Some foods can lead to the development of rheumatoid arthritis. Many experience relief after avoiding trigger foods. So, what arthritis foods should you avoid and take?
Let's begin with foods that you should avoid. Most people experience more pain when they take foods such as
1. All dairy products
2. Nightshade vegetables such as tomatoes, white potatoes, peppers (includes bell peppers, cayenne, chili, paprika, pimiento), tobacco, belladonna, and eggplant.
3. Red Meats
4. Corns, wheat, oats, rye, and barley.
5. Eggs
6. Citrus fruits
7. Coffee
8. Foods that are rich in oxalic acid or oxalates such as star fruit (carambola), black pepper, parsley, poppy seed, rhubarb stalks, amaranth, spinach, chard, beets, cocoa, chocolate, most nuts, most berries, and beans.
9. Alcohol
10. Carbonated drinks.
11. Foods that easily get mold which can cause allergy such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, nuts, berries, cantaloupe and honeydew melon
The list above may increase arthritic symptoms. Not everyone react the same to the food groups above. You need to monitor the type of foods that can aggravate the pain.
In the recent years, scientists have identified foods that are friendly to your arthritic conditions.
1. Increase the intake of green, yellow, and orange vegetables such as artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, chard, collards, lettuce, spinach, string beans, summer or winter squash, sweet potatoes, tapioca, and taro . They contains high amount of antioxidants, Vitamins C and E. They help to neutralize free radicals which attack the joints.
2. Eat brown rice instead of corns, wheat, oats, rye, and barley
3. Choose cooked or dried fruits such as cherries, cranberries, pears, prunes. These do not include arthritis trigger fruits such as citrus fruits, bananas, peaches or tomatoes.
4. Drink plenty of plain water.
Include arthritis friendly foods in your diet for four weeks. You should not have any of the trigger foods at all. After four weeks, when the symptoms go away, you can easily identify foods that causes flare-ups by bringing back the food which you eliminate previously into your diet one at a time. Observe if the pain bursts out. If there is any flare-ups, remove the food from your diet. Let the joints heal before you introduce another food. Wait for two weeks before bringing the problematic food into your routine the second time. Don't reintroduce major triggers such as meats, dairy products, or eggs into your diet. They can also cause hormone imbalances that may lead to joint pain.
The foods as listed above are not extensive. You need to determine which foods are friendly and hostile to arthritis by using the above method.
Arthritis foods can help to reduce and manage pain. Elimination of animal protein, nightshade family, and dairy products have helped some people with arthritis. You need to be aware that the results are not the same for everyone. If you follow a healthy diet, you can deal with arthritic pain more effectively.
Do you know that herbs can relieve arthritic pain? Discover how some herbs can help you in relieving the pain at http://www.endarthritisagony.com/
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Arthritis Foods: What Are Some Foods You Avoid And Take In Managing Arthritis
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Exercises For Arthritis: The 3 Types Of Exercises That Can Relieve Arthritic Pain
Should you exercise when you have arthritis? If it is not because of recent discoveries that demonstrate exercises can reduce stiffness and joint pain, you may not even consider it. Doctors and physical therapists always recommend specific exercises to manage the arthritic pain. Exercises for arthritis consist of range-of-motions workouts, strengthening and endurance activities.
Range-of-motion exercises involve stretching. They keep your joints mobile and flexible to relieve stiffness at the joints. You should perform these stretching everyday if you want to be free from stiffness. Usually, you tend not to move the painful joints. Therefore, these exercises can encourage working on the affected joints to keep normal joint movement.
Strengthening exercises involve weight training. They help to strengthen your muscles. Strong muscles can protect inflamed and swollen joints due to arthritis. They also make the joints more stable so that you can move with lesser pain. Always use the correct postures when executing these exercises. If you carry out these sets with improper posture, your muscle will tear. This will lead to more pain and more joint swelling.
