Conventional Treatments for Arthritis

Despite our improved understanding of the various conditions leading to arthritis, we still pay scant attention to looking after our musculoskeletal system, and our joints in particular. And we are still no nearer to knowing the exact cause of autoimmune types of arthritis such as rheumatoid disease. Lower back pain and slipped discs are almost endemic in our society today, yet very few people bother to adjust their lifestyle to prevent these common problems occurring. The cost to the health service and to industry as a result of back pain is enormous, quite apart from the cost in terms of human misery and discomfort. If only people were able to keep their muscles stronger and to correct poor posture at an early stage, many patients who have been crippled by arthritis could have enjoyed an active and pain-free existence. Even young, fit athletes who should know better take short cuts and strain their joints often irretrievably.

There is a tendency for doctors to seize upon their potent pills and anti-inflammatory medications as soon as the patient walks through the door with a painful joint, but advice about whether to rest a joint or whether to exercise it is vital because if you have taken the wrong option, you can clearly make matters worse. A few general points of advice would be:

• The muscle should always be kept strong through active exercise or passive physiotherapy, as these maintain the integrity of the joints whose movement they control.
• An acutely inflamed joint should generally be rested whereas a cold stiff osteoarthritis joint should be exercised with non-weight-bearing activity to lubricate it.
• Splinting the joints is useful when they are acutely inflamed, and any patient with arthritis in weight-bearing joints should be helped to lose weight in order to reduce some of the pressure and strain in those areas.

Finally, patients should be given a realistic idea of the outlook of their condition. It is better for a middle-aged footballer with osteoarthritis to know that excessive training could make things worse and it seems kinder to encourage a young woman with rheumatoid arthritis to be realistic about her future, and to come to terms with the fact that she may have to curtail her lifestyle to accommodate her arthritis. But in all forms of disability there is much that can be done to keep the patient thinking positively and constructively.

Blodd Type and Arthrits

There is some interesting work being done on blood type and arthritis. Those with blood group A are more likely to have rheumatoid arthritis and to benefit from a strictly vegetarian diet. Those with blood group B are more prone to osteoarthritis and will do well with fish and a vegetarian diet. Blood groups 0 and AB need a more individual approach to diet.

The orthodox treatment- of arthritis is entirely dependent on the individual type of arthritis. In traumatic arthritis, for example, treatment is largely based on the mnemonic RICE, standing for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. The joint is rested to prevent further inflammation, ice is applied, compression bandages are put in place, and the joint is elevated in order to discourage further swelling. All forms of arthritis respond to anti-inflammatory medications, but stronger drugs such as steroids and gold injections may be used for autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis. Antibiotics would be used for septic arthritis and allopurinol is the best treatment for gout. In cases where progressive arthritis has produced deformities in joints and disability, two surgical procedures are commonly performed which can relieve discomfort and improve function. These are arthroplasty where the joint is replaced with an artificial substitute, and arthrodesis where the bones in the joint are fused together. This obviously reduces function but it has the benefit of eradicating pain totally.

Dan writes for BioBalance and on his own blog about health, addiction and depression.