Posted by herbmaster on Dec 15, 2009 in Uncategorized
Arthritis is the name given to a group of related diseases, which include osteoarthritis (degenerative arthritis), rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus and fibromyalgia. In its various forms, arthritis affects the young and old, both sexes and all races. Although there are over 100 kinds of arthritis, they share one thing: they all rob otherwise healthy people of their quality of life by making even the simplest of movements painful. This pain is caused by inflammation of the lining of the body’s joints.
How do we treat the illness that affects so many people? On answer is with drugs, such as the “NSAIDs.”
Pronounced “ensayds,” these drugs help reduce pain and swelling in the joints while decreasing stiffness. When taking a low dose, NSAIDs control pain, but higher doses are required to reduce inflammation. The problem with NSAIDs is their side effects. Taking more than one NSAID at a time increases the possibility of heartburn and severe side effects such as ulcers and bleeding. NSAIDs inhibit the blood’s ability to clot properly and may therefore interact with blood-thinning medications such as coumadin. In addition, kidney disease is considered as a side effect. While the over the counter alternatives are safer, they often need to have other remedies used as well to achieve arthritis pain relief.
However, when the NSAIDs do not work, there are other things, less orthodox, to try. Here are a few tips, for arthritis relief.
1. Exercise is a great option at your disposal when looking for natural alternatives for your arthritis pain relief. Walking is especially good; it is easy to do and does not put too much unneeded pressure on the joints. Other forms of exercises that are especially good for arthritis sufferers are balancing types of movements, such as Tia Chi and water walking. While these activities can help build muscle strength, they may cause some discomfort in the joints. If this happens, stop the exercise, if the pain persists more than a couple of days speak with your physician.
2. Rest. As important as exercise is, rest is at least as critical when it comes to arthritis pain control. It is particularly important that you pay attention to your symptoms. If your joints are inflamed and sore, take it easy. Your doctor might advise you to continue range-of-motion exercises, but do not tire yourself.
3. Losing weight is another great way to find some relief from your arthritis pain. That happens because ten extra pounds adds thirty pounds of stress to the knees. Therefore, losing extra weight will be very effective for arthritis pain relief.
4. Heat / cold. Using ice packs can reduce acute pain while heat loosens joints and increases blood flow. Try sitting in a whirlpool before exercising and icing an irritated spot after exercising to provide soothing relief.
5. Researching and using any product that will make your daily life easier, will also indirectly help ease the pain associated with arthritis, reduce discomfort and disability, and, at the same time, reduce your dependence upon others. For example, using a shower seat will allow you to shower without much of the pain that can result from extended period of time standing, or the Foot Funnel, a modern day type of shoehorn, is an assistive device that is been recommended if you have difficulty putting on your shoes. Other helpful examples include cervical pillows, custom-made foot orthotics and canes.
Put these tips into action and you should get at least some relief from the pain of arthritis.
Aching joints runing your life? Are you looking for joint pain relief? Visit our site: joint pain. Our joint pain site will help you to find the best natural supplements and lubrication for your joints. Get the most up-to-date joint health information, articles, and products at our site: joint pain.
Tags: arthritis, body, health, pain, Rheumatoid Arthritis
Posted by herbmaster on Dec 15, 2009 in Uncategorized
I spent quite a bit of time looking, and certainly there is plenty of connected material, but there is little concerned only with arthritis juvenile rheumatoid treatment. I hope the following will be helpful for you.
A person who walks too forcefully, quickly, or heavily may have back arthritis, osteoarthritis, and/or psoriasis arthritis. Continuing to walk this way may lead to other arthritis problems – such as viral arthritis and/or spinal arthritis for example.
Arthritis such as: hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, arthritis in fingers, and/or arthritis rheumatism, means joint inflammation. Juvenile arthritis, palindromic arthritis, different types of arthritis, or knee arthritis inflammation, for example, is the result of swelling, redness, warmth, and pain. In severe cases of arthritis such as: lumbar arthritis, eye arthritis, spinal arthritis, and/or lumbar arthritis, all joint tissues can be damaged.
Dog Arthritis
Is Spot Simply Not Acting Like Himself?
