What are the Different Kinds of Arthritis and How to Treat Them?

Arthritis is a very common medical condition that affects a lot of adults as they age. It occurs due to inflammation of the joints, which can be caused by a number of factors such as aging, injury or infection.

There are over a hundred different kinds of arthritis that cause various sorts of problems to those affected. However this condition can be broadly classified into two major types, which include the following:

1.Osteoarthritis

Also known as degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis is the most common kind of chronic condition to affect the joints. This occurs when the cartilage that surrounds the joint wears away and allows the ends of bones to rub against each other causing immense pain and is often accompanied by inflammation and swelling. The primary cause of osteoarthritis is aging and occurs mainly due to pressure on the joints from lifting heavy weights.

2.Rheumatoid Arthritis

This is the most common type of arthritis that occurs due to joint inflammation. It is an autoimmune condition, which means that it is caused by a dysfunction of the immune system that leads to inflammation of the joints. Chronic inflammation causes joint deformities and even the development of rheumatoid nodules on the skin around the joint. Two-thirds of patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis are women.

Depending on the nature of the condition and the age and medical history of the patient, diagnosis, and treatment of arthritis varies. Although there is no permanent cure for arthritis, especially the type caused by aging, a number of remedies exist that provide relief from pain.

Some of the common methods of treatment for arthritis are:

Medication

Some medicines provide relief from the pain of arthritis if it is not too severe. These include painkillers, anti-inflammatory pills, sprays, and ointments, etc. In case of high-intensity pain, codeine is often prescribed.

Stem Cell Therapy

This method involves drawing platelets from the patient's own blood and injecting it into the inflamed parts of the joint in order to repair damaged muscles and alleviate pain.

Injections

A number of anti-inflammatory substances and lubricants can be injected into the affected joints to decrease pain. Ozone gas injections are an example of this.

Surgery

In extreme cases, surgical procedures are resorted to for treating arthritis. However, successful surgery cannot always be guaranteed and it comes with its own set of risks.



All You Need to Know about Arthritis - Types and Treatment

Arthritis refers to extreme joint pain. It could either manifest in one of the joints in the body or more than one. At times, it occurs because of a vitamin deficiency. However, it can also advance with age. This is how arthritis can be easily diagnosed:

To diagnose arthritis, your specialist will consider the side effects and symptoms. They will then take a physical exam to check for swollen joints or loss of movement.

They will then use blood tests and X-ray to affirm the conclusion. X-ray and blood tests help in identifying the sort of arthritis you have. For instance, a great many people with rheumatoid arthritis have antibodies called rheumatoid components (RF) in their blood. X-rays are used to analyse osteoarthritis, normally uncovering lost ligament, bone deformities and in many extreme cases, a bone rubbing against another bone.

Sometimes, a needle is used to draw a little specimen of liquid from the joint for testing. This is done to eliminate different sorts of arthritis. In case your specialist speculates irresistible arthritis as a confusion of some other sickness, taking a sample of liquid from the influenced joint will typically affirm the finding and decide how it will be dealt with.

Depending on what kind of arthritis you have, your doctor will recommend you different therapies. However, some of the most common treatments for arthritis are as follows: 
Occupational Therapy

Certain therapies involve long-term treatment to treat the affected joint. With the assistance of an occupational therapist, you can learn simpler approaches to do your typical exercises. A therapist can show you how to do the following:
Maintain a strategic distance from positions that strain your joints.
Utilise your most healthy joints and muscles while saving weaker ones.
Use props to support certain joints.
Medication
Joint pain treatment will rely upon the nature and level of the condition. The principle objectives are to diminish aggravation and enhance the capacity of the influenced joints before the condition worsens. Your specialist will most likely recommend acetaminophen or a non-steroidal mitigating drug (NSAID), for example, Aleve.

Surgery
Different types of surgeries might be expected to lessen the inconvenience of joint inflammation or to recover the joint capacity. Synovectomy is the expulsion of a harmed connective tissue coating a joint depression. In case that ligament pain and irritation turn out to be genuinely chronic, or ligament joints turn out to be badly damaged, the answer may lie in surgical substitution.

Non-medical management of arthritis pain:
Besides medicine-based treatment for arthritis, there are many psychotherapeutic techniques to manage the same. Enhancing patients  mental state by showing them how to unwind and perform their every day exercises at a sensible pace will also help in finding a way to defeat mental anxiety and nervousness.

Arthritis - How Can It Be Diagnosed And Cured?

Natural Ways To Manage Arthritis

You might be aware that there is no way that you can prevent arthritis to happen except for being car. But what you can do is delay and reduce the risk of its potential onset. If your joints are healthy now, there is no guarantee that they will always be, unless, you take good care. 

Do you know a few kinds of arthritis can be modified. They are:

1. Gout - Have a healthy, balanced diet which is low in cholesterol, alcohol and sugar. This will help you fight against the onset of gout.

2. Osteoarthritis - To modify the risk factor of osteoarthritis, it is important to maintain a healthy weight.

How to defeat arthritis?

1. Keep a check on your weight: If you are obese, you are putting more pressure on your joints and as a result, they wear out soon. By losing weight, you can make a lot of difference in your joint health.

2. Ensure good water intake: Our body is 70% water. And water is one of those things which is the most important for us. Staying hydrated is very important, even for your joints. Because when the body is dehydrated, and the body needs water, it uses the water stored in our bodies, incl the water in the cartilage.

3. Try to avoid any injury: No one really wants to get injured but it is important to be careful and cautious against injuries of any kind. The more injured your joints are, the more susceptible they are to wear and tear now, and arthritis later in life.

