Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Why Weight loss is good for Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment?



Psoriatic arthritis is skin disease causing scary red rash around the knees, elbow, hands, feet and other areas. Symmetric psyoriatic arthritis is caused by rapid reduction of the amount of cartilage tissue which acts as a lubricant to the joints. It is accelerated by infections, injury or wear and tear in the tissues. Some of the causes are hereditary. Some of the major signs of symmetric psoriatic arthritis are redness of the skin around the joint, joint pain or stiffness, swelling of the joints among others. Due to the join inflammation leading to low immune system the patient experiences general body weakness and decrease in appetite. Other types of psoriatic arthritis include: arthritis mutilans spondylitis, Asymmetric psoriatic arthritis, and distal interphalangeal predominant arthritis.

Reasons why weight loss is good for psoriatic arthritis treatment
Obese women with this type of arthritis are prone to early death or even permanent disability. Losing weight helps to increase chances of survival or such patients with additional treatment that reduce level of psoriatic arthritis. Fat in the body is said to secrete dangerous supplements that make this disease more severe. It is not a must for patients to go to the gym in order to lose weight they can also have a special diet. This special diet is simple to follow and is not strenuous as compare to the tiresome exercise at the gym. The special diet does not add inflammation to the affected areas rather it heals and greatly help to lose weight.

Psoriatic arthritis treatment also has added advantage to its patients. Once the patients are in the process of reducing weight diseases such as high blood pressure, poor breathing, diabetes among many others are reduced .A fit body is always healthy; it is active and increases self-confidence. It enables one to work more hard in their career and achieve more goals at the end of the day or financial year.
Psoriatic arthritis affects the skin making it look tired dull and wrinkled. By shedding some fat, you will realize that this weight loss as psoriatic arthritis treatment is a great gain. The skin will become smooth and brighter people will notice a lively person since the old is gone and you are embracing the new you. Your appetite will also improve i.e. if you could not control the amount or type of food you eat. You will be able to take smaller healthy amounts of food. After being placed on a special diet in order to lose weight you are able to eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and water.
Being a psoriatic arthritis patient who has benefited from weight loss you will be able to mobilize other patients to lose weight. When patients see that the psoriatic arthritis treatment has worked on a patient, they will be motivated to lose weight in order to improve their health and stay away from medications. By giving your testimony to as many patients as possible your testimony, you will have saved them greatly. This is because most of them may have lost hope from the medications they go through often.

Patients whose situation is severe are do not work and become immobile due to pain. Incase these patients are obese and had businesses to run; they will have made great losses due to the illness and no one to handle their business. The solution to such individuals is to lose weight in any possible way and also use psoriatic arthritis treatment in order to get well faster. After the treatment, their businesses will come back to life and they will be able to recover losses. Weight loss is a general tool to kill laziness and create active people creating an assumption that the body is usually stressed up by excess fat causing refusal to be active.

Conclusion
Everyone who is obese should take a point of losing the excess fat. This will help you become active in every daily activity creating a relaxed mind. Psoriatic arthritis is a disease that requires fast treatment since it can paralyze its patients or cause early death. Avoid this trouble and embrace both weight loss and psoriatic arthritis treatment that reduce the ability to get paralyzed or early death. Generally, weight loss has no negative effect to the human body since it involves shedding off the excess fat that lowers the body’s immunity. By keeping fit, you are capable of preventing your body from as many diseases as they exist; you are also capable of completing your goals earlier than planned since the body is active. All doctors and medical practitioners encourage proper feeding that is a balanced diet and intake of fruits and lots of water. This is because they know the advantages and also the disadvantages of junk food.

References

https://www.glozine.com/lifestyle/health

https://www.jointhealthmagazine.com/psoriatic-arthritis.html

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

7 bad effects of psoriatic arthritis on the body



Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that appears as red patches on the skin. It is caused by an immune disorder which causes the body to attack the skin after confusing it for an enemy. This leaves visible red and white patches on the skin. Although rare, it does happen for reasons unknown.
It is estimated that a third of people with Psoriasis develop Psoriasis arthritis. This is a condition whereby the body starts to attack the bones and joints. The severity of the condition varies from person to person and can occur on different body parts.

According to The American College of Rheumatology, Psoriatic arthritis has been observed to occur after 5 to 12 years after psoriasis of the skin starts. Although the condition has been known to affect adults between 30-50 years, there are rare cases of affected younger people and even children. The real cause of Psoriatic Arthritis is not known.

