensure good quality sleep.

Regular exercise is another contributor to good quality sleep. Lack of exercise often causes fatigue. Regular exercise provides more energy, increases stamina, and improves sleep.

Stress reduction is an obvious benefit.

Eating a well-balanced diet can also contribute to less fatigue.

Patients should try to avoid prescription sleeping pills if possible. Herbal remedies may be useful though.

Arthritis Pain? Stop Eating Junk Food And Get Relief From Pain Naturally

After years of aggravating joint pain I finally found relief from my arthritis pain, naturally, and you can do it too. I got rid of my arthritis symptoms and arthritis pain forever by making one simple change in my lifestyle. I stopped eating all junk food.

Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease of the joint cartilage and bone. It's often thought to result from continuous "wear and tear" on a joint. There are other causes of arthritis such as congenital arthritis with congenital defects, trauma and metabolic disorders. And osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. When people refer to arthritis they usually mean osteoarthritis not rheumatoid arthritis, which can be detected by blood tests. Osteoarthritis cannot be diagnosed using blood tests. Arthritis is usually found in the joints of the fingers, feet, knees, hips, and spine.

The ability to make repairs to the cartilage becomes very limited as cartilage cells age. Damaged joints cause pain and arthritis sufferers are constantly looking for ways to relieve this pain. Our joints are uniquely designed to provide flexibility, support, stability, and protection.

Genetic factors are thought to be involved in about fifty percent of osteoarthritis cases in the hands and hips and a somewhat lower percentage of cases for the knee. An inflammatory response causes cytokines to gather in injured areas and cause inflammation and damage to body tissue and cells. It's known to play a role in a systemic form of arthritis - rheumatoid arthritis and other muscle and joint issues associated with autoimmune diseases. Genetic researchers report a higher incidence of osteoarthritis between parents and children and between siblings rather than between husbands and wives.

For part of a dietary approach try avoiding seven of the eight most allergic foods - wheat, which is the most allergenic of all, corn, eggs, milk, peanuts, fish and shellfish. If you really want to get rid of your arthritis pain forever it may take a big change in your diet and an ongoing commitment to it. So the first step in managing your arthritis is to change your diet. I think all health professionals would agree with this.

Try massaging your fingers or other affected joints with virgin coconut oil once or twice a day to help loosen them up and maintain flexibility. Nutrition experts say it takes a combination of supplements, not just one supplement to help relieve arthritis pain, build cartilage, etc. but studies done on antioxidant vitamins question their value as supplements. It's clearly better to consume these antioxidants in living plant foods because they may also need to work together with other nutrients present in the foods to work properly - called synergistic action.

One good natural treatment method involves avoiding all inflammatory foods. And dried Montmorency tart cherries and cherries and their juice seem to be helpful as a natural treatment for arthritis pain for many people.

Gluten may be just one of the culprits in arthritic diseases including fibromyalgia. So avoid wheat, barley, rye, spelt, triticale, kamut and oats (although it's not a gluten grain it gets contaminated with wheat during the milling process at the where it is usually milled). Many arthritis sufferers who've changed their diets significantly have noticed major or total improvement in their overall health.

Exercise all your non-affected and affected joints every day, to keep them flexible. Even if you don't think you can exercise, you can do some movements no matter how small so just keep moving as much as possible. Don't lie down when you can sit and don't sit when you can stand. Keep your feet moving. Use the Chinese Taiji health balls, the kind with the chimes, to strengthen the finger joints. To use them hold the two balls in on hand, move them in a clockwise circle with your fingers to rotate them, then try moving them counterclockwise and do this off and on throughout the day and at bedtime. If you do have pain and swelling in your fingers, you can try squeezing some Thera-putty, which is made for this purpose. It's available at your local health equipment supplier.

Try wearing pair of stretch gloves at night to help reduce the pain and swelling in your fingers if you have arthritic hands. A doctor I know said he has found sleeping in a sleeping bag on his bed has really helped him. If weight is an issue, try to using exercises that will help you with arthritis and in losing weight such as walking, even if just around the block a few times. And did I mention to make sure to keep moving?

