An Introduction To Rheumatoid Arthritis

An Introduction To Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is the second major type of arthritis - exceeded in number of cases only by osteoarthritis. It is a very serious ailment caused by inflammation of the joints. The pain associated with the disease is at times so severe that it almost completely disables sufferers. It affects women more often than men.

Rheumatoid arthritis advances in three stages starting with painful swelling and stiffness of the joints. In the second stage the pain aggravates and the bones and cartilage are severely affected thereby restricting the movement of the person altogether. By this time the diseases becomes chronic and just defies all treatment.

It is in your best interest to immediately consult a doctor as soon as you have pain in the joints. This means that don’t wait for any other symptom appear. Also, you should never try treating the disease by taking over the counter medicines. Chances are that you may aggravate the ailment.

It is important that you ask your doctor to diagnose whether you are actually afflicted with Rheumatoid arthritis and if so, start taking the treatment that he prescribes. If you go by your doctor’s advice you can save yourself a lot of damage by reducing the severity of the attack of the disease. Any delay in diagnosing and treating the disease may aggravate to an extent that you may have to undergo surgery. This will not only entail great pain, but also require huge costs of treatment.

Besides seeking a doctor’s advice early, you may take general precautions like protecting your affected areas from stress of exertion. You should also try to reduce your weight if you are obese. Also contact your physiotherapist. Seek his or her advice about certain kind of exercises that may be specific to your kind of rheumatoid arthritis and take these exercises regularly as per the expert’s advice.


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Ankylosing Spondylitis - The Cervical Spondylosis

Ankylosing Spondylitis - The Cervical Spondylosis
Ankylosing Spondylitis - The Cervical Spondylosis
Cervical spondylosis - a chronic disease of the spine, at which the expansion of the rostral on the edges vertebral bodies. Some misinterpret osteophytes as the deposition of salts, but this definition is incorrect, since the process of development osteophytes associated with bone degeneration of ligaments. Most spondylosis is a consequence of age-related changes (usually in the cervical region). With distribution of occupations of mental work the number of people suffering from pain in the neck and shoulder girdle, increased.

Manifestation. 
Symptoms - boleoschuscheniya head, often - in the shoulder belt in the back of the head, eyes and ears. They are stored and stationary head. Besides, usually limited mobility of the neck and pain during movements, particularly at turns heads. As Generally, patients with difficult to find a comfortable position to sleep, they often wake up with pain in the neck because of the awkward position of the head, causing additional strain on joints and ligaments of the cervical spine.

When spondylosis is usually characterized by long-term pain, difficulty in moving his head. In the study revealed limited mobility cervical vertebrae. As a rule, pressure on the rear side of the intervertebral joints causes pain, especially if this little reject the patient's head back.


Chronic and intractable diseases of the cervical usually proceeded by periods of acute conditions, passing completely or leave slight traces. Treatment in these times of limited intake of analgesics within a few days. Then, as a rule, possible normal working life, but the received signals of irregularities in the body must make to think about the need change posture during work and do regular gymnastic exercises. Otherwise the risk of disease in transition chronic form.

Therapy for chronic pain in the cervical spine should be aimed primarily at preventing the complications of the disease. It is important to realize connection between the improper position of the body and pain in the neck. If necessary, all the time to sit, leaning (for example, when working at computer), it should be every 10 minutes to raise his head and lowered his shoulders. Every hour must be like, dangling his hands along the body. Such pause is needed for both physical and for mental relaxation. Regular exercise contribute to the gradual reduction of pain, they also improve the mobility of the vertebrae. However, the rapid recovery from chronic diseases such is not expected.

Analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs ease the state, but the disease is not treated.
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Ankylosing Spondylitis: Treatment and Symptoms

Ankylosing Spondylitis: Treatment and Symptoms
Ankylosing Spondylitis: Treatment and Symptoms

What is Ankylosing Spondylitis


Ankylosing Spondylitis is a condition which is related to arthritis.  Ankylosing Spondylitis affects approximately 1 in every 250 mainly young men so while many may have not heard about it, it is quite common.

The word Ankylosing means inflammation of the spine while Spondylitis means joint which is fixed solid and unable to bend.  So, in simple terms, Ankylosing Spondylitis is a condition which involves the spine becoming inflamed and as a consequence becoming fixed and solid.  What tends to happen, is that tendons or ligaments attached to the spine become swollen.  When the swelling reduces, it is replaced by growths of bone.  When this happens a number of times, there becomes more and more bone where there used to be tendons or ligaments until eventually the joint fuses together.

As with many conditions, different people are affected with varying degrees of this condition, with some barely noticing it while others lose their full independence.  What is also interesting is that the Ankylosing Spondylitis symptoms can come and go over time.


What are the Symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis?


The first time people tend to notice that they have Ankylosing Spondylitis, is when the experience lower back pain and some muscle spasms.  This tends to be worse during the night.  This pain often spreads to the upper back, neck and buttocks.  Also, in the morning, neck pain may be experienced which is relieved during the day through exercise.

Without treatment, it is possible that the symptoms could develop into fever, fatigue and a loss of appetite.  There may be some weight loss as well.

