With roughly 53 million adults suffering from some form of arthritis, arthritis has officially become America’s leading cause of disability to date. In fact, by the year 2030, it’s estimated about 67 million people will be diagnosed with arthritis. I have a post dedicated to gift ideas for someone with rheumatoid arthritis. I wrote it while remembering a co-worker who was suffering serious arthritis at early age. Now, one of my relative has recently had arthritis, so I revisit the subject, but today at a very basic level to understand more about arthritis.
People of all ages and races are at risk for arthritis. Generally, that risk increases as we get older. But there are other factors that can also increase your risk for arthritis besides age. For example:
- Genetics and family history — Some forms of arthritis run in the family. Our risk for arthritis may be higher if those closest in your family line (parents or siblings) have arthritis. Also our genetic makeup might react negatively to certain environmental factors known to trigger arthritis.
- Injuries — Joint injuries weaken the integrity of bones, muscles, tendons and cartilage. It’s very common for injured joints to develop arthritis over time. So it’s a good idea to keep an eye on old sports or work related injuries for signs of arthritis.
- Obesity — Excess weight means added stress, pressure and strain on your joints. The joints that are usually jeopardized by obesity are your hips, knees and spine.
- Gender — Studies show men have higher risks for certain types of arthritis — like gout, while women have a higher risk for others — like rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis Symptoms
- Joint pain
- Swelling of joints
- Joint stiffness
- Decreased range of motion
- “Cracking” and “popping”
Arthritis symptoms vary on the pain scale. Symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe. They can come and go depending on the type of arthritis and – in worse case scenarios — these symptoms can eventually lead to chronic pain which in turn will significantly impair or prohibit your daily activities and cause permanent damage where surgical joint replacement may be needed.
If you have experienced any of the symptoms mentioned — don’t trivialize or ignore them. They could be the early warning signs of much more serious problems. Once these symptoms appear, it’s imperative you get the type of arthritis diagnosed by a medical professional.
Common Forms of Arthritis
Some of the more common forms of arthritis include:
- Osteoarthritis — This is the most common type of degenerative arthritis. When the cartilage protecting the ends of your bones begins to wear down — it triggers pain and impairs joint function. Osteoarthritis tends to flare up in the hips, knees, hands and spinal joints.
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) — A chronic inflammatory disorder that affects the lining of your joints — particularly in the hands, feet and other small joints of the body. Women have a higher risk for developing RA as they get older. Rheumatoid arthritis is the type of arthritis that leads to joint deformities and bone erosion. With RA your immune system gets involved and mistakenly turns “traitor” on your body by attacking your tissues. RA can also jeopardize the healthy function of your skin, lungs, eyes and blood vessels.
- Gout — This is a more complex form of arthritis because it’s metabolic. Attacks of gout occur suddenly and are pretty severe on the pain scale. These sudden attacks also cause tenderness and redness in joints. Typically the base of the big toe is affected by gout. It feels like your big toe is on fire. The pain can be so severe that even the weight of a light sheet or a gentle touch is unbearable. Statistics show men have a higher risk for developing gout than women.
- Psoriatic arthritis — This type of arthritis can potentially affect people suffering from the skin condition psoriasis. Stiffness in the joints, joint pain, and swelling are the common symptoms associated with this form or arthritis. The pain level ranges from mild to severe. Your fingertips, spine and various other joints can be targeted by psoriatic arthritis.
Getting proper treatment for your arthritis not only helps you feel better and regain your quality of life – but it can restore the health of the joints and protect them from future damage.
The Underlying Cause of Pain And Disability
Simply put, the underlying cause for joint deterioration that leads to crippling disability is poor cell membrane activity.
Cell membranes are primarily made up of fats or lipids and act like “envelopes” — regulating what goes in your cells and what stays out. Your joints, tissues and muscles need to have plenty of nutrients and proteins flowing freely through their cells to stay healthy and function the way they’re supposed to. For example, your joints need plenty of fatty acids. They are key to the development of healthy cell membrane structure and function.
Your cell membranes also help remove harmful wastes and prevent toxins from entering joint cells that weaken and break down the joint and surrounding tissues.
