Cause And Symptoms Of Osteoarthritis

In our last article, we briefly discussed Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.  This article will take a close look at the cause, symptoms, and current treatment used for Osteoarthritis.  So let’s take a second look at what Osteoarthritis is.

Osteoarthritis is known by many as “wear and tear” Arthritis.  It is one of the most common forms of Arthritis and is the result of cartilage wearing away from the joints.  This cartilage is responsible for the smooth gliding of joints, and once it begins to deteriorate, the patient is left with pain, joint swelling and inflammation, and even deformity.

Osteoarthritis patients usually state that their pain is greatest during times of movement, and then lessens significantly during periods of rest.  Osteoarthritis affects many more women than men.  There is an estimated 24 million Osteoarthritis sufferers in the United States and roughly 74% are women.

The cause of Osteoarthritis is not known, yet doctors have many suspicions.  Some of the symptoms of Osteoarthritis boggle the minds of scientists and more research needs to take place to determine the actual root of the disease.  For instance, X-rays can tell that Arthritis is present, yet the amount of pain reported by Osteoarthritis sufferers differs from the results of the X-ray.  Though many people refer to Osteoarthritis as the “wear and tear” disease, evidence shows that this disease and its mysterious cause are not as simple as that definition.  In fact, “wear and tear” does not take place in just one joint, but affects joints simultaneously throughout the body.  An example of this, is that sufferers with Osteoarthritis of the knee, offer suffer Osteoarthritis in the hand.  Also, doctors have noted that patients don’t suffer with Osteoarthritis on just one side of the body (as would be expected due to wear and tear) but because it seems to affect the body concurrently, it appears that Osteoarthritis is a systematic disease affecting all of the cartilage at once.  

One suggestion is that Osteoarthritis is a result of cartilage that has stopped functioning at optimum level.  Cartilage is continuously undergoing a process where it is broken down, then rebuilt.  Some theories state that this process becomes unbalanced and out of hand.  This is referred to as “End Stage Osteoarthritis.”  It is at this stage that joint pain and impairment begin to manifest.  There are many natural remedies that show promise in the management of Osteoarthritis pain and symptoms.  Look for future articles in our Arthritis Series that will offer natural remedies that may prevent enzymes from damaging cartilage.  

Some other ideas that point to the cause of Osteoarthritis include:

·    Previous Sports related or Joint Injuries
·    Genetically Inherited (it appears that Osteoarthritis runs in families)
·    Repeated Occurrences of Bleeding into a Joint (as occurs with Hemophilia and other diseases)
·    Repeated Occurrences of Gout and Gout like Diseases
·    Avascular Necrosis- this is a condition where blood near a bone is cut off, this leads to bone death as well as joint damage.  Avascular Necrosis typically afflicts the hip joint.
·    Previous Rheumatoid Related Illness- such as Rheumatoid Arthritis can lead to chronic inflammation of the joints.
·    Osteoporosis-due to the high risk of bone fractures and injury, Osteoarthritis may develop in joints.
·    Metabolic Disorders- for example, Hemochromatosis can result in high levels of Iron being deposited in the joints
·    Joint Infection-It is believed that cartilage may deteriorate in people who have defects in their cartilage and joints.

We’ve discussed the potential causes of Osteoarthritis, now it is time to look at the various symptoms of Osteoarthritis.  The symptoms of Osteoarthritis include:

·    Joint Pain- this tends to be worse when rising in the morning
·    Joint Swelling and Inflammation- this occurs during periods of activity
·    Feeling a “Grinding” Sensation when a Joint is moved
·    Loss of Mobility and Flexibility

There is no sure way to prevent Arthritis in any of its forms.  There are however some things that you can do to help lower your risk of developing Osteoarthritis or any other type of Arthritis.  Some of the preventative methods that you may add to your lifestyle today include:

·    Maintain an Ideal Body Weight
·    Take steps to prevent the development of Osteoporosis.  Some of these include taking adequate Vitamin D and Calcium, exercising, and taking medication if needed.
·    Do your best to prevent injuring your bones and joints -try to avoid accidents such as sports related, implementing joint protection by using splints and braces.

About the Author

For tips on ethnic skin care and torn skin, visit the Facts About Skin website.