4. Don’t stress with physical tasks: There is a way and correct posture to do them, but many people ignore those and perform the tasks clumsily. This puts additional pressure on your joints.

5. Get Your share of Vitamin D: Vitamin D is very important for us. If your body has adequate amount of vitamin D, then you are less susceptible to arthritis. It is wise to get the levels tested and if low, a doctor consulted for proper medication.

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Pain- free Arthritis? Here’s How To Make It Happen!

Arthritis is a very painful disease. It restricts you from doing a lot of the activities you would love to engage in. However, there are steps you could take to reduce the chances of it happening to you. Here are some tips, which help you in preventing Arthritis:
1. Take Omega-3 fatty acids
Research proves that the regular consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids, present in fish, result in decreased risks of rheumatoid arthritis. Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in foods such as olive oil and walnuts.

2. Take Vitamins and olive oil
Vitamins are crucial, especially A, C and D. Vitamin A can be found in carrots. vitamin D can yet again be found in fish while vitamin C can be found in strawberries, mangoes, pineapples and oranges. Olive oil is also useful because it contains polyphenols which reduce the chances of developing arthritis.

3. Eat ginger and broccoli
Ginger and broccoli are two of the most therapeutic foods for various reasons and the chances of getting arthritis are also proven to reduce due to these foods.

4. Avoid injury
Although this is very hard to do sometimes, avoiding injuries do reduce your chances of getting arthritis.

5. Control your weight
This is very important, especially for your knees. It has been proven by researchers at John Hopkins University that if you are 10 kg overweight, then 30 to 60 extra kilograms of weight fall on your knees.

6. Exercise
Strengthening your muscles around your joint decreases the pressure on the joint. If there is less pressure on the joint, then the chances of arthritis are reduced. The best way to decrease pressure on the joint and strengthen your muscles is to exercise.

6 Tips To Prevent Arthritis

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury is one of the most common knee injuries. Athletes who play high strain sports like football, rugby and basketball are more at risk in developing this kind of injury.
The ACL is one of the four primary ligaments in your knee. The injury occurs when the ligament is overstretched.

Signs and Symptoms
ACL happens in steps:
a) First, you might hear or feel in your knee a 'pop' sound
b) Next, you might experience pain and an inability to move or continue with your activity
c) Then your knee will swell up
d) Lastly, hemarthrosis develops

Causes
The ACL injury can happen in various ways. Injury may occur if
1. You change directions quickly
2. You stop suddenly
3. You slow down while running
4. You jump and land incorrectly
5. You are tackled, like in football, through direct collision or contact

Diagnosis
The doctor will use the following tests to diagnose ACL injury:
1. Pivot-shift test: This test is done to check for instability
2. Anterior drawer test: This test is done to check for the suspected tear in the ACL
3. Lachman test: This test more or less resembles the anterior drawer test. It is considered far more superior in diagnosing ACL injury than the anterior drawer test.

Treatment
Treatment of ACL depends on the patient's age and lifestyle. A younger patient, who is involved in sports will need surgery to restore agility. An older patient can heal without surgery.
1. Conservative Management: This is recommended for people who are older and lead a quieter lifestyle. Also if the knee is overall stable, the doctor might opt for this treatment. Bracing and physical therapy is enough in this case. To protect the knee stability, braces are given. Crutches are also used to keep from exerting weight on the injured leg. When the swelling subsides, some exercises are performed. This is part of the rehabilitation program. Exercises will strengthen leg muscles that surround the knee.
2. Surgery: If the patient is young and has a very active lifestyle, surgery is very much needed. There are three surgical methods:
a. Primary repair- this method is not recommended barring bony avulsions, which are typically seen in adolescents
b. Extra-articular repair- generally includes a tenodesis of the iliotibial tract
c. Intra-articular reconstruction- this is the standard treatment for ACL injuries.

All About Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

A Simple Guide to Arthritis

One of the most common ailments the elderly suffer from is arthritis. However, arthritis can affect people of all ages. It is a rheumatic disease as in, it affects joints and bones. It can be of many types and the term covers a number of inflammatory and non-inflammatory joint diseases. Some of the most well-known types of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis, bone spurs, gout, and osteoarthritis.

The causes of arthritis have not been defined but there are a number of factors that increase a person's chances of getting it. Foremost amongst these is increasing age and excess weight. Arthritic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and lupus are said to be hereditary and linked to certain genes. Sometimes, injuries can also cause arthritic conditions. Misuse of steroids can also result in arthritis.

Here is a look at the most common symptoms of the disease :-

Pain around the joints is the most well-known symptom of arthritis. Along with pain, you may also notice swollen or stiff joints.
Increased body temperature around the affected joints and redness in the area is also a symptom of arthritis. These symptoms range from mild to severe, and can be constant or may come and go.
Everybody suffers from occasional joint pains but if any of the above symptoms persist for a long duration, it is best to consult a doctor. The sooner you seek treatment, the easier it becomes to deal with arthritis. If left untreated for too long, arthritis can result in permanent joint damage.

While there is no single cure for arthritis, it can be effectively controlled if treated in time. Since the type and severity of arthritis differ from person to person, treatment for the same must also be tailored to the needs of the individual.

Drugs for arthritis can be categorized as those that treat symptoms such as pain and stiffness, and those that suppress inflammatory conditions.

In some cases, surgery may be advisable. 

Physical therapy and regular exercise are very important when dealing with arthritis.

It is equally important to eat a healthy, nutritious and well-balanced diet. If you are overweight, try and lose the excess kilos.

You must also look after your joints to ensure that there is no further degradation of bone or muscle tissue. Avoid staying in one position for a long time, and try and maintain a good posture. These simple techniques can be very effective when dealing with all types of arthritis.

A Simple Guide to Arthritis

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