Strengthening drills comes in two types: isometric and isotonic. Isometric activities help to tighten your muscles without moving the joints. They can benefit those who suffer from damaged joint movement. On the other hand, isotonic exercises require movement of joint to strengthen the muscles. You should perform muscle-building sets on alternate days. If you experience severe pain or swollen joints, you should either reduce the repetitions or stop carrying out these drills.
Endurance exercises enhance your cardiovascular fitness and keep your weight under control. When you perform these sets, your muscle will use the calories. Inactivity can cause your muscle to store fats. Your weight can influence the arthritic condition. Excess weight on the joints can lead to more pain. Therefore, weight control is important to manage the painful condition of arthritis.
However, endurance exercises are not suitable for those with long-term rheumatoid arthritis and limited joint functions. You need to choose the right kind of endurance exercises for arthritis to prevent further joint injury.
If you experience pain that lasts for over an hour during the workout, then it is too strenuous for you. Consult your doctor and physical therapist to modify the exercise if you feel any strenuous signs such as consistent fatigue, intensified joint swelling, reduced range of motions, and elevated weakness.
As you can see, each of exercises for arthritis serves a different purpose. Each of them focuses on specific parts of a joint. No matter how painful it is, you can still perform exercises. If you are reluctant because of pain, you can start with water aerobics programs. As the water provides buoyancy for your body, exercising in the water may be a painless experience.
Exercises for arthritis can help you in arthritic pain management. They restore normal joint movement, mitigate stiffness, and improve flexibility of the joint's muscles. You will experience a reduction of arthritic symptoms such as joint pain and inflammation. Before you begin any program, request for a professional recommendation from your doctors and physical therapists. They can devise a suitable exercise program for you to deal with arthritis. They can tell you which exercises are off-limits.
Andy Lim writes about various arthritis treatments help you in fighting against arthritis. Do you what are your options in treating arthritis? Find out exactly what are your arthritis treatment options at http://www.endarthritisagony.com
No Such Thing As Arthritis Pain Relief: What Now?
How to Live Life with No Arthritis Pain Relief in Sight, Part
I: Acceptance Accept. Cope.
These are two of the many proactive approaches to arthritis
that a sufferer can do to live life productively amidst chronic
pain. There is no long-term relief from arthritis pain; in fact,
there is no relief at all. What we have in tablet form, in gels,
in syrup and in other formulations are but symptomatic
relievers, NOT the cure to this debilitating disease.
There is no known cure for arthritis to date.
On the face of this reality, most arthritic sufferers carry on
with their lives grudgingly – who can blame them? During an
attack, the pain can grow from mild to worse; just like a
prisoner who is given a reprieve to look at the sun each day
for only 2 hours, then back into the dampness of his cell for
the remainder of the day, an arthritic sufferer can only hope,
during an attack, that the intensity of the pain will lessen by
the hour and that his next attack would not be as bad as the
last one –often with no guarantee.
But life has to be lived, under whatever circumstances one
finds himself in. To dwell so much on the pain can rob an
arthritic sufferer of the most essential things that life CAN
still offer him. Sure, there is life after arthritis. There is
even life after a doctor's pronouncement of cancer. It all
depends on the victim's resolve to process the pain and the
uncertainty of his ailment, and come out of it with a resolve
to bear the pain gracefully…and productively. Like a soldier
leaving the battlefield, bloodied and wounded, but whose spirit
remains unscathed, a person living with arthritis has the power
to choose - either to let arthritis get the best of him or he
gets better as a person because of arthritis. After all, how
you perceive things becomes your reality.
Sure, the pain lingers, it won't go away. Life can never be
like yesterday when arthritis was a neighbor's misery. Today,
that it is so much your reality as the neighbor's, the best
approach is not to cower from it, but to live around it and
through it.
ACCEPT IT.
