Arthritis- Definitions and Types
Before we delve into the remedies for arthritis, it is important to understand the two
main types of arthritis. There are over one hundred types of arthritis but they all go
under the heading of these two main branches:
1.
This is my burden in life, the main type and the one most often suffered.
Osteoarthritis means basically the degeneration of joints. Your knees and hips and
lower back are giving out on you and the loss of mobility in these joints causes
untold pain. If you are an athlete or an older person you most likely suffer from
some degree of osteoarthritis. You find that your lower back aches, your knees
hurt when you climb stairs and your hips ache if you stand or sit too long. You are
not alone. Over 33 million people in the United States suffer from this type of
arthritis. This condition can and does result from obesity because the wear and
tear also results from the weight- bearing joints start to break down.
Osteoarthritis
With Osteoarthritis, the cartilage or soft bone in the joint begins to wear down. It
had been serving as your shock absorber for many years, and protecting the joints
from damage. As more damage to your joints occurs over time, the cartilage on the
bones of the joint starts to wear away more and more and soon it does not work at
all.
The cushioning effect of the cartilage is gone and also the gel-like fluid in the
joints. The end result is pain when you run, walk or stand for a long time. You might
t
each other. Bone spurs can develop at they end of the bones and they are very
painful.
If one area, such as your lower back is affected, there are several vertebrae
affected. An x-ray of your lower back and knees will be able to detect the damage
and to what degree each is suffering. The diagnostician will be able to pinpoint
which S joints or Spinal joints and L joints or Lumbar will need attention, or to what
degree you knee joints are affected. After that determination you are responsible
for whichever treatment you opt to take, and you need to be informed. Many people
continue to live athletic and demanding lives, you will not be compromised by
osteoarthritis, but you will need help. And that you have to judge for yourself!
The Second Type of Arthritis
The second most debilitating type of arthritis is called Rheumatoid Arthritis. It is
characterized as an enduring disease that affects joints in any part of the body but most
especially the hands, wrists and knees. You may remember your grandmother or aunt with
gnarled up hands, enlarged knuckles and closed up fists. She was hardly able to lift a spoon
or a pot, but she could still cook. The only trouble is she could no longer knit, crochet or do
any fine-motor skills. The looks of the hand is the signal that rheumatism has taken over.
In this type of arthritis, the body is attacking itself, called auto-immune disease. There
were no damages or accidents to the wrist or knuckles or knees. The body is simply ganging
up on itself and causing the joints to swell up and gnarl up. The inflammation in the joints
then spreads to any surrounding tissues and can damage the cartilage or bone. In very
severe cases rheumatism can spread and do damage to the skin, eyes and nerves.
Lupus, gout and fibromyalgia are also classed under the rheumatoid arthritis branch in
which the body is attacking itself and is an auto-immune disease.
The first symptoms of any sort of arthritis are:
Pain in the joint areas of the body
Fatigue due to lack of beneficial sleep
Aches which seem to come and go with changes in the weather
Diminished capacity of active life
Joints react with severe stabs of pain
Lower back aches which start with early morning stiffness and reappear all day
Pain reappears throughout the day with normal activity
Lupus is an agonizing auto-immune systemic disease in which the antibodies start to attack
become involved and slowly fill the patient with agonizing pain. Gout occurs when crystals
gather in the joint, as in the knees, and make movement of any sort painful and difficult.
The knees, knuckles and toes are the most susceptible to gout. Fibromyalgia is another
type of arthritis in which the muscles surrounding the joints are affected with pain and
aches. There are 11 points that a rheumatologist checks and at least 8 of them have to
react in order to be determined as Fibromyalgia. It is often grouped together with Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome but I find that not to be the case. Pain and discomfort is the only
characteristic for me with bouts of fatigue on certain days.
Medical Treatment for Arthritis
Now that we have defined what arthritis is, we can discuss what the medical field will
offer you in one form or another. The doctors and rheumatologists have diagnosed the
arthritis so it their duty to follow through with a medical plan.