“Hey, friend, I got this thing going on in my hip and I sure wish you’d do something about it.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our pets could let us know when they were feeling ill? Unfortunately they cannot speak, so we have to watch them for signs of illness. One of the most common ailments in a dog is arthritis. Arthritis in a dog is common as they age, especially if they suffered from an injury when they were younger.
Does your dog seem to have trouble getting up after being asleep or resting? When he does manage to get up, does he walk like he is stiff and uncomfortable? What about personality changes? Is Spot not behaving as he once did? Is he uninterested in the toys he used to play with and does he spend his day lazing around? While pets do spend more time resting when they age, those with dog arthritis may have no choice but to lie around.
Dog arthritis may also bring about changes in your dog’s temperament. If he was once sweet and even natured, he may become grouchy and irritable or snappish and unfriendly. Let’s face it folks, dog arthritis is as uncomfortable on a canine as osteoarthritis is on a human. What if everyone was oblivious to your pain? Wouldn’t you try to convey to them that something was wrong so they would get you some help?
The first thing you should do if you suspect your pet has dog arthritis is to take him to the vet. Your vet will be able to confirm to you if Spot has arthritis or not. He may even prescribe something to ease your pet’s pain. There are many natural medicines which may also benefit Spot and ease the pain of dog arthritis. Ask your vet about them, or do a search on the Internet.
The most important thing you can do if your Spot has dog arthritis is to convey to him that you understand. You can give him extra attention and if he will let you, you can apply compresses to his afflicted joints. Your dog will take comfort from your attention and be able to relax once he feels you are finally aware of his discomfort.
Aching joints runing your life? Are you looking for rheumatoid arthritis or joint pain relief? Visit our site: rheumatoid arthritis. Our rheumatoid arthritis site will help you to find the best natural supplements and lubrication for your joints. Get the most up-to-date joint health information, articles, and products at our site: rheumatoid arthritis.
Tags: arthritis, body, health, knee, Rheumatoid Arthritis
Posted by herbmaster on Dec 15, 2009 in Uncategorized
The knowledge scientists do have sheds light on rheumatoid arthritis prevention strategies. Researchers know a myriad of ways a person may lower his or her risk, even if he or she has a genetic makeup that makes rheumatoid arthritis prevention more of a challenge.
If you have a relative with rheumatoid arthritis or if you want to slow down the progression of the autoimmune disease, consider devising your own rheumatoid arthritis prevention plan.
Since rheumatoid arthritis is not a contagious disease and cannot be transmitted from person to person, rheumatoid arthritis prevention thankfully does not depend on avoiding people with the disease.
Rheumatoid arthritis prevention is about common sense, staying physically fit, maintaining a stress-free and smoke-free environment as well as reducing strain on joints.
People who are obese put greater strain on their weight-bearing joints making rheumatoid arthritis prevention virtually impossible. Studies show obese people tend to eat more refined, processed foods – a bad habit that does not mix with rheumatoid arthritis prevention.
As part of your own rheumatoid arthritis prevention plan drink more water. Water plays a major role in the lubrication of your joints. Furthermore, water makes up 70 percent of the cartilage in joints.
Next, as part of your rheumatoid arthritis prevention plan, adopt a healthy eating plan. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, salmon and nuts. Cut down on high-fats including red meats and take mineral and vitamin supplements.
People with rheumatoid arthritis as well as those interested in prevention, may want to reduce repetitive strain on their joints and muscles. Rotate tasks throughout the day since forceful motions may contribute to rheumatoid arthritis.
Just as it’s important to rotate work tasks on the job, it’s critical for rheumatoid arthritis prevention that you cross-train when you exercise. A sedentary lifestyle will not help a person with rheumatoid arthritis or aid in prevention, although it is important to rest more during flair-ups.
If you are a woman with rheumatoid arthritis, exercise has been shown to help in the prevention of more severe disabilities.
In one Danish study, exercise helped strengthen the bones of women with rheumatoid arthritis who are at high risk of developing the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis.
According to the study Dr. Ole Rintek Madsen of Bispebjerg University in Copenhagen, Denmark, women with rheumatoid arthritis whose thigh muscles were strongest also had thighbones that were denser. His findings shed new light on rheumatoid arthritis prevention, suggesting exercise could help preserve bone strength in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Another piece of the rheumatoid arthritis prevention pie has to do with psychological health. When it comes to prevention of any disease, the reduction of stress is paramount.
