Arthritis : Tips on Pain Relief and Prevention

 

Name:

Arthtitis (from Greek arthro-, joint + -itis, inflammation)

Definition:

Arthritis is the inflammation of the body's joints, causing pain, swelling, and difficulty in body movement.

There are over 100 forms of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. These diseases may cause pain, stiffness, and swelling in joints and other supporting structures of the body such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. Some forms can also affect other parts of the body, including various internal organs. Two of the most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Statistics:

Did you know that more than 40 million Americans will have arthritis?
As many as one in three adults in the USA currently suffers from chronic joint symptoms or arthritis.

Symptoms:

Symptoms of arthritis include pain and limited function of joints. Inflammation of the joints from arthritis is characterized by joint stiffness, swelling, redness, and warmth. Tenderness of the inflamed joint can be present.

Diagnosing Arthritis

It is important that anyone with painful joints be evaluated and diagnosed so that treatment can be initiated early enough to prevent or retard irreversible joint damage.

Diagnosis is based on:

- your symptoms
- physical examination
- looking for evidence of systemic disease
- joint inflammation
- joint damage
- restricted motion
- pattern of joint involvement
- laboratory studies
- x-rays

Treatment

Treatments for arthritis depend on the type of arthritis and the needs of the person affected. Arthritis treatment may include medications, therapy, and surgery.

How is it treated?

The most successful treatment for arthritis is a healthy diet, therapy and rest.

1) Drugs, such as pain relievers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids and cortisone injections.
2) Rest. Being tired and feeling pain are signs of arthritis and show that it may be time to rest joints and muscles.
3) Exercise, when balanced with rest, can help reduce pain and stiffness, making muscles stronger and joints more flexible. Consult your doctor first, however, before beginning an exercise program.
4) Maintaining proper body weight and eating a well-balanced diet. Extra weight increases pressure on the joints and can make some types of arthritis worse.
5) Using devices such as splints, braces, canes or shoe inserts to protect joints from the stresses of daily activities and relieve symptoms.
6) Heat and cold therapies. Heat therapy (paraffin wax, ultrasound or moist heat) increases blood flow and flexibility in the joint. Cold therapy (cold packs, cold-water soaks, over-the-counter sprays and ointments) numbs the nerves and relieves inflammation.
7) Surgery to repair or remove a diseased or damaged joint, fuse the bones in a joint or replace joints with artificial ones.

Probably the worst part of getting old is dealing with arthritis pain relief. The worst part about arthritis is that, even though it normally affects older population, even young populatione can be affected by it, which means that some people will have to deal with arthritis pain relief for their entire lives.