Arthritis and Colloidal Gold

Arthritis is characterized by joint's stiffness and swelling combined with joint inflammation. Various forms of arthritis include osteoarthritis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, reactive arthritis, temporomandibular joint arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and Ankylosing spondolysis. Almost all forms of arthritis are chronic in nature. Though sings and symptoms produced by some forms of arthritis are mild in nature, arthritis could lead to gradual damage of joints. One may experience uncommon conditions such as redness, warmth and swollen joints as effects of certain forms of arthritis.

Stiffness of joints, swelling of joints and persistent joint pain are main common symptoms of the arthritis. Some people may experience difficulty in joint movements, tenderness and pain and redness and warmth surrounding joints.

Different forms and varying symptoms makes it difficult to treat or cure the arthritis. Certain pain relieving medications and steroid injections are used commonly for treatment of arthritis. Arthritis treatment is aimed and reducing pain and inflammation of the joints. Usually physicians prescribe combination of NSAIDs and DMARDs. Generally, arthritis condition subsides with medication. However, certain severe cares may require surgeries such as joint replacements.

Though the traditional medications used for arthritis treatment have produced positive results, it may not be possible for every person to tolerate with such medications as these medications can produce certain adverse side effects. To overcome this possibility researches are going on for natural remedies and alternative therapies.

Weak body immune system, lack of nutritious diet (minerals, vitamins etc) is considered as the main factor which can contribute towards occurrence of health abnormalities. To avoid such health disorders we must ensure adequate quantity of vitamins and minerals in our daily diet. Liquid supplements such as colloidal gold have the properties to enhance the body immune system and regulating hormonal balances. Most importantly, colloidal gold being obtained from pure natural element (gold) does not produce any side effects. Though gold was known since ancient times, it was considered only as precious metal. The medicinal properties of the gold came to light only during last century. Researches have shown that colloidal gold has the property to kill bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms that could develop diseases. Colloidal gold and other dietary supplements are not medications but surely can be used as complementary therapy for preventing or treating various diseases including arthritis.

Surgery to Treat Arthritis of the Big Toe Joint

Arthritis of the big toe joint is common, and can be particularly disabling. Options to manage this condition non-surgically are few, given the express need for the big toe joint to attempt bending during the walking cycle. This article discusses the cause of this painful arthritis, as well as surgical treatment options to relieve pain.

The big toe joint consists of the first metatarsal bone forming the 'ball' of the joint, and the initial bone of the big toe (the first proximal phalanx) forming the 'socket'. It has an important role in how the body moves when walking, and limitation of its motion forces other joints and muscles to function abnormally to take up the slack. Arthritis of this joint, or cartilage wear, occurs when there is abnormal pressure or positioning of the joint bones. This results in grinding down of the smooth cartilage that covers the bone surface at the joint, allowing for smooth motion. As this cartilage erodes, the bone underneath begins to become exposed, and parts of the joint surface start to see bone rubbing during joint motion.

In addition to this, thickened spurs of bone can develop along the margins of the joint, further hampering motion. When bone grinds on bone and when spurs limit joint motion, pain usually results. This condition will gradually worsen, leading to destruction of much of the joint surface. In severe cases, the bones will even partially fuse together. The structural cause of arthritis can be due to many factors. Natural bone structure can contribute to this, such as seen in people with longer or shorter first metatarsals, as well as first metatarsals that are angled too steeply in elevation or declination with respect to the ground surface. Bunions and other rotational deformities of the big toe joint can also contribute to cartilage wear and tear. Fractures, crushes, sprains, and other injuries to the joint can also result in arthritis after awhile. Finally, certain body-wide joint-affecting diseases will cause joint erosion as well, such as seen with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.

Non-surgical treatment is limited, consisting of measures to limit the painful motion of the joint and decrease the resulting inflammation. Stiff soled shoes and specialized custom foot inserts can be used to limit the painful motion. Anti-inflammatory medications and steroid injections can reduce the inflammation, although this is not nearly as effective as it is in larger joints like the knee. However, the unique structure of the big toe joint generally necessitates surgical treatment in many cases of arthritis. Surgical treatment is divided into procedures that destroy the joint and procedures that maintain the joint (in the case of mild arthritis). When joint destruction is severe or significant, the joint destruction technique is chosen as the cartilage of the joint will have to be replaced or removed entirely in order for the pain to be resolved.

The choice of whether to use an artificial implant or fuse the joint surgically is up to the health of the patient and the preference of the surgeon. Joint implants have been in use for fifty years, and are made of metal or silicone gel. Various designs can replace the ball of the joint, the socket, or both. There are advantages and disadvantages to each design, and certain conditions like diabetes with nerve disease, poor circulation, and obesity limit their use. Their lifespan is much longer than hip or knee implants, which have to be replaced after a certain number of years. The motion restored by these implants is rarely equal to the motion of the joint before the onset of arthritis, but in generally is significant enough to relieve all motion pain and limitation. When these fail, or if the surgeon is not advising their use, a joint fusion is the preferred method of relieving joint pain.

This procedure fuses the bones across the joint, resulting in no motion at all. It differs from painful arthritis that is partially fused in that there are still areas of motion in those cases that produce pain. By removing all motion, the joint is no longer painful, leading to a stiff lever upon which the foot rolls off during the walking cycle. Eventually the body adapts to this, although some minor strain can occur to the joint in the middle of the big toe, or the complex of joints in the middle of the foot. If the arthritis is only mild, the surgeon may elect to preserve the joint. In this technique, the surgeon simply removes any bone spur limiting motion, and drills holes in the eroded areas of cartilage.

The drilling promotes growth of a tissue called fibrocartilage, which is a rough form of cartilage that is not as functional as regular joint cartilage, but is better than the bare bone below. It is usually necessary to address the underlying structural problem if this procedure is selected, as leaving the reason behind the arthritis alone will simply result in further arthritic change years down the road. These additional procedures could include procedures to elevate, lower, shorten, or shift over the first metatarsal back to a proper position based on the underlying structural problem. Often a bunion is corrected if present. Follow-up with long term orthotics foot supports is usually needed, along with periodic monitoring.

Regardless of the selected procedure, repair of the big toe joint is generally successful, with good long term results. Complications, including infections and implant or hardware failure, do occur. However, they are uncommon and most patients are restored to pain-free or significantly reduced pain-limited walking within a month or two following the surgery. Nearly all podiatrists (and a small number of specially trained orthopedic surgeons) perform these procedures. If one is suffering from big toe joint arthritis, a visit to their foot and ankle specialist can lead to relief and restoration of activity.

Pain Management - Dealing With Systemic Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

As if growing pains were not enough, there is such a thing known as systemic-onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis which afflicts both girls and boys as they progress from childhood to preadolescence. As a juvenile disorder, it affects children younger than 16 years of age, although there are cases wherein it persists beyond the teens.

What is Systemic JRA?

Think of it as an autoimmune disorder wherein the immune system which normally responds beneficially to fight any infection automatically reacts to combat its own defenses. Even a minor infection which raises the white blood cell count could trigger the autoimmune system of to attack its own body tissues.
Poorly understood, systemic JRA is difficult to diagnose and treat without a series of tests to rule out all other diseases. It can be worrisome because some of its symptoms closely resemble those of leukemia, bone cancer, and other nervous syndromes.

How does it show?

Depending on its severity, the disease is characterized by multiple signs and symptoms such as joint pain, swelling, and stiffness for more than six weeks straight. The child experiences prolonged bouts of high fever and chills which peaks with unexplained measles-like rashes. The experience can be very disheartening and debilitating, which is why pain management should be given importance in systemic JRA.

It is not contagious, because it is neither bacterial nor viral but rather a disease of the immune system. It can be inherited as a third-generation disease, meaning it skips one generation and manifests itself in the next. There is no clear explanation why some children outgrow it completely while others have long symptom-free periods followed by a sudden show of flare-ups.

How do you manage it?

During JRA flare-ups, a child is prone to lose weight and muscle mass which results from lost appetite and limited body movement. On the other hand, prolonged medication and lack of activity would lead to excessive weight gain. Rather than leading a sedentary lifestyle, you could encourage your child to engage in non-strenuous play and sports activities which exercise the joints, bones, and muscles.

As part of pain management care, a child with systemic JRA is attended to by a pediatric rheumatologist. Aside from pain relievers, the usual medications would include NSAIDs and low-dose steroid treatment. The patient may also need specifically-prescribed exercise programs and rehab sessions under the supervision of a physical therapist to completely recover.

How do you deal with it?

When chronic joint pain is recurrent, it goes far beyond what we know of as musculoskeletal pain. The pain is simply indescribable. It could affect the entire body starting from the ankles to the knees, higher to the hips and the shoulders, and even up to the neck and jaws.

As parents of a child with systemic JRA, we only have to deal with it. However, it is our children afflicted with the disease who have to live with it. They will have to cope with its long-term side-effects such as growth delays, accelerated tooth decays and inner eye inflammations which lead to premature scarring and vision problems. With prolonged medication, complications of the heart and liver as well as stomach ulcers are bound to happen.

Aside from our love and patience, we can only lend our children additional support through pain management medications, clinics, and therapies. Keeping informed and updated on current developments in patient care for systemic JRA would help families deal and live with a disease which goes beyond the pains of growing up. Turn to our Fitness Books for more information on pain management and other health matters.

Innovative Medical Equipment and Methods For Rehab of Injuries

Innovative Medical Equipment and Methods for Rehab of Injuries: Let us take a look at what new advances there are in this specialized field. First we need to list the type of injuries which can be alleviated by physiotherapy. They are sports injuries, pain of the lumbar or cervical spinal regions, torn muscle ligaments and tendon problems, join pains caused by osteoarthritic changes resulting from old injuries or the more severe and difficult to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Bio mechanical assessment and orthopedic provision, manual manipulation, ultrasound, laser therapy in the form of laser acupuncture or laser interference therapy are all available for treating these painful conditions and promoting healing within the body. Most of these methods are covered by medical insurance. Some of them may require treatment from time to time for a number of years, such as spinal injuries.

