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Home Stainless Titanium Bangle Mag Info Bedding Pets Accessories Favorites Nutrition Green Clean Financial Freedom Rocks	What is arthritis?                                 Alternative medicine has become the choice of an increasing number of people over the past 5 years.   These same individuals are also looking for a drug free alternative for pain management to control pain naturally.    For 1000's of years,  Copper and Magnetic Jewelry has been the answer for sufferers of chronic pain.                                                               Arthritis is a joint disorder featuring inflammation.       A point is an area of the body where  two different bones meet.  A joint functions to move the body parts connected by its bones.        Arthritis literally means inflammation of one or more joints. Arthritis is frequently accompanied by joint pain.   Joint pain is referred to as  arthralgia.    There are many forms of arthritis             (over one hundred and growing).   The forms range from those related to wear and tear of cartilage (such as osteoarthritis) to  those associated with inflammation resulting from an over-active immune system   (such as rheumatoid arthritis).  Together, the many forms of arthritis make up the most  common chronic illness in America.   The causes of arthritis depend on the form of arthritis.  Causes include injury (leading to osteoarthritis),  abnormal metabolism (such as gout and  pseudogout),    inheritance, infections, and for unclear reasons (such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus).   Arthritis is classified as one of the rheumatic diseases.    These are conditions that are different individual  illnesses, with differing features, treatments,  complications, and prognosis. They are  similar in that they have a tendency to affect the joints,    muscles, ligaments, cartilage, tendons,  and   many have the potential to affect internal body areas.   What are symptoms of arthritis?      Symptoms of arthritis include pain and limited function of joints. Inflammation of the joints from  arthritis is characterized by joint stiffness, swelling, redness, and warm. Tenderness of the   inflamed joint can be present.   What is Osteoarthritis?  Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that is caused by breakdown of cartilage with eventual loss of the  cartilage of the joints. Cartilage is a protein substance that serves as a "cushion" between the bones of  the joints.  Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative arthritis. Among the over 100 different types of arthritis conditions, osteoarthritis is the most common, affecting over 20 million people in  America..  Osteoarthritis occurs more frequently as we age. Before age 45,  osteoarthritis occurs  more frequently  in males. After age 55 years, it occurs more frequently in  females. In the United States,  all races appear  equally affected. A higher incidence of osteoarthritis exists in the Japanese population, while South African  blacks, East Indians and Southern Chinese have lower rates.   Osteoarthritis usually affects the hands, feet, spine, and large weight-bearing joints,   such as the hips and knees. Most cases of osteoarthritis have no known cause, and are called primary osteoarthritis.  When cause of the osteoarthritis is known, the condition is called secondary osteoarthritis.   What causes osteoarthritis?    Primary osteoarthritis is mostly related to aging. With aging, the water content of the cartilage increases and the protein makeup of cartilage degenerates. Repetitive use of the joints over the years irritates and  inflames the cartilage, causing joint pain and swelling. Eventually, cartilage begins to degenerate by flaking  or forming tiny crevasses. In advanced cases, there is a total loss of the cartilage cushion between the bones  of the joints. Loss of cartilage cushion causes friction between the bones, leading to pain and limitation of  joint mobility. Inflammation of the cartilage can also stimulate new bone outgrowths (spurs) to form around  the joints. Osteoarthritis occasionally can be found in multiple members of the same family, implying an  heredity (genetics) basis for this condition.   Obesity causes osteoarthritis by increasing the mechanical stress on the cartilage.     The early  development  of osteoarthritis of the knees among weight lifters is believed to be in part due  to their high  body weight.  Repeated trauma to joint tissues (ligaments, bones and cartilage) is believed  to lead to early osteoarthritis of the knees in soccer players. Interestingly, recent studies have not found  an increased risk of osteoarthritis  in long-distance runners.   Crystal deposits in the cartilage can cause cartilage degeneration, and osteoarthritis.  Uric acid crystals cause arthritis in gout, while calcium pyrophosphate crystals cause arthritis in pseudogout.   Some people are born with abnormally formed joints    (congenital abnormalities) that are vulnerable to mechanical wear, causing early degeneration and loss of  joint cartilage. Osteoarthritis of the hip joints is commonly related to design abnormalities of these joints   that had been present since birth.   Hormone disturbances, such as diabetes and growth hormone disorders,    are also associated with early cartilage wear and secondary osteoarthritis.   What are symptoms of osteoarthritis?     Osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints. Unlike many other forms of arthritis that are systemic illnesses,  such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus, osteoarthritis does not affect other organs of the body.   The most common symptom of osteoarthritis is pain in the affected joint(s) after repetitive use. Joint pain  is usually worse later in the day. There can be swelling, warmth, and creaking of the affected joints. Pain  and stiffness of the joints can also occur after long periods of inactivity, for example, sitting in a theater.  In severe osteoarthritis, complete loss of cartilage cushion causes friction between bones, causing pain  at rest or pain with limited motion.   Symptoms of osteoarthritis vary greatly from patient to patient.    Osteoarthritis of the knees is often associated with obesity or a history of repeated injury and/or joint surgery.  Progressive cartilage degeneration of the knee joints can lead to deformity and outward curvature of the knees referred to as  "bow legged."  Patients with osteoarthritis of the weight bearing joints (like the knees) can develop a limp. The limping can worsen as more cartilage degenerates. In some patients, the pain, limping, and joint dysfunction may not respond to medications or other conservative measures.  