Arthritis Information

Over 350 million men, women, and children worldwide have been diagnosed with an arthritic condition. In the U.S. alone, around 27 million people have osteoarthritis and around 1.3 million have rheumatoid arthritis (RA). According to the CDC, over 21 million U.S. adults are physically limited in some way by an arthritic condition. In fact, it's the most common cause of disability in the United States.

Types of Arthritis

Common Misconceptions

* It doesn’t only affect the elderly. Data shows that over half of arthritic Americans are under age 65.

* It isn’t all alike. There are over a hundred types of arthritis, while each involves damage to the joints of the body, many vary on causative factors and specific symptoms.

Most Common Types

The two most common types are osteoarthritis and RA, and they involve very different processes.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is considered a wear and tear process. It’s the result of overusing joints. Large and small joints can be affected, but weight bearing joints like the spine, pelvis, feet, and back are common arthritic areas. It begins as cartilage, the shock absorber for the body, gradually breaks down and wears away over months or years. As it wears away, bones are exposed and results in opposing bones eroding into one another. Spurs may develop on the ends of bones, especially the hand and feet bones. The above process results in pain when the joint is moved. It’s also important to note that osteoarthritis can co-exist with other forms.

Symptoms Of Osteoarthritis

* deep and aching joint pain
* difficulty with daily activities (for example, combing hair)
* fatigue
* warmth in joint
* morning stiffness for less than an hour
* limitations and/or painful joint motion (especially when climbing, kneeling, or bending)
* stiffness after inactivity
* joint swelling

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis is the most common chronic inflammatory type of arthritis. It’s an autoimmune disease, meaning that for unknown reasons the immune system attacks certain body parts. The joints of the wrists, knees, elbows, fingers, are the main areas affected, but the immune system attack can be directed at organs as well. Rheumatoid Arthritis is often progressive and can cause joint destruction, joint deformity, and functional disability. Symptoms may appear over time or very suddenly. Joint areas that have a lot of pressure, such as the knuckles or heels, often develop lumps called rheumatoid nodules.

Symptoms Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Depending on the degree that tissue is damaged, the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis may appear (active), disappear (go into remission), and reappear (relapse). General symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis include the following:

* Fatigue
* Lethargy
* Decreased appetite
* Low-grade fever
* Achy joints and muscles (most notably in the morning)
* Red, swollen, painful, and tender joints
* Difficulty performing daily activities (like turning a door knob)
* Joint deformity
* Morning joint stiffness that may progressively last throughout the day
* Symmetrical joint involvement (for example, if wrist on one hand is affected, then the other wrist will also be affected)

HOW TO TREAT ARTHRITIS

Acute Stage Treatment

There will not be an acute stage treatment under arthritis since osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis are conditions that develop over time.

Chronic Stage Treatment

1. Apply the Sinew Injury Poultice to the arthritic joint area.

2. Massage the Chronic Liniment into the arthritic joint. If needed, you may follow the massage with a poultice by saturating a gauze roll or clean cloth in the liniment and wrapping the gauze or cloth around the joint.

3. The Sinew Warming Soak can be used, especially when the joint seems more sensitive to pain in damp or cold weather conditions.

Exercises

1. In relation to a degenerative arthritic condition, the goal of any exercise is to help strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint and maintain range of motion to prevent joint degeneration from progressing. Of course, this must be done without overly stressing the anatomical structures. The Stretching and Strengthening exercises are ideal to build strength and flexibility, while not further inflaming or irritating the joint.

Massage Treatment

1. The arthritic joints should be frequently massaged.

2. One at a time, you should gently take hold of and release each muscle group surrounding the joint.

3. Depress and propel your fingers in a circular pattern around the soft tissues of the joint, paying special attention to the crevices near joints and between bones.