To accept is not to deny help with the disease, nor does it
connote one's surrender to it. It simply means that the
sufferer has acknowledged that he is ill and that is a fact in
his life. His acceptance can work as a catharsis for real
healing to begin. Denial, on the other hand, which is a common
reaction by some people, retards the process of healing, as the
person suffering would not arrest the ailment at its source. He
would go round in circles taking opinions of others, without
confronting his own. Denial robs one his time, which is the
most crucial element for any healing to begin. Often, it
becomes too late and with fatal effects.
How does one accept living life with arthritis?
Learn all you can about it. Arthritis affects not just the
elderly, but also children, young adults and even people in
their productive years. Often associated with aging, yet it was
scientifically proven as one of those myths believed for a long
time, it nearly resembled the truth. Arthritis, however, is an
"illness without borders"- it is not defined by sex, race or
age.
Who can better define the illness but the one who suffers from
it? In suffering, find meaning. Instead of wallowing in self
pity, learn all you can about arthritis. What are its symptoms,
as you experienced them, and those undergone by others? What are
the options available to the one who suffers from it? Know and
understand natural approaches in dealing with the disease. How
is pain managed? Are there factors, which relate to food and
exercise? Are there proven arthritis diets?
The best place to start is the internet. The internet is one
giant library with a heart. You will not only find all the
information about arthritis, it also presents chronicles of how
others endured the disease, which can provide you solace in
knowing yours is not an isolated case.
Share it. Arthritis pain, once shared with someone who can also
identify with it, loses its sting. Mutual dependency, work two
ways: you learn from others and others learn from you. Both get
help. Conversely, when you don't share your experiences with
others, including that information you gather to alleviate the
ailment, arthritis can overwhelm you. It is just a malady you
cannot shake away.
The internet provides you access to online groups of sufferers
who can help you carry the pain easier. It has forums where you
can ask questions from those who managed their symptoms or
alleviate the discomfort. Learning from other people's
experiences in managing the disease can work well for your own
battle. Do not hesitate to ask questions and gather insight.
Build friendships and draw inspiration from people.
When do you start?
Right here, online. Right now. Arthritis Pain Relief in a
variety of arthritic medications has easy references available
here on the internet. You may visit their websites, or set an
appointment for a personal consultation if you happen to live
nearby. It's all up to you.
As you accept your condition, with it comes the responsibility
to seek for options that can help you resume a lifestyle that
can still be productive but more attuned to your present needs.
You have the power to choose.
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Saturday, June 23, 2007
Osteoarthritis: New Ways To Treat Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common type of arthritis, is a
chronic condition that afflicts some 21 million Americans.
It is characterized by the disintegration of cartilage, the
part of the joint that cushions the ends of the bones. This
breakdown causes stiffness, pain and loss of movement.
Eventually the cartilage can wear away entirely, causing bone
to rub on bone. OA generally affects specific joints such as
the hips, hands, knees, lower back and neck.
Joint pain or stiffness occurs most often after periods of
either inactivity or overexertion.
Osteoarthritis Causes
Certain factors increase the risk of OA. These include
heredity, being overweight, joint injury, repeated overuse of
certain joints, lack of physical activity, poor joint
alignment, nerve injury and aging. A physical exam, a detailed
medical history, and tests such as X-rays and magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) are generally used to diagnose the
condition.
Maintaining a healthy weight can go a long way toward
preventing OA, according to Hayes Wilson, M.D., chief of
rheumatology at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta and national
medical advisor for the Arthritis Foundation. "If you are ten
pounds overweight," says Dr. Wilson, "that's like burdening
your knees with thirty pounds." A study published in the Annals
of Internal Medicine found that in women, losing as few as 11
pounds could cut the risk of OA of the knee by 50 percent.
Osteoarthritis Treatments
Corticosteroids can be injected into joints to ease
inflammation. A substance called hyaluronic acid, which eases
dehydration of the cartilage, can be injected into the knees.