Massage Therapy Equipment and Supplies: Massage Balls have taken the physiotherapy field by storm. Here are a few of them. Soft spiked massage balls are perfect for sensory therapy and release muscle spasms, good for fingers, legs, feet and back. Other spiky massage balls release tension and muscle aches throughout the entire body. Soft hand balls offer therapy for repetitive stress injuries, stroke recovery and arthritis. There are soft balls with bumps, rollers with soft spikes or bumps for massage, point relief mini massagers for painful muscles, massage chairs, pressure points packages which contain balls and acupressure for self-administration and massage. You can purchase infra-red massagers which are absolutely ideal for reducing soreness and additionally, provide comforting warmth as they vibrate.

There are more. Take a look at the Thumper Versa-Pro Massager which is a step-on massager for deep muscle relief of the lower body, feet, hamstrings, quads, and lower back. A Foot Spa complete with whirlpool, water jets, vibrating massage is wonderful for hands or feet. The most innovative must surely be Theraputty. This putty heats up in the microwave and is available in differing strengths and sizes from 2 ounces to five pounds and is ideal for hand therapy.

Finger Webs for strengthening hands and fingers are new on the market and are available in differing resistance strengths of interchangeable web inserts. Memory foam is also being used with great success for hand therapy. The Orbit Massager is a small and simple massager with a fantastic range of motion and is great as it is easily portable.

Physical Therapy Equipment and Supplies: These can either be purchased or hired as they are sometimes only needed for a short period of time. Great for sports injuries, injuries caused by falls in the frail and elderly, from severe burns or injuries caused by over-exercising or exercising wrongly.

Here are a few: Resistance bands, ankle and wrist weights, and finger and hand exercisers, exercise pulleys, balance boards and stretching equipment and the very popular exercise balls of all shapes sizes and forms dependent on the injuries they are needed for or muscle building and repair of muscle tone. Using balls to stretch, blood supply and flexibility are increased, as is the case with much of the other physical therapy equipment used to treat injuries.

It is necessary to point out that at all times if using any equipment at home; the patient must be guided by his or her physiotherapist to ensure that the products are being used properly to prevent further injury or damage. Warming up before using any exercise products is essential and taking calcium supplements together with magnesium should prevent painful cramping while muscles are healing. Make it a point to first be guided by your professional caregiver and then you can feel free to hire or shop on line for what your therapist has suggested, no matter how innovative.

What to Do If You Are Pregnant and Have Lupus Or RA

The excitement of the positive pregnancy test, for most expectant mothers, can be clouded with concern for a healthy pregnancy and baby. But, if you have RA or Lupus, it can be multiplied. You also have to worry about if your pregnancy will cause a flare-up, what medicines are safe for your baby, and whether or not your condition will affect your growing fetus or your own long-term health.

This article addresses the issues of two, out of many, rheumatic conditions: rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus).

RA and lupus are autoimmune diseases and in autoimmune diseases the immune system, which is suppose to protect your body from any foreign substances that may harm it, malfunctions and attacks your own body's tissues. If you have RA or lupus you are probably taking medication that reduces the immune systems activity to a greater or lesser degree. But pregnancy has its own impact on the immune system and your system must make some adjustments so that your body won't attack what it perceives to be foreign, the genes that come from the father of your baby. These adjustments make it possible for your baby to grow safely. But there are other effects which can impact your rheumatic conditions such as RA and lupus in different ways.

Something to think about.

It can be hard to determine whether the changes in the way you feel are from the pregnancy or your RA or lupus. Unfortunately when you are pregnant you can become anemic, which can cause you to be tired and have a lack of energy, this also happens when you have RA or lupus. Your pregnancy will also affect certain markers of inflammation, doctors use blood test to measure your inflammation called a erythrocyte sedimentation rate or ESR, which is often high if you have RA or lupus. These markers can also be high when you're pregnant so measuring ESR may not be the best way to gauge how active your RA or lupus is. Also, your pregnancy may make blood clots more likely, but if you have lupus, there is also an increased risk that you will have blood clots because there is a protein called antiphospholipid antibodies in your blood, and these proteins is what increases your risk.

Your pregnancy can also cause musculoskeletal problems because as your baby grows, your ligaments will relax to allow the pelvis to stretch. You will also put on weight, which is a healthy thing but this can cause your posture to change which can result in joint aches and back pain. Another thing is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), which causes wrist pain and numbness, is a common complication of your pregnancy, especially during the second and third trimesters but is is also associated with RA and lupus. All these things can make it tricky to figure out whether or not they are problems with the pregnancy or are a part of your rheumatic conditions.

Things to do if you have RA.

RA mainly affects the joints and it will make them stiff, painful, swollen and sometimes, unstable and deformed, but it can also cause fatigue and you may have problems with your heart and your eyes. There is between 1% and 2% of the United States population that have RA, and it is most common among women than men. It will usually appear when you are in your twenties or thirties, the child bearing years, so finding women with RA who are considering pregnancy is not all that surprising.

The first thing you will want to know, if you have RA and are considering having a baby, is whether or not your arthritis is going to flare-up during your pregnancy. The thought of carrying around an extra 20 - 30 pounds of weight on replaced joints or on joints that are sometimes swollen and sore can be a bit discerning. Luckily there are about 70% - 80% of women who have RA that go into remission during their pregnancy, another words their symptoms go away. For the rest of those women with RA who don't go into remission, their symptoms may become milder and easier to manage. It's hard to predict just who will go into remission but despite this uncertainty, some doctors will tell their patients to stop taking their RA medications when they become pregnant because of the high likelihood that they will go into remission and not need treatment. But there are some steps you can take before you get pregnant that can help you during and after the pregnancy.

Work out a plan with your rheumatologist for what medication you will take if you do have a flare during your pregnancy.

You will also have to consider the type of delivery you will have. Most women with RA can safely go through the labor and vaginal delivery, but if your RA affects your pelvis and legs extensively, a vaginal delivery may not be what you want to do. Your doctor may opt for a planned cesarean section.

For some of you with RA, you may find that after you have your baby your arthritis flares up. Because arthritis flares can make it difficult to care for a newborn, you will want to plan very carefully just how you will manage this period. By planning you can ease the adjustment of this postpartum period.

If you are planning on breast feeding you will need to discuss this with your rheumatologist, obstetrician and pediatrician ahead of time. There are some RA medications that are compatible with breast-feeding. Try to decide which one you want to take just in case you have a flare after your baby is born.

If it's possible, try to have someone to help you at home during the transition time. If you are unable to, there are some things you can do to make it easier on yourself, such as; having some extra meals stashed in the freezer so that all you have to do is to pull them out of the freezer when things get difficult.

Planning is the key and it will go a long ways to helping you ease the stress of your worst flare. The good news is that RA doesn't have a negative impact on the baby, it doesn't increase the rate of miscarriages, and it doesn't cause any problems in the baby.

What if you have lupus

If you have systemic lupus erythematosus, it's a bit more complicated. The reason it's more complicated is that lupus can affect many parts of the body, such as the skin, joints, kidneys, blood cells, heart and lungs. The most common symptoms are a rash on the face, pain and swelling in the joints and a fever with kidney disease being the most serious symptom. Lupus is more common in women then men and it will usually show up when you are between the ages of 15 and 45.

Doctors of the past would often counsel women with lupus against getting pregnant based on the assumption that pregnancy would always cause lupus flares, possibly serious flares, and that babies would do so well. These were and are valid concerns, but there is now a better understanding of lupus and how to treat it that has made pregnancy very realistic and a safe option if you decide to get pregnant.

There are several studies that have shown that being pregnant may increase your risk of flares and yet other studies that have found that it doesn't. This confusion in part lies with how the different researchers measure and define a flare. And also, during any nine-month period you may have a flare or flares whether you are pregnant or not, so flares during your pregnancy are not exactly related to your pregnancy. Headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath and joint pain are all symptoms of a lupus flare as well as the possibility being a part of your pregnancy. The most likely risk is that women with lupus have a slightly higher chance of having a flare-up but for many women it can be controlled with medication.

You will most likely flare and not do so well during pregnancy if your lupus was active at the time of conception. This will be the case if your lupus has affected your kidneys because pregnancy will also stress your kidneys. Most doctors will generally not recommend getting pregnant until you have been in remission from kidney disease and active lupus for six months.

The most ideal situation is if when you have decided to become pregnant, that you see your rheumatologist ahead of time so he can run blood tests that will determine just how active your lupus is. The blood test will also establish a baseline that your doctor can refer to later during your pregnancy in case there are any difficulties. If you don't get these test done before you get pregnant then definitely get them done shortly after. You will also want to consult with an obstetrician who has experience with treating women who have lupus or possibly an obstetrician who specializes in high risk pregnancies. It is also a good idea if when you become pregnant, you are taking medication to control you lupus and that you can continue to take them safely during your pregnancy. Although, if you have RA you are able to stop taking your medications during your pregnancy, this may not be the case if you have lupus. You and your rheumatologist will need to plan for what medications you can take if you have a lupus flare during your pregnancy.

If your blood tests show that you have the antibodies called anti-RO (SSA) or anti-La (SSB), you will have a small risk of having a baby born with a rare condition called neonatal lupus. The main symptom of neonatal lupus is a skin rash, and it will usually disappear in six months. There is a very small percentage of babies with neonatal lupus, about 2% to 5%, who will develop heart block, which causes the heart to beat abnormally. If you are known to have the anti-RO or anti-La antibodies, you will probably have an ultrasound at 18 to 24 weeks into the pregnancy to see if there is heart block. The doctor may prescribe a corticosteroid in an attempt to treat the heart block if there is one. Although, research doesn't show a clear benefit of doing this. It may become necessary to deliver the baby early but most babies born with heart block need to have a pacemaker implanted, wither at birth or later in life.