Consider meditating, listening to relaxation tapes, deep breathing exercises, visualization and yoga. Yoga is ideal for rheumatoid arthritis prevention because it is not only relaxing, but yoga postures may help with flexibility and range of motion of joints.
The prevention of rheumatoid arthritis is no easy task because there are no medications or lifestyle changes that are guaranteed in the prevention of rheumatoid arthritis. Typically, it’s after a person has been diagnosed with the disease that they take steps to control the disease.
At the same time, some prevention may be possible because researchers believe they have found certain links in terms of lowering the risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis.
One sure fire prevention measure is to stop smoking. Smoking was implicated as a possible cause of rheumatoid arthritis after several major studies including one published in the March 2000 issue of the Journal of Rheumatology.
Frederick Wolfe, M.D. studied both seropositive and seronegative rheumatoid arthritis patients. He found the rheumatoid factor values increase when correlated with duration of smoking. Also, results showed smokers are more often rheumatoid factor positive than nonsmokers, and the rheumatoid factor is associated with a more severe case of rheumatoid arthritis.
Finally, in creating your rheumatoid arthritis prevention plan, don’t neglect the protection of your joints. Take advantage of technology and devices designed to make life easier for people because many tools may aid in rheumatoid arthritis prevention. If you are successful now in terms of your prevention strategies, you may never be forced to use canes, splints or rheumatoid arthritis coping tools.
Aching joints runing your life? Are you looking for rheumatoid arthritis or joint pain relief? Visit our site: rheumatoid arthritis. Our rheumatoid arthritis site will help you to find the best natural supplements and lubrication for your joints. Get the most up-to-date joint health information, articles, and products at our site: rheumatoid arthritis.
Tags: arthritis, body, health, knee, Rheumatoid Arthritis
Posted by herbmaster on Dec 15, 2009 in Uncategorized
Some are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – some are OTCs / some require a prescription, acetaminophen and various topical medications, covered in the very next section. Users need to be aware of possible risk from long term use or product abuse, though, and consult their medical advisors before and during use.
The most common OTC NSAIDs are ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin. However, the misuse of some of these can cause blockage of an enzyme in the body that aids in the protection of the stomach lining and other areas. Misuse can lead to stomach ulcers and bleeding, and liver and kidney trouble. (The same drug abuse issues can result from prescription NSAIDs, too). Use the right way, these drugs can help with pain relief, inflammation and fever reduction, and blood clot prevention.
Acetaminophen is the name of the active ingredient found in several well-known brand-name products; some Excedrin® products, Tylenol®, and Aspirin Free Anacin®. Although it does not help with arthritic inflammation and swelling, it can help with pain relief in mild cases. Use caution with dosages, however. Excess usage poses risk of liver damage, even death, especially for active drinkers (of alcoholic beverages).
Topical Painkillers
If your arthritis pain is mild and only affects on or two joints, you may find that a topical pain reliever or topical analgesic can be useful. Topical painkillers are available as creams, salves or gels. The active ingredients of topical painkillers include: Capsaicin. Found naturally in hot peppers, capsaicin is found in drug stores under the brand names of Capzasin-P, Zostrix, and other drugs. Capsaicin works by blocking the transmission of a pain-relaying substance called substance P to the brain.
Camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol are found in a variety of agents such as Arthricare, Eucalyptamint and Icy Hot amongst others. These substances are able to relieve pain by tricking the body to feel the coolness or heat of these agents.
Salicylates is a substance available in Aspercreme, BenGay, and Flexall. Salicylates work by decreasing pain and inflammation
Arthritis Relaxation
The importance of relaxation in controlling and treating disease in general has only recently been recognized throughout the medical industry, yet its implementation still lags and the general public does still not understand its effectiveness. Relaxation techniques, especially those involving meditation, have been seen as a bunch of “mumbo jumbo” for many years, until the findings of scientists and doctors that showed immense benefits to this practice became more prevalent. Relaxation techniques have a definite place in the healing process of the body, and with arthritis the case is no different.
With certain types of arthritis, the importance of relaxation is increased, since stress and emotional disposition play a large part in them. Prayer is a form of relaxation and meditation if you are spiritually or religiously inclined that also works wonders. Either following a minister or someone else leading prayer, or formulating your own inspirational prayer, you can pull upon the comfort of God as you see him taking your pain away. Again mental and physical benefits are realized from such a practice.