In this article we discuss 7 bad effects of psoriatic arthritis on the body that you have probably heard of; they include;
1. Swollen limbs
Psoriatic arthritis causes a lot of pain. According to The American College of Rheumatology, the condition can affect one or more joints in the body. The affected parts are usually inflamed and highly swollen, a condition known as dactylitis.

When this happens, the patient can hardly do anything. It is especially bad if it affects the fingers and nails. They appear swollen in the shape of sausages. Persisted swelling may cause the finger and toe nails to fall off.

2. Affects the spine
When Psoriatic arthritis affects the spine, it causes pain in the neck and back. Most people with this type of infection experience back pain when they bend or twist their spine. It is referred to as spondylitis. This may cause paralysis and render a person immobile if not treated on time.

3. Damage to the joints
Psoriatic arthritis causes the joints to swell and be extremely painful. This happens when it attacks the tendons and ligaments in the joints causing pain in the heel, feet, and other affected joints. This condition is known as enthesitis.

The American College of Rheumatology says that if not treated, psoriatic arthritis will destroy the joints completely. However, early diagnosis prevents further damage to the joints and bones. With treatments and drugs, the progression of the condition can be highly slowed down. This can be done through medical tests.

4. Affects the toes and fingers
According to WebMD, there is a rare form of Psoriasis Arthritis that causes the fingers and toes to stop working. This comes as a result of attack to the nerve endings on these body parts cause them to lose sense of touch. Anyone with this type of Psoriasis can easily loose balance and fall or have problems using their hands.

5. Affects the eyes
When Psoriasis affects your iris, it may cause inflammation and red coloring in the eye. This causes pain that gets worse in bright light.

6. Chest and  Lungs
The American College of Rheumatology lists chests and lung pains as a possible symptom of Psoriatic arthritis. This happens when the cartilage linking the chest walls and ribs gets inflamed.

7.  Heart
This condition can also affect your heart.  According to WebMD, this happens when the cartilage surrounding the heart and lungs is affected; it could cause pain around the heart area. This is especially dangerous when the walls of the aorta –which is connected to the heart-are affected.
Other effects of Psoriatic arthritis include constant fatigue, anemia and mood changes. Some patients develop high blood pressure, obesity and rare cases of diabetes. Although the condition is not curable, it can be managed by maintaining a healthy life goes a long way in slowing down progression of the conditions.

According to WebMD, Psoriatic arthritis has been known to affect people without psoriasis. So if you experience persistent stiff joints, swelling and pain around the joints, irritated and red eyes, visit your nearest health center for checkup, you could be developing Psoriatic arthritis. It is way better if you catch the disease in its earlier stages.

Conclusion
Although Psoriatic arthritis is rare, it can be mistaken for rheumatoid arthritis, gout or osteoarthritis. It is therefore, essential to take a thorough test to confirm before diagnosis. It is also good to know that not everyone who has Psoriasis will develop Psoriatic arthritis, only in rare cases.  It is however, advisable to that people with psoriasis test for possible arthritis whenever they experience joint pains and swollen limbs.

With early diagnosis, this condition can be managed through treatment. Psoriatic arthritis causes a lot of damage to the body when left to progress. Apart from making mobility difficult it can affect vital body organs and even the eye.

References:
https://www.jointhealthmagazine.com/arthritis-joint-pain


http://www.wellsphere.com/arthritis-article/arthritis-causes-and-pain-relief-options/2195575


Friday, December 11, 2015

Arthritis Most Common Types and Available Treatments


Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that affects the joint. However, arthritis does not come in only one form; there are up to 200 different types of arthritis. It attacks people from all ages and sexes, with women having more prevalence to the disease. In the United State alone, statistics shows that nearly 52.5 million adults have some form of Arthritis. Even children under 18 years of age develop some kind of arthritis at an approximate rate of 294,000 children per year in the US. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis affecting 27 million adults in 2005. Another terrifying fact is that arthritis is the common cause of disability.

Causes and Symptoms: 
Generally speaking, the causes of arthritis vary from overweight, family history, and previous injury to overactive immunity, food poisoning and contamination.  Sometimes, arthritis is caused by a combination of different factors acting together. Symptoms may include pain in one part of the body or in many parts, swelling, back pain, stiffness, and difficult joint movement.

