What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is the swelling and inflammation of the joints that tends to get worse with aging, according to Mayo Clinic. There are many different types of arthritis with the most common being osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the breakdown of the cartilage of the joints, which causes difficulty, pain, and stiffness when trying to move the joint. Rheumatoid arthritis is focused on the lining of the joints and is considered an autoimmune disease meaning that the body attacks it's own joints. Unfortunately, for the many people suffering from arthritis, there is no cure for this very painful condition. The main symptoms of arthritis are pain, stiffness, swelling, redness, and decreased range of motion of the joints. The older you are, if you are a woman, if you are overweight, if it runs in your family, and if you have injured the joint in the past are all risk factors that increase your chance of getting/having arthritis, but it is important to understand that arthritis can happen in anyone. There are over three million cases of arthritis every year in the United States.
What Can Help Arthritis?
Like was said above, there is no cure for arthritis. The focus of treatment is to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis as much as possible and make life with arthritis manageable. There are many medications that are used by doctors, such as anti-inflammatory medication and pain relievers. There are also many natural remedies that are believed to help with arthritis. Acupuncture can be utilized to reduce pain because the thin needles are placed into the areas of the body that is considered the natural painkiller areas. By activating those areas, you can potentially stop pain from arthritis without medication. Another thing that is recommended to patients suffering from arthritis is to begin a weight loss program if they are overweight. It has been shown that losing weight when you have arthritis helps with the pressure on the joints, which helps to reduce the pain and inflammation, according to Arthritis Today. The last remedy that is often recommended by healthcare professionals and has been proven very beneficial in helping the symptoms of arthritis is massage. Like acupuncture, massage activates the parasympathetic nervous system and the natural pain killer areas of the body, which all works together to help alleviate and fight pain naturally, according to the Arthritis Foundation. The other reason that massage can help people with arthritis is by increasing the blood flow to the areas that are affected by arthritis. By increasing the blood flow, it helps to reduce the swelling and inflammation of the joint.
If you are suffering from arthritis, talk to your doctor about what treatments could help to alleviate your symptoms.
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