Please be aware that the use of pain relievers like NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors do not halt the progress of osteoarthritis and may even hasten its onset. Only you know which arthritis treatment options are best for you. As for conventional treatment of arthritis - if you do choose to take drugs or arthritis medicines, be very careful, read the labels thoroughly and talk to your pharmacist about side effects and adverse reactions. Make sure you know the name of your medications and if they'll react with any other medications you're taking. Always know the name and dosage measurement of your drugs in case of an emergency situation.

So begin your treatment program with a diet change, exercise and weight loss plan to see the best results and pain relief fast. Your treatment plan should include an anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritis diet, lots of movement, exercise, and a positive mental outlook. Arthritis pain relief of your arthritis symptoms is the ultimate goal. Understanding arthritis and conventional and natural arthritis treatments and applying what will work for you is a good way to get there.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Relief - Natural Cures For Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain

Rheumatoid arthritis is related with the chronic disorder of which there is no exact known care. But the debilitating effects of the chronic rheumatoid arthritis can be reduced by exercise as well as with the proper nutrition. It will not be cured completely but to a great degree. In comparison to the general population the risk of the people dying with the problem of rheumatoid arthritis is twice. The risk of dying increased due to reduced mass muscle. Approximately 30% of the muscle mass is reduced of the people belonging to the group of 70 years and if you loose about 40% then you will die.

People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis must eat more protein in comparison to the normal and healthy people. According to some expert's people suffering from rheumatoid must eat about 2.7 ounces of protein daily which is roughly equal to 4 ounce of the breast of the chicken or two servings of beans. But simple eating protein will not help you in building the muscles and in return will reduce the problem of arthritis. Exercises which includes leg lifts and arm exercises using weights is helpful in building muscle and as a result protein can be stored.

People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis are usually deficient of vitamin B. if we are suffering from the problem of arthritis then we must worry about the intake of B6, B12 and folate. Supplements are also very important for the people suffering from the problem of rheumatoid especially the older people who lose the ability to absorb B12 from the food. In such a case and people of that category must take these vitamins with the help of the pills.

'Free radicals' are also one of the probable cause for the damage caused by the rheumatoid arthritis. Free radicals are the destructive and fast moving atoms which are produced by smoking, inhaling pollutants or being exposed to ultraviolet radiation of the sun. Free radicals circulate through out the body and damage the cells. It is believed to be the root cause of many chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer, rheumatoid, Alzheimer's disease and also Parkinson's disease.

According to the European studies, to reduce the affect of free radicals large doses of vitamin E have a good effect. Vitamin E in particular has been very helpful and effective in reducing the pain due to rheumatoid arthritis. People suffering from rheumatoid arthritis have increased free radicals and reduced vitamin E, C, and beta carotene.

Helpful Habits In Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis

Even though you may suffer with rheumatoid arthritis pain, doesn't mean it has to have complete domination over the rest of your life. Even if you've endured this monster for years, there's a good chance that you can have some effective control by learning all you can about managing and controlling what happens in your body in relation to your rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Many have received lasting results and relief just by following a few helpful guidelines.

Be Practical

Do everything practical that you possibly can to alleviate your joint pain. If your doctor has prescribed a particular medicine for you to take, take it. Use heat pads or cold packs at the first sign of trouble. Get off your feet. Elevate your legs. Get some rest.

Prioritize Your Activites

Cut down on some of your scheduled activities for the day if your joints are swollen or giving you problems. Only do what's necessary and then get off your feet. If the swelling is more painful than usual don't attempt to do anything at all except to rest and maybe call your doctor if you think it's serious enough to call for it.

Exercise With Caution

Exercise as much as you can because it's good for the joints. Exercise acts like lubrication to the joints but don't over do it if your joints become painful. The exercise will actually begin to help alleviate the pain at some point but you must use caution and listen to your body's signal to stop. In time you will be able to do more.

Rest

Get as much rest as you possibly can. Your joints need the rest whether you feel like you need it or not. This is especially so during flare ups or even if you have just minor swelling and pain. And while you're resting be sure to move around a bit every so often, stretching the legs and especially readjusting them so as not to leave them in a bent position for too long. A prolonged bent positioning of your joints can damage the surrounding tissues and will in time curtail the mobility of those already painful joints. You are experiencing enough pain and limited mobility as it is so pay attention to those bent knees while you're resting day or night.

