Natural Remedies for Arthritis - Try These Before Using Medication

There are various natural remedies for arthritis. Arthritis is a muscular disorder that affects muscles and joints. Symptoms of this condition include limited joint movement, inflammation and joint pain. The inflamed joint is red, swollen and warm to touch.

In every joint, there is a lubricating fluid inside the protective capsule. The smooth and slippery cartilage is responsible for the easy, fluid movement of the joints. If the cartilage lost due to a degenerative process, narrowed or damaged, the joints get inflamed and movement becomes painful. Most people suffer from this condition with aging. Signs of this disease become evident in most above the age of 50. With usage over a period of time, degeneration of joints takes place naturally.

Managing this is easy with a combination of rest, exercise, medication, nutrition, weight management and in extreme cases, surgery. This condition is diagnosed by doctors through x-rays and blood tests after which the best treatment method is worked out.

This disease can stay with you through your life and with the right treatment and lifestyle changes, it can be effectively managed. For this, it is important to have the support of friends and family and a positive outlook.

This complex disorder can affect at any stage of life. There are many different types of this disease including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid, juvenile rheumatoid, infectious and gout. Two of the most common types include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid.

Osteoarthritis causes stiffness and pain in the joints. Rheumatoid on the other hand mainly affects the joints and is a long lasting disease. Swelling in the joints is caused by the immune system. The surrounding cartilage and tissues are damaged when the inflammation spreads.

Children are affected by juvenile rheumatoid arthritis which is characterized by swelling, stiffness, pain and loss of joint function. The cause of this autoimmune disease is unknown and this condition is not hereditary.

When uric acid crystals resembling needles deposit in the joints, the patient suffers from pain in the joint, swelling and inflammation. This condition is known as gout and it mainly affects the knee, ankle and foot.

Infectious agents such as viruses and bacteria also cause this disease. Joint damage can be minimized with early diagnosis and treatment for infection.

Fibromyalgia causes pain in hips, spine, neck, head, shoulders and elbows. Patients suffering from this condition experience severe pain and the affected areas are highly sensitive to touch. Symptoms of this condition include stiffness, disturbed sleep and fatigue.

Other types of this disease include Ankylosing Spondylitis, Tendonitis and Bursitis, Lupus and Polymyalgia Rheumatica.By Jim Bessios

Causes, Symptoms, and Chiropractic Treatment of Neck Pain

Your cervical spine, commonly referred to as your neck, is made up of seven vertebrae. Your "neck" begins at the base of your skull. The cervical spine is responsible for holding your head, which is no small feat considering your head weighs several pounds. But while your cervical spine possesses a great deal of flexibility, allowing movement in many directions, this very same flexibility renders it prone to injury and pain.

The reason for this vulnerability is attributed to the biomechanics of the cervical spine. Repetitive movements, injury, sitting for prolonged periods, or merely the natural process of aging and its attendant side-effects can affect your neck's health. Regardless of the reasons, cervical pain can present considerable discomfort.

Contributing Factors to Neck Pain
Accidents and Injury: Whiplash results from a sudden, abrupt movement of the neck or head that causes a rebound effect that may damage the tissues supporting the neck and head. The so-called "rebound" is a result of muscles reacting to strain by contracting themselves. This contraction results in muscle fatigue, stiffness, and pain. More severe cases of whiplash may be linked to intervertebral joint injury, or to damage to the discs, nerve roots, muscles, or ligaments. Whiplash is commonly associated with car accidents.

Aging: Disorders of a degenerative nature can take the form of spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, and age-related disc ailments. They all have a direct influence on the spine.

Spinal stenosis narrows the nerve passageways in the vertebrae, making it contract and block nerve roots and thus, impair the nerves. In addition to neck pain, spinal stenosis can also affect the shoulder and arm, bringing numbness and pain to these areas.

Degenerative disc disease affects the height and elasticity of invertebral discs. Ultimately, a hernia or bulge may develop in a disc. This can cause numbness, tingling, and pain along the arm.

Osteoarthritis results in progressive degeneration of cartilage. The body's response is to create bone spurs, which in turn, affects the motion of the joints. Osteoarthritis is a common occurrence.