As the spine starts to fuse together, you may start to find it more and more difficult and painful to move around.  Also, in a number of cases  as the joints start to become more and more affected, it becomes harder to breath as the ribs start to stop moving.  This means that breathing is now being conducted using only the muscles of the diaphragm.  On top of this, the lungs could be affected by Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Ankylosing Spondylitis in approximately 1 in 3 cases can cause inflammation in one or both eyes.

Causes of Ankylosing Spondylitis

Nobody knows exactly what causes Ankylosing Spondylitis.  It is generally thought that the antigen HLA-B27.  This may explain why this condition appears to run in families.  This is also linked to a condition called Reites Syndrome.

Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis

There are no drugs in existence today which can slow or stop the condition.  However, there are drugs called Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) which can help to control the inflammation and reduce the pain.

Also, daily exercise consisting of gentle stretching exercises or swimming can help to improve the movement of the spine and help to create a more positive posture.  On top of this, hydrotherapy and physiotherapy can also help to relieve the symptoms.

Unfortunately, there are a small number of people suffering from Ankylosing Spondylitis who will require hip replacements.  Thankfully, those cases are few and far between.

Interestingly, the symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis can be present for a period of time and then they reduce significantly.
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Foot Arthritis - How To Treat It ?

Foot arthritis could be described as one of the more common forms of arthritis. The problem with the foot is that it consists of 28 bones and 30 joints, of which any are susceptible to arthritis. If arthritis develops in any of these joints, its going to affect the way you walk, run and move in general. The joints in the foot which are more commonly affected are: the big toe, the ankle, the mid foot and the hind foot joint.

The most common form of arthritis which develops in the foot is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the result of getting older, and essentially wear and tear on the joints and cartilage. The cartilage wears down, and the bones rub together resulting in pain and swelling.

Traumatic arthritis is a common form of osteoarthritis that develops in the foot of a patient following some form of severe injury. This can develop in the foot even when the injury was treated correctly, and given time to recover fully. The most common forms of traumatic foot arthritis are a torn ligament, broken bone or severe sprain.

There are various symptoms and indications of foot arthritis, which should alert the sufferer to the condition immediately. These symptoms include swelling, tenderness, pain, stiffness and reduced mobility of the affected joint. All these symptoms will eventually lead to a difficulty in walking.

For a doctor to properly diagnose foot arthritis, a serious of tests and physical examinations will need to be performed. The doctor will also require information about your health and lifestyle to give clues on the complexity of the condition. The next step is to perform a walking analysis. In performing this walking analysis, the doctor will measure your stride and test your ankle and foot strength. Certain diagnostic imaging tests may also be required to further diagnose your condition- theses may include and X-Ray, CT or MRI scan.

After fully evaluating your foot arthritis, your doctor/physician will devise the most suitable treatment plan. There are many non-surgical treatments available, these include:

Taking anti-inflammatory medication

Steroid injection

Foot brace or cane usage

Ankle and foot support usage

Physical therapy

The final treatment option is surgery, and is generally reserved as a 'last resort' when all other treatment methods have failed. The key to effectively treating arthritis is early diagnosis. Don't ignore those sensations of stiffness and soreness; see a doctor as soon as possible, so that you have the best chance of treating your foot arthritis.
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Ankle Arthritis

Ankle Arthritis
Ankle Arthritis
Arthritis can be one of the many parts of getting older that you could live without. Or perhaps you are a young person with rheumatoid arthritis and tired of being slowed down by your painful ankle and toe joints. Arthritis affects the joints, and often the muscles, ligaments and tendons around the joint. From the outside it can appear swollen and red, even warm to the touch. It makes activities that you used to love like jogging, walking, and just even getting out of bed a chore.

Arthritis in any part of the body can be very irritating. It slows you down and can keep you from doing the things you love the most. But when it's in the ankle it is especially irritating because it affects your mobility. Ankle arthritis is not very common, but it can be more common in individuals who have rheumatoid arthritis or old ankle injuries. A bad sprain in your youth could cause an arthritic flare up. Another common reason for painful ankle arthritis is gout. Gout is caused by a buildup of uric acid in the blood stream. The uric acid is deposited in the joints, particularly in the foot and ankle. The joints become severely inflamed, causing great pain. Podiatrists deal with gouty arthritis on a regular basis and are able to prescribe medication to treat your gout as well as injecting the joint with cortisone if necessary and suggest dietary changes that might help alleviate your symptoms

However, often for painful ankle arthritis, the treatment solutions are not always as simple as taking a pill. Ankles are complex parts of the body and need special care. If your ankle arthritis is slowing you down, you should visit your podiatrist to discuss treatment options. Podiatrists frequently deal with arthritis in the foot and ankle and are well-trained to deal with your painful condition. They can provide orthotics or custom bracing that might bring some relief or offer a variety of surgeries to deal with your unique problem.

Sometimes a surgery such as an ankle fusion surgery will still allow you great mobility, but without the pain. Advances have even been made in using bone grafts to recreate the joint that arthritis has destroyed. While the thought of surgery can be frightening, the end results are worth the trouble when you finally experience relief and can get back to the activities you love.
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