There are other complications that come with lupus and that includes preeclampsia, premature rupture of the membranes, which means the baby will be born prematurely, and low-birth-weight babies. In preeclampsia, or pregnancy-induced hypertension, you will have high blood pressure and retain fluid among other symptoms. Preclampsia is thought to be more common if you have lupus and most often it can be hard to distinguish between preeclampsia and a lupus flare. But if it's not treated appropriately, preeclampsia can damage your kidneys and liver as well as increase the risk for a miscarriage and premature birth or even cause the baby to be very small. If you have preeclampsia your doctor may recommend that you deliver the baby early, either by induced labor or a C-section.

The same advice that applies if you have RA applies to you if you have lupus as far as the period after the birth of your baby. Planning makes all the difference and having help lined up in case you have a lupus flare prevents you from taking care of your baby. As with RA, you will want to have ready-to-eat meals in the freezer and be sure to know what your options are in terms of breast-feeding and medications.

As you can see, there are some very special considerations for you if you have lupus and are considering having a baby, but if you have a clear understanding that your chances are good that our outcome will be nearly as good as someone who doesn't have lupus. Remember that the best approach is to have your health care team, your rheumatologist and obstetrician, working hand in hand and also good communication and close follow-up with this these team members is the key.

Your medications

There are many medicines that are used to treat RA and lupus that are relatively safe during pregnancy, but some of the drugs used for rheumatic conditions increase the risk of birth defects, and it's also important to remember that birth defects occur in about 3% of pregnancies where the mother doesn't take any medications. When you are considering if a medication is safe during pregnancy, you should determine if the risk of birth defects is greater than 3%. Your doctor should be able to help you figure it out.

NSAIDs: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs treat the pain and inflammation of arthritis. These NSAIDs include the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib (Clelbrex) and traditional NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) and the many other, both prescription and over the counter. There are studies in animals that have shown that NSAIDs can cause birth defects, but there hasn't been any findings in humans. It is possible to take these medicines safely during your pregnancy up to the third trimester. Taking NSAIDs during the third trimester, will increase the risk that one of the baby's heart vessels will close prematurely, a good reason to stop taking them at 24 weeks of pregnancy. If you are trying to get pregnant you may want to stop taking the NSAIDs, including COX-2 inhibitors, from the time of ovulation until their next menstrual period because there is a hypothetical risk that these medicines will interfere with the implanting of a fertilized egg.

Corticosteroids: Corticosteroids decreases the inflammation throughout the body and these drugs are often the mainstay of treatment for people with inflammatory conditions such as RA and lupus. Prednisone and prednisolone are the most commonly prescribed drugs that your doctor will give you and you can continue to take these medicines during your pregnancy if you need to. But before you do, remember that if you take the corticosteroids during the first trimester of your pregnancy, your baby could be born with a cleft palate. This risk is still fairly low, with cleft palate happening in roughly 1 in 300 babies exposed to the drugs in the womb compared to 1 in 1,000 when there is no exposure. Babies born to mothers who take corticosteroids during pregnancy are also more likely to be smaller and born prematurely. They also will raise your risk of pregnancy induced hypertension, gestational diabetes, a form of diabetes that happens only during pregnancy, and pregnancy-induced osteopenia or bone thinning. Corticosteroids are often a reasonable choice during pregnancy for the management of both RA and lupus despite the potential side effects.

Hydroxychloroquie: It was thought that hydroxychloroquine or Plaquenil, was not compatible with pregnancy but over the past decade that idea has changed. Right now most rheumatologists in the United States and elsewhere with patients who need hydroxychloroquine to keep their condition stable will keep them on it during their pregnancy. Studies have been done to substantiate the claim that the medicine might cause problems with the development of the fetus's visual and hearing systems, but the studies didn't prove it.

Sulfasalazine: Sulfasalazine or Azulfidine, is considered to be safe to use when you are pregnant.

Azathioprine and cyclosporine: These drugs are immunosuppressive drugs that are used mainly to maintain organ transplants. Doctors will also subscribe them to treat RA and lupus. There is information from world wide transplant registries of literally thousands of babies that were exposed to these medications in the womb. This information shows that there were no increased rates of birth defects, but the babies do seem to be smaller and to be born earlier. There are many doctors will use these medications if they need to control RA or lupus activity in women who are pregnant.

Methotrexate, leflunomide, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclophosphamide: These medications can cause early fetal death and birth defects at a rate higher than what you would expect. You shouldn't take them during your pregnancy and also if you are planning a pregnancy you should stop taking methotrexate or CellCept at least one menstrual cycle before trying to get pregnant. If you're a man taking these medications then you will want to stop taking them three months ahead of time. If you are taking leflunomide you will need to to stop taking it two years before you try to get pregnant, or you could under go a two-week procedure to wash the medicine out of your bloodstream.

Biologics: There isn't enough data to conclude whether or not this newer type of drug is absolutely safe during pregnancy. However, we do know that TNF-alpha blockers, etanercept (Enbrel), infliximab (Remicade), and adalimumab (Humira) may contribute to birth defects according to recent evidence. You will want to stop taking biologic drugs before trying to become pregnant.

In just about all circumstances, if you have RA or lupus, you can be sure it is safe to become pregnant as long as you are sure your RA and lupus are under control and your pregnancy is planned. If you have lupus it is particularly important to keep the communications open with your rheumatologist and that you have an obstetrician that is experienced in dealing with women with lupus or high risk pregnancies. With careful monitoring and the appropriate use of your medicines, it will be possible to successfully manage your pregnancy when you have RA or lupus.

Chronic Renal Failure - Specialized Ayurvedic Treatment

Chronic kidney disease is defined as kidney damage or a decreased kidney glomerular filtration rate of less than 60, for 3 months or more, irrespective of the cause. This results in a progressive decline in kidney function, resulting in accumulation of toxic waste products, excess water and salts, increased blood pressure, anemia and many other complex symptoms. Chronic renal failure is divided into Stages I - V, out of which the first three stages are asymptomatic, and usually discovered incidentally, while doing routine blood tests.

The management of chronic renal failure consists of treatment of the underlying cause if possible, aggressive treatment of high blood pressure and other symptoms, liquid and diet control, cessation of smoking, and finally, with end-stage disease, resorting to dialysis or a kidney transplant.
The Ayurvedic treatment of chronic renal failure is based on three principles: (i) treating the damaged kidneys (ii) treating the body tissues (dhatus) which make up the kidneys and (iii) treating the known cause.

The damage done to the kidneys can be repaired using medicines like Punarnavadi Guggulu, Gokshuradi Guggulu, Gomutra Haritaki, Chandraprabha Vati and Punarnavadi Qadha (decoction). Herbal medicines useful in this condition are: Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa), Gokshur (Tribulus terrestris), Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Daruharidra (Berberis aristata) and Patol (Tricosanthe dioica).

According to Ayurveda, the kidneys are made up of the "Rakta" and "Meda" dhatus. Treating these two dhatus is also an effective way to treat the kidneys. Medicines used are: Patol, Saariva, Patha (Cissampelos pareira), Musta (Cyperus rotundus), Kutki (Picrorrhiza kurroa), Chirayta (Swertia chirata), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Chandan (Santalum album) and Shunthi (Zinziber officinalis).

Lastly, the known cause of chronic renal failure is treated using medicines which also act upon the kidneys. Vascular (related to the blood vessels) diseases like renal artery stenosis and inflammation of the artery walls(vasculitis) can be treated using medicines like Arogya Vardhini, Tapyadi Loha, Mahamanjishthadi Qadha, Kamdudha Vati, Manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia), Bhrungraj (Eclipta alba), Saariva, Kutki and Sarpagandha (Rauwolfia serpentina). Primary glomerular diseases like membranous nephropathy and glomerlonephritis can be treated using Punarnava, Gokshur, Saariva and Manjishtha. Secondary glomerular disease resulting from diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis etc. can be treated accordingly, using the medicines appropriate for those diseases. Similarly, suitable Ayurvedic medicines can be given for other causes like polycystic kidneys, prostate enlargement and neurogenic bladder.

The advantage of using Ayurvedic medicines in chronic renal failure is that in most patients, the kidney damage can be either partly or fully reversed, the frequency of dialysis can be reduced, and the increased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases can be significantly reduced. Thus, Ayurvedic medicines have the potential for an important therapeutic contribution in all the stages of this condition.

For patients with chronic renal failure intending to take Ayurvedic treatment (or for that matter, any alternative treatment), the following points should be kept in mind: (i) all patients should be under the regular supervision and treatment of a qualified and experienced Urologist (ii) Ayurvedic medicines should be taken in the form of additional treatment, and should not replace other, regular treatment or dialysis and (iii) the attending Urologist should be informed of the decision to start Ayurvedic treatment.

Diet Therapy For Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is marked by pain, stiffness and swelling of joints, affecting those under 16 years of age. Fortunately, the problem has low occurrence, as only about 1 out of 10,000 children report the disease. It appears in one of three forms; pauciarticular (less than four joints affected), polyarticular (four or more joints affected), and systemic-onset (inflamed joints with high fever and rash).

Despite encouraging medical advance, diet therapy is still an appealing way to control juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. It is a promising solution for the young ones with the early diagnosis of the problem. Therapy is an effective diet plan which controls symptoms like inflammation and pain, besides, contributing to the overall wellness of the child.

Several diets hold the promise to relieve or prevent arthritic symptoms. The effective dietary approaches use fasting, vegan diets and elimination diets. The fasting diet comprises of periods of only juice and water. Vegan diet brings everything, except the animal derived products, while the elimination diet restricts foods supposed to cause joint inflammation and hyper active immune reaction. Vegan diet is designed to meet all the nutritional requirements of the child.