Osteoarthritis and top weight loss supplements: 
As obesity is a leading cause of Osteoarthritis, it is advised to keep your weight under check. If that is too difficult, you can use the help of top weight loss supplements such as:

  • Hydroxycut
  • Raspberry Ketones
  • Garcinia cambogia
  • Caffeine
  •  Orlistat
  • Green coffee extracts
  • Green tea extracts
  • Glucomannan

Most common types of arthritis
There are seven common types of arthritis. The nature and treatment of each of these types are as follows.
1. Inflammatory arthritis
There is no apparent reason for the inflammation that occurs in cases of inflammatory arthritis. The inflammation causes the tissues around the joints to hurt, become stiff, swell and get damaged. This type can damage both the joint surface and the underlying bone. It may include symptoms similar to flu-like fever, headache and weakness in muscles. Inflammatory arthritis is treated by medication, exercising, or surgical interference. Some of the medications used to ease the pain that comes with this condition are aspirin, ibuprofen, or Celebrex.

1. Degenerative or mechanical arthritis
This type is also referred to as osteoarthritis. The main cause of this type of arthritis can be pervious joint injury, fracture or inflammation. It causes the cartilage level in the joint to become thinner and rougher, thus, the movement of joints becomes less smooth. Though there are different causes of this type os arthritis, overweight can increase the risk of osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this type, yet there are some measures to consider in order to manage the severity of symptoms such as exercise and weight management, stretching, taking anti-inflammatory medications, and taking top weight loss supplements such as Hydroxycut and Raspberry Ketones to help with weight loss.

2. Soft tissue musculoskeletal pain
This type is usually caused by the overuse of joints in daily activities such as in a sport like tennis, or due to an injury. It is more of a tissue issue than a joint problem. Symptoms include pain, sleeping disturbance, and fatigue. Some of the treatments available are medication, anti-inflammatory injections, exercise, and physical therapy.

3. Back pain
Back pain can be generated from joint problems such as in osteoarthritis which causes the bones to get thinner.

4. Connective tissue disease (CTD)
Connective tissues include tendons, ligaments and cartilage. Their job is to support, bind or separate body tissues and organs. One of the main symptoms of CTD is joint pain. CTD can be treated by taking anti-inflammatory drugs,  bisphosphonates and supplemental vitamin D and calcium. Depending on the severity of the condition, patients can also take stronger drugs such as azathioprine, methotrexate, orcyclophosphamide as advised by their physicians.

5. Septic  arthritis
This type is caused when some viruses, bacteria or fungus enter the joint causing inflammation. Some of these organisms are Salmonella and Shigella (food poisoning and contamination), Chlamydia and gonorrhea (sexually transmitted diseases) and Hepatitis C. Strong antibiotics are used to treat this type of arthritis such as empiric antibiotics.

6. Metabolic arthritis
This type of arthritis occurs when the levels of uric acids are not stable. When uric acids accumulate in the body, it forms needle-like crystals in the joints causing severe joint pain or gout attack.

Conclusion
As arthritis comes in different types and affects a lot of people around the world, it is necessary to learn more about the common types and their available treatments. Also, as statistics confirms that the number one common arthritis is osteoarthritis, it is worth noting that it can be avoided with regular exercise and weight management. It is always best to stay safe and avoid the onset of the disease, but once affected, patients must take every measure to manage their symptoms and keep a close eye on their lifestyle to make sure it does not worsen their condition. Taking top weight loss supplements is one effective way to manage weight, and can therefor help better manage arthritis. All in all, it’s important that people diagnose their joint-related pain to start treatment as some types of arthritis are not curable, but need immediate action to manage their progression.

References:

https://www.jointhealthmagazine.com/arthritis-joint-pain


Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Exercises Knee Arthritis - Start Enjoying the Benefits Today


If you are suffering from arthritic knees then you may have heard some of the many benefits that come from exercises knee arthritis. Exercises knee arthritis can do more than just help keep your joints flexible, although that is their primary intention. Individuals have found that exercises knee arthritis are some of the best forms of non-drug related treatment because they help improve your endurance while reducing stress, fatigue and depression. You may also experience and overall better sense of well-being once you make exercises knee arthritis a regular part of your daily routine.

Exercises Knee Arthritis

Before beginning any new exercise regimen, however, you should first consult with your physician or physical trainer. Exercises knee arthritis are specifically tailored for the needs of individuals with arthritic knees. That means that exercises knee arthritis are low impact workouts that can help you burn calories while improving your muscle strength and keeping your joints flexible. A regular workout routine may actually do more harm than good since they can be jarring to your joints in a way that exercises knee arthritis are not. It is always a good idea to consult a professional before putting your health at any kind of risk.