You may also consider hypnosis as an option. Hypnosis is simply a guided meditation that allows you to access the power of your subconscious mind through a guide called a hypnotist, who is either a trained psychologist, psychiatrist, counselor, or social worker. Images of a man with a shiny gold stopwatch putting you under a trance to make you perform unusual acts or tell deep dark truths are more the scripts of Hollywood movies than what real-life hypnotism is. In the case of hypnosis for pain management, hypnosis is nothing more than an assisted guided imagery, such as described above. The only difference here is that you have someone to help you through the steps of relaxation and meditation on your image.
Relaxation is especially effective for those suffering from fibromyalgia, because this condition is caused by a number of non-physical triggers. Fibromyalgia largely comes from stress, lack of proper sleep, depression, and other emotional duress, and does not involve degeneration of the bones or joints. With this in mind, it is easy to see why relaxation techniques help alleviate this condition so well. Yoga is very beneficial both for flexibility as well as relaxation. Forms of yoga such as Bhakta are devotional, and Raja is meditation-oriented. They can provide a great deal of healing toward all types of arthritis, but specifically fibromyalgia because of the emotional causes.
Aching joints runing your life? Are you looking for rheumatoid arthritis or joint pain relief? Visit our site: rheumatoid arthritis. Our rheumatoid arthritis site will help you to find the best natural supplements and lubrication for your joints. Get the most up-to-date joint health information, articles, and products at our site: rheumatoid arthritis.
Tags: arthritis, body, health, knee, Rheumatoid Arthritis
Posted by herbmaster on Dec 15, 2009 in Uncategorized
The existence of humanistic therapy has enabled people to be more agreeing of professional help in terms of obstructing trials they face in their personal development and growth. Sandtray Therapy is a dynamic type of psychotherapy that lets clients express their innermost emotions by means of metaphor and symbol. More parents of late are also more expose to the possibility that their children may possibly need therapy, and are more eager to explore different kinds of therapies that might help. It’s a fact that children at the present face many stressors that children earlier didn’t have to face, especially since more children currently are exposed to stressors that didn’t exist years back. When you should wait out a phase in your child’s life to surpass and when should you consider therapy is a frail issue; here are a few pointers that might lend a hand:
- Coping mechanisms that strictly involve how the child functions everyday, or inhibits his or her development very much. A child’s unrelenting thumb sucking is hardly ever causes alarm bells to go off in parents’ heads, but when a child cannot function in school normally or falls short to socialize with his or her peers because of an extreme and unrestrained need to thumb suck may benefit from some mode of treatment.
- Check whether or not your child’s coping mechanism has hugely transformed your daily routine in an unhealthy way. If the child’s coping mechanism is leaving great stress on family interaction as well as their work and other activities, it perhaps time to consult a therapist about how to help a child manage a stressful situation.
- The child’s coping mechanisms pose a threat to his or her health besides other people’s safety. Some children develop a propensity for setting fires, harming themselves, being physically rude to others, or having frantic thoughts as a means of coping with the stressors in their life.
More behavioral indicators that your child needs assistance consist of abrupt withdrawal from his or her usual circle of friends, or a sudden unwillingness or aversion to family interaction, or a destructive aspect where you see toys that are dismembered or viciously destroyed. What’s important is that you are familiar with your child’s emotional state so that you will instantly be acquainted when something’s changed and be able to know when early intervention is applicable or not.
While it’s important to still express your love and acceptance of your child while going through a difficult phase, it’s not a good idea to accommodate harmful coping mechanisms. Sociopaths usually start out with unsettled emotional pain or internal conflicts and resorted to hurting small animals to cope with this conflict before eventually progressing to human victims. Play therapy is an example of a therapy that works well with children and works on hypothesis about children using play as their primary means of communication.
It’s also very important to highlight that nothing will replace the parents’ or guardians’ contribution in a child’s therapy sessions. Most therapists will encourage that you sit with the child during therapy sessions, depending on the kind of session they are having.
Tags: Humanistic Sandtray Therapy, Humanistic therapy, play therapy, psychological health, psychotherpay