Particular foods and nutrients are really exceptional for treating rheumatoid arthritis. For instance, omega-3 fatty acids containing foods are helpful in reducing inflammation. They are involved in decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine level. Different fish types including salmon, albacore tuna, lake trout, herring, sardines and mackerel are good sources of this helping agent. In addition, several plant-based sources such as flaxseed, flaxseed oil, walnuts and canola oil are good for it.

Mineral, vitamins and anti-oxidants play a significant role in controlling arthritis symptoms. Try to include fruits, vegetable and whole grain food in your diet. Intake of calcium-rich foods, such as low-fat dairy products improves bone health, making it stronger and resistant.

Put your child on the Mediterranean diet, having a low content of red meat and a high content of olive oil. Olive oil is good for inhibiting lymphocyte proliferation, natural killer cell activity, adhesion molecule expression on lymphocytes and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Some foods are strictly prohibited in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Citrus fruits, for example, generally aggravate the symptoms. Wheat and other rough grain products also may elicit severe allergic reaction in such patients enhancing the production of pro-inflammatory agents causing pain and swelling. Diet therapy is a mild, least risky but exceptionally effective way of treating juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

What Causes Arthritis Knee Pain?

Arthritis is a disease which causes pain and damage to the body's joints. Any joint can be affected, and all will cause different quality of life issues. One of the problems that affects many sufferers is arthritis knee pain. There are different causes for this pain depending on the type of arthritis that you have.

The knee is made up of three bones. It is located where the bottom of the femur and the top of the tibia meet. It is protected in the front by a bone known as the patella, or kneecap. There are a number of tendons and ligaments which hold the bones in the proper alignment and allow the bones to hinge properly. There is also cartilage which is located on the bones and under the kneecap that cushions the joint and prevents damage to the leg bones. A tissue pad called the meniscus also helps cushion the joint.

In osteoarthritis, knee pain is a result of the break down in cartilage. The ends of the bones become rough and jagged in later stages of the disease, and knee damage and pain can result. Osteoarthritis is normally a disease which affects older people but younger people who have injured their joints may also experience the symptoms of osteoarthritis. With rheumatoid arthritis, the body's immune system attacks the joints and can destroy cartilage. There is inflammation, heat and swelling in addition to joint pain. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect people of any age, which makes it different than osteoarthritis.

There are a few different ways that you can treat knee pain that comes from arthritis. There are anti-inflammatory medications, pain relievers and supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin that are designed to support and repair cartilage. If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, there are oral medications which are designed to modify the way the disease is affecting you. They include methotrexate. Gold therapy is also used although this is much less common now that safer drug alternatives have been discovered.

If you are suffering from pain in your knees, you should check with your doctor to make sure that there are no untreated injuries. This can include torn cartilage, damaged ligaments, or even a dislocated kneecap. Surgery can correct these. If your joints are severely damaged by arthritis, you may need to have the joint surgically replaced.

Other non medical means of treatment can include heat wraps and arthritis creams. These can soothe sore joints and provide some relief. Remember that you should never heat a joint that has been affected by rheumatoid arthritis. You want to calm the heat that is in the joint, not add to it. You also want to make sure you are continuing to use the joint since letting it become immobile will not help and you will end up with more severe problems down the road. Arthritis websites or a rheumatologist can help you establish a safe and effective exercise routine.

Knee pain can be one of the most difficult aspects of arthritis to deal with. You use your knees for so much in your life that having pain can cause problems in your every day routines. Knowing what your treatment options are can help you get on with your life and stay as normal as possible.

Graves Disease And Rheumatoid Arthritis

Do you have Graves disease? If so, then you must be suffering from rheumatoid arthritis as well. Graves disease and rheumatoid arthritis are two diseases that are linked to each other. One common symptom of patients suffering from this disease is a fine tremor in their hands and fingers. Incidentally, this is also a symptom of rheumatoid arthritis.

Graves disease is an autoimmune disease. It is a health problem wherein a person's immune system attacks the thyroid glands. And consequently, it causes the same gland to produce too much thyroxin hormone. It is usually referred to as hyperthyroidism's most common form.

The similarity between the two is the fact that they are both autoimmune diseases. Like Graves disease, rheumatoid arthritis is a problem with the immune system, causing chronic inflammation on the joints. A person with rheumatoid arthritis has his joints being attacked by the antibodies, thinking that they are detrimental to the body processes.

But of course, either the thyroid glands or the ligaments of the joints they aren't harmful to one's health at all. But both of them moves the body's immune system to think and work otherwise. The antibodies, instead of attacking bacteria and viruses, end up destroying the glands and the parts that are needed by the body to function.

As such, Graves disease and rheumatoid arthritis [http://graves-disease-treatment.blogspot.com/2007/09/best-treatment-for-graves-disease.html] should be treated and cured early on. Because if not, a number of other health complications can be expected. And everybody wants to keep a healthy body. Therefore, it is advisable that you consult with a doctor at once if and when you experience any symptom related to these diseases.

Controlling Arthritis Symptoms With Chiropractic Care

Not too long ago, arthritis was deemed to be just another facet of the aging process - something someone would have to suffer through. Once arthritis reared its rickety head, patients were advised to slow down, rest and take drugs to alleviate the symptoms. Thankfully, this is no longer the case. Recent findings have added a wealth of new evidence to question the treatment of arthritis.

Arthritis
Arthritis is defined as an inflammation of the joints, and is commonly used to refer to rheumatic diseases. Diseases of a rheumatic nature consist of more than 100 conditions. Among them are psoriasis arthritis, osteoarthritis, and gout. One of these conditions is rheumatoid arthritis, which affects about 2 million people in the US. Even though rheumatoid arthritis typically starts either in one's middle age or, more frequently, in one's later years, some patients experience symptoms much earlier.

Those afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis experience joint swelling, pain, stiffness, and, in more severe cases, loss of function. The following symptoms categorize rheumatoid arthritis:
Joints that is swollen, warm, and tender
Prolonged joint stiffness and pain that lasts more than 30 minutes
A general sense of illness, tiredness, or fever
Symmetrical symptoms; both joints are affected (both wrists, for example)
Most often the wrist and finger joints that are closest to the hand are affected as well as the shoulder, hip, knee, elbow, ankle, neck, and feet
Symptoms can progressively spread to other parts of the body, not just the joints, and can last for years

The way in which rheumatoid arthritis manifests itself is highly individualized. There are those patients who experience only mild symptoms for a few months or a number of years, and then see their symptoms disappear. Others have moderate symptoms with occasional flares (when the symptoms worsen), and periods where the symptoms also either gets milder or disappears for a time. Those patients who have severe forms of rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, experience constant pain. Their pain persists for years, and may lead to serious joint damage and/or disability.

Arthritis and Exercise
In order to ameliorate symptoms, arthritis patients can greatly benefit from regular exercise. In fact, exercise is considered key to arthritis management. Exercise promotes the maintenance of healthy, strong muscles, flexibility, endurance, and joint mobility. However, rest helps to lessen active joint inflammation, fatigue, and pain.

To achieve optimum results, one needs to strike a balance between the rest and exercise - resting more during active phases of arthritis and exercising more during the times when symptoms decrease. In those times when symptoms systematically or locally flare up, patients can gently exercise their joints. A health care provider should be consulted in order to determine how much rest is best during these periods.

Exercises known as "range of motion," such as dance, stretching, and tai chi, help maintain regular joint movement and stimulates overall joint flexibility. They can be done on a daily basis, or at least three or four times a week. Strengthening exercises such as mild weight lifting helps increase muscle strength, which plays a role in supporting and protecting affected joints. Unless the pain and swelling is severe, these exercises should be done three or four times a week. Other aerobic exercises, such as walking and swimming, aids the cardiovascular system, muscle tone, and weight control. Swimming, in particular, provides a low risk of stress injuries and has little impact on the body, making it an ideal option for many patients. Swimming can be practiced for 20 or 30 minutes every other day if the symptoms are not aggravated.

The Role of a Chiropractor in Managing Arthritis
Your chiropractic doctor can help your body move with more ease and comfort. The need for pain medications is reduced once the body is aligned and can move more freely. Chiropractic care can significantly help avoid arthritis' more damaging effects. Chiropractic care addresses lifestyle, diet, exercise, and other factors that influence a person's health as a whole. A healthy weight and immune system are also relevant factors in preventing the more harmful effects of rheumatoid arthritis.

Chiropractic care focuses on physical manipulation and alignment, so that joints can benefit from adjustments aimed at reducing pain and stiffness. Many additional approaches of chiropractic care address the needs of arthritic patients. The incorporation of massage in chiropractic care can play a role in reducing stiffness, helping the arthritic patient move more freely. Heat and cold compresses helps relieve arthritic pain. In addition, electrical stimulation is linked with encouraging the release of endorphins, also countering pain receptors. Chiropractic care offers a non-invasive, holistic way to promote overall health and manage conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, reducing the reliance on strong medications.

As well as addressing joint inflammation through physical manipulation, chiropractic care can tailor the right exercise program, and offer comprehensive nutrition and supplement advice for your needs.

Gouty Arthritis Treatment and Causes

Gouty arthritis is also known as gout. This article is going to detail the top gouty arthritis treatment methods, as well as some of the causes.

First, however, an overview of gout is necessary. Many people do not realize what it is and thus may not even be sure that they have it. It is a classically misunderstood problem.

Gout is typically characterized by attacks wherein there is a burning kind of pain, a stiffness, and a swelling within certain joints.

The attacks will continue occurring until the gout itself gets properly treated. If left untreated, gout can cause serious harm to the tendons, joints, and various other tissues in the body. Generally, men have gout more often than women.

