There's no doubt about it, arthritis can be one of the most painful and debilitating diseases in the world. Unfortunately, the number of people afflicted with arthritis is growing and it's expected that 80% will be affected by arthritis after the ages of 55. This is a very worrying trend, especially when you consider this disease is mostly preventable.
There's no one specific cause for the development of arthritis. The disease has over a hundred different types. However, the most common are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The factors that can trigger the condition can range from genetics, climate, viral or bacterial infections and stress.
However, the common thread with most of types of arthritis is the swelling and joint pain. In severe cases the pain caused by the inflammation can be debilitating. If the condition is left untreated and allowed to progress the outcome can result in fused joints and deformed bones.
Conventional Treatment
The conventional way to treat patients with arthritis is to give them a range of chemical based drugs. These drugs do specific roles that range from reducing the stiffness, reducing the pain, drugs to attack the disease and then drugs to counteract the side-effects of the other drugs.
Drugs used for arthritis treatment are anti-inflammatory and usually fall into two categories. These are cortisone based and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDS. These types of drugs can be effective at reducing the pain, but what they will not do is cure or reverse the condition - they just suppress the symptoms.
Furthermore, anti-inflammatory drugs should only be used in the short term due to their many side-effects. Although they may control the pain they are actually poisoning the body which will only make the condition worse.
Natural And Safer Alternatives
Fortunately, there are natural and effective ways to treat and stop the progress of this debilitating disease.
Osteoarthritis and to a larger extend rheumatoid arthritis cause inflammation of the joints. One of the underlying causes is the build up of uric acid in the body.
Too much uric acid results in hard crystals building up in the joints which cause the pain. Between the joints is a membrane which enables the joints to move smoothly together.
Uric acid crystals are deposited between the joints and as the opposing bones move together the uric acid crystals wear way the synovial fluid. As the condition progresses the protective layer of cartilage can also be worn away and this exposes the hard bone underneath.
As the two bones grate together they can cause severe pain which some sufferers have compared to being repeatedly stabbed in the joints with a sharp knife. Excess uric acid in the body can be the result a poor diet and a weakened immune system.
Unfortunately, the modern diet many people are eating is highly processed and refined. This does not provide the necessary quantity and quality of nutrients the body needs to support their immune system.
Many people have found relief from omitting certain refined foods from their diets such as white flour contained in white bread, pastries and pasta.
Another effective natural treatment that has helped people with arthritis is omega a 3 fatty acids. These naturally contain anti-inflammatory compounds that can help reduce the inflammation and pain caused by arthritis.
One of the most effective is green lipped mussels because not only are they a rich source of anti-inflammatory fatty acids they also contain compounds that may help to rebuild damaged cartilage and restore mobility in the joints.
People are still ignorant about knee or hip replacement surgery. Nowadays these surgeries are affordable and cheap. Sometimes it can give the concerned patients relief.
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