Information about Arthritis


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Quick link to the information of your choice on ARTHRITIS:

Definition:

  • Arthritis is a disease of the joints, especially in ligaments, cartilage, and synovium.
  • Inflammation of a joint. When a joint becomes inflamed it can cause redness, swelling, stiffness, and pain in the joint and surrounding muscles, ligaments and nerves.

Causes:

  • Age
  • Trauma to the joint
  • Infection of the joint
  • Uric acid crystals depositing in the joint causing inflammation
  • Autoimmune diseases

Characteristics:

  • Monoarthritis - one joint affected
  • Oligoarthritis - several joints affected
  • Polyarthritis - many joints are affected
  • Rheumatism - any type of pain in the muscles and joints for which there is no explanation
  • Types of arthritis - There are over 200 types of Arthritis - Here are a few of the most common.
    • Osteoarthritis - is a degenerative arthritis and can be caused by age, trauma to the joint, or infection of the joint.
    • Rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis are autoimmune diseases in which the body attacks itself.
    • Gout arthritis is caused by uric acid crystals depositing in the joint causing inflammation. This arthritis may in some cases be controlled by medication and diet.
    • Pseudogout - uncommon form of gout.
    • Juvenile arthritis is any arthritis that affects a child.
    • Lupus is a serious disorder that can inflame and damage joints and other connective tissues throughout the body.
    • Fibromyalgia, in which widespread pain affects the muscles and attachments to the bone. It affects mostly women.

  • Heat, swelling, redness, stiffness, pain around joints.

Statistics:

  • Over 45 million adults have reported a diagnosis of some type of arthritis as reported by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. To see more of their statistics on different types of arthritis, visit the CDC page on Arthritis.

Diagnosis:

  • Blood tests and X-rays are used to diagnose arthritis.

Prevention:

  • Protect your joints
  • Stay physically active with low impact exercise like walking, swimming etc.
  • If you do have Arthritis, educate yourself about the cause of the pain and how to avoid further damage

Recovery

  • Recovery varies due to degree of arthritis, location of arthritis, health of patient, and age of patient.

Awareness

  • People are more alike than they are different.
  • Identify and develop an appreciation for each persons strengths and accomplishments.
  • Become aware of the affect on daily activities.
  • Arthritis Awareness Wear creates apparrel to educate people in a fun way about arthritis.

  • People First Language from disabilityisnatural.com by Kathie Snow offers insight into society's use of language when using the term disability. The term disability is a societal construct to identify characteristics related to a medical condition that may entitle an individual for services or legal protections. The use of this language encourages freedom, respect and inclusion for all, and recognizes forms of language that can isolate, create negative stereotypes and place attitudinal barriers for individuals. "Using People First Language, putting the person before the disability—and eliminating old, prejudicial, and hurtful descriptors, can move us in a new direction. People First Language is not political correctness; instead, it demonstrates good manners, respect, the Golden Rule, and more—it can change the way we see a person, and it can change the way a person sees themself!" For more articles by Kathie Snow to "help us begin to use more respectful and accurate language and create positive change," visit People First Language and More

Viewpoint

  • People are more alike than they are different.
  • Identify and develop an appreciation for each person's strengths and accomplishments.
  • Become aware of the affect on daily activities.

On-Line Discussion

    Visit our NHU Community Forum on Arthritis for more insights, awareness, viewpoints, experiences, needs and solutions.

Needs and Solutions

    Treatment and Rehabilitation

    Immediate medical attention & treatment are most affective - when started early.

    • Physical Therapy.
    • Occupational Therapy.
    • In some instances the disease can be cured or controlled, but can be quite irritating if ignored.
    • Life style changes such as weight control.
    • Medications.
    • Dietary supplements.
    • Joint replacement surgery.

    Alternative Medicine

    More and more people are searching for cures to arthritis. Through their effort, they are also finding and using alternative treatments for arthritis. They are using acupuncture, biofeedback, and chiropractic care, to name just a few of the alternatives.

    The following article from About.com discusses these alternative treatments and some issues you could address with your doctor before trying an alternative treatment.

    Alternative Treatments for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Learn More about Arthritis

    Arthritis Foundation, national voluntary health organization helping the 70 million Americans with arthritis and chronic joint symptoms take greater control of their disease through a variety of actions. On their website you can: Learn about Arthritis, Living with Arthritis, Research, Resources and Shop for assistance products and connect with others and programs in your community.

    New Sign Healthline: What Do You Want to Know About Rheumatoid Arthritis? provides information on RA Facts, Life Style Changes, Diet, Advancing RA and What is Inflammatory Rheumatoid Arthritis.

    New Sign Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Network (RASN) is dedicated to providing up-to-date information and resources for rheumatoid arthritis patients. Learn more about What is Rheumatoid Arthritis? including: The causes of RA, Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms, Diagnosing RA, Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) vs. Osteoarthritis (OA). Learn more about the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Living with RA, including Physical Activity, Diet and Finding a Rheumatologist. Under Resources find Support Groups, Literature, Blogs, Help paying for medicine and treatment, Apps for Pain Management and a list of organizations and government agencies. For more information, contact RASN at 121 S. Orange Ave Orlando, FL 32801, call 1-800-405-4043, or send info@rheumatoidarthritis.org

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