People who are overweight have a higher chance of getting gout. The same goes if you tend to drink a lot of alcohol, or eat high quantities of fish and meat which have a high purine content.

There are even certain medications, like diuretics, which can cause gout in some people.

Usually, the big toe is where the symptoms of gout which most often occur. The big toe may become tender, it may swell, take on redness, and be the victim of sharp pains.

Other times, gout pains occur in the feet, the ankles, or even the knees. An attack may last for several days or it can go on for weeks.

A physical exam will be done to diagnose gout. Sometimes, fluids from the joints are taken and checked for uric acid crystals.

An abundance of uric acid within the blood is the primary cause for gout. As such, blood tests are also done to diagnose the problem.

Quite often, the treatment of gout can consist of a shot of a medicine called corticosteroid. Sometimes, one or more different medications are prescribed.

As the symptoms begin to lessen, the dose will gradually decrease as well. If the treatment begins quickly, the gout patient will begin to feel relief within twenty four hours.

Otherwise, you can rest the joint which is causing you the most pain. Over the counter anti inflammatory medications can be beneficial as well. However, you should not take aspirin.

It can cause the level of uric acid in your blood to get higher. You also want to manage your diet and stay away from the aforementioned foods whenever possible.

Cut down the amount of alcohol you drink. Make sure you are getting all the healthy nutrients you need.

Drug Free Arthritis Treatment Using a Tens Machine

Arthritis is a painful condition that can affect the joints. This is a common chronic disorder that can not only cause pain and discomfort but can also be limit mobility. You can treat arthritis with many different methods including a drug-free tens machine.

Who Suffers From Arthritis?

Arthritis is a degenerative disease of the joints that occurs commonly as we get older. There are a number of different types of arthritis that can also affect younger people. For example rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that has been found to affect women from as early as their mid-twenties.

Why Use a Tens Machine?

A tens machine can offer a pain relief treatment for arthritis that does not involve drugs. Taking arthritis medication can be an effective way to treat the condition. However the long-term impact of these drugs can result in a number of side-effects. This is why doctors are keen to encourage other pain relief methods such as a tens machine as an alternative, particularly in younger patients.

How Tens Machines Work

A tens machine works by using soothing pulses of electricity. These are transmitted to areas affect by arthritis by small pads placed on the skin. The electrical pulses are used to suppress the pain messages that are travelling to the brain. This can relieve symptoms of pain without the need for strong medication.

A tens machine can also help to encourage the body to produce more natural pain killing chemicals (encephalins and endorphins). This can be an effective way to manage pain resulting from chronic conditions like arthritis without having to resort to powerful and expensive prescription medication.

Physiotherapy

A tens machine is often used alongside physiotherapy. These are both pain relieving treatments that do not require the use of drugs. Physiotherapy helps you to improve overall fitness and mobility with stretching and toning exercises.

Physiotherapists are able to assist you with managing your condition and can also provide that treatments. You can also find out more about where to get that therapies from your doctor or health care centre.

Pain Management Tips

To help you make the best out of your tens machine sessions here are a few essential tips:

- Pace Yourself - don't push yourself too hard if you have arthritis. This can exacerbate the pain and make it more difficult to manage. Make sure you keep your activity at a comfortable level. Try to find the right balance between resting and working or moving around.

- Exercise Regularly - exercising can help you to improve your overall health and stamina. This can also help you to manage pain as exercise release natural pain relieving chemicals such as endorphins. When you have arthritis you do need to take more care when exercising. Speak to your physiotherapist or doctor about suitable exercises for your condition.

When Treating Arthritis, There are Definite Foods to Avoid, and Specific Arthritis Foods to Eat

Foods to Avoid

You need to make sure that the calcium to phosphorus ratio in any of the foods you eat is as low as possible - this is because excess phosphorus will increase the loss of calcium from the body and worsen the condition. The more phosphorous-containing foods you eat, the more you need to supplement with a good source of calcium.

Reduce your intake of:

o red meat, red-fleshed fish

o most grains, especially wheat.

Eliminate:

o soft drinks - high in phosphoric acid

o organ meat (liver, kidney), processed meat - especially high in phosphorus

o caffeine - increases the rate of loss of minerals and nutrients

o fried foods and vegetable oil - a high intake of fried foods and omega 6 from vegetable oil can make the inflammation worse

o sugar - results in poor absorption of nutrients

o antacids - neutralize stomach acid and result in poor absorption of calcium (heartburn and indigestion are caused by poor eating habits and NOT ENOUGH stomach acid!)

Important Note: Eliminate the bad fats such as margarine, cooking with too much vegetable oil and fried foods from your diet. A high intake of vegetable oil (a source of Omega 6) needs to be avoided as this will aggravate any inflammation.

Arthritis Foods

The best arthritis foods are diets high in calcium and magnesium and other trace minerals - this will ensure healthy bone and bone matrix structure. Specific nutrients are also required to build bone and bone structure.
Calcium: Non fat milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese, snow peas, soybeans, tofu, sardines, salmon, walnuts and almonds, sunflower seeds, kale and other green leafy vegetables, broccoli, alfalfa seeds - to name a few. Milk isn't a great source of calcium because it has a low magnesium content and you need magnesium to get the calcium into your bones.

Magnesium: Many fruits and vegetables, whole grains, leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, bananas and apricots - all these make great arthritis foods.
Vitamin D: is required to get the calcium into the bones. The best source is the sun - about 10 minutes per day is fine. Other sources include dairy products and fatty fish.

Trace minerals: Boron and Manganese are important to help the body absorb Calcium; the best sources of Boron are green leafy vegetables, apples, almonds pears and legumes. For Manganese, look for ginger and oats as your arthritis foods.

Collagen & Support Tissues: Collagen is part of our bone matrix, the cartilage in our joints and in the fluid that protects and lubricates our joints. It's also part of our skin, hair and the connective tissues of the body.

Arthritis foods containing the following nutrients will provide nutrition for bone support: zinc, copper, selenium and beta-carotene (Vitamin A). Green leafy vegetables and pumpkin seeds are good sources of zinc; selenium may be found in brazil nuts from Brazil (because of the high selenium content in the soil); while Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, berries, red and green peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and spinach. Eggs and meat are good sources of amino acids which form part of the collagen structure.
Essential Fatty Acids - are excellent arthritis foods and are required for the body's natural pain relief and anti-inflammatory responses. They are also part of the protective joint fluid. Best sources are from fish (particularly oily fish such as salmon and mackerel), animal fat and some oils such as flaxseed (for omega 3)and borage oil (for omega 6).

Regarding essential fatty acids, ideally you should consume Omega 6 EFA & Omega 3 EFA at a ratio of 2:1. Most people find it very difficult to get this right (the average ratio in the U.S. and UK is around 10:1) so we suggest you use an EFA Supplement from a quality source.

Final Note on Arthritis Foods

While it is possible to meet some of your dietary requirements from the food you eat, if you are serious about preventing or reversing arthritis, you need to consume these arthritis foods in combination with nutrient supplements.

Also consider that the majority of the food we eat is grown in minerally-depleted soils - so an almond may not contain all the calcium and magnesium it's supposed to have, sad but true!

If you have a busy lifestyle, eat junk food and/or can't get enough fresh food in your daily life, then you should consider supplementing with all 90 essential nutrients including plant derived colloidal minerals and supplements containing vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids.

Calcium and magnesium are normally very difficult to absorb from our arthritis foods diet and from supplements, however, calcium liquid supplements containing Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamin D and Glucosamine are a good way to supplement your diet.

Supplements that specifically assist with maintenance and repair of the joint such as Glucosamine, are also beneficial. If you suffer pain and inflammation, then CM Cream has been scientifically and medically proven to relieve pain and improve mobility.

The use of a digestive enzyme supplement - will improve the absorption of the good arthritis foods you eat and will maximize the benefit you receive from taking supplements. As we all reach the age of 40, our stomach acid concentration begins to fall and this can lead to complications of existing chronic disease conditions, such arthritis.

Summary

1. Avoid foods high in phosphorus - particularly SOFT DRINKS, processed foods, processed meat and organ meat. No fried foods, cooking oil or margarine - use butter small amounts of extra virgin olive oil.

2. Eliminate caffeine and sugar from your diet and stop taking antacids.

3. Consume food with a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables and eggs. Reduce your intake of red meat and fish.

4. Consider the use of supplements to support and reverse your arthritis, and digestive enzymes to maximise the absorption of the food and of the supplements.

Doctor... I Have Rheumatoid Arthritis - Can I Drink Alcohol?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common chronic disease and the most common cause of crippling. RA affects roughly 2 million Americans.

The treatment of RA involves the use of two major types of medications. The first type is the anti-inflammatory group. These help with symptoms. The second type is the disease modifying group. These help slow the disease process down.

Both groups of medicines are metabolized through the liver. What that means is that it is not a good idea to use alcohol either heavily or chronically while on these medicines. In fact, many rheumatologists advise their RA patients taking methotrexate- one very common disease modifying drug- to avoid alcohol altogether.

Another issue is the increased rate of peptic ulcers that can develop in patients taking non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Concomitant alcohol use increases the risk of ulcers.
Now... what is the evidence to the contrary?

A recent Swedish study found that a copious dose of alcohol reduced the risk that mice would develop rheumatoid arthritis.

Lead researcher Dr. Andrzej Tarkowski, professor of rheumatology at Goteborg University said, "I wouldn't dare to do it (the experiment) in humans."

The mice were given a daily regimen of tap water supplemented with 10 percent alcohol. "That would do liver damage in humans," Tarkowski noted.

Tarkowski, published the findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (December 19, 2006).

Tarkowski was interested in the mechanism by which alcohol might help prevent rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks its own joint tissue.

