BASIC SCIENCE OF ARTHRITIS
by: Bruce Reid
Joints can handle some heavy pressure.
For example, knees handle a force of three to four times a person’s total body weight on average when just taking a walk.The force of a deep knee bend during a squat can increase to nine times the body weight.
So just imagine multiplying weight of more than 150 pounds times a minimum of three or four, and then even more.That can sure add up to a lot of heavy work on knee joints over time.
Now for the science of this scenario. Where two bones meet, called the joint, the bone ends are covered with cartilage, also known as gristle. This cartilage is sturdy,elastic and spongy or compressible
,and keeps the bones from moving against each other at the joint.The cells of this cartilage, called chondrocytes,are thought to be the longest living cells of the body.
Surrounding the bones and cartilage is strong, fibrous capsule lined with synovium,a thin membrane that lubricates the joint area with fluid.The end result is less friction or smoother rubbing together of the bones.This fluid also feds the cartilage cells, keeping them healthy, and is pumped into them during joint movement.
Thus lack of movement (activity / exercise) can be unhealthy.
Other parts of the body features involved with this arthritic scenario include muscles, tendons, ligaments, bursea and mental activity. Muscles, attached to bones with tendons and ligaments, move bones by contracting.
They also cushion movement, absorbing impact or shock. Throughout the muscle and tendon areas are bursae or sacs filled with fluid.
These also help cushion movement.And throughout all the coordination of these parts during movement, the brain is a part.
The brain communicates via nerves throughout the body, in particular the muscles for this scenario, to prepare joints for activity. The exact science of what actually causes arthritis is still being researched. For most of the 100-plus forms of arthritis, the causes are unknown.
Injury, overuse of joints and mechanical issues with joints (like skeletal abnormalities, worn out joint muscles) can lead to arthritis. And many point to issues relating to bacteria and germs as some of the problem. Heredity, stress, drugs, food allergies and viruses have also been linked to some forms of arthritis. So have diet, poor circulation and lack of movement.
INFLAMMATION
Arthritic joints can be affected with inflammation when bacteria or a virus (or other undesirable element) enters the joint area or when an injury occurs. What happens is when foreign matter enters this area or the area sustains injury, white blood cells, antibodies and other natural fighting mechanisms automatically kick in internally to help.These fighters cause swelling, redness and heat as the body fluid moves around. Symptoms of inflammation, one of the uncomfortable issues associated with arthritis, are redness, swelling and tender joints.
About the author:
Bruce Reid is an Independent Distributor, Selling The Worlds highest Quality Dietary Supplements , personnal care and weight-
loss products.http://www.wholebody-dietary-supplements.com
What type of arthritis do you have?
by: Rudy Silva
Arthritis dates back to prehistoric times and is seen all through the ages in the joints of the skeleton remains.
Most of you will have problems with your joints and it may be arthritis. Arthritis is associated with aging but it is not caused because you are aging. Arthritis is caused by the body not been fed the proper nutrients that keep your joints health and free of wear and tear.
There are plenty of joints in your body and typically there are only specific joints that have arthritic pain. Those are the ones that you use frequently. For men it is knees, spine, and feet. For women it is fingers, hands, knees, and spine.
Arthritis means inflammation of the joint. When your joints have bone-to-bone contact and grind against each other that area becomes swollen and inflamed.
There are two main type of arthritis – osteoarthritis and rheumatoid – and others that are less known.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis means inflammation of the bony part of your joint. As your joints move against each other, the protective coating and surrounding material – membranes, oil sacs, cartilage – wear down. This wear down occurs when the joints see excess activity.
Normally you would not expect to see this wear down condition since there are many joints that see excess activity and don’t become inflamed or arthritic. There millions of people who don’t get arthritis, yet the use their joints are used just as much and perhaps even more. Then there are people who don’t use their joint to excess and still get arthritis.
So the actual cause of arthritis is more than excess activity.
The cause of arthritis has come down to a single or combination of nutritional deficiencies, excess joint activity, and emotional issues.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid means "similar to flowing pain." It is an autoimmune disease where good cell and tissue are attack by the immune system. Rheumatoid first affects the joint membranes and later the bone structure at the joint. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs in people of all ages. As this arthritis progresses it can becomes crippling.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a recent disease, which appeared at the turn of the 20th Century. Its cause can be associated with diet where the balance of the joint structure receives chemicals that destroy its balanced condition.
Gouty Arthritis
Gout is a disease where uric acid deposits in the joints of feet and legs. When the body has an excess of uric acid, which it can’t eliminate through normal channels of elimination- the kidney – the uric acid settles in the joints and soft tissue causing pain.
Gout is more common with men, people with high blood pressure, alcoholics, diabetics, and obesity. Gout means drop. It was thought by Romans that gout was caused by poisonous crystals coming from the blood, drop by drop, and depositing in the toes.
There is some evidence that gout is related to the amount of wine that is drunk with the meal. This put an extra strain on the liver that tries to detoxify the wine and the meal at the same time. Result is the liver is unable to detoxify the complete meal.
Other Types of Arthritis
There are other types of arthritis. These account for a small amount of the types of arthritis that most people have. Here is the list:
Bursitis – inflammation of the shoulder joints and muscles.
Neuritis – is know as rheumatism of your nerves. When the sheaths of your nerves dry out you have neuritis
Myositis - pain that comes from working hard and muscles have friction between them.
Fibrositis – is when your connective tissue become inflamed Lumbago – occurs before you get arthritis of the spine.
Which arthritis doe you have? In other articles, I'll tell you what you can do to prevent or eliminate arthritis of any kind.
