Arthritis

Arthritis refers to the inflammation of joints and bones. There are two types of arthritis and they can affect sportsmen and children alike.

Osteoarthritis

This occurs when the cartilage between the bones gradually waste away. This results in painful rubbing of bone-to-bone in the joints. It can also cause the joints to fall out of their normal positions. It is the most common form of arthritis and mainly affects the joints in the hands, spine, knees and hips.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

This is more severe but less common than Osteoarthritis. In this case, the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the joints, causing pain and swelling. This leads to reduced movement and the breakdown of bone and cartilage.

Arthritis though associated with older people can also affect children. This form of arthritis is known as Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA).

Arthritis Symptoms

Arthritis begins gradually with the first symptoms being felt in the fingers and toes. Over time, the condition causes pain, swelling and stiffness of the joints. It is especially painful in cold weather and in the morning. Some of the more common symptoms include:

• Stiffness
• Pain
• Restricted movement of joints
• Swelling
• Warmth and redness of the skin over the joint.

Treatment of Arthritis

It is important to start treatment very early after symptoms in order to reduce further damage to the joints.

For osteoarthritis under the guidance of your physician(s) medicine will tend to fall under analgesics, corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSID’s). In severe cases, surgery may be used. This is arthroplasty, which involves either reconstructing or replacing a diseased joint.

For rheumatoid arthritis, the objective is to reduce the damaging inflammation. Treatment can range from physiotherapy, corticosteroids, disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and relaxation techniques.

Some physicians advocate the use of:

• Massage
• Acupuncture
• Osteopathy
• Chiropractics
• Hydrotherapy
• Electrotherapy and
• Nutritional supplements like fish oil and glucosamine.

Preventing Arthritis

Treating Arthritis can be expensive. Prevention where possible is a better route. One of the best ways to do this is by controlling your weight to help reduce pressure to your joints. Weight control can also be used to avoid stress or injury to your joints and reduce the severity of osteoarthritis.

Good posture and exercise like walking can also help the strength of muscles that support your joints. Good eating habits with supplements available at Miracles for Men can also go a long way to ease Osteoarthritis.

As for rheumatoid arthritis, there is still no known method to prevent it.

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