What is Arthritis?

Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints, which causes severe pain and swellings in joints, and does not allow easy movement of the joints. 

How is Arthritis caused?

Joints are protected by cartilage, which allows the smooth movement of the joints. When there is breakdown of cartilage, it absorbs shock when joints are moved frequently even while walking. When some cartilage is worn out, without the usual amount of cartilage, the bones rub together, causing enormous pain, swelling, and stiffness. There are a number of different kinds of arthritis which affect different joints of the body such as rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, viral arthritis, gonococcal arthritis, and tuberculosis arthritis and many more. 

What is Arthritis Education?

Generally, people have a wrong concept that arthritis means simply pain in or around the joints. Once arthritis affects them, there is no cure and one has to live with the pain life long. But the truth is, if arthritis is diagnosed early, it can be treated. 

Arthritis education is creating awareness among individuals, to recognize the signs and symptoms of arthritis, in the early stage, and to address the control and prevention of arthritis. Arthritis Education includes Health care trainings, Public service awareness campaigns, Public service announcements, Community partnership workshop, and Public seminars. 

Why is Arthritis Education Necessary?

• Arthritis Education emphasizes early diagnosis and so that treatment can be managed in a proper way.
• It focuses on women, as they are at high risk of developing arthritis.
• It educates patients about the techniques of pain management.
• It informs the people the strategies and tools necessary to make daily decisions to cope up with the disease.
• It helps to maintain the psychological well being of the patients with arthritis.
• Arthritis education also helps the patients to maintain and improve strength, flexibility and endurance by training the patients to do appropriate exercises.
• It guides the patients about the correct and required medications.
• Arthritis education also prepares the patients to be out of depressions, frustration, and to tackle disease related problems.
• It also helps the arthritis patients to select the right diet and guide them for a healthy life.
• Arthritis education programs build the participants’ confidence in their ability to live a normal active life and manage their health.
• Arthritis education programs give a clear picture that most of the cases are not preventable.
• People are aware that over weight is one of the factors that cause arthritis and cutting down of weight can cut half the risk for developing arthritis through arthritis education program.
• There are some health foundations, which support arthritis education, provide free information about the types of surgery available for the arthritis which can give significant pain relief and restore health and physical function.
• These foundations also suggest places and weather, which support arthritis patients to make the patients feel better.
• Some Arthritis education program also keeps a record of the referral list of qualified, specialised physicians who can treat arthritis all over the world.
• Even some foundations provide general information about generally approved prescribed medications.

There are so many arthritis education programs, which are easy to register. Undergo training and to get informed. If people are aware of these programs, it may help in the early diagnosing and treatment of arthritis.

There are many types of arthritis like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid, juvenile etc depending on the part of the body affected. Though degenerative change in joints is the first step in prevention of arthritis, it is true that the exact cause of this condition remains a mystery to the researchers. Apart from that, it is important that diagnosis is done at the early stages, so that it is helpful in the treatment and thereby, the prevention of arthritis to trouble an individual for the remaining years of life.  

There are many reasons for becoming the victim of arthritis. One of them is lack of physical exercise. Regular mild yet effective exercises for the maintenance of bones, joints, and muscles should be the part of one’s routine.  

The prevention of arthritis can be done by following a balanced diet and keeping the body fit. It is highly recommended to avoid consuming junk food, carbonated drinks, cigarettes or alcohol, or skipping regular meals. It is also essential for an individual to sleep at least 6 hours per day. Moreover, there are high chances for obesity to cause arthritis. Good eating habits and health consciousness also would do wonders in the prevention of arthritis.  

It is always better to avoid high calorie food like butter, cheese, potatoes, burgers, pizzas etc after the age of forty for the prevention of arthritis, though arthritis may occur to a person of any age. Also, it is believed that green tea helps in prevention of arthritis. However, if the person is already suffering from it, it helps in reducing the inflammation in the joints and thereby slows down the cartilage breakdown.   

It is found breastfeeding is not only good for the babies but also for the mothers, as it helps in the prevention of rheumatoid arthritis. Mothers who breast feed the infants for at least 24 months reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis by at least 50 percent. Therefore, for the prevention of arthritis in the later stage, women can nurse their babies.  

The studies show that women with irregular menstrual cycles caused by hypothyroidism and hormonal imbalance have the risk of getting affected with rheumatoid arthritis. For the prevention of arthritis, it is important to correct these root causes immediately.  