Allergy Watch

Pay particular attention to any allergies that you might have. There used to be a time when doctors thought it was pure nonsense or just plain folklore to suggest that allergies could trigger an arthritis flare-up. Today leading specialists acknowledge that in regard to arthritis symptoms, what you eat can either make your life easier or miserable. Studies have shown that certain foods can either cause or precipitate inflammation in the joints while other food substances can control inflammation, which is in essence like squelching the arthritis symptoms. Although these studies have their own individual results, you have to watch what seems to trigger inflammation and the accompanying flare-ups in your own case. What triggers a flare-up for you may not be a problem for your best friend. An excellent way to begin paying attention to your own allergy triggers is to go on a fast. You will get immediate relief just from the fast. You can also go on just a limited food fast in which you limit yourself to a few foods everyday for say a few days to a week. Then begin paying attention and recording how you feel as you start to eat additional foods.

Don't let the rheumatoid arthritis control you. Take back control by paying attention to your body's signals.

Arthritis and Its Types

It is one of the diseases having a painful effect. It has a far-reaching impact on most people who either have themselves or their family members affected by this disease. Literally Arthritis is a term given to joint inflammation. However in the biological world this term is used for hundreds of diseases. These diseases can affect your ligaments muscles tendons and bones causing stiffness, swelling and massive pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are the common types of this disease.

When the diseases takes place on the common joint causing degenerative effect the arthritis is known as osteoarthritis. This is a common type of arthritis and has already affected more than 20 million of US population. In this type the main targeted portion is the cartilage. If you are having this disease you will find that the outer cartilage layer gets broken down. It causes reduction of cushion in the bones and they start rubbing against each other. This leads to a loss in motion for the particular joint involved alongside swelling and pain. Spurs start growing at the edges of the joint. Following that it is seen that the spurs start to break off and float in the joint itself. This causes further damage and more pain. Such arthritis form can only have an affect on your joints.

Another common arthritis form which has more than couple of million of US population currently affected with it is the rheumatoid arthritis. Unlike osteoarthritis this form of arthritis is not limited to joint you would find it affecting heart nerves blood eyes skin and other parts of our body. It is actually an inflammation characterized by symmetry. This means that if one of the joints are affected you would find the joint parallel to that also getting affected.

This is why it is quite simple to detect this form of arthritis. Other symptoms of the disease include swelling and pain in joint alongside stiffness inactivity and fatigue. People having rheumatoid arthritis have rheumatoid factor. However it has little or no use if you are trying to diagnose this disease. Apart from rheumatoid arthritis there are a number of other diseases which can have rheumatoid factor. If you see any of the symptoms of the two arthritis types you should consult a rheumatologist today.

When You Hurt All Over - What Could Be Wrong?

Patients with generalized aches and pains are often seen in clinical practice, but a diagnosis can be difficult to make because of the wide variety of possible diseases that could be responsible.

The most common cause of aches and pains- other than overexertion- is a viral infection.

In cases where the aches and pains don't go away though, a more in depth analysis is required. Something as common as an underactive thyroid gland can cause generalized aches and pains along with fatigue. The diagnosis can be made clinically and confirmed by checking the thyroid stimulating hormone level.

Polymyalgia rheumatica is a disorder that affects people past the age of 50 years. Patients with this condition have widespread pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulders, hips, and buys. The pain is aggravated by inactivity.

Symptoms including low-grade fevers, and weight loss may be common. On physical examination, patients will have difficulty moving their shoulders and hips because of severe pain. Sometimes, patients will have inflammation of the small joints of the hands, wrists, and the feet. Laboratory tests will show an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

Giant cell arteritis is a severe inflammatory disease that affects arteries. This condition often is found in patients who have polymyalgia rheumatica. The danger here is that patients with giant cell arteritis, because of inflammation of the arteries leading to the eye, may become blind. If this condition is suspected, a temporal artery biopsy is necessary in order to make the diagnosis.