"We have shown that it goes through the up-regulation [increase] of testosterone," he said. "That down-regulates inflammation, which is part of the arthritic process."

"Test tube studies also show that alcohol increases the migration of white blood cells, which take part in the inflammatory process," Tarkowski added.

In the experiment, male mice were given injections of collagen to induce rheumatoid arthritis. The researchers noted a significantly lower onset of disease and fewer destructive symptoms in mice who drank water with 10 percent alcohol added in, than in those who drank plain tap water.

Does this now give permission for RA patients to party hardy?

The study has very little application to humans in that it was a study designed to study possible RA prevention in male mice through testosterone modulation.

Since most RA patients are women, the results of the study probably aren't useful for most RA suffereras. It might be interesting someday to look at possible RA prevention in men using alcohol but it's entirely too premature to look at it now.

Tarkowski also alluded to the possibility of using acetaldehyde, a breakdown product of alcohol, in preventing rheumatoid arthritis. Acetaldehyde though is toxic and it would have to be used cautiously, if ever, in a human trial.

My advice is that it's OK to have an occasional drink. In particular, there is evidence that red wine might have beneficial effects as far as cardiovascular risk, which is a real worry in RA patients who appear to have accelerated atherosclerosis as part of their disease. But do it in moderation.

Arthritis Cure: Nature's Amazing Disease Reversal Process

Arthritis cure or arthritis reversal and recovery - call it what you will. Any adult stricken with arthritis will tell you they spend a great deal of time searching for anything that can offer even a glimmer of hope that one day they will, in fact, find an arthritis cure. This is an admirable mindset and many who are stricken with arthritis will have varying degrees of success in that pursuit. If you have arthritis and are determined to find a cure, I applaud your tenacity but there is something you must know if your efforts are to bear fruit.

The great majority of arthritis cases develop as a consequence of certain physiological, mental and emotional conditions. In order to cure arthritis, per se, nature will exact from you an effort that you may or may not be able to muster. She will require that you retrace every step along the path to sickness that you originally passed through while the disease was setting up shop and gaining strength. The effort of which I speak will take you back through every major painful and stressful episode you encountered since you first contracted arthritis. The distress you will experience will include memorable mental and emotional episodes that were tied to your arthritic condition. In the language of alternative health practitioners, this is known as nature's disease reversal process.

No degenerative illness, of which I'm aware, can be removed from the body until its roots are torn out. If you don't retrace the steps and pick up every bit of rubbish and waste material the disease has left in its wake, your body will not be properly positioned to heal itself of your rheumatic disease and grant you the arthritis cure you seek. Nature requires that you clean up the mess along the way on the path back to health - the disease reversal process.

How does this mysterious process work? It's based on a natural law that proclaims: 'all cure comes from within the deepest recesses of the body and proceeds outward toward the skin. It moves from the head down toward the feet and it will heal in the reverse order in which the symptoms originally appeared in the body.' What this implies is that degenerative disease states develop along predictable lines and travel the same predictable course, in reverse direction, back to the acute stage of initial irritation and inflammation. In essence, an inflammation continually treated with drugs, without focusing on the cause of the inflammation, will eventually advance to the sub-acute stage, then onward to a chronic condition and ultimately to a degenerative disorder such as arthritis.

To bring about an arthritis cure, or complete healing, you must travel backward along the path you took to get where you are today. It can be intense, upsetting, disturbing and possibly one of the most difficult things you will ever do. However, if you persevere through all of this you may find that elusive treasure you seek - an arthritis cure served to you on nature's golden platter.

Worries Over New Arthritis 'Smart Drug' Monthly Injection

While the media currently feeds a frenzy of excitement regarding the new arthritis gene therapy drug known as Tocilizumab, Hundreds of thousands of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers are offered new hope in beating there debilitating condition.

The new drug is being heralded as a mile stone in rheumatoid arthritis treatment following a trial in which nearly half of patients on the medication found their condition did not get any worse. Tocilizumab, which will be sold under the brand name 'Actemra' works in conjunction with an existing treatment, methotrexate, and is administered monthly in hospital.

In the trial, taking methotrexate on its own only stopped symptoms in eight per cent of patients.Combined with Tocilizumab, 47 per cent of patients saw their condition halted. The drug is still under review in the UK by Nice ( National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) but is it expected to gain its UK marketing license in January 2009.

Nice caused some controversy recently by ruling that rheumatoid arthritis sufferers could not switch from one form of a pain relieving drug to another if the initial treatment did not work. There are fears that Tocilizumab - which could cost up to £10,000 per annum - may not become available on the NHS and if it does become available will it be available to the masses and not just the few.

Known side effects include diarrhea thalamic infarction, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, vomiting, upper respiratory tract inflammation, ligament rupture, hypoaesthesia, headache, cholelithiasis. gastrointestinal bleeding, gastroenteritis, bronchitis, Pneumonia and a potentially serious bacterial skin infection called cellulitis. Concerns have also been expressed in regard of cholesterol levels apparently Tocilizumab is thought to raise LDL, which is bad cholesterol, & could put patients at risk of heart attack or stroke.

Study participants who took Tocilizumab also had a higher risk of serious infections compared to study participants who were treated with methotrexate alone or with a combination of a disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug and a placebo.

Reported problems with Tocilizumab in Japan,

Reported Tocilizumab problem on Oct 25, 2005. Male patient, 34 years of age, was treated with Tocilizumab. After the drug was administered, patient experienced the following problems/side effects: acidosis, alpha haemolytic streptococcal infection, bacteraemia, brain abscess, candidiasis, cerebral hemorrhage, dehydration, depressed level of consciousness, disseminated tuberculosis.

Dosage: unknown.
During the same period the patient was treated with Klaricid, Iscotin, Ethambutol, Hydrochloride, Rifadin & Pyrazinamide, following the medication the patient was hospitalized. Patient unfortunately died on 02/19/2006.

Another reported Tocilizumab problem was reported by a Physician from Japan on Nov 30, 2005. a female patient, 53 years old, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and was treated with Tocilizumab. After the drug was administered the patient in question experienced the following side effects: condition aggravated, hyperlipidaemia, hypertension, thalamic infarction.

Tocilizumab dosage: unknown

During the same period the patient was treated with Methotrexate, Predonine, Diclofenac, Misoprostol, Nifedipine, Arotinolol, The patient was hospitalized but later recovered.

These are just a couple of incidents which have been reported, however many more can be found if you Google Tocilizumab, of course, as with any medication, problems will exist due to their toxicity. Tocilizumab may be an excellent treatment for some, but perhaps not so for others.

How To Treat Arthritis Naturally Without Prescription Drugs

When you face the pain, stiffness and swelling of arthritis you want to find something that will help alleviate the problem. Your doctor may prescribe medications that will help with the inflammation and pain but these treatments often come with the potential for addiction and a list of possible side effects. This could easily leave you wanting to find other alternatives that do not carry the same risks. There are plenty of herbal and natural remedies that are used regularly for that very purpose. Knowing which ones to try comes down to locating the ones that resolve the problems you are trying to alleviate. You should also consult with your physician on any remedies that you choose to use so that you can be monitored.

Diet

The diet you consume can play a pivotal role in the effect your arthritis has on your body. One of the most obvious effects of a healthier diet is that you will be able to reduce any excess weight. This weight places unnecessary pressure on your bones and joints and increases the pain and other problems that you may feel. In addition to this benefit, some foods enhance the arthritis symptoms while others help to fight them. If you want to fight your arthritis you will want to consume a diet that is healthy and rich in omega 3 fatty acids. The more vitamins you take in the better off your body will be. Sugar, dairy and wheat only work to make arthritis worse and should be eliminated from your diet. You will begin to feel the effects of a healthy diet fairly quickly and as you lose weight you will notice many other benefits as well.

Exercise

With exercise you are helping that goal of reducing your weight, but you will see more advantages to your body than simple weight loss. Regular exercise helps your body to relax and stay mobile. If you are mobile then your joints are consistently moving. This will help to prevent the stiffness that often accompanies arthritis. An active person will have less stiffness in their joints than one who is sedentary. Stiffness is one of the most difficult symptoms of arthritis because it causes you problems moving around. You may find yourself unable to do normal tasks that you once performed easily.

Castor Oil

Castor oil has been used for many things over the years and arthritis is among them. You can use the oil as a rub when your joints become sore and swollen. Simply rub the castor oil into the joints and you will feel the relief it provides. It is also a great oil to use for massaging joints to help prevent the soreness and stiffness that you often feel. Many people have found that castor oil provides relief almost instantly.

Fluids

Taking in enough fluids is vital to your health for many reasons, but fluids have to be the right ones. The best fluid you can take in is water. It will work to release the built up toxins in your body and keep your organs functioning as they should. Water will keep you from suffering constipation problems as well. Another benefit of water is that it keeps the joints lubricated so that they move easier and more freely. You can even count on plenty of water to aid in your weight loss goals.

Ginger

Ginger was discovered to relieve pain in arthritis many years ago by the Chinese. Like many supplements, ginger works well in both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. Since pain is one of the most predominant symptoms of arthritis, ginger is a favored herb among many sufferers. Those who use it say that it can take as long as three weeks before the effects are noticed. Unlike prescription pain medications, a user does not have to be concerned with addiction to ginger and does not have to worry about side effects. It can cause a slight increase in blood pressure, but otherwise is considered safe among those who take it daily.

Celery

Not all herbal remedies have to come packaged in a supplement. You can take advantage of the celery you already have in your home. The benefit of celery is that it is known to be an anti-inflammatory. This means that if you consume it you will likely see a decrease in swelling. You can opt to eat the celery if you wish or you can make a celery tea and drink it. If you choose the tea you will need to drink as much as three cups a day when the pain is at its worst.

