Arthritis: Joint Pain Without Cure

Arthritis, even mild cases can be painful and uncomfortable. It may hinder the mobility of a person and have adverse effects to one's health and well-being. The causes of this ailment is not clear but aging, joint injury, and genetics are partly blamed for the development of this condition. In addition to these factors, anything that can damage a joint in any way may cause arthritis. Injuries, infections, overactive immune systems, and wear and tear are common causes of arthritis. Individuals who workout too much or over-train have increased risk of developing this ailment. Certain occupations involving repetitive bending and squatting may increase the risks of developing arthritis.

Arthritis is a disease may cause painful swelling and inflammation of the joints and are experienced my millions of people around the world. In the United States alone, it is estimated that by 2030 there will be nearly 70 million affected by this disease. Cases of arthritis may be mild or severe, short-term or permanent. Medical researches suggest that there are more than 100 forms of arthritis but the most familiar form is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis takes place when the cartilage that supports the joints ear out, a process that occurs over a long period and is common among older people. Most people affected by this condition may experience pain, swelling, and stiffness, in the hip, knee, or hand.

Inflamed joints that hurt when in motion are some of the familiar signs and symptoms of arthritis. These joints may be stiff and can be aggravated by movements or activities like walking, writing, typing, and many more. Stiffness is most noticeable after extended periods of rest or after waking up in the morning. Individuals with arthritis may also encounter extreme fatigue, lack of energy, or weakness.

Other symptoms may include:

Stiffness—People with arthritis may feel stiff and creaky for a short time until the joints get moving again. These individuals may also experience stiffness from sitting.
Muscle weakness—The muscle around the joint, especially the knees may become weaker.
Deformed joints—Joints may look enlarged and deformed.
Cracking and creaking of the joints—The joints may make cracking and creaking sounds.

Presently, there are no available cure for arthritis but there are medications that may provide arthritis pain relief. Doctors often prescribe individuals with osteoarthritis, large doses of over-the counter pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen. Some prescription drugs like celecoxib, rofecoxib, and valdecoxib are shown to give effective pain relief. However, these drugs may bring minimal or serious side effects to individuals who use them. That is why arthritic individuals should seek the approval of doctors before taking medications for arthritis pain relief.

Many health experts believe that regular exercise and a healthy diet are powerful tools for arthritis. They recommend a combination of stretching, range-of-motion exercises, strength training, and aerobic exercises. Individuals who engage in these activities may develop joints that are stronger, more flexible, and more stable. As these things take place, arthritis pain may disappear and medications for arthritis pain relief can be lessened.

What Are The Risks For Heart Disease From Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, progressive, systemic, autoimmune disease for which there is no current cure. It is a common disorder affecting more than 2.1 million Americans. Patients who present with complications of RA outside the joints- what is termed extra-articular disease- are at particular risk for early death. Extraarticular problems that can be seen in RA include, skin ulcers, anemia, eye inflammation, lung inflammation and damage, heart disease, inflammation of blood vessels, and rheumatoid nodules(these are bumps consisting of inflamed tissue that grow at certain areas such as the fingers, elbows, heels, and back of the skull).

A predictor of the presence of extra-articular disease is the level of rheumatoid factor in the blood. The higher the rheumatoid factor, the more likely a patient will have extra-articular disease. A newer blood marker, the anti-CCP (anti cyclic citrullinated peptide), also appears to predict higher risk of extra-articular problems as well as more severe disease. The bottom line is that RA is not a benign condition. In fact, it carries the same mortality as first heart attacks, untreated diabetes, and stage 4 Hodgkins disease in some studies. RA must be diagnosed and treated aggressively. Probably the primary cause of the increased mortality is cardiovascular death. Estimates range from 33-50% of all deaths in RA patients are due to cardiovascular causes. Patients with RA are at significantly increased risk for atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, heart attack, and vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels).

So what are some of the risk factors that particularly are important? Among them are: • Severe RA disease • Severe extra-articular disease • Elevated blood levels of homocysteine which is aggravated by methotrexate therapy • Abnormalities of blood vessel walls • Drugs that are used to treat RA such as corticosteroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs • Overproduction of inflammatory cytokines (chemical messengers of disease) • Rheumatoid nodules A note about drugs... Methotrexate, the most commonly used disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug is associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular death. Unfiortuantely, nonsteoridal anti-inflammatory drugs which are commonly used to treat symptoms in RA increase the risk of blood clots, cardiovascular disease, and congestive heart failure. The role of other medical problems such as blood sugar, elevated lipids, and so forth are a subject for another article. Recommendations for reduction of cardiovascular risk in RA patients include: • Low dose aspirin (which should be supplemented with some type of stomach protection) particularly in patients who are taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. • Statin drugs for people with elevated lipids • Folic acid supplementation to minimize the elevated homocysteine levels seen in RA • Caution with the use of TNF-inhibitors in patients with congestive heart failure • Control of co-morbid conditions such as smoking, diabetes, and hypertension that might aggravate the tendency towards cardiovascular risk.

Complicating this issue is some data showing that TNF inhibitors can elevate serum lipids in some instances. The implications of this phenomenon on the overall picture is still unknown. A bright note: there is increasing evidence that aggressive treatment with methotrexate and TNF-inhibitors reduces the incidence of cardiovascular events. Therefore, the above-mentioned lipid problem may not be that important. Further studies are obviously needed to confirm these findings.