Arthritis is an inflammatory disease that causes chronic pain, stiffness, or swelling in the joints and can cause a reduced range of motion. It can affect one or more joints in the body. In some people, arthritis can damage the skin, kidneys, nerve tissue, lungs, eyes, heart, and blood vessels. There are different types of arthritis that can be caused by infections, injuries, wear and tear, or various underlying diseases.
There are different types of arthritis, and they include:
- Osteoarthritis – Tear and wear that affects the lining of the joints, causing pain and swelling, or bone erosion and joint deformation.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis – An autoimmune disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks its own body tissues.
- Childhood arthritis – Develops in the children under 16 years of the age. Almost 50% of children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis fully recover.
- Gout – A common form of inflammatory arthritis that is very painful and affects one joint at a time. Characteristic of severe pain, redness, and swelling in the joints. Symptoms come in flares.
- Lupus – About 95% of lupus patients will experience arthritis or arthralgias (joint pains) at some point during their illness. Symptoms come in flares.
Arthritis is a serious disease that can’t be cured or reversed. Treatment for many types of arthritis can slow down the progression of the disease, ease symptoms, and improve function.
Arthritis treatment include:
- Antibiotics
- Nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)
- Steroids
- Physical therapy
- Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD)
- Creams and ointment containing menthol or capsaicin
Other common treatments include corticosteroid injections, sacroiliac joint injections, ultrasound-guided major joint injections, and joint surgery.
In addition to conventional healing treatments, there are some natural remedies that can help relieve the symptoms and they include:
- Turmeric
- Glucosamine
- Chondroitin acid
- Hyaluronic acid
- Zinc
- Methyl sulphonyl-methane (MSM)
- Ginger and Ginger oil
- Hypericum oil
- Bay leaf
- Clove
- Nettle leaves tincture
- Black currant leaves tincture
- Devil’s claw
- Rosemary oil
In some cases, arthritis worsens or occurs as an allergic reaction to food. Certain foods are known to cause inflammation in the body, and these foods include:
- Milk and dairy products
- Meat and processed meat
- Corn and processed corn
- Wheat
- Tomatoes
- Capsicum
- Alcohol
- Hot spices
If you suffer from arthritis and think you could be in a group whose symptoms worsen as a reaction to food, you should do a test simply by avoiding these foods for a period of time, see if the symptoms have reduced, then eat them again and look for the symptoms.
If you suffer from arthritis and want to try complementary therapies, you need to take steps to protect yourself. You need to talk to your doctor and get an accurate diagnosis. Conduct thorough online research of available options and talk to your doctor about them. Look for scientific research and testimonials. You can also make healing oils that help with symptoms.
It is important to keep moving. Arthritis can cause pain, stiffness, and inflammation in one or more joints or muscles, so moving, especially exercising, can increase the strength and flexibility of joints and muscles and reduce some of the symptoms. As it is necessary to avoid some of the exercises, such as running or aerobic, where both feet are off the ground at the same time, it is best to consult a physiotherapist about the exercises.
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➥ DISCLAIMER: This post is not intended to replace medical treatment. The information provided is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.