You might be offered an anti-inflammatory in pill form. An anti-inflammatory or NSAID is
usually very safe to take and does not interfere with any other medication you might be
taking. It is used for arthritis pain, sports injuries and headaches. It will relieve the
constant pain or ache if taken on schedule, daily and with food. The only side effects that
I am familiar with are stomach problems, so take them with food to reduce the risk of an
ulcer,
Names of NSAIDs that you might recognize are Naproxen, Celebrex and aspirin. In fact,
ordinary baby aspirin of 81 mg is also recommended for heart patients to prevent blood
clots. So in addition to relieving pain, aspirin is good for the heart in a small dose every
day. An NSAID is fine to relieve the inflammation but the pain is a different matter.
Pain relievers that can be prescribed or sold over the counter are Tylenol, Advil, Motrin,
and many others too many of which to include. These pain relievers in addition to the
NSAIDs as above would be an adequate combination to help out with the pain and aches of
arthritis.
If, however, your arthritis, or disc degeneration is so severe, and the pain unbearable, the
doctor may give you a prescription for Tylenol #3 or #4, Oxycocet or Percocet which are
if you are
taking these on a regular basis. I take mine at night to give me a deep sleep along with
Naproxen to reduce the swelling. Also keep in mind that these are narcotics and they are
very potent. Do not leave any pills or medication within reach of a baby or youngster,
Opiates are also very habit- forming and can become a problem if you take them for a long
period of time.
In addition to medication, the doctor may request that you have sports therapy which is a
special athletic gym with equipment to reduce the weight bearing on your joints and give
your muscles a work out. Physiotherapists are trained to put you on a routine of special
equipment to take the pressure off of the joints and to reduce the inflammation. It is
wonderful to take part in the facilities and to gain some strength and agility back.
Alternative Methods for Arthritis
For every country, culture and ethnicity there is a cure for arthritis. We are now learning
to trust and use the alternative methods which have proven tried and true for centuries
for many races. Modern society has the majority of us run to the university trained
doctors but we do not necessarily need to choose their suggestions for a cure. I will offer
home remedies first because some of them can be made from the garden or from
household items. Bear in mind that these are for your perusal and do not promise to cure.
Once again, make sure your doctor knows what you are trying.
1. Teas made of just about any herb or root, steeped for two minutes, drunk three
times daily
2. Heat apple cider vinegar, pour on a cloth and rub into the sore joints before bed
time. Repeat through the night if necessary and once in the morning
3. Drink hot apple cider vinegar mixed with a table spoon of liquid or solid honey, in a
tea cup.
4. Thinly -sliced root vegetables such as potato, beets or carrots soaked in wine. After
one month of soaking drink the wine twice a day
5. Put a cup of raisins in one cup of gin. When all the liquid has soaked in, take 6-8
raisins a day.
6. Make a hot poultice of flour, hot water, cayenne pepper and mustard powder. Mix all
ingredients into a paste and put directly onto sore joints or onto hot, soaked
flannelette. Place the cloth or tie around the joint.
7. Take a colon cleansing and a liver cleansing to rid the body of all toxins which is said
to cause arthritis
8. Avoid all purified foods such as white sugar, flour, bread and cakes or pies
9. Eat only whole wheat and brown sugar, entire grains and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Nothing canned or frozen. As much fresh -caught fish as possible.
10. Use home-
rgic and make cookies and use on
toast with honey. Rub peanut butter onto joints for a few minutes
11. If you are not allergic take a bee and sting the inflamed joint which is introducing a
toxin into the system. It is like taking snake venom to counteract a snake bite.
Catching the bee might be tricky
12. Hot baths with all joints immersed is an excellent end to the day. It should have
Epsom salts or vinegar in the water.
Arthritis and Heat Remedies
I highly recommend heat- applied treatment for arthritis, no matter where the arthritis is
located. In this article I am going to talk about heat, its application and saunas.