Licorice

Cortisone is a popular medication used to treat arthritis, but it carries with is some side effects that you may not wish to contend with. If you opt to go with licorice you will not have to. Licorice offers the user the same effect they would get with cortisone without the side effects that they do not want. It helps alleviate pain when you consume the extract daily. You may notice a slight increase in blood pressure, but it carries no other serious side effects.
Glucosamine

The most popular supplement for arthritis is glucosamine. This is a natural substance that is made in the body and helps to rebuild and repair the damaged cartilage. When your body ages you do not produce as much glucosamine. Because of this your body does not repair the cartilage as easily. You are left with deteriorating cartilage in your joints. Taking these supplements can help to rebuild the cartilage and alleviate the pain and swelling that comes with arthritis. People have been taking glucosamine for many years as a treatment for their arthritis because it attacks the cause of the problem and not the symptoms. It is often combined with chondroitin to receive the maximum effect. There are some minor side effects that may occur, with the worst being a reaction in those who are allergic to shellfish.

Some Natural Ways to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious form of arthritis where the immune system which is supposed to defend the body, actually starts to attack it. It is more serious than say osteoarthritis simply because in addition to the standard joint pain and swelling, rheumatoid arthritis can also cause anemia, poor circulation and debilitating fatigue.

The best natural treatments for rheumatoid arthritis are the same as osteoarthritis, however with more emphasis being placed on diet. Here is a look at a few that have proven to be particularly helpful.

Heat Application

Whether it be electric blankets, heating pads or hot packs, applying heat to painful joints can offer substantial relief. One method of heat application that has shown to be particularly helpful is hot baths, especially when infused with essential oils such as rosemary and eucalyptus.

Cold Application

At the other end of the spectrum is the application of cold. This is most effective and appropriate when your joints are really inflamed. A cold pack or bag of peas compressed against the area can bring much needed relief in a short period of time. This is due to the fact that the cold reduces the swelling fast and also stimulates the nerve endings which acts as a distraction against deeper joint aches and pains.

Vegetarian Diet

Recent studies have shown that people with rheumatoid arthritis showed significant improvement after just 30 days of switching to a vegetarian diet. This diet also excluded eggs, dairy, gluten, caffeine, alcohol, salt and refined sugar.

Going vegetarian may seem like a daunting prospect if you are a heavy meat eater however being vegetarian is not about just eating vegetables / salads. There are lots of beautiful tasting, hearty dishes that can be prepared. If you are interested in this just do a search online for vegetarian recipes. You will find plenty.

However, if vegetarianism is not an option for you, the next best thing is to really tune into your body after you eat. This will give you some insight into which particular foods seem to flare up your symptoms. You can then decide whether or not to reduce or exclude these foods from your diet.

These are just a few things you can do to treat your rheumatoid arthritis naturally. I know this is an awful condition to have to deal with (my Mother has it) and my heart goes out to you. Just keep an open mind and keep trying new things until you have got enough 'things that help' in your back pocket that you can draw on as needed.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Life-threatening Condition?

Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common inflammatory form of arthritis and affects approximately two million Americans. It is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are characterized by abnormal function of the immune system. For whatever reason (and that reason is still unknown), the immune system attacks healthy tissue. In rheumatoid arthritis, joint tissues such as ligaments, tendons, and muscles, are attacked and become inflamed. Symptoms that develop include painful, swollen, tender joints. The small joints in the hands and feet are the most commonly affected. Other prominent symptoms include fatigue and stiffness.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease meaning it attacks many different organ systems. One organ system that can be affected are the blood vessels. This inflammation of blood vessels is called vasculitis. It is especially dangerous because vessels carry blood throughout the body: to the brain, lungs, skin, kidneys, and heart. "Shutdown" of organs occurs. Why? As the inflammation of the blood vessels progresses, the blood vessels are no longer able to transport blood.

Vasculitis due to rheumatoid arthritis can lead to heart attack and stroke. (Roman MJ, et al. Preclinical Carotid Atherosclerosis in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Annals Int Med 2006; 144: 249-256)

A sidebar to this is the eye involvement that can occur. Inflammation of the sclera- the white part of the eye- can lead to blindness as a result of perforation or hemorrhage.

An interesting side light to this is that several studies provide evidence that long-term smoking contributes to the immune system's malfunctioning. This most likely explains why smoking is associated with increased severity of the disease. This is also why smoking and rheumatoid arthritis make a terrible combination. Smoking causes premature atherosclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis does also.

If untreated, rheumatoid arthritis significantly shortens life span by an average seven to eight years. It increases the risk for heart attack and stroke. Sixty percent of untreated patients are disabled and dependent on others to take care of them within 10 years.
One other factor that contributes to the shortened lifespan is the increased incidence of lymphoma that occurs in patients with RA.

Arthritis Treatment: What Are the Common Tests Ordered on Arthritis Patients?

Laboratory tests are an integral part of "working up" a patient with arthritis. While there is no substitute for a careful and thoughtful history and physical examination, laboratory testing has a number of important functions including screening in and out different conditions, confirming diagnostic suspicions, staging disease, monitoring progress of disease and checking on effects of therapy.

While routine testing including complete blood count (CBC), chemistries, urinalysis, and such are part and parcel of "standard" testing, this article will focus on the "arthritis tests' most often ordered.

The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (sed rate) is a time honored blood test for measuring inflammation. As a response to inflammation, the liver produces proteins that coat red blood cells. This causes the blood cells to clump and sediment faster than individual red blood cells. The sed rate is sensitive but not very specific, so that it can be increased as a result of inflammation due to arthritis, malignancy, or infection. Other conditions where the sed rate can be elevated are pregnancy and diabetes.

The C-reactive protein (CRP) is another blood test that measures inflammation. It rises more quickly than the sed rate and resolves more quickly as well. In that respect it probably is a better test for monitoring the inflammation of arthritis. Unfortunately it can also be elevated in patients with other conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, cigarette smoking, and obesity.

Rheumatoid factor is an antibody (IgM) that binds to another antibody (IgG). It is positive in about 70-75 per cent of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Early in the disease it can be negative and it remains negative in about 20 per cent of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It can also be positive in other diseases such as syphilis, sarcoidosis, malignancies, and infections. In recent years, other forms of rheumatoid factor have been identified which can be useful in diagnosing patients who have rheumatoid arthritis but don't fit the "usual mold."

Anti-CCP is another blood test that is based on an autoantibody directed against the amino acid, arginine. It is much more specific than rheumatoid factor for rheumatoid arthritis although in our lab it is a bit less sensitive. Anti- CCP can occur early in the disease and predicts patients who will have more aggressive disease. We often will use the combination of rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP to achieve both increased sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis.

Antinuclear antibodies are just that... antibodies directed against the nucleus of cells. This is a test that is useful for screening for systemic lupus erythematosus. A patient who is negative for ANA does not have lupus with about 99 per cent certainty. Unfortunately, ANA can be positive in many other conditions including other autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren's disease, scleroderma, inflammatory muscle disease, malignancy, and infection. It can also be positive in up to 30 per cent of healthy people.

For patients where a high level of ANA is noted, there are more specific tests that can be ordered in order to sort out the diagnosis.

How You Can Get Arthritis In The Fingers

Did you know that arthritis can also attack your fingers? Arthritis in fingers is also a common symptom of arthritis. Our hands are one of the most important parts of our body. We almost can't do anything without using our hands.

Each of our fingers has a different function. What if one of our fingers is disabled? Can we still do what we want? Possibly, yes, but it will be more difficult the more advanced the arthritis is. And by difficult, I mean painful; even worse, as arthritis advances, you may cause even more damage to your finger joints, making even more difficult to move your fingers.

The types of arthritis that typically attacks our fingers are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis commonly affects those of more advanced years, but rheumatoid arthritis can affect anyone of any age.

Osteoarthritis is a form of arthritis that is a result of years of wear and tear on the joints. Eventually the body is unable to keep up with the damage, and the connective tissue is unable to regenerate to its former elasticity. When this happens, it can harden and crack, allowing the bones of the joints to come in contact, resulting in pain. Do you crack your knuckles? This is one way to induce wear and tear of the finger joints, which can result in arthritis in fingers down the line.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder; basically, your immune system, for some reason, starts to attack the tissues around your joints, resulting in damage similar to that in osteoarthritis. This damage happens on a quicker timetable when compared with osteoarthritis, however, and those with rheumatoid arthritis will often eventually experience arthritis in fingers.

In both cases the symptoms are the same: joint pain, swelling, cracking sounds, stiffness and immobility. While the arthritis is not yet advanced, you may only experience some swelling and joint pain, which may go away in time. But you may also hear some cracking sounds when you move your finger joints, which is a sign of damaged connective tissues. Eventually, if the arthritis in fingers gets worse, your fingers may become immobile and deformed, as the flexibility and mobility of your fingers is lost.

The pain of arthritis in fingers can be relieved through a variety of treatments. Just as with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, there are medications that can relieve the pain and reduce the inflammation. Some less advanced cases may also be treated with physical therapy, while more advanced cases may require special surgery to restore mobility. There are also a variety of natural remedies that can be used to treat arthritis when it attacks your fingers, though the most important of them involve a healthy diet and lifestyle, in order to help your body fight the effects of arthritis.

Important Symptoms and Treatment of Polimialgia Reumatica

Both the inflammatory rheumatic diseases polimialgia reumatica and giant cell arteritis (GCA) are often overlapping conditions with undiscovered causative factors. There are some clinical indicators that are common to both conditions and they typically occur in adults over the age of fifty years. As far as the incidence of both disorders in America and England it is estimated that GCA occurs approximately 200 cases per 1 million people. For polimialgia reumatica depending on the country of choice the annual incidence can be anywhere from 120 - 1120 per million.