You do not have to dedicate a huge amount of time out of your daily schedule in order to enjoy the benefits that come from exercises knee arthritis. Although it may be difficult to do exercises knee arthritis first thing in the morning, they are a great way to start your day and take very little time at all. In fact, after just a few days you may find that exercises knee arthritis become a part of your daily ritual that you do not even have to think about anymore. You will begin to notice the benefits of exercises knee arthritis almost immediately.

Individuals with arthritic knees who happen to be overweight can especially benefit from Exercises knee arthritis. Exercises knee arthritis that have a cardiovascular component cannot only help improve lung function and get your heart rate up, they will also help you burn off calories so that you can reduce your weight and put less stress on your joints. If you find that you simply are not able to enjoy the activities that you use to then you may want to make exercises knee arthritis an integral part of your arthritis treatment plan. Exercise is good for everyone and arthritis does not have to slow you down. You can also use arthritis supplements such as Arthri D, Osteojuv, Vital 3.


Monday, April 6, 2015

Is Joint Pain Relief Product an Answer to Your Arthritis?

It’s three o’clock in the morning, and you’re wide awake. Your joints are incredibly painful, and they’re letting you know they’re not a bit happy about it. Neither are you – you’ve got to get up and function the next day, and no sleep, on top of arthritis pain, is a real show-stopper. So, what do you do? You get up and take whatever pain relief product you have handy, and hope it will at least let you get some sleep.

Does this sound familiar? If you’re one of the 21 million Americans suffering from osteoarthritis, it pretty much describes how you live. You don’t have to be in agony all the time; there are products providing pain relief, and possibly total alleviation (but no cure) out there – you just have to find the ones right for you.

Pain Relief Products

The first, and easiest, choices for pain relief are the over-the-counter medications – Bayer, Tylenol, Advil or Motrin, or Aleve. These are the brand names for the most common analgesics available, namely aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and sodium naproxen. All of these medications can provide some relief, but it’s not long-lasting, and it comes with nasty side effects, such as stomach pain, or liver and kidney damage.

A better choice is glucosamine sulfate, available in a variety of joint pain treatments. But be careful when buying a supplement. Most glucosamine-containing supplements sold in the US are glucosamine hydrochloride, NOT glucosamine sulfate.

Glucosamine hydrochloride has been proven, both in the US and in Europe, to be totally ineffective in treating arthritis. European research, however, has proven the glucosamine sulfate supplements to be effective, so much so it has become the first line of defense in arthritis treatment across the Atlantic. Glucosamine sulfate is both an analgesic and a treatment osteoarthritis and knee. It reduces pain, and it builds healthy cartilage. It takes longer to work than an OTC, but it lasts longer when it kicks in. When you go shopping, either online or in a brick-and-mortar store, READ THE LABELS. Don’t waste your time or money on a supplement with glucsoamine hydrochloride. Supplements including chondritin sulfate, or MSM are also very effective, but glucosamine sulfate by itself, or with MSM but not chondritin, is the most effective.

What Works For You?

The only one who can answer this question is you. When searching for a treatment, keep a journal. A journal allows you to track the effectiveness of a supplement over time, and provides you with empirical evidence of your treatment’s benefits. A journal also allows you to track triggers for your pain – do you have flare-ups after eating certain foods? Do you have flare-ups after certain activities? Tracking all these things in a journal lets you formulate a treatment effective for your arthritis, not for Joe Blow. Medications and supplements are marketed to the most people with a condition, not to individuals. And most diseases, arthritis included, can respond to the same treatments. You may be different, and find no relief from the common treatments; in this case, you need to become your own health practitioner, and start looking for the treatments effective for your particular brand of arthritis. You’ll need advice from knowledgeable folks as you journey down this path, so find a holistic physician, a naturopath, and a friendly local health food store, with a staff that knows whereof it speaks. A holistic physician is necessary, as you may find a combination of allopathic and alternative treatments are needed to give you relief.

Conclusion

There are a myriad of treatments available for arthritis. Finding what works for you is a matter of trial and error, and good record-keeping on your part. Educate yourself on what’s out there, and question your practitioners as to why they recommend what they do, and what can you expect from the therapy. Don’t be afraid to change practitioners, either; an environment of mutual respect is the best one for working out your needs. Find people you trust, and whose experience you respect, and walk confidently down the path to a healthier you.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Is It Worth Accepting an Ancient Chinese Remedy For Arthritis Pain?