Acetaminophen may reduce joint pain. Nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen may help
reduce stiffness and swelling as well as joint pain. Preventive
tactics, such as maintaining a healthy weight, can also be
beneficial by easing stress on joints.
Although it's not a cure, acupuncture may ease the pain of OA,
says Patience White, M.D., M.A., the chief public health
officer of the Arthritis Foundation. So can visualization
exercises in which arthritis sufferers envision that they are
in less pain.
Joint replacement is the treatment of choice when a joint is
completely destroyed and there's significant pain and
functional limitation. Part or all of the joint may be
replaced, typically with metal or plastic. Within 5 to 10
years, scientists may be able to build new cartilage to replace
what has worn away.
Osteoarthritis Relief
* What exercises are best for alleviating osteoarthritis?
Stretching and exercises for flexibility are crucial to keeping
joints as mobile as possible, according to Jeny Rund, a physical
therapist based in Baltimore. Strengthening exercises, such as
working out with weights, can help protect your joints by
improving muscle tone.
Aerobic exercises benefit overall health and fitness and can
help keep weight down. Aquatic exercises and walking offer
several benefits, says Rund: aerobic conditioning, strength
building and flexibility. And these exercises don't overstretch
the joints.
* How can I eat healthfully and keep my weight down?
Choose fruits and vegetables in a wide range of colors to get
the most nutrients; keep them in the front part of your fridge
so it's easy to reach for them when you want a snack. Cut down
on full-fat cheeses. Rather than eating three squares a day,
try to eat a number of smaller meals throughout the day. Save
sweet desserts for special occasions—birthdays and
anniversaries, for example.
Now that you know the available treatment options for
osteoarthritis, you and your doctor can develop a plan that's
right for you—and you can enjoy life pain-free.
Writer: Jean Maguire
©MediZine's Healthy Living, Second Quarter 2007
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Friday, June 22, 2007
Arthritis Home Remedy: What Are Some Items In Your Kitchen You Can Use To Treat Arthritis
Arthritis attacks the joints of your body. As a result, they become swollen, stiff, and painful. To some extent, you may lose mobility. At times the pain can be unbearable. Your doctor usually prescribe pain medications to treat your arthritis. However, you may have some reservations about the undesirable effects from the consumption of these drugs. Is there any arthritis home remedy that is safe you can use instead?
When you think of home remedy, probably you may start looking for items in your kitchen that may reduce the arthritic pain. The following is the list of common items in your kitchen you can use in treating arthritis.
1. Make a mixture by combining a a teaspoon of red chilies and fresh ginger in half a cup of sesame oil. Remove any water by straining. Apply the paste on the afflicted joints.
2. Soak a teaspoon of black sesame seeds in a quarter cup of water. Leave it overnight. Drink the solution when you wake up the next morning.
3. Drink a cup of fresh pineapple juice. It contains bromelain that can reduce the swelling and inflammation in arthritis.
4. Old folks like to use lime as a natural home remedy for arthritis. The citric acid in lime disintegrates the uric acid which accumulates around the joints. It is one of the causes of arthritis.
5. You can make your own vegetable juice therapy. Get a good juice extractor. Use green leafy vegetables such as carrot, celery and red beet juice. Put them in the extractor. The extracted vegetable juice contains alkaline substances that can dissolves the uric acid build up around the joints and tissues. Make juice fasts as part of your routine probably every two months.
6. Mix two parts of pure olive oil and one part of kerosene. Apply the mixture on the affected joints.
7. Vinegar is a common item in the kitchen. You can apply hot vinegar on the aching joints before you sleep at night. You can also mix two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and two teaspoons of honey in a glass of warm water. Drink it twice a day.
If you want a safer way to treat arthritis, consider home remedies. They usually don't cause side effects. Most of the times, they can provide temporary relief. Moreover, you can easily find them in the kitchen. If you don't find relief after using the arthritis home remedy, then it is time for you to visit a doctor. You may need a proper diagnosis since arthritis has many types. Your doctor can recommend a right treatment for you.
