Arthritis is one of the conditions that if left untreated, will continue to worsen with time. Arthritis can occur in many different forms and effect each person in different ways.
Two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is caused due to wear and tear in the joints and occurs equally in men and women, usually over the age of 45 years. It commonly affects the knees, hips, feet, spine and hands to name a few. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a completely different for of arthritis altogether. RA is an autoimmune disease, meaning that the body is actively attacking it's own tissues in a state of innocent confusion. RA mostly begins in individuals during the ages of 25 and 50, but only occurs in about 1% of the population. In women, the chances of its occurrence are almost twice as compared to men. RA can effect any joint in the body and tends to be found in joints in a symmetrical format, such that a painful joint on one side of the body is commonly accompanied by a painful joint in the opposite side in the same location. In severe cases, RA can also affect the other organs of the body as well such as heart, lungs and even eyes. Individuals suffering from it experience stiffness, pain, redness and swelling in joints.
One aspect of Rheumatoid Arthritis that is commonly overlooked or unnoticed is food allergies. It is found that when patients obstain from eating for a few days and consume only juices or water that their situation normally improves remarkably. In addition, the elimination of dairy products from many RA sufferers can sometimes trigger an enormous improvement in a matter of days. Although Rheumatologists do not generally consider diet an important discussion point, it could well indeed be one of the most influential and deciding factors when it comes to the severity of pain, inflammation and swelling in most patients.
Rheumatoid arthritis treatments normally involve consuming drugs. These may be NSAID drugs, for short term pain relief, or DMARDS which are disease modifying drugs such as Methotrexate, which are used in an attempt to adjust the way the immune system works to alter it's behavior. There are also more modern, expensive drugs called Biologics, which include brands such as Humira, and these also alter the behavior of the immune system. None of them address the underlying cause of Rheumatoid Arthritis, nor address issues associated with digestion or gut health, which may be one of the greatest contributors to the external symptoms.
Including regular exercising into your arthritis treatment program can prove to be very beneficial. However, you cannot straight away go for it before knowing the types of exercises that are suited for your condition. Only a physician can tell you what types of exercises you should practice and how much pressure you should put on your joints since some joints tend to become inflamed with exercise, whilst others tend to significantly improve. Thus, it's a case by case basis. Exercising the correct way can bring significant results on your condition and improve your body's flexibility. Mild exercises like yoga can also be done on a regular basis and their stretch-and-lengthen nature is good for restoring damage to tissues around the affected joints. Some gentle weight lifting exercises can also be suggested to arthritis patients but it is highly recommended to consult an expert before starting any kind of exercise.
Two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is caused due to wear and tear in the joints and occurs equally in men and women, usually over the age of 45 years. It commonly affects the knees, hips, feet, spine and hands to name a few. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a completely different for of arthritis altogether. RA is an autoimmune disease, meaning that the body is actively attacking it's own tissues in a state of innocent confusion. RA mostly begins in individuals during the ages of 25 and 50, but only occurs in about 1% of the population. In women, the chances of its occurrence are almost twice as compared to men. RA can effect any joint in the body and tends to be found in joints in a symmetrical format, such that a painful joint on one side of the body is commonly accompanied by a painful joint in the opposite side in the same location. In severe cases, RA can also affect the other organs of the body as well such as heart, lungs and even eyes. Individuals suffering from it experience stiffness, pain, redness and swelling in joints.
One aspect of Rheumatoid Arthritis that is commonly overlooked or unnoticed is food allergies. It is found that when patients obstain from eating for a few days and consume only juices or water that their situation normally improves remarkably. In addition, the elimination of dairy products from many RA sufferers can sometimes trigger an enormous improvement in a matter of days. Although Rheumatologists do not generally consider diet an important discussion point, it could well indeed be one of the most influential and deciding factors when it comes to the severity of pain, inflammation and swelling in most patients.
Rheumatoid arthritis treatments normally involve consuming drugs. These may be NSAID drugs, for short term pain relief, or DMARDS which are disease modifying drugs such as Methotrexate, which are used in an attempt to adjust the way the immune system works to alter it's behavior. There are also more modern, expensive drugs called Biologics, which include brands such as Humira, and these also alter the behavior of the immune system. None of them address the underlying cause of Rheumatoid Arthritis, nor address issues associated with digestion or gut health, which may be one of the greatest contributors to the external symptoms.
Including regular exercising into your arthritis treatment program can prove to be very beneficial. However, you cannot straight away go for it before knowing the types of exercises that are suited for your condition. Only a physician can tell you what types of exercises you should practice and how much pressure you should put on your joints since some joints tend to become inflamed with exercise, whilst others tend to significantly improve. Thus, it's a case by case basis. Exercising the correct way can bring significant results on your condition and improve your body's flexibility. Mild exercises like yoga can also be done on a regular basis and their stretch-and-lengthen nature is good for restoring damage to tissues around the affected joints. Some gentle weight lifting exercises can also be suggested to arthritis patients but it is highly recommended to consult an expert before starting any kind of exercise.
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