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7 Easy Knee Pain Remedies

After a long day on your feet, knee pain sufferers know that their knees are going to be killing them. When your knees are sore you want easy relief, you want to be able to feel it right away. There are several things you can do to get simple, no-fuss reprieve from knee pain. Don’t you wish there was a list of these knee pain remedies that you could easy reference when your knee joints are throbbing? Luckily for you, there is!

1. Give your knees plenty of rest. If you know that your knees are a touchy subject, avoid those activities that you know aggravate the pain. I know it may be hard to opt to sit out on a game of hoops with your buddies, but if you suspect it will cause more harm than good, sit it out this time. This requires actively listening to your body and its needs before your knees are hurting.
2. Invest in a better pair of shoes. Don’t underestimate the importance of a good pair of supportive sneakers. If you are always wearing the latest style of high heels to work, it may be contributing to your knee pain. I’m not suggesting a pair of frumpy nurse shoes necessarily, but don’t sacrifice comfort for style. There are several name-brand shoes that specialize in both.
3. Ice – The tried and true is still the best. Ice is a great remedy for knee pain. It provides comfort, or at least numbs and deadens pain, and it also helps reduce swelling. Keep several of those squishy blue reusable icepacks in your freezer for when your knee pain flares up. Wrap the icepack in a thin flannel or dishcloth so it is more comfortable against the skin.
4. Begin exercising on a cushioned surface. Instead of running on the street for exercise, consider an indoor track. Often, the indoor track will be made of rubber that will aid in cushioning your knee joints. If you like to walk, consider walking on the grass instead of the pavement.
5. Get some support. I don’t mean the emotional kind, although that couldn’t hurt. A good supportive knee brace can help alleviate knee pain. Be careful when selecting one that is supportive but not too tight. If the brace is too tight it may actually cause more damage by forcing the joint into an unnatural position.
6. Warm up and stretch. Both before exercise and before you go to sleep, warming the muscles with heat (as long as you are sure you don’t have any swelling) is a good way to relax knee pain and prevent injury. Stretching is an excellent way to promote flexibility and strength in your legs.
7. Take a pain reliever. You may assume I left the simplest for last, and you’d be right. An over-the-counter anti-inflammatory is an easy way to reduce your knee pain. Doctors recommend ibuprofen to reduce inflammation and swelling in joints. It’s usually gentle on the stomach in small doses, and recent studies indicate that it may be better for knee pain in the long term as well.

Now that you have this simple list of fuss-free knee pain remedies, get to it! Try a few from the list and see how well incorporating even just one or two of these ideas will help your pain disappear.

About the Author

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Exercises to Reduce Back Pain : Stretches for Back Pain Relief: Rotator Stretch

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right side pain extending to the right leg?

Hi, I have 24 years and had my gallbladder removed a year latter because of different stones. My family has a long history of kidney stones, appendicitis and gallstones as well. I started having this pain for about six months, began on my right side (the hip) and extends to the right leg. I could not even sit or lie bent, the pain was bad and very strong. I went to the emergency and Dr. gave me pain medication. He went with him, but now I'm back. I realized that it is particularly before my period. Before coming pregnant, I was diagnosed with endometriosis. I'm confused and do not know what to do, I think if I go back to the Dominican Republic all Will I get pain medication. Should I worry? How I can ask your doctor to give me a chance? The last time I asked and said: "Are you a doctor ?"!!! Thank you. Im feeling better I just found out I'm pregnant … I hope not I have endometriosis. Thanks!

Cramping and pain are the symptoms of Endrometriosis. I feel the same thing before and during my period. This boring epic, but not as bad as fainting. =]

Kidney Stones Symptoms

Constant pain in my lower right side?

I’ve had a constant somewhat dull pain in my lower right side for a few months now. It’s right above my hip bone and sometimes, off to the side more. I’ve always had appendicitis on my mind, thinking it may be that. But everything I’ve read, says that appendicitis is not slow moving, and that it gets worse and worse over a few days. But this has been going on for months.

If it’s more to the “front” or “middle” of you, it could be your appendix ailing along without going all the way to acute appendicitis. If this is the case, getting to the Doctor sooner rather than later could save you a future trip to the ER and emergency surgery.