Prevention of stress on the joints can help in the prevention of arthritis. Avoid exercises that can cause ligament tears or muscle strains or injuries on bones or joints. This factor would also help in the prevention of arthritis. However, it is quite important to put in a habit of regular exercise, as it helps in slowing the progress of disabilities to a greater extent.  

Prevention of osteoarthritis is possible; however, it is not possible to avoid rheumatoid arthritis, as the exact reasons for its occurrence have not been found out. It is important that measures for the prevention of arthritis be taken seriously, as the treatment of arthritis can cure only the symptoms and the pain not arthritis itself. Prevention of arthritis will indirectly help an individual from becoming totally dependant and a cripple.

Arthritis is a disorder with more than 100 forms. This number doesn’t stop there, it is still growing. Arthritis varies from person to person if you are having too much wear and tear in your cartilage it is known as osteoarthritis and if the reason for your joint pain is inflammation it is called as rheumatoid arthritis. 

Since the number of types of Arthritis is so varied the Arthritis treatment is also varied. It is not advisable to start taking Arthritis drugs by yourself. There are many over the counter arthritis medications which are available. Before taking any sort of medication, first and foremost you should go to a registered medical practitioner and have a thorough check up. Only after this is done, will the doctor be bale to conclude what type of Arthritis do you have and then he will suggest what course of arthritis treatment you should opt for. 

Broadly Arthritis can be classified into three categories, namely Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis and Juvenile Arthritis. A quick glance of the number of people affected with Arthritis only in America is shocking.  Over 2.1 millions American have rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis is custom made treatment. Arthritis treatment in these cases is done according to the individual, their level of Arthritis, their other medical condition and their lifestyle. Only after keeping all this in mind is the arthritis drug to be given decided on.  

The arthritis medications prescribed are for various purposes, some being slowing down or putting a stop to the damage of the joints, reducing and then gradually relieving the pain, decreasing the inflammation and then your general well being. For treatment of arthritis (rheumatoid) a number of arthritis drugs can be prescribed like: – Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), Biologic Response Modifiers, Glucocorticoids or Prednisone, Analgesic Drugs, Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs). You can also go for therapies like Protein-A Immuoadsorption Therapy. Some of the other serious forms of surgery for Arthritis treatment are surgery, joint replacement surgery, Arthrodesis, Arthroscopic surgery, synovectomy and osteotomy.  

The next in the arthritis category is Osteoarthritis. An estimated 21 million    number of Americans suffer from this disorder. Arthritis treatments are on for many people but then there are many people who don’t even know they have Arthritis. A doctor’s visit for a complete check up once in a year from head to toe is a must. You would then know if you have arthritis trouble and need any form of arthritis treatment.  

Taking Arthritis medications alone will not help you. As Arthritis treatments suggest you will have to maintain a healthy lifestyle, beat stress, avoid depressions, avoid any further joint damage and create the proper balance between work and rest. 

For treatment of Arthritis, you will have to keep a regular fitness regime, exercise, eat healthy food, keep the weight down, take Arthritis medications properly and regularly and protect your knees and go for physical or some doctors suggest occupational therapy. 

Doctors prescribe various Arthritis drugs, some of which are Injectable glucocorticoids, Analgesics, Viscosupplements, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Topical Analgesics, Cox-2 Drugs etc.  

Then treatments for Arthritis at higher degrees can be done by various surgeries as mentioned above in the rheumatoid arthritis cases. 

The last form of Arthritis is Juvenile Arthritis. There are 300,000 plus American children who require Arthritis treatment. It is also known as Juvenile rheumatoid Arthritis. 

Arthritis medicine for the kids is in plenty.  A lot of care is taken before prescribing a single Arthritis drug as the child’s general health and immune system should not get affected. Arthritis medicine like: – Slow Acting Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, NSAIDs, Hydroxychloroquine, Aspirin, Penicillamine, Sulfasalazine, Gold Compounds, Analgesics, Glucocorticoid Drugs, Methotrexate, Cyclophosphamide etc. 

Apart from this arthritis treatment is done by giving them recreational activities, making them play sports, exercising their bodies, giving them therapeutical exercises to do, splints, eye care, morning stiffness relief, surgery, dental care and diet.

Arthritis treatment can be done only when Arthritis medicine and other factors like exercise, diet, stress management etc work in tandem.