Millions of Americans suffer from arthritis; the most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Both of these forms, as well as more uncommon ones such as fibromyalgia, result in debilitating pain, stiffness, loss of mobility, and in the case of rheumatoid arthritis, redness, swelling in multiple joints, and tenderness of the affected joints. Arthritis can be a disabling disease, and the disability becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: moving causes pain, so the patient stops moving as much, and consequently it becomes harder and harder to move at all, resulting in a partial or total disability.

Arthritis
Arthritis is the disease defined by chronic joint inflammation, scarring, cartilage loss, drying up of the synovial fluids, swelling, stiffness, tenderness, and pain. Severe pain. There are currently one hundred known forms of the disease, with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis being the most common. Osteoarthritis is associated with aging; the wear and tear on joints as we move gradually wears away cartilage and dries up the synovial fluid. Osteoarthritis generally occurs after age 50, but it can have an early onset if a joint is injured or suffers an infection. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder; the immune system goes haywire, and the body attacks the joint tissue as a foreign invader. Rheumatoid arthritis attacks joints bilaterally; osteoarthritis generally affects one side of the body, but rheumatoid arthritis will affect the joints in pairs. Fibromyalgia is also a form of arthritis; it is characterized by chronic, intense pain over the entire body, with muscles in continuous spasm. Fibromyalgia is also an autoimmune disorder. The causes of arthritis are not known, and there is no known cure in the Western medical world.

Ancient Chinese Medicine, or Traditional Chinese Medicine
Arthritis is not a new condition; it has existed for as long as humans, so the ancient Chinese medical practitioners developed natural treatments to both prevent it from occurring and to relieve it if a patient did develop the condition. Ancient Chinese practitioners would often develop custom therapies for patients, as arthritis can be as individual as the person suffering from arthritis, but over time they developed thirty-one common treatments very effective against the disease. Ancient Chinese Medicine, or Traditional Chinese Medicine, is based on natural plants and herbs, and on therapies such as acupuncture. Acupuncture relies on the concept of blocking or unblocking Qi. The Chinese consider the body to have energy meridians, and disease results from blood or Qi being blocked along meridians. Using needles, the Chinese practitioner blocks the flow along one meridian or set of meridians, or unblocks another meridian or set of meridians, to balance the flow of blood and Qi. Whether or not you accept the philosophy behind acupuncture, it has been proven to be effective as a treatment option.

Well, this depends on the individual involved. If a person is totally allopathic-based, he or she would most likely consider an ancient Chinese remedy to be quackery, even though there are thousands of years of effectiveness behind the therapy. If the individual is open-minded, and suffers from arthritis pain, he or she may be open to the idea. An individual committed to an alternative form of medical therapy would embrace the idea, no questions asked. Anyone suffering from arthritis joint pain should seriously consider trying arthritis remedies from Traditional Chinese Medicine. Allopathic studies have proven the effectiveness of these remedies, most specifically the remedy based on 'thunder god vine.' This remedy was compared to methotrexate, to determine which was more effective on rheumatoid arthritis. Interestingly, a combination of the two was found to be the most effective, but thunder god vine by itself was proven more effective than methotrexate alone. This is a case where integrative medicine was proven more effective than allopathic alone or alternative alone, although the alternative was more effective by itself than the allopathic.

Is it worth trying? Anyone in arthritis pain is looking for something to relieve it, preferably without a lot of unpleasant side effects. It makes sense, therefore, for the patient to look at all options available to them in the quest for relief. TCM should not be tried by an individual; it requires the knowledge of a TCM provider, much as allopathic medicine requires the assistance of a doctor. There are many treatments in both disciplines you can try on your own, but you need to be aware of drug interactions and side effects, and you will need to gain this knowledge from a certified practitioner. So the answer is yes - it is worth trying. Anything relieving pain from a chronic disease is worth a look.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Could Losing Weight Causes Arthritis Pain?

While there has been much research done regarding weight gain and the different causes of it, arthritis and weight gain tend to have a not-so-friendly relationship. This phenomenon of weight gain and arthritis is much like the chicken and the egg theory. Which comes first? Well, while research is not readily available to suggest outright that arthritis causes weight gain, there are some theories that having arthritis can lead to weight gain due to other possible risk factors.

Listed here are some of the causes of weight gain associated with arthritis:

Medications - The most commonly prescribed medications by physicians for arthritis are corticosteroids which, like all medications, have side effects. Two of the side effects of corticosteroids are weight gain and swelling of the fingers, hands, feet and the lower legs. (http://www.drugs.com/sfx/prednisone-side-effects.html) So, if you see an increase of the digits on the scale while taking this type of medication that could be why.