About the author:
Rudy Silva has a degree in Physics and is a Natural Nutritionist. He is the author of Constipation, Acne, Hemorrhoid, and Fatty Acid ebooks. He writes a newsletter called "Natural Remedies Thatwork.com". For more information on arthritis go to: http://www.arthritis-remedies.for--you.info
Arthritis Pain Relief 101
by: Charlene J. Nuble
Coming of age equals coming of a variety of body pains. And do you know what most of our oldies would complain about regarding this issue? Arthritis. An estimate of over 50 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions related conditions.
The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis. It is the kind of arthritis that usually affects nearly three-quarters of those over 50. At the onset of arthritis, pain is not a part of the major system yet. Morning and after rest stiffness and crackling joints are usually the first few symptoms that confirm the diagnosis of the condition. Upon the development of the disease, patients are expected to suffer from more discomfort, disability and pain.
If left untreated, it can become progressively distressing and painful crippling can result. This is particularly true with rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects women. It is prevalent with age group of 20 to 45.
Arthritis is not only caused by the wear and tear the joints undergo. There are other factors that aggravate this condition. Rheumatoid arthritis is considered an immune deficiency syndrome where antibodies develop against components of joint tissue, and mistakenly and aggressively attack the joints. Misdirected neovascularization leads to displacement of water while decreasing the volume and viscosity of synovial fluid (fluid between joints), further lessening the flexibility and cushioning power of the joint, until the surfaces of raw unprotected bone painfully begin to wear against each other, as it happens in conditions of Osteoarthritis. Inborn recessive genetic errors may also predict the inclination of a person to develop arthritis.
Dealing with the chronic pain of arthritis can be frustrating. Pain from arthritis is often caused by inflammation, a localized protective reaction of tissues to irritation or any kind of injury and is often characterized by pain, redness, swelling and even disability. Crepitation is a process that can also cause the pain that is felt by an arthritis patient. It is the rubbing together of two bone fragments that cause a crackling sound. Muscle tension and fatigue can also cause the pain.
The usual treatment for arthritis is through the use of painkillers. Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin can help relieve the pain of arthritis. But they only target the symptom and not the disease itself. Studies even show that the continual use of these NSAIDs may even cause joint deterioration thus making arthritis worse. Modern medicine does not have much to offer for the cure of this disease.
The traditional temporary arthritis pain relief medications available leave a lot to be desired. Other pain solutions can be relied on to achieve arthritis pain relief. Massage therapy, hydrotherapy and cold packs are a few of the simple methods of pain management. Herbal remedies such as ginger, willow bark and fish oils and the well-known cartilage constituents glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate are also promising a lot in revolutionizing the treatment of arthritis. Aside from the symptomatic relief they offer, they actually interfere with the origin of the disease. They are also being considered to help the body rebuild functioning joints. Also reported to be fast acting,in cream form, they increase mobility and optimal repair of joint structures as they help reinforce the body's protective linings and lubricating fluids by recovering cell stability and function to stop further damage.
Those discovered treatments among many might just be the best among the elusive arthritis pain relief that are commercially available. But above all, no matter how clichéd it may sound, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
About the author:
Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links and information about arthritis, please go to: http://arthritis.besthealthlink.net/or for updated links and information on all health related topics, go to: http://www.besthealthlink.net/
Effective dietary supplements for arthritis sufferers
by: Bhikoo Dhiraj
The effective popular dietary supplements for arthritis sufferers are chondroitin, fish oil and glucosamine. Chondroitin can draw fluid into the cartilage, improving shock-absorbing ability and weight control, as more weight equals more joint pressure. Fish oils help with controlling inflammation in the body. And recent studies have shown that the cartilage-building substance called glucosamine is effective for the long-term relief of osteoarthritis pain. In some people, glucosamine appears to even slow the deterioration of joints over time and reinforce joint cartilage. Whether or not it can actually reverse the disease is still unclear. In some instances, glucosamine can be used in conjunction with MSM, a substance that appears to slow down the degeneration but is not yet proven and approved.
In a nutshell:
· Chondroitin - Helps draw fluid into cartilage, improving shock-absorbing ability.
· Ginger – Ginger is an antioxidant that acts as an inflammatory with no major side effects.
· Glucosamine sulfate – This builds cartilage with very few side effects.
· Magnets – Although magnets that are worn as jewelry or placed on bed linens have been reported by some to be effective pain relievers, results are still preliminary; doctors claim that these magnets are not strong enough.
· MSM - This organic sulfur is used in the reduction of inflammation.
· Nettle leaf - Nettles can reduce a patient’s need for NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) by up to 70 percent.
· Vitamin E – This antioxidant is used primarily for osteoarthritis.
· Vitamin B is also an effective pain reliever. It works best on the knee and can help stop degeneration that is caused by free-radical molecules, not only in the joints but in other areas of the body as well
These are merely a few examples of what an arthritis sufferer can use when seeking pain relief from natural remedies. However, due to the lack of scientific study and testing on many of these alternate treatments, there is no proof of their effectiveness.
Nothing can cure osteoarthritis, but nutritional supplements, the application of heat or cold to affected joints, exercise, and weight loss can improve the function and flexibility of your joints, and perhaps even slow the progress of the disease. Conventional over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, can be very helpful in decreasing joint pain, but they do produce side effects and can cause problems in long-term users.
Unfortunately, there is no way to cure arthritis. However, you can delay the onset by maintaining a healthy weight. Exercise regularly and eat a healthy and avoid repetitious movements that cause you pain.
About the author:
Dhiraj is an arthritis pain relief and treatment researcher .He offers advice and tips and a broad range of alternative solutions for arthritis and pain related issues.