Say Goodbye to Joint Pain
One of the most common arthritis types is osteoarthritis which is an agonizing degenerative disease. The breakdown of the cartilage which helps cushion the ends of the bones causes them to rub together. More than a fourth of all arthritis patients have osteoarthritis in one joint or more. It can occur in knees, ankles, hips, wrists, elbows and shoulders. The disease mainly attacks the older population after years of normal usage causes wear and tear on the joints.
Those who are overweight are even more at risk for developing osteoarthritis. The extra weight on joints in the legs makes it more likely that the disease will develop in hips, knees and ankles. Taking off extra weight can help lessen the pain for some patients. And overweight patients are more apt to develop osteoarthritis in the hands and fingers although studies, as of yet, have not discovered the reasoning.
Doing stretching exercises can help keep the joints stay more limber. Maintaining a diet full of vitamin C and D will help. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon or tuna are also beneficial. And canola oil has been related to the reduction of inflammation in arthritis patients.
There are new medications that can reduce the joint swelling while relieving pain. When pain continues some sufferers find relief from n ice pack or warm towel applied to the joint. Acupuncture is an alternative method of pain relief that has helped many people, especially ones who suffer from knee arthritis. Creams made for rubbing on sore joints can be purchased without a prescription and help somewhat. Some dietary supplements, like chondroitin and glucosamine have gained praise over the years for relieving some of the pain related to arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis is different than osteoarthritis. It mostly strikes people aging from 25 to 55 – mainly women. This disease usually strikes the wrists, hands and fingers but can also develop in the neck, shoulders and elbows as well as any joint in the leg or foot. People with rheumatoid arthritis are at greater risk of developing osteoarthritis. Early treatment is the key to getting rheumatoid arthritis under control.
Talk to your doctor about joint pain as soon as it develops. After years of treatment, however, you may opt for joint replacement surgery. More and more people are choosing to have the old joint replaced in hopes of living a freer life. The joint can take quite some time to heal and can be very painful but some patients report that they are able to do much more with the new joint than with the arthritis-stricken one. After full recovery many patients become completely drug and pain free.