Giant cell arteritis is easier to diagnose than polimialgia reumatica. The typical presenting symptoms are a new, not normal headache that feels like head pain that is associated with an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate or a high C-reactive protein level. The most feared side effect of gca is permanent visual loss. This occurs in approximately 15% of cases and is the reason why GCA is treated as a rheumatologic emergency. Other possible but less common signs and symptoms include jaw or tongue numbness which happens as a result of decreased blood to the head and jaw due to inflammation narrowing the arteries. Upon further testing about half of sufferers will have vascular inflammation affecting several main arteries throughout the body.

Polimialgia reumatica on the other hand presents with stiffness and aching of the neck, shoulders and hips. Associated with this by one third of patients is weight loss, fever and mental disturbances like depression. There may be no known cause for the onset. The symptoms may appear almost overnight or develop over a period of a few days. Although pain and stiffness may feel like they are originating in the joints or bones, that is not the case. Polimialgia reumatica only affects the muscles or the muscle attachment to the bone called the tendon. It is usually present on both sides of the body. Often a final diagnosis may take some time as other conditions such as neurological, hormonal and endocrine are ruled out.

A standard approach of corticosteroids is used for both the treatment of GCA and polimialgia reumatica. The best practice is to find the lowest dose possible that can still provide symptomatic benefit, this is termed a maintenance dose. This is desirable to decrease toxicity from the drug. During the current day there is no set way for determining this dose for each individual other than trial and error. Typically people will begin on medium or high doses and this is monitored and then lowered gradually.

More than half of patients with polimialgia reumatica and about one third of GCA have a relapse of the condition and therefore need to stay on corticosteroids therapy for several years. A large number of relapses happen in the first year of treatment in conjunction with the corticosteroid dosage being reduced to less than 7.5mg per day.

In conjunction with a medical approach for polimialgia reumatica some sufferers have benefit from lifestyle and dietary changes and nutritional supplements. Trying to reduce the amount of stress in your life and promoting a calm and relaxing mind can benefit some individuals. Improving your diet and decreasing the amount of processed foods that you eat and increasing the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables can only be beneficial to helping your body cope with both these disorders. Also the addition of natural supplements that are aimed at reducing inflammation can help.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Role Of The Occupational Therapist In Seating - 1

Correct seating for the patient with rheumatoid arthritis is very important, as if the patient has a seat/chair that is not suitable, it will result in pain and/or discomfort aggravation. On top of that, it will also contribute to the worsening of his or her independence when they want to get up to go toilet, answer the phone, have a meal etc.

Very few patients with rheumatoid arthritis have adequate seating support in their chairs. Perhaps it is a financial limitation, or it may be a case of lower priority so the project may have been shelved. For seating clinics, many simply provide a means of elevating the seating itself as an option, which most of the time, unnecessary for the person with rheumatoid arthritis.

When choosing a chair for a patient, the following should be considered

1. Patient is to wear his or her usually worn home shoes to ensure that the correct height is measured using day to day tools and equipment.
2. The fabric needs to be a firm one (vinyl material causes perspiration, which leads to other problems)
3. The adequate seat height for the patient is measured from the bottom of the shoes (soles) to the back of the knees of the patient in sitting, and the knees must be at right angles (90 degrees).
4. Seat depth is measured from the back of the buttocks, to the back of the knees of the seated patient.
5. Seat width needs to be measured with the patient seated in the chair, with 1-1.5 inches extra space on each side from the buttocks. This is for turnings, transfers and overall comfort. It should not be more than a total of extra 3 inches as it will result in a further apart arm rests.
6. There needs to be backrest contours along the entire length of the spine, including the neck, and angled to suit each individual patient.
7. Arm rests are required, and they should support the arms without requiring the patient to hunch their shoulders.
8. Each arm rests for the chair should be level, or inclined slightly at the digits, reaching right to the front of the knees to help the patients in getting to stand.
9. It is best when the arm rests are padded with cushions to make room or accommodate painful flare up of joints and nodules.
10. There should not be any boards or crossbars that brace the front legs of the chair, as this will limit the patient's ability to stand up on their own.

Getting to the Bottom of a Rheumatoid Arthritis Natural Remedy

A rheumatoid arthritis natural remedy works by treating the cause and rebuilding the joint with natural supplements. The cause of Rheumatoid arthritis has been identified many years ago and successfully treated using a simple antibiotic. However while doctors continue to debate this treatment, everyday people continue to suffer.

According to naturopath, physician, health and longevity expert and veterinarian Dr Joel Wallach in his book, 'Let's Play Doctor', "This disease has been recognized and eliminated by the veterinary industry".

Dr Wallach contends that the cause of the disease isn't a problem with your immune system - it's caused by a foreign organism such as a bacteria or a virus attacking the joint capsule membrane and the tendon sheaths of the fingers and toes. And this then triggers the normal immune system response which involves inflammation, heat around the joint, sickness and fever.
To first begin treating the infection - most likely a pleuro-pneumonia or similar organism that causes upper respiratory infection and pneumonitis - you need to discuss options with your health care professional. One suggestion is an older antibiotic such as minocycline as it has few side-affects than its modern counterparts.

You should discuss minocycline treatment with your health care practitioner - and if they're not interested, then you can always go an get another opinion.

The facts are that a significant number of people in a number of scientific studies have shown improvement during and after treatment with minocycline - one this is one treatment option you shouldn't ignore just because your doctor has never heard of it.

The process of rebuilding the joint and providing a rheumatoid arthritis natural remedy involves supplementation with the building blocks of the bone, joint and joint capsule.

The ideal supplements for bone and joint health are:

o All 90 Essential Nutrients - a multi-nutrient supplement plan involving minerals, vitamins, amino acids and essential fatty acids.

o Supplements containing glucosamine & chondroitin improve lubrication of the joint, may ease pain and improve the repair process

o An effective pain relief cream - such as Cetyl Myristoleate cream which is scientifically proven to reduce pain &inflammation and improve mobility

Just to recap, for supplements to help with a rheumatoid arthritis natural remedy, start with the 90 Essential Nutrients the body needs to achieve good health.

This involves 60 minerals, 16 vitamins, 12 amino acids and essential fatty acids (which will also help with natural pain relief).

The addition of specific supplements that support healthy bones & joints such as glucosamine/chondroitin and a natural pain relief remedy will also assist.

One other thing to consider in any rheumatoid arthritis natural remedy - especially if you are taking some type of antibiotic to treat the infection - is that you need to make sure that your 'gut flora' - the good bacteria that help you break down and absorb nutrients - are healthy. This will also maximize the effectiveness of the supplement nutrients.

In this case it is recommended that you consume foods that are high in these organisms - such as natural yoghurt with acidophilus or take a supplement that contains high amounts of this 'good bacteria'.

The use of a digestive enzyme product will also assist the absorption of the nutrients in the supplements and from food and may greatly assist relief and recovery.

Here's a summary of the things we've covered in this article:

1. A rheumatoid arthritis natural remedy is achieved by treating the likely cause - most likely a bacterial infection - with a safe antibiotic such as minocycline

2. Supplementing with the 90 essential nutrients, glucosamine, chondroitin and CM will help the body rebuild the joint as well as provide pain relief and reduce the inflammation

3. Consider the use of digestive enzymes to improve absorption of the nutrients

Finding Relief From Arthritis Pain in an Adjustable Bed

Arthritis is a joint disorder that leads to inflammation in one or more joints. Due to the increasing number of people affected by this condition, health experts and various institutions today are finding effective ways to prevent and cure arthritis. One of the popular solutions recommended by experts to relieve and prevent arthritis is to sleep with the legs and feet positioned in a manner that promotes exceptional blood flow, and the best way to achieve this end is through the use of an adjustable bed. Arthritis is one of the main medical conditions that can be prevented and eased by using adjustable beds during sleep.

Arthritis is becoming a serious problem especially in the United States. According to studies, arthritis is the number one cause of disability in the US. The country also spends more than $50 billion every year for hospitalization, medications, doctors, physical therapies, home care, wage loss, family discord and death due to arthritis. Because of this condition, people's functionality and overall quality of life is degraded. For example, individuals with arthritis may not be able to engage in the physical activities to which they are accustomed. Arthritis may even be debilitating, depending on the severity of the pain.

Common Types of Arthritis and Available Treatments
There are numerous types of arthritis and each is classified according to their causes. Two of the most common arthritis affecting millions of people all over the world is osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is joint inflammation caused by wear, tear, and aging. On the other hand, Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by disorder in the immune system. Various treatments for arthritis include medications, physical therapies, and even surgical procedures. These treatments may help to alleviate arthritis but it cannot prevent relapse. In addition, many of these treatment options are unavailable to the masses because they may be very expensive.

How Sleeping Well Can Reduce Arthritis Pain
One effective solution to ease and prevent arthritis is to sleep in a position that inflicts minimal tension on the joints and tendons. Most adjustable beds can be adjusted in order to raise the legs and feet during sleeping. Health experts usually recommend that patients elevate their lower body preferably with their legs raised about 40 degrees higher from the bed or the 90/90 sleeping position. This position promotes proper blood and fluid circulation in the muscles, joints, and tissues preventing joint diseases like arthritis. With a good and proper sleeping position, adjustable beds are also effective in relieving joint pains caused by arthritis. Proper sleep also helps the body to repair and recover faster from certain wear and tear affecting the muscles and joints. With a properly rested body, adequate sleep and relieved arthritis, people can now work properly and do the things they need to do efficiently.

Arthritis is a very common condition especially for aging adults. However, this condition can also affect young people due to various causes like autoimmune disorders and infections. Using adjustable beds when sleeping can help the body relieve arthritis and preventing it from coming back by promoting proper blood and fluid circulation in the joints and muscles. Proper sleep also means better body rehabilitation especially wear and tear problems affecting the joints. Compared to other expensive solutions, using adjustable beds is a natural and noninvasive solution that can provide effective and long-term effect with less cost.