There are also daily habits that can aggravate the cervical spine. Obesity and poor posture, for example, alters spinal balance and forces the neck to compensate by leaning forward. Emotional strain and stress prompts muscle tightness and compression, causing stiffness and pain. The stress on the spine can result in permanent neck pain, which may also end up affecting the arms and upper back.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help
In order to determine the source of your pain, you must first locate its source. A chiropractic doctor performs exams and investigates your reported symptoms in an effort to locate the exact source of the pain. The chiropractor may ask questions regarding the amount of time you've had the discomfort, what remedies/tactics you've tried, whether other parts of your body are affected, and what, if anything, helps to alleviate the pain. Physical and neurological exams will also be conducted. The physical exam will disclose your range of motion, posture, and general physical shape while noting the kind of movements that bring pain. Your spine will be manually examined to determine its alignment and curvature, as well as establish whether there are muscle spasms. Your shoulder will also be looked at.

In the neurological exam, the emphasis will be on checking your muscle strength, reflexes, extent of pain and how far it has spread. There are cases where other tests might be needed in order to properly diagnose your condition. An X-ray, for example, helps reveal fractures, bone spurs, and a contracted disc space. An axial tomography scan, in the form of CAT or CT scan, or a magnetic resonance imaging test, known as a MRI, shows where a dilated disc may take place. In cases where nerve damage is likely the source of pain, an electromyography (EMG) might be recommended, as it can measure the responsiveness of your nerves.

Cervical Adjustments
Cervical manipulation entails, for the most part, manual adjustment of the neck joints. This type of neck adjustments effectively improves the mobility of the spine, restoring range of motion. In addition, it may also raise the amount of movement of the adjoining muscles. Patients receiving cervical adjustments report an increase in their ability to move their heads, as well as less soreness, stiffness, and overall pain.

Research findings support the use of chiropractic spinal manipulation for the treatment of patients with chronic neck pain. Comprehensive clinical trials reported significant improvement of chronic neck pain as a result of spinal manipulation. All the trial groups responded to treatment, showing improvement for weeks after treatment.

Your Personalized Chiropractic Care
Each patient receives an individualized program care that may include different types of treatment. Other recommended approaches might be the use of massage and rehabilitative exercises, and mobilization of the affected area. Contact your chiropractic doctor; it's an invaluable first step to figuring out how to care for your cervical spine.By Dr Raymond Hall

Stiff Neck -causes, Symptoms, Treatment

Causes of Stiff Neck

Stiff necks can be annoying, but they might also be a sign of a serious infection, tumor or other problem that does not originate in the neck.Meningitis is an infection in the membrane and fluid of the brain that could (if it is the bacterial kind) require medical attention ASAP.

Causes of a Stiff Neck

Not all stiff necks are the same. While most of the time a stiff neck is caused by whiplash, ergonomics, wear and tear, or just sleeping in a funny position, there are those instances where it can be the sign of something systemic.

A common cause of neck pain is muscle strain or tension. Usually, everyday activities are to blame. Such activities include bending over a desk for hours, having poor posture while watching TV or reading, placing your computer monitor too high or too low.Disk disorders. As you age, the cushioning disks between your vertebrae become dry and stiff, narrowing the spaces in your spinal column where the nerves come out. The disks in your neck also can herniate.

Symptoms of Stiff Neck

Oral cavity. A white or red patch on the gums, tongue, or lining of the mouth; a swelling of the jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable; and unusual bleeding or pain in the mouth.Nasal cavity and sinuses. Sinuses that are blocked and do not clear, chronic sinus infections that do not respond to treatment with antibiotics, bleeding through the nose, frequent headaches, swelling or other trouble with the eyes, pain in the upper teeth, or problems with dentures.

Upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting (which may indicate pancreatitis)Lower abdominal pain in women (may indicate swelling of the ovaries, which is rare)

Other possible causes for stiff neck—like influenza, polio and meningitis—are far more serious. These conditions, however, announce themselves with other unpleasant symptoms, including nausea, headache and swollen glands.

