Arthritis is one of the most commonly encountered bone-related diseases in the world. It is believed that over 50 million people have been diagnosed with this medical condition only in the United States of America – and for them, life can be really tough.
Understanding arthritis can help you a lot because it can help you understand why it is that you need to make certain changes in your life in order to improve your condition. Arthritis cannot be cured – that is true – but other than that, it can definitely be managed and there are many people who live normal lives despite their condition.
Arthritis Explained Briefly
Basically, arthritis is a joint disease that involves inflammation in the area of one joint or more. It is believed that are more than 100 variations on this disease, but the most commonly encountered ones are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and septic arthritis.
What is odd, however, is related to the fact that the causes that lead to most of the forms of arthritis (including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, the most commonly encountered variations) are still to be discovered. Scientists can explain the process in which arthritis installs itself in the human body, but the truth is that there is no unanimous consent over what it is precisely that causes this disease in the first place.
The main symptom experienced by the people with arthritis is joint pain. However, according to the severity of the case (as well as the form of arthritis a person suffers from), there will be other symptoms as well. For example, malaise, fatigue, stiffness of the joints, the swelling of the joints, sleep-related problems and, eventually, inability to move one’s joints are all common symptoms among arthritis patients.
It is of the utmost importance that your doctor makes the correct diagnosis and that he/she makes a differential diagnosis before drawing conclusions. Rheumatoid arthritis, for example, can be very similar to osteoarthritis, but the truth is that the two of them are very much different in their essence because the first one is an autoimmune disease caused by the fact that the body’s autoimmune cells start attacking the joints.
What Treatment Is There For Arthritis?
As it was also mentioned in the beginning of this article, arthritis cannot be cured in the proper sense of the word. However, it can definitely be managed. There are several types of treatments available for people suffering from the various forms this disease can take and they include:
Medication
In most of the cases, paracetamol will be prescribed for people with osteoarthritis, while ibuprofen is prescribed for people with rheumatoid arthritis. Furthermore, there are other types of medication available as well and they will be prescribed by a medical specialist.
Physical Therapy
This plays a very important role in the development of the disease because it can really lower the level of pain a patient experiences and it can lower the chances that patients will suffer from loss of range of motion control.
Natural/holistic/Eastern therapies
these ones have become quite popular in the world and there are many people who call for the help of the specialists who are trained in acupuncture, reflexology, yoga, tai-chi and many other similar practices. Although there is no research to show with precision what the impact of these therapies is on people with arthritis, most of those who do follow them say that they have experienced an improvement of their health status.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Is This the Miracle Treatment You have Been Searching For?
Apple cider vinegar has been touted for its many properties, but the truth is that not many people know exactly how- or if- it works. One of the things apple cider vinegar is used for is treating arthritis flares and there are many people who say that their situation has been improved a lot due to this natural treatment.
Basically, taking one to two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar every morning is the only thing this treatment involves according to those who sustain it works. However, do keep in mind the fact that you should always mix the vinegar with water before you drink it because otherwise the acidity can damage your stomach.
It is also believed that apple cider vinegar can help with treating other conditions as well. For example, there are people who take it for its weight loss benefits. There are also people who believe apple cider vinegar can help them with diabetes and there are many people who believe it can be a natural prevention against cancer.
Other Natural Treatments for Arthritis
In addition to medication and even in addition to physical therapy, there may be times when you will want to manage your arthritis (especially when a flare kicks in and the pain becomes harder to bear). Here is a list of some of the most frequently recommended pain relievers in case of arthritis:
Hot and cold therapy. Some people believe that hot showers can relieve the stiffness from their joints, while cold showers can help them with the pain.
Losing weight. Believe it or not, if you are overweight, your joints will feel it. One of the first pieces of advice a doctor will give to a person diagnosed with arthritis is related precisely to this so you may want to follow it.
Eat Right. When they say that you are what you eat, they really mean it! Whatever you put in your body will have an effect on its health (be it a positive effect or a negative one) and it is very important that you try to eat as well as possible. In case you suffer from arthritis, always remember that you should include good fats in your diet (such as those contained by fatty fish, olive oil, nuts and so on). Those Omega-3 oils can really, really make the difference in the way your bones and joints will feel!