When the weather changes and the barometer rises or lowers my body seizes up. I rely on
a hot water bottle or two placed directly on my lower back or shoulders. Some people like
to use both the hot water bottle alternated with an ice bag to relieve the inflammation
and pain. The other heat application is a heating pad which is electrical and is very flat so
it can be placed under or over the body without interrupting sleep. Try to find the brand
of pad which turns off after a few minutes automatically.
Try using an electric blanket for the first few minutes of bed time. The blanket warms up
the bed and then I can turn it off. In days gone by the servants would warm the beds of
their masters with hot water- filled pans and remove them before they retired for the
night. One night I left the blanket turned on all night and I slept like a baby. There is a
new contraption that you can put on your chair or flat on your bed which both vibrates at
different intervals and heats up as well. I wore mine out.
Saunas are wonderful to release the tension, toxins and pain in your joints. The true
Finnish or Swedish method is best, not a dry heat. In the Finnish method, a wood stove
heats up the rocks beside it and the building gets very hot. Your body becomes used to the
heat gradually. Then you take a cup or a ladle and splash water on the rocks. The steam or
humidity fills the room with healing heat and you sit for 10-12 minutes with a towel on.
Then you run out and jump into the snow or lake and cool off in the most exhilarating way.
the lake or snow. Just enjoy the heat and humidity.
However, please check with your physician, because people who have high blood pressure
may not be able to use the sauna. I can only go in a sauna for 5 minutes tops before I can
feel my condition worsening. Hot tubs are the same. Swirling water in a hot tub is great,
but I can only do that for a few minutes. Newer style bathtubs, called jet whirlpool
"
a good soak. So heat does do wonders for the arthritic patient but, like everything else, do
it in moderation.
Topical Skin Treatments for Arthritis
Now that we have covered the home remedies for arthritis and its varied
applications, I would like to talk about the application to the body of treatment via
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health and arthritis will follow. I cannot possibly describe all the points of entry
body which can be treated by the needles. Once the needles are inserted, the
doctor will let you rest and then he re-enters to touch the tops of them to add
stimulus and minutes later you are done.
Before he starts, the traditional acupuncturist will study your mouth and teeth,
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breath and body odor. Then he knows what to do. Acupuncture treatment takes
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used in other diseases and conditions. I tried acupuncture but the cost was not
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TENS or
transcutaneous electrical neuron stimulator is a compact unit with wires which
attach to the skin with pads. The pads are placed around the tender or painful area
and then the unit is turned on. With dials and various intensities, the wires
stimulate the nerves and much like acupuncture are supposed to reduce the pain
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on me is temporary. You can carry the TENS
around in your pocket or attach it to your belt and use it while you
Ultrasound and Infrasound Therapy
We have all heard in the past 40 years that we can have a picture or sonogram taken of a
fetus in vitro, still in the womb. This picture of the baby is taken using ultra high sound
waves which are conducted into the womb via a transducer and some conduction gel. It
helps to gather data about the baby, anything from due date, gender, possible birth
defects, size and if it is a multiple birth. I had one when I was two months along and the
size of a barn. I had full- term full- weight twin girls some 7 months later.
So how does this relate to arthritis and joint pain? Well in much lower doses a
physiotherapist can conduct the sound waves with a wand onto the area of pain or joints
which are in pain. Joints such as knees, ankles, wrists, elbows and shoulders can be treated
over time with the sound waves, ultrasound. Once set up on a chair or bed, the client can
give himself the ultrasound over the area while the physiotherapist works with others. I
had a bone spur in my foot which hurt very badly. I thought my foot was broken but I
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/-rays and there it was, a tiny piece of bone at
the end of another bone and it grated on other bones when I tried to walk. So I took
ultrasound treatments for five sessions and it was gone. The spur broke apart and was
blasted into smithereens. No problems since.
Infrasound is based on the other end of the spectrum. Much lower frequencies of sound,
so low we cannot hear them but animals can, are conducted into the area of pain. Muscles
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had been denied. Joint pain can be reduced by also introducing the infrasound. Vitality,
improved wellness and recuperation after an operation have been attributed to infrasound.