How is it treated

Acute -sudden onset of pain or severe pain - severe neck and/or arm pain may require use of a collar and/or bed rest for first 24 hours and use of ice for first 72 hours. This usually follows trauma, a car accident, a fall or sharp pain/popping felt in the neck. SELF CARE Additional treatment will be determined by severity of the problem.

Antiviral medications may be prescribed for herpes encephalitis or other severe viral infections. Antibiotics may be prescribed for bacterial infections. Anticonvulsants are used to prevent or treat seizures. Corticosteroids are used to reduce brain swelling and inflammation.

Our health-care provider will advise you on treatment options. Acyclovir, famcyclovir, or val acyclovir (medicines that work against herpes viruses) are recommended for persons who are more likely to develop serious disease, including persons with chronic skin or lung disease, otherwise healthy individuals 13 years of age or older, and persons receiving steroid therapy.

A regular painkiller - taking it regularly by the clock not just when it seems to hurt most. If you aren't allergic to aspirin then one of the more modern aspirin-like drugs, like nurofen, taken three times a day for three or four days.In The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook, nationally certified massage therapist Clair Davies simplifies Travell and Simons’s extensive research into myofascial pain and makes it accessible to the layman.

james sameul

Arthritis Advice That Everyone Should Read About

Arthritis is not a laughing matter as symptoms can start at any point in your life. It causes joint problems that can inhibit daily activity.

Reduce the amount of weight you carry around with you on a daily basis. All arthritis sufferers, but especially women, can be afflicted by arthritis in their shoulders. Large shoulder handbags, computer bags, and messenger bags are common causes of inflamed neck and shoulder problems. Carry a bag which only has items you cant go out without, and take it off your shoulder as often as possible.

If you have been diagnosed with arthritis, a massage could really help you out. Massages will soothe stress and relax your muscles. Find a massage therapist who has experience working with arthritic individuals. Avoid getting a massage on days when your pain is at higher levels, since it will only aggravate your pain. It is best to wait until another day.

Arthritis pain can make sleep difficult. Try taking a bath with warm water and soothing bath salts. With the relaxation that follows, your pain will be alleviated, thus contributing to longer periods of sound sleep.

A steamy bath or shower can work wonders in instantly easing the pain and discomfort of arthritis. Moist heat relaxes tendons and muscles, and provides temporary relief of arthritis pain. A heating pad may also do the trick. Find heating pads that can accommodate a moist cloth in many drug stores.

Stop using cigarettes if you want to reduce the pain and

inflammation that commonly comes with arthritis. Research has indicated that smokers have more issues with joint swelling and pain related to arthritis than nonsmokers. If you regularly smoke or use tobacco products, kicking the habit may alleviate some of the pain. If you have tried to quit and have failed, speak to your doctor about getting a prescribed medication to help kick the habit.

Keep a notebook to record pain, flare ups and the elements that may affect them. Write down when you feel the worst, how bad the pain is, what activities you were engaged in, what you eat, and that treatment you use. Write down other medications you are taking, take this to your physician. All these things your doctor should know so he can better help manage your arthritis.

Customize your bed to minimize arthritis symptoms. Speak with your doctor, and ask his or her advice as to which bed would best benefit you. Everybody is different, and getting an experts advice is one of the ways to really find out the kind of bed that is best for you and the unique arthritis pain you have.

Be sure to share your circumstances with others. If they know you have it and how it makes you feel, they will be more understanding when you choose not to do certain things. Arthritis is painful, and people in pain may be grouchy, frustrated, and overall unpleasant. People may feel confused by your mood swings and irritability. Let them help you by understanding what you are going through, and let them support you and all that you have to go through.

Dont abuse your joints. With arthritis, some of the smallest tasks can hurt. You could always slide items across the counter or on the floor instead of lifting them, or you could always ask people for help. The best thing you can do to prevent pain is to prevent irritation and inflammation.

A good treatment can help ease pain, decrease your arthritic symptoms and prevent further joint damage. Research the best methods for decreasing the specific symptoms of your arthritis.