A person presenting with swelling and pain involving the small joints of the hands, wrists, and feet will likely have another condition-rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common forms of inflammatory arthritis. Patients will complain of significant morning stiffness lasting several hours. They will also have stiffness during the day. Chronic fatigue is a problem. On examination, they will have swelling of the hands, wrists, ankles, and feet. Laboratory tests such as the rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP along with the erythrocyte sedimentation rate may help confirm the diagnostic impression.

Osteoarthritis, a form of wear and tear arthritis, may also present with generalized aches and pains. However, on examination, the patient will be found to have involvement primarily of weight-bearing areas such as the neck, low back, hips, and knees. While localized inflammation is present, generalized inflammation is absent.

Likewise, crystal induced arthritis- gout and pseudogout- can cause generalized aches and pains. However, the aches and pains are generally located in the joints.

Inflammatory muscle disease may also be associated with generalized aches and pains. Elevated levels of muscle enzymes in the blood can be seen. The diagnosis can be confirmed by studies such as electromyography, magnetic resonance imaging, and muscle biopsy.

Paget's disease of bone is an unusual condition that also can cause generalized aches and pains. The blood bone alkaline phosphatase level is elevated.

Cancer that has spread to bone also can cause aches and pains. In fact, I have seen two patients in the last week who presented with metastatic cancer and who complained of generalized pain as their primary symptom.

Obviously, the treatment for a patient who hurts all over will depend upon securing a precise diagnosis. For people who have chronic generalized pain, one disease condition that needs to be considered is fibromyalgia. This is a disease that affects about 2% of the population and may start at almost any age.

Patients may have had their symptoms for many months to many years. Patients with fibromyalgia complain of "pain all over" and, by definition, have pain on both sides of the body both below the waist as well as above.

The pain may be described as deep and achy. Stiffness in the morning is common. Patients may also complain of chronic fatigue and feeling as if they have not gotten a good night sleep.

They may also complain of symptoms such as irritable bowel, irritable bladder, headaches, numbness and tingling, subjective swelling of the hands and feet, and be very sensitive to sensory stimuli such as light, odors, and sounds.

A diagnosis of fibromyalgia can only be made after other diseases that can cause aches and pains are excluded.

Less common causes of generalized aches and pains are systemic lupus erythematosus, strep-related illness, and Lyme disease. These have to be factored into the list of possibilities.

Overweight With Arthritis

As we get older many of us including myself suffer from some joint pain from time to time. Many times it could be overworked joints but sometimes it's a more serious condition like rheumatoid arthritis. Being overweight or even obese can really put extra stress on those joints and affect your quality of life. Everyday normal routines can become very painful and unbearable.

Recent studies conducted in Oslo, Norway show that being overweight can affect Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in some other ways as well. Patients with RA and who are obese are more likely to suffer greater pain, increased fatigue, decreased physical function and an overall worsened quality of life score. The

researchers tested over one thousand patients who had RA. They grouped them according to their body mass index levels and came up with three groups, normal weight,overweight and obesity. Over one hundred people fell into the obesity category while three hundred sixteen were in the overweight and the remaining were either normal or underweight. All the obese patients reported having higher levels of pain and feeling more fatigued and worse physical function than all those in the normal group.

Being overweight reduces the chance of RA going into remission. Remission helps reduce the long term affects of Ra because symptoms like inflammation go away. The researchers found after a 12 month study and treatments that 58 percent of the normal weight patients who were on a placebo went into remission while only 35 percent of overweight and 25 percent of obese patients were in remission.

Because fat tissue produces pro-inflammatory molecules, it puts overweight patients at an increased risk of inflammatory complications. The head doctor in the study used Remicade plus a combination of therapy. It was found that being overweight didn't seem to affect those taking Remicade plus therapy. She believes Remicade may act on the inflammatory molecules allowing obese people to be able to go into remission.

There's obviously more to be done to reach conclusive results, but one thing is for sure, being overweight can have many negative affects on our health and quality of life! The one thing we all can do for ourselves which will have a positive effect is to eat right and exercise and maybe we can end the need for such studies and research.