Preventing Arthritis

Unfortunately arthritis has no prevention or cure. But with a few simple lifestyle changes arthritis can be made much more bearable. Medication, along with exercise and a healthy diet can help you help deal with the pain and stiffness and take good care of your joints.

Reducing Stress On Your Joints

It is very important for anyone who suffers from arthritis to reduce the stress on their joints. You need to;

• Stay an ideal weight. This weight is determined by your doctor, who takes into account which joints hurt the most.
• Pace yourself. People who have arthritis need to take it slow. Overexerting yourself will only increase the pain in your joints. Take it easy and spread out difficult or tedious tasks over a span of time. Instead of trying to finish something in an hour, take the whole day.
• Avoid activities that put stress on your joints. Do not kneel or play sports that require you to put stress on your joints, instead try swimming or some light aerobic exercises.
• Wear shoes with thick soft soles, as they act as shock absorbers for the body.
• Consider using equipment in your home or workplace to help you avoid stressful movement.

How To Deal With Pain

It is important for people who suffer from arthritis to always take their prescribed medication. There are dozens of medications available both over-the-counter and prescription drugs to treat the various forms of arthritis. You need to speak to your doctor to help you decide which medications are best for you.

Topical Pain Relievers

Topical pain relievers are over-the-counter drugs that provide quick pain relief for people with arthritis that is not too severe. These pain relievers are available as creams, salves or gels. Capzasin-P, Zostrix, Arthricare, Eucalyptamint, Icy Hot, Aspercreme, BenGay, and Flexall, all work by decreasing mild pain and inflammation around the joints.

Anti-Inflammatory Painkillers Or Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID's)

These drugs are used to relieve the symptoms of joint swelling, stiffness, and pain. Most arthritis suffers take have taken or take on of these drugs. These painkillers are not hard on the stomach like the traditional anti-inflammatory drugs. They are also known as Cox-2 inhibitors. NSAID's also are used to treat pain from injury or other causes of long-term pain. Advil, Nuprin, Ascriptin, Bayer, Orudis KT Anaprox, Clinoril, Celebrex, Bextra, Feldene, Trilisate, Naprosyn, and Mobic are just a few OTC and NSAID's prescribed.

However, recently 3 of these drugs, Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra are embroiled in a scandal. Vioxx has been pulled from the market because it has been found to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. While the FDA has asked doctors to avoid prescribing Celebrex and Bextra to their patients, due to reports that these two drugs also increase the risk for heart disease.

Narcotic Pain Relievers

Narcotic pain relievers help with relieve pain but do not relieve inflammation in the joints. They are often combined with Tylenol or an NSAID to enhance their effects. Narcotic pain relievers are dangerous as they can cause both physical and psychological dependency. They also cause constipation, urinary problems, and drowsiness. Some narcotics include; Tylenol with Codeine or Phenaphen with Codeine, Dolacet, Hydrocet, Lorcet, Lortab, Vicoden, Morphine, Davocet & Ultram.

Corticosteroids

Corticosteroids or steroids are powerful anti-inflammatory drugs that treat many forms of arthritis including rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Although they are effective, steroids have many side effects, such as allergic reactions, bleeding into the joint, rupture of a tendon and weakening of bones, ligaments and tendons. Most doctors avoid steroid use or use them minimally in combination with other drugs. Steroids work by decreasing inflammation and reducing activity of the immune system.

Disease- Modifying Antirhematic Drugs (DMARDs)

These drugs work on the immune system and are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis. DMARDs work by hindering or suppressing the immune system and stop if from attacking the bone joints. DMARDs often used in the aggressive early treatment rheumatoid arthritis.

Although these drugs are very effective, they take a long time to work and the benefits are seen after sometime. Therefore, they are often combined with the faster working drug NSAID to help relieve arthritis symptoms.

Arava, Plaquenil, anti-rejection organ drugs like cyclosporine, chemotherapy drugs like Methotrexate, Imuran, and Cytoxan and Azulfidine, D-penicillamine are all Disease –