Do you know that exercise can relieve arthritic pain? Discover how some exercises for arthritis treatment can help you in relieving the pain at http://www.endarthritisagony.com/arthritis-treatment-options-exercise.php
Thursday, June 21, 2007
What Kind Of Arthritis Do You Have?
What kind of arthritis do you have is a question that you will always be asked. The American Arthritis Foundation reports that there are nearly 100 different types of arthritis causing discomfort in people's joints today!
Each comes with its own set of symptoms and treatments, making it important to receive proper diagnosis by a rheumatologist before setting off on a treatment path.
The odds are, if you are having persistent joint pain and swelling) lasting more than two weeks), you suffer from some form of arthritis.
Some kinds are rather mild, with little, or no adverse effects on daily life, while others may become so debilitating that surgery or other forms of high-tech treatments are necessary simply to continue doing daily chores you once took for granted.
Arthritis affects everyone differently, but some things are more common like the fact that men seem to suffer with knee, spine, and foot pain, while women tend to have pain in the fingers, hands, knees, and spine.
Arthritis is caused by an inflammation of the joint. When joints have bone-to-bone contact and grind against each other, that area becomes swollen and inflamed.
Pain can become so intense in some patients that walking becomes virtually impossible. Severe arthritis can deform hands and fingers, causing their use to be limited.
There are two main type of arthritis -- osteoarthritis and rheumatoid, while the others remain less known.
Osteoarthritis is an inflammation of the bony part of the joint. When joints are continually stressed, and forced to work beyond their capability, they move against each other, wearing away the protective coating and surrounding membranes, oil sacs, and cartilage.
Why do some people get arthritis, and others don't? The answer isn't simple. Many researchers believe it is a combination of nutritional deficiencies, excess joint activity, and unchecked emotional issues.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes good cells and tissue to be attacked by the immune system. Rheumatoid arthritis initially affects the joint membranes, and later the bone structure at the joint, causing crippling deterioration of the affected joints.
Gout is a disease that causes uric acid to deposit in the joints of feet and legs that cannot be excreted through the liver. This causes severe swelling and pain.
Men suffer gout more often than women. Other risk factors include: high blood pressure; extreme alcohol consumption; diabetes and obesity.
Bursitis is an inflammation of the shoulder joints and muscles.
Neuritis, otherwise called rheumatism of the nerves is caused when the sheaths of the nerves dry out which makes them swell and become painful.
Of course, as mentioned earlier, there are many more types of arthritis - more than 100 in all - which cause pain and inflammation of the joints. Only a doctor can tell you which type you suffer from, and how best to relive its symptoms.
Proper diagnosis, however, is essential in order to start an immediate plan of action that can help slow the disease's progress, as well as offer freedom from the pain being currently felt.
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Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Things To Consider When Visiting An Arthritis Doctor
No matter what kind of arthritis you have, you will most likely
be directed to an arthritis doctor, or more specifically, a
rheumatologist, which is the proper name for a doctor who
specializes in arthritis and other related bone conditions and
diseases. In most cases, a primary care physician refers a
person to see someone who specializes in arthritis after an
initial assessment is performed.
In most cases, the first appointment with a rheumatologist, or
arthritis doctor, will begin with questions about your medical
history, how long you may have been suffering from bone joint
aches and pains, and also if you're currently taking
medications, both prescription and over-the-counter.
Remember, herbal supplements and vitamins are also considered
medications. In many cases, herbal supplements and other
vitamins and mineral supplements can interfere with drug
treatment programs, and may even cause adverse reactions, so
make sure your doctor knows about everything.
The arthritis doctor will ask you to be very specific about the
kind of pain you are suffering, as well as the length of
duration of those symptoms. Questions such as where the pain
starts and how it feels are two of the first questions you'll
be asked.
