Joints which are inflamed and sore, possibly with swelling and stiffness, are probably showing the signs of arthritis. Of the many different types of arthritis, osteoarthritis is by far the most prevalent, while rheumatoid arthritis affects a much smaller number of individuals. While the causative factors are different, the visible symptoms are very similar between the two. If you are diagnosed with arthritis, you would be well advised to look at all the different ways of treating this painful condition.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a very difficult and painful condition, because the body’s immune system attacks the joints, so it can manifest itself in several places at once. Arthritis can appear in any joints in the body but is most often found in the knees, hands and hips. Sadly there is no cure for arthritis at this time and if it is not dealt with it will only deteriorate further but there are many ways to get relief from the unending pain.
Osteoarthritis is caused by degenerative wear and tear in the joints, from constant use over many years, which is why it occurs most often in older people. Accidents or injuries to joints, or even constant heavy manual work, can appear as osteoarthritis a number of years later. In an arthritic joint, the adjoining bones rub against each other and fluid forms, which results in inflammation and swelling.
Because of their speed and convenience, NSAIDs are the preferred choice of many sufferers when it comes to picking their arthritis treatment. Celebrex, ibuprofen and naxproxen are the drugs most commonly selected. These drugs do not cure the problem and the relief is only temporary but they do ease the inflammation and the stiffness, swelling and pain. Many arthritis sufferers take NSAID drugs each day just to be able to get through the day. This is a serious issue, as these drugs can have life-threatening or even fatal side effects, including heart attacks, strokes and intestinal bleeding. There is much statistical evidence of the dangers of arthritis drugs from the US Federal Drugs Agency and The British Medical Journal.
There is a practicable alternative approach to getting relief from the pain of inflammation in the joints. There are lots of foods in your larder or on the supermarket shelves that can provide similar ways to reduce inflammation and swelling. Many vegetables, herbs, spices and fish, which form part of a balanced, healthy diet, will assist in reducing the pain and swelling in your arthritic joints, in addition to improving your general health and strengthening your immune system.
By controlling your diet, any excess weight that you lose will be highly helpful in relieving the pressure on the bigger joints in your body. Loss of any excess weight will be very helpful for your hips and knees, which are most susceptible to extra poundage and which can cause a reduction in overall mobility.
Corticosteroids are another class of drugs that help in reducing swelling and bring much-needed pain relief. These medications are mostly more powerful than NSAIDs and may be administered in a variety of different ways. Steroids can be taken orally or injected into the body. {Certain ones, such as hydrocortisone may be injected directly into affected joints.} Many sports stars perform with cortisone injections when they are suffering injuries and often cause more harm as a result.
One of the most key and most avoided arthritis treatment options is exercise. When joints become arthritic, the old adage, “Use it or lose it, ” becomes a painful reality. It is important that non-impact exercise such as cycling, swimming and gentle walking are adopted, to avoid making the problem worse. {Water aerobics, in a pool, is virtually ideal for arthritis sufferers, because the water supports the joints and makes a wider range of movement possible, without undue pain.}
As a last resort, patients with osteoarthritis may need surgical treatments and joint replacements. In these procedures, the arthritic joints are removed from the body and metallic or plastic replacements are inserted and matched to the bones to construct an artificial joint that is less likely to suffer pain from swelling. This option is very much a last resort and involves more pain in the short term, possible significant expense and a protractede recovery period, with no guarantee of success. Take a long hard look at all the available arthritis treatments first.
A final word of advice. If you think you have noticed any of the above arthritis symptoms such as acute joint pain, swelling, distortion and inflammation, take action now, because the condition will surely deteriorate if you don’t.