Depression - As we know depression is a comorbidity associated with any disease process that causes pain and can lead to weight gain and rheumatoid arthritis problems as well.

Decrease in physical activity & exercise - Because of the pain that arthritis can bring, many people who suffer from arthritis tend to become less physically active which will inevitably increase weight and also add more stress to already-stressed joints.

So what is a person to do when they are faced with this challenge and is there any hope for warding off the pounds?

Listed below are some different ways to deal with weight gain associated with arthritis:

Get up and get moving! - While exercising & physical activity is the most obvious answer to weight gain, it is not always the most used by people with arthritis due to the pain that they feel is associated with doing so. Research has shown that exercising actually increases your overall cartilage and joint health which can decrease the levels of pain you may be experiencing.

(https://www.rheumatology.org/Practice/Clinical/Patients/Diseases_And_Conditions/Exercise_and_Arthritis/)

Be social - Since being alone will increase your chances of becoming depressed, being around people will significantly increase your chances of feeling good. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2860146/) Social events can include anything from taking a walk in the park with a friend to visiting your local library and joining a reading club. Having someone to talk to will move you in the right direction with alleviating some of the symptoms of depression and will further reduce your chances of unplanned weight gain.

Eat clean- Here's another of the obvious things you can do to decrease your chances of weight gain. Eating a healthier diet filled with fruits and vegetables will cause your body to respond positively to them and curb cravings that you may feel. (http://www.livestrong.com/healthy-eating/) Eating a diet rich in nutrients that your body needs will not only help you dieting losing weight but also will make you feel better overall.

Gaining weight does not have to be inevitable for you. If you feel that you have no other outlets or have no motivation to do any of the things listed here, be sure to find support groups who can you along your journey. Remember, you're not the only person that has dealt with these issues and there are plenty of ways around gaining unplanned weight. You're encouraged to consult your physician if you have any questions concerning your health as he/she can help to further lead you in the right direction

Monday, March 16, 2015

Top Sports Person Suffering From Arthritis



There are several top sports persons who suffer from arthritis, yet still go on to achieve great successes in their careers. Kristin Armstrong, Sandy Koufax, Earl Campbell, Harry Kewell, David Wells and Dara Torres to name a few of them. Here are the celebrities and the treatments that helped to ease their arthritis symptoms.

Kristin Armstrong, Gold medal winner with osteoarthritis

Athlete Kristin Armstrong was able to display an impressive show of physical stamina as she cycled to gold medal victory...with arthritis. Armstrong also held other athletic achievements such as 3 world championship medals. diagnosed with osteoarthritis, she self treated with ice packs and anti inflammatory medications until her health care provider recommended Vioxx. Armstrong went on to compete and succeed in several cycling events that led her to achieve her national and Olympic victories in cycling.

Sandy Koufax, former baseball pitcher
Sandy Koufax one of the greatest baseball pitchers in 1964 retired with traumatic arthritis caused by the repetitive movement required of pitchers. He suffered swelling in the elbow to the extreme of turning black. A combination of prescribed drugs and ice were used to treat the condition at that time.

Earl Campbell NFL Hall of Famer and Heisman Trophy winner
Earl Campbell's osteoarthritis of the knees does not leave him sidelined. He uses a walker but still plays golf and reports that he has gained strength from a combination of two knee replacements, regular workouts and a line of new medications to combat the arthritis. He is currently a representative for the Arthritis Foundation and is a speaker to motivate those with arthritis to seek help to improve their conditions as he has.

Harry Kewell, Australian Footballer
Harry Kewell was diagnosed with septic arthritis which was caused by a bacterial infection. This type of infection began with the infection and continued on to cause tenderness and joint pain. Urgent joint pain treatments are generally required for this type of infection which involved draining the infected fluid from around the joint to prevent more damage from occurring.

David Wells, NY Yankees left handed pitcher
David Wells suffers with a common form of arthritis known as gout. This occurs when high amounts or uric acid are present in the blood and when they leak into the bloodstream, there is a tendency for them to settle into a particular joint. They crystallize into tophi, which are condensed groupings and cause swelling, redness, warmness to the touch and pain in the joint. Prolonged episodes cause erosion to the surface of the joint which generally results in arthritis pain.