The rheumatologist will also want to know if you feel warmth in
the affected joints and if the pain and stiffness affects your
daily living patterns. He or she may also ask if you have
suffered previous injuries to the affected joint, as sometimes
that is a reason for arthritis developing in the location.
You may also be asked to complete an arthritis screening
questionnaire and other forms. Do try to be patient with your
arthritis doctor as he seeks to determine exactly what your
condition may be. There are over a hundred different forms of
arthritis, and not all of them are the same, nor do they have
the same symptoms.
Your rheumatologist will look for any redness and swelling, as
well as tenderness and inflammation, not only in the affected
joints, but others as well. He or she will also ask you to
perform various movements so that he can determine your current
range of motion capabilities.
If you have questions for the arthritis doctor, make sure that
you write them down before you go, as it's easy to forget once
in the physician's examination room. After the examination, ask
what treatments are available for the form of arthritis that you
are diagnosed with, and what changes in activity you might
expect. If the doctor prescribes medication, ask what is it and
how it works. Always take it upon yourself to learn as much
about arthritis treatment medications as you can, as you are
the one ingesting those medications into your body.
No matter which type of arthritis you may be suffering from,
it's best to see a physician who specializes in that condition,
and for you, that means an arthritis doctor, or a
rheumatologist. With proper treatment, exercise and medication,
you may be able to continue many of your usual activities.
Arthritis is not curable, but it is possible to adapt and live
the active lifestyle that you have grown used to.
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Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Arthritis - An Overview Of The Types and Symptoms
Arthritis is never-ending joint pain. There are numerous types of this joint pain with different symptoms. However, the affect that it has on the joints is the common symptom. Different symptoms and the effect on the joints is what distinguish the different types.
Diagnosis occurs by monitoring all the symptoms collectively and examining if the effects continue over time. If the symptoms are symmetrical, meaning they occur on both sides of the body in the same joints, this would help in the classification of the type. The three most common types of arthritis are Rheumatoid, Osteo and Psoriatic.
The universal symptoms of this inflammatory condition are never ending pain in the joints, rigidity in joints when inactive, partial movement, touch sensitivity, body-corresponding joint pain, and swelling. These generally occur in the joints of the legs and the arms, especially the wrists and fingers. Another unexpected symptom is fatigue. Often, the person affected with arthritis will notice muscle fatigue in the morning. Along with the chronic joint problems this fatigue could be a result of poor sleep owing to pain during the previous night.
Common Types:
The most widespread arthritic type known is Rheumatoid Arthritis. In the United States more than 70 million people have been affected. The causes of this condition are still unknown to health experts, although bacterium or viruses have been suggested. Some theories formulated are that bacterium or a virus affects the people who already prone to this disease due to a genetic disposition.
Another type of this disease, referred to as Psoriatic Arthritis, has five different varieties. Each one is typified by the pain, unease, pulsating sensation, and sensitivity of the joint. Other symptoms are common such as inflexibility in joints as well as fatigue and stiffness in morning.
When bones have worn out causing them to rub together, severe pain is experienced plus the uncomfortable sensation of actually hearing the bones rubbing against each other. There are many causes for this inflammation of the joints including a sports injury, trauma, aging, genetics, or obesity or even chemical changes in the body.
Psoriatic Arthritis is similar to Rheumatic in symptoms, especially the symmetric form which affects the same joints on both sides of the body. The asymmetric form however, affects a maximum of three joints which may be different joints on different sides of the body.
Spondylitis affects the shoulders, spinal chord and neck. Mutilans causes severe deformation that affects the small joints in the fingers and toes. D.I.P. is another type of this disorder, which affects mainly the small joints.
If you observe any of the above symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. Treatment and relief of pain is available.
Summary:
Arthritis is a never-ending joint pain. There are numerous types of this chronic disease, with different symptoms. Fortunately, this illness is treatable to the extent that the person can lead a relatively normal lifestyle.
Brooke Hayles
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