The other thing it could be, especially if it’s towards your back, is your kidney. Kidney stones feel a lot like you describe, though it can vary widely. You can go to the doctor for this just to get checked out, but you can also do some treatment at home whether you go or not. Personally, I’d go in to find out if that’s what it is or not (I think it’s just a blood or urine test), and this if it is kidney stones, you can choose to self-treat or add self-treatment to whatever the doctor does.

For Kidney Stones:

►Your diet can help prevent them and reduce them by ridding your urine of oxalate:
* Drink plenty of fluids. (and avoid anything that dehydrates you)
* Eat calcium-containing foods — the calcium binds the oxalate in the gut preventing it from being absorbed.
* Avoid foods containing oxalates. Spinach seems to produce the most oxalate. Other oxalate-containing foods include beans, beets, berries, green peppers, chocolate, coffee, colas, peanuts, peanut butter, and wheat bran.
(I eat tons of spinach, which might be why I got them…)

►Herbal tea remedy – this tea, taken with plenty of water, will literally dissolve your kidney stones so you don’t have to pass them. I used to have sand-like granule kidney stones that caused tons of pain and frequent bladder and kidney infections. After this treatment, I have been symptom-free for a year and a half.

* The Tea:

Buy loose tea leaves and steep them in just-boiled water for 5 minutes. Then strain and drink. (Or you can use a tea ball. I just steep in a glass measuring cup and then pour through one of these into my mug http://ak.buy.com/db_assets/prod_lrg_images/279/205671279.jpg )

For 1 large mug of tea, you need:
1/2 teaspoon marshmallow root
1/2 teaspoon uva ursi leaf

Drink 2 – 3 mugs of this daily for at least 7 days or longer of needed. Remember to drink extra water while you are doing the course of treatment to help your body process the tea and ensure the maximum benefit makes it to your kidneys. After the 7 days, go to one mug a day for another week, then just drink occasionally to prevent from reoccurring.

I buy my herbs at a local health food store where they are CHEAP in bulk. (Like $2 for enough for a treatment and then some.) Check anywhere like a co-op, health food store, whole foods might have them, anywhere they specialize in vegan products and such, etc. If there is a tea specialty store, they may have it as well.

But many people can’t find this stuff at home, so I’ll include some links below to get the herbs.

I hope this helps, and do hope you feel better soon. Don’t hesitate to ask the Dr. though. They can help you know for sure what it is, and if it’s your appendix, or worse some sort of cyst, this stuff I’m recommending won’t help you at all. So please seek some medical help if you can, or FOR SURE if this doesn’t relieve the symptoms. Usually, you start to see an improvement within 1-3 days with this if it is indeed kidney stones.

**************************************************

Buying online…. You only need about 1 oz. of each one, but most places sell by 1/4 lb = 4-oz.

Great Cape Herbs:
marshmallow http://www.greatcape.com/cgi-bin/shop/cp-app.cgi?usr=51J3199075&rnd=8523393&rrc=N&affl=&cip=97.121.208.93&act=&aff=&pg=prod&ref=LDH077&cat=&catstr=HOME:LDH:LDHM-O
Uva ursi http://www.greatcape.com/cgi-bin/shop/cp-app.cgi?usr=51J3199075&rnd=128506&rrc=N&affl=&cip=97.121.208.93&act=&aff=&pg=prod&ref=LDH117&cat=&catstr=HOME:LDH:LDHT-V

Mountain Rose Herbs:
marshmallow (it’s the first one at the top, 4 oz root, cut) http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/bulkherb/m.php#h_mar_r
uva ursi http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/bulkherb/u.php#h_u_u

More Than Alive
marshmallow http://www.morethanalive.com/Marshmallow-Root-Cut
uva ursi http://www.morethanalive.com/Uva-Ursi-leaf-whole?s=uva%20ursi

t pain – bad side

The Multifidus Back Pain Solution: Simple Exercises That Target the Muscles That Count $9.29 New research suggests that most back pain is caused by underdeveloped multifidus muscles, those that connect the spinal vertebrae and are crucial in bending the back. This book presents exercises to strengthen the multifidus group. Simple explanations and black-and-white drawings throughout show readers how to work with these muscles. Also by this author:  Treat Your Own Knee Arthritis, Treat Yo…