Dara Torres, Olympic swimmer with severe arthritis
Dara Torres, winner of 12 Olympic medals suffered from severe arthritis and found relief from
Olympic swimmer Dara Torres, who has won 12 medals in five Olympic games, including 3 silver medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, has recently undergone a cutting edge procedure on her knee to repair severe arthritis. She suffered chondral injury which does not spontaneously heal. Autologous chondrocyte implantation is the procedure that improved flexibility for her as it resulted in the growth of cartilage cells and bring relief and healing to the arthritis in her knee. There are two additional procedures routinely used to address this issue as well. They include microfracture and oseochondral autograft. Torres' case has shown that there is effective help available to aid in the re-growth of cartilage cells.

Conclusion
There are many top sports persons who have endured the symptoms of arthritis joint pain. Many of them have shown that with proper treatment, there are remedies available that can bring a significant relief to not only the pain and discomfort, but also an improvement in the condition by addressing the underlying causes. There are effective treatments available for arthritis. While some of them were able to go on to achieve more sports victories, others were forced to retire from their respective sports. Those who seemed to be the most successful at recovering some of their mobility were those with positive attitudes who sought treatment as early as possible. Early treatment can help to lessen the damage that is done to the joints by degenerative arthritis. It can also provide effective ways to reduce the pain and other symptoms that are associated with arthritis.

Friday, March 13, 2015

The Best Treatment Osteoarthritis and Knee Replacement



Osteoarthritis is a form of arthritis that attacks the knee cartilage and it can get so bad that the actual knee joint needs to be replaced with a prosthesis. Osteoarthritis and knee replacement surgery do seem to go hand in hand as a working treatment to fix the knee that has been disrupted by this form of fierce and attacking arthritis.

What is Knee Replacement Surgery?
Joint replacement is something that does involve surgery. This is because surgery is what is required to replace the ends of bones that are a part of a damaged joint. The surgery is needed to help make new joint surfaces to replace the badly damaged ones. Knee replacement surgery does involve creating new joint surfaces for the damaged thigh and lower shin bones. The entire kneecap is also capped with an artificial surface as is the leg bones. These artificial surfaces are all lined with both metal and plastic. All knee joint components are securely attached to the bones with cement. Knee replacement surgery completely removes all damaged cartilage and replaces it with new joint surfaces in a step by step process.

Does Taking Antibiotics Before And After Knee Surgery Reduce The Chances Of Any Infection?
The answer to this question is a definite yes. This is because infection can occur with this kind of new joint replacement surgery, as it is, the very same with other types of new joint replacement surgery. Doctors issue these antibiotics before and after surgery in order to lessen the chances of any infection happening. This is especially true with patients who have medical conditions such as diabetes for instance. Taking the antibiotics can help to reduce the chances of patients with prior medical problems or aren't in tremendous overall good health of getting an infection not long after knee joint replacment surgery.

Are There Risks Of Blood Clots Associated With Knee Replacement Surgery?
Right after surgery of this type, patients are protected against several things, and one of them is the reality of them getting a blood clot of some sort. This is because this kine of joint replacement surgery does have a risk of patients developing a complication such as this is. This is why immediately after surgery, patients are given a medicine to prevent blood clots, in addition to, medicines for controlling pain as a result of the knee replacement surgery. There will also be a drain present on the bandaged up knee to collect fluids and prevent them from building up around the new knee joint. There may also be a compression pump or a compression stocking on your leg. What these devices do is to squeeze the leg and keep the blood circulating. This is done to help prevent blood clots from taking place.

What is a CPM Machine And What Does It Do For You After Knee Replacement Surgery?
There are some surgeons who do want their knee replacement patients to spend some time in a CPM machine. What is a CPM machine? A CPM machine is a passive motion machine and what it does it is to make sure to keep the patient's knee flexible. This machine contains a special cradle for the patient's leg and it will be fitted to go along with one's leg length and the joint position itself. A patient may have a CPM attached to their knee upon waking up from surgery. What the machine does specifically is to slowly bend the knee and straigthen it out. The amount that it does bend the knee of the patient is something that is totally adjustable.

Do People That Have Knee Replacement Surgery Start To Walk The Next Day?
Most people who do have total knee replacement surgeries done are up and walking on the same day of surgery or the very next day. Medical professionals don't believe in letting patients remain in bed very long with this kind of surgery, as they do need to get up and move around, and also start therapy to be able to walk and use their leg with the new knee prosthesis. Patients who have had this knee replacement surgery can either use a walker or walk with crutches. Some patients can put weight down on the knee if it is comfortable. A physical therapist works with knee surgery patients to help him or her bend and straigthen out their knee. They will also employ the use of simple exercises to strengthen leg muscles. Rehab therapy after a knee surgery can be intensive. This is because patients do have to learn to bend their knee at at least a 90 degree angle to be able to do daily activities such as walking and stuff. The length of physical therapy after surgery depends on the recovery of the patient and how he or she is faring after the surgery is done.