Joints that are pain-free move smoothly and easily and have healthy cell membranes regulating joint cell activity. But research studies show when cell membranes become weak or are damaged by internal and external stressors – it triggers a number of rapid aging processes like uncontrolled inflammation.
When these triggers continuously assault cell membranes, it causes your joints to stiffen… cartilage to breakdown, cracking and popping noises, and bone on bone grinding. These side effects will eventually lead to arthritis, bursitis, tendinitis and chronic pain.
Treating Joint Problems
So when it comes to properly treating joint problems, a truly effective treatment is going to help:
- Cell membranes become fluid and permeable, allowing nourishing nutrients to pass though and feed every cell of your joints, ligaments and tendons.
- Improve cellular lubrication to restore needed fluids that cushion your bones and joints from wear and tear.
- Replace the damaged fats in cell membranes with healthy ones transforming them into “super membranes” that repel inflammatory agents and protect your cartilage from breaking down.
The Healthy Way to Live with Arthritis
Lifestyle changes can significantly improve and even prevent arthritis symptoms from flaring up and worsening over time. For example, when it comes to osteoarthritis — the degenerative arthritis that attacks joint cartilage – some simple tips to reduce frequency of symptoms include:
- Staying active
- Maintaining a healthy weight range
- Limiting repetitive movements
- Avoiding injuries
- Hot and cold therapies
- Using natural anti-inflammatories
- Using assistive devices and walking aids
- Getting sufficient rest in between physical activity
The goal is to make sure you incorporate simple adjustments into your day-to-day life to preserve joint function, increase mobility and improve your overall quality of life.
But here are a few lifestyle suggestions that can help you cope with your arthritis symptoms to a greater degree:
- Stay Properly Hydrated: The simple cause of so many health problems is thirsty cells! Our body is made up of over 75 percent water. But by the time we reach age 40 – your water levels drop down to 50 percent or even less. The reason why? Our cells are unable to hold onto water like they used to. Every day free radicals attack and injure cells by creating thousands of tiny pinholes. So when water carrying essential nutrients travels to your cells — they can’t hold onto it. As a result, water leaks out before cells have a chance to properly absorb those nutrients. Water helps minimize joint pain and damage caused by friction. Each time your joints move – a small amount of water is released to keep the individual joint lubricated.
- Supplements for Pain Management
- TENS Unit: A TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) unit is a small device that stimulates nerves in an aching, stiff joint. The pulses from the device “disrupt” or block the pain signal to the brain. The goal is to have this disruption calm the physical pain symptoms you experience during an arthritis flare up. It’s possible too that a TENS unit helps your body release more endorphins – your body’s natural pain relievers – in order to reduce pain symptoms.The TENS unit works by placing the electrodes on the skin of the affected area of pain. Then you turn the unit on to the recommend degree of stimulation. Within a short period of time pain symptoms should lessen or go away entirely depending on the severity of the flare-up. Pain symptoms can reappear shortly after use so it might be best to use a TENS unit in combination with other therapies to get longer relief.
- Acupuncture & Massage: Relaxing the muscles and surrounding tissues of arthritic areas can also be beneficial in reducing pain symptoms. The light kneading and stroking of muscles helps increase blood flow and warm joints that are stiff or cold. Before getting a massage let the massage therapist know where you have arthritis so they can assess the joints prior to the massage.
Acupuncture may also be beneficial. This ancient form of Chinese medicine helps your body regain balance in stagnant areas of energy. These stagnant areas could be caused by joint injuries as well as arthritis. The art of using needles to stimulate the flow of energy has been proven to reduce pain symptoms and help blood flow uninterrupted through your body. New research also indicates a strong link between chronic pain and low endorphin levels. Endorphins are like your body’s natural morphine for pain symptoms. Acupuncture works to naturally release blocked areas that prevent endorphins from being released. With higher endorphin levels you tend to feel less pain and fewer negative effects caused by stress. Typically speaking, an acupuncture treatment will leave you feeling very relaxed, calm and pain free. The increased flow of endorphins helps explain the relaxed response the body can have after undergoing acupuncture.