You should do your best to manage your weight in order to reduce the amount of strain that you feel on your joints if you suffer from arthritis. Joints are under more stress and arthritiss effects are more severe if the sufferer is even a little bit overweight. There are other health benefits associated with managing your weight.

Temperature changes from heating pads and ice packs can help fight joint pain. For the best results, alternate between the hot and cold applications. Always check with your physician for a pain management strategy when using cold and heat for pain.

If you believe you are experiencing symptoms of arthritis, you should immediately visit your doctor. An early diagnosis can benefit you greatly if you start a treatment plan right away. This also means you will endure less joint damage and pain. If your doctor is ignoring your symptoms, find another.

Relaxing your body and eliminating stress can help to control your arthritis symptoms. When you are stressed out, your body produces chemicals that make body pain worse and trigger inflammation. Consider practicing new time management techniques or adding a light exercise routine to your daily routine to reduce the effects of stress.

Always be prepared. Because arthritis pain can strike at any time, having a game plan to deal with your pain will benefit you. Do your chores in sections that allow you to rest frequently, or even stop indefinitely without inconvenience.

You have to take extra care to get enough sleep if you have arthritis. If your day has been really hectic, take several breaks to help you relax your body and mind. This can greatly soothe joint pain. Being inactive for too long will cause your joints to deteriorate faster. Try to keep a good balance between sleeping, resting and being active. This will help to reduce arthritis pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis is no laughing matter, but if you want to manage it effectively, laughter is one of your best strategies. Most experts agree on the medicinal value of laughter and how it can improve moods, reduce stress and alleviate the symptoms of any condition, including arthritis. Take a break from your day and watch some comedic television, read a funny book or find other things that make you laugh and feel good.

LED light therapy makes a great treatment for pain from arthritis. You can get affordable LED lights easily, and you will notice a reduction in your pain level. Most drug stores and department stores carry these devices. Using your light for two 20-minute sessions a day will help to reduce arthritis pain.

Reorganizing your home to allow easy access to items is a good idea if you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. Prioritize objects when putting them on shelves. Put the necessities you use most lower down so that you do not stress your body when you have flare ups.

Be on the lookout for the development of new treatments. Often times, doctors are hesitant to change a treatment that is already working well for the patient. Remember that you have the final say over the treatment of your body, so dont hesitate to bring up new treatments you are interested in trying with your doctor.

Sleep deprivation will make arthritis worse so even if it is only a nap, get enough sleep each day. Even if you must set an appointment to nap, getting enough rest should be a priority.

If you have arthritis, the first thing you should do is speak to a physician about your treatment options for pain and inflammation. Usually, all you can do about arthritis is avoid additional damage, and come up with a way to treat the pain that is effective and safe. Your doctor can advise you and make recommendations for FDA approved medications and treatments and even new ideas that can possibly help in your particular case.

Have you noticed the correlation between your arthritis flaring up and the state of your body being overheated? If this is happening to you, take a break and cool down. Stop exercising and sit down in a cool shaded spot.

Vegetarian people seem to suffer less from arthritis than other people. Even if you arent a vegetarian, try eating more vegetables. Antioxidant rich foods, such as green beans or peas, will strengthen your joints. Try to eat these vegetables as part of a balanced diet.

Yoga classes can really boost your health, flexibility and stamina. Yoga incorporates many stretches, which calms your mind. This helps anyone dealing with arthritis. You can start out with a yoga DVD if you arent ready to join a class in person. Fitness DVDs offer almost the same level of interaction as a class right in your living room.

Dont let yourself stress out too much. When dealing with lot of stress it can trigger inflammation that causes a lot of pain. Try to get control of your stress so you can control your body more clearly.

The pain of arthritis will cause you to seek new ways of treating the pain and complications that come with it. You can assess the effectiveness of treatments by rating the pain on the scale of 1-10 before and after the treatment. You will then be able to subjectively measure the effectiveness of the new technique or treatment by comparing the level of pain before and after.

By staying consistent in the battle against arthritis, one can be afflicted with the disease and still live a happy, productive life. The key is not letting it pull you down emotionally as well as physically. There are items that can help you manage or fight of the pain and condition. When you keep your head up, you can overcome this.

By MAXIMO SLOSTAD