Conclusion
When a person has knee replacement due to the presence of arthritis joint pain. Nine times out of ten is is the best course of treatment in that the knee won't hurt as bad any more and the damaged joint will have a whole new fix for it overall.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

How to Deal with Aging Knees?

As we age, we may notice aches and pains in places we never noticed them before. Weight-bearing joints literally carry us throughout our daily lives without complaints, but as we age, wear and tear on the joints invites the onset of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis, or even creaky, achy knees, is not a given; we can take care of our knees, ankles, feet and hips to keep them moving smoothly far into our later years.

Osteoarthritis


Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis; it strikes generally in the later years, but can have an early onset if an injury or infection occurs to a joint. Osteoarthritis happens when wear and tear on a joint causes cartilage to wear away, the joint fluid to dry up, and inflammation to occur in the tissues inside and around the joint. Pain is a great motivator, and when a joint becomes inflamed, the body adjusts to compensate. If the joint is a knee or a hip, the body changes the way it walks to keep the load off the afflicted joint. This in turn causes inflammation in the tissues outside the joint, as they bear an unaccustomed load. In a joint with little or no cartilage, bone begins to grate on bone; this hardens the bone, and also causes bone spurs to develop. This joint is ripe for osteoarthritis to begin.

What You Can Do?


There are many things you can do to take care of your joints, and the earlier you start, the better. Taking care of your joints will delay or prevent osteoarthritis from setting in; this, as Martha would say, is a good thing. Here are some of the things you can do to prevent osteoarthritis, or to care for knees showing warning signs of the disease:

Ease the Burden


If you are overweight, the best thing you can do for your joints is to lose the extra pounds. Maintaining an ideal weight is a goal you should strive for anyway, but losing even ten pounds will lighten the load on your weight-bearing joints considerably. It is estimated for every one pound of weight lost, four pounds of pressure are removed from your joints; a ten-pound weight loss equals forty pounds of pressure off your knees. So while you may not make it to your ultimate weight, you will improve your joint health for every pound you take off.

Eat Well


Most of us blew our mothers off when they told us to eat well; we were young and dumb, and they were right. The better you eat, the better your body likes it. You require calcium, magnesium, vitamin D3, vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin E to keep your joints in optimum health, and your diet is where most of it comes from. You can't get enough of certain vitamins and minerals from food, so you will have to supplement them, but a healthy diet is a good idea - period. Finding a healthy diet that works for you will be a challenge, especially with all of the conflicting information out in the world. Here's a tip: don't listen to the American Medical Association or the government. When the government first started publishing dietary guidelines, this country had an eight percent obesity rate and type II diabetes was virtually unheard of. Forty years of government guidelines later, the country now has a forty percent obesity rate, and type II diabetes is epidemic. You'd think they'd get the correlation, but they don't. Find an integrative MD who has a relationship with a natural nutritionist. A natural nutritionist will not tell you fat makes you fat, and animal protein is evil, and you should eat a high-carb diet for health. A natural nutritionist will tell you fat is necessary for your health, as is protein, and you should lose the processed carbohydrates and eat fresh, whole foods you cook yourself. A natural nutritionist will accommodate a vegetarian or vegan diet; however, if you go vegetarian or vegan, do it because you love animals, not because you think animal protein will kill you.

Keep a Positive Attitude


Being a happy person will make life a lot easier, and will keep your stress levels at a minimum. Stress is unavoidable in our lives; how we deal with it is what matters. Learning how to control your stress is a major factor in knee pain, as stress can negatively impact the stress-immunity-inflammation response system (the 'Fight or Flight' syndrome) and cause your inflammation levels to rise.

Exercise


There's that dirty word again; it seems counterintuitive, but exercising a creaky, aging, complaining knee will keep it moving, and eventually stop the complaints. Keeping your flexibility and mobility are critical, especially as you age, so at least keep yourself walking briskly if nothing else. There are many exercise programs for mature and maturing adults, geared to keeping you fluid and flexible, so take advantage of them. Yoga, Tai Chi, water aerobics, or light aerobics if you're able, are all programs aimed at keeping your joints working.

Osteoarthritis is not inevitable; you can prevent it from clouding your later years by starting now on a program designed to keep you healthy, happy, flexible and mobile. The reward is more than worth the effort.