Therefore, severe osteoarthritis of the knees is one of the most common reasons for total knee replacement surgical procedures in the United States   Osteoarthritis of the spine causes pain in the neck or low back.  Bony spurs that form along the arthritic spine can irritate spinal nerves, causing severe pain, numbness,  and tingling of the affected parts of the body.   Osteoarthritis causes the formation of hard bony enlargements of the small joints of the fingers.   Bony enlargement of the small joint at the end of the fingers is called a  Heberden's node, named after a very famous British doctor. The bony deformity is a result of the bone spurs from the osteoarthritis in that joint.   Another common bony knob (node) occurs at the middle joint of the fingers in many patients with osteoarthritis and is called a Bouchard’s node. Dr. Bouchard was a famous French doctor who also studied arthritis patients    at the turn of the last century. The Heberden's and Bouchard's nodes may not be painful, but they are often associated with limitation of motion of the joint. The characteristic appearances of these finger nodes can be  helpful in diagnosing osteoarthritis.  Osteoarthritis of the joint at the base of the big toes leads to the formation of a bunion. Osteoarthritis of the fingers and the toes may have a genetic basis, and can be found in numerous women members of some families.   What is rheumatoid arthritis?    Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease which causes chronic inflammation of the joints. Rheumatoid  arthritis can also cause inflammation of the tissue around the joints, as well as other organs in the body. Autoimmune diseases are illnesses which occur when the body tissues are mistakenly attacked by its own immune system. The immune system is a complex organization of cells and antibodies designed normally to  "seek and destroy" invaders of the body, particularly infections. Patients with these diseases have antibodies in their blood which target their own body tissues, where they can be associated with inflammation. While rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic illness, meaning it can last for years, patients may experience long periods without symptoms. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred  to as a systemic illness and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease.   Arthritis means joint inflammation.    A joint is where two bones meet to allow movement of body parts.  The joint inflammation of rheumatoid  arthritis causes swelling, pain, stiffness, and redness in the joints. The inflammation of rheumatoid disease can also occur in tissues around the joints, such as the tendons, ligaments, and muscles. In some patients with rheumatoid arthritis, chronic inflammation leads to the destruction of the cartilage, bone and ligaments causing deformity of the joints.   Rheumatoid arthritis is a common rheumatic disease,  affecting more than two million people in the United States. The disease is three times more common in  women as in men. It afflicts people of all races equally. The disease can begin at any age, but most often  starts after age forty and before sixty. In some families, multiple members can be affected, suggesting a   genetic basis for the disorder.   What causes rheumatoid arthritis   The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. Even though infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi have long been suspected, none has been proven as the cause. The cause of rheumatoid arthritis is a very active area of worldwide research.  Some scientists believe that the tendency to develop rheumatoid arthritis may be genetically inherited. It is suspected that certain infections or factors in the environment might trigger the immune system to attack the body's own tissues, resulting in inflammation in various organs of the body such as the lungs or eyes.   Regardless of the exact trigger, the result is an immune system that is geared up to promote inflammation in the joints and occasionally other tissues of the body. Immune cells, called lymphocytes, are activated and chemical messengers (cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor/TNF and interleukin-1/IL-1) are expressed in the inflamed areas.   What are the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis?   The symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis come and go, depending on the degree of tissue inflammation.  When body tissues are inflamed, the disease is active. When tissue inflammation subsides, the disease  is inactive (in remission). Remissions can occur spontaneously or with treatment, and can last weeks,  months, or years. During remissions, symptoms of the disease disappear, and patients generally feel well.  When the disease becomes active again (relapse), symptoms return. The return of disease activity and   symptoms is called a flare. The course of rheumatoid arthritis varies from patient to patient, and periods  of flares and remissions are typical.   When the disease is active, symptoms can include :  fatigue, lack of appetite, low grade fever, muscle and joint aches, and stiffness. Muscle and joint stiffness  are usually most notable in the morning and after periods of inactivity. Arthritis is common during disease flares. During flares, joints frequently become red, swollen, painful, and tender. This occurs because the lining tissue of the joint becomes inflamed, resulting in the production of excessive joint fluid (synovial fluid).   The synovium also thickens with inflammation (synovitis).   In rheumatoid arthritis, multiple joints are usually inflamed in a symmetrical pattern   (both sides of the body affected). The small joints of both the hands and wrists are often involved.  Simple tasks of daily living, such as turning door knobs and opening jars can become difficult during flares. The small joints of the feet are also commonly involved. Occasionally, only one joint is inflamed. When only one joint is involved, the arthritis can mimic the joint inflammation caused by other forms of arthritis  such as gout or joint infection. Chronic inflammation can cause damage to body tissues, cartilage and bone.  This leads to a loss of cartilage and erosion and weakness of the bones as well as the muscles, resulting in  joint deformity, destruction, and loss of function.                                Thank you to Health Tech International  for this informative message on Arthritis   Now click here for a list of magnetic therapy products that will relieve your pain     January, 2010
Until Next Time,    Let the electromagnetic force be with you !