Arthritis is a common disease that affects millions of people worldwide. This can be felt in the person's joints, skin and organs inside the body. Should the person feel anything wrong, it is advisable to go straight to the doctor.
Doctors have discovered that there are over 100 types of arthritis. Given the number, the doctor will not be able to know which one is affecting the person without an examination.
There are 2 common forms of arthritis. The first is rheumatoid arthritis which is considered a chronic disease. There is inflammation in the joints caused by cartilage damage. Anyone who has this will suffer long term joint damage that will lead to chronic pain and disability. Pain is usually felt when waking up in the morning and will gradually disappear during the day.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a problem that will not go away. This happens in three stages. The first is swelling. The second is the rapid division and growth of cells. The third is when these cells release enzymes that will eat the bone causing the joint to lose shape until the person will not be able to move it anymore.
Since this is systemic disease, it can spread and affect other organs in the body. The best way to prevent is from happening is detecting it early to prevent the person from being disabled.
This can be treated with proper medication and therapy. There many drugs available that the patient can use. Some drugs offer pain relief to reduce the inflammation. Others can just do one function.
The second is called osteoarthritis. This happens more often than rheumatoid arthritis but unlike the first, there is no inflammation present. The cartilage in the joint is damaged and will eventually degenerate. Pain will slightly be felt when the person gets up but this will hurt later on during the day.
Osteoarthritis can either be primary or secondary. When it is primary, it is often associated with age. It is similar to a car where the parts have to be replaced due to wear and tear. Doctors consider this to be normal as people grow older.
The secondary type is often associated with something else that has caused this to happen. Some of these factors are an injury that took place, heredity, obesity and bone density.
Osteoarthritis can be treated with medication, exercise, weight control, joint protection, physical and occupational therapy. This is done to relieve the pain and slow the progression of the disease.
Both of these are caused by different things. The common thing between these 2 types is that joint pain can happen anywhere in the body.
Given the many medications available to treat this disease, the patient has to be aware of the side effects of each before choosing which one to use. The doctor should explain these to the person in order to make the right decision.
Physiotherapy good for spinal Arthritis
Physiotherapy good for spinal arthritisNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Exercise programs are beneficial for people with a type of arthritis affecting the spine -- ankylosing spondylitis (AS) -- Norwegian researchers report, although it is not clear which type of protocol is best.
Dr. Hanne Dagfinrud of the University of Oslo and colleagues reviewed of 43 studies involving exercise and AS and eventually scrutinized data on a total of 561 patients in six trials. The results are published in the Journal of Rheumatology.
In the appraisal, two of the reviewed trials compared individualized home exercise versus no intervention. The results of these two trials provided low-quality evidence in favor of exercise. No effect on pain intensity was seen.
Cannabis soothes the pain of arthritis Cannabis-based drugs might be used to treat arthritis after a study showed they could relieve its pain.
Cannabis has already been shown to have a role in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Other studies suggest it may help treat gut disorders such as Crohn's disease.
The latest study - the first to examine its effect in rheumatoid arthritis - found it significantly reduced pain and suppressed the disease.
Researchers followed up a survey of 1000 people who had obtained the drug. About 15 per cent said they had done so to relieve the condition.
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