In fact, both ultrasound and infrasound have been used in equine medicine. Horses love it!
Their joint pain and muscle rigidity are lessened and they are in much better shape. Now
small pet owners are asking to have infrasound administered to their animals.
These two types of sound therapy are very useful in actually attacking the cause of the
pain and muscle problems. Wellness is a state of mind and, of course, everyone has
different opinions and beliefs about pain, the threshold of pain, the use of alternative
methods versus medical treatment. Choose what you like and how you want to be treated.
Hot Stone Massage
A relatively new method of massage is based on the use of smooth, small, stones placed on
your body. It has come into favor lately as a method of soft massage which does not have
to be as intrusive as deep tissue massage. Some people find that deep tissue massage is
very wrenching on an already sore and painful body.
The stones are gathered from a rapid running river and are small, the size of an egg and no
bigger than the palm of your hand. They are gathered from the river bed as they are
smoothed from the rushing water. Then they are placed into a heating oven which heats
them throughout. They can also be boiled. The stones are then removed and used by the
therapist.
He puts them in his own hands first to make sure they are not too hot. He then puts them
on various parts of the back and legs and arms where the joints and muscles are found to
be sore, tender and tight. First the body may be oiled to allow the rocks to slide from one
spot to another. After a few minutes, the stones are removed and put back in the heater.
The therapist then uses his hands and the oil to do a soft massage. The muscles and
tendons are already relaxed so the deep tissue massage is not necessary.
He can remove the stones once again and place them on the body or use the stones to help
with the massage. They glide over the body due to the oil which also sinks into the skin.
The patient is left with the stones on his/her back for a few minutes before being
excused.
In my younger day, I remember my osteopath using hot steamed towels in heavy amounts
to relax the back and the muscles. I would lie on my stomach and he would come in and
place these heavy hot steaming towels all over my back, let me lie there for a while and
then come in and remove them. His job was much easier to manipulate my sore joints after
a firm massage. I would walk out of there as though I had no spine left and it lasted a good
long time.
Massage has its place in the manipulation of the muscles and the spine. It is meant to be a
relaxing time with soft music and warm sheets. No one should walk out of a massage
Massage Therapy
Massage Therapy has been practiced in all societies since the earliest of time. The laying
of hands or manipulation of the soft tissue of the body is a well known and respected form
of therapy to assist with the lessening of pain. There are close to one hundred different
styles of massage but in all types the therapist may use his/her hands, fingers, knuckles,
elbows, forearms and even the feet.
The main intent of massage is to relax the client, apply oils and creams to the back, arms
and legs, cover him with towels and warm sheets and to lightly rub and manipulate the
body. He will relax the soft tissue, increase the blood flow and the delivery of oxygen to
the necessary areas, keep the body warm and help to decrease pain. The main concept is to
deliver blood and oxygen to the starved muscle groups, joints and tendons in order to
relieve the pain of arthritis and other conditions.
There are so many different types of massage that I cannot do justice to any one method.
The Swedish style uses long, hard strokes on the back while twisting the body, the arms
and legs to get muscles to move and start to work again. North Americans are probably
more familiar with the deep tissue massage where the therapist uses a combination of
strokes and deep finger pressure where he can feel the knotted muscle groups that need
to be relaxed deep under the skin.
I have had the deep tissue massage and I have felt discomfort because my arthritis is
right throughout my body. I cannot relax because I know that every movement is going to
mean more pain to my body. Then you have to get up after your treatment and get dressed
to leave. I do not find full measure relief in any massage unless I am at home, in bed and I
just get a regular back rub. That does me the world of good.
Massage is not just for arthritis pain but is found to be useful in lowering the levels of
blood pressure, anxiety and stress. The clinical practice itself is often housed in the same
office as a chiropractor as they work co-operatively with each other. One week you might
need a chiropractic treatment followed the following week by a massage. Be sure to find a
registered massage therapist RMT rather than someone who hangs out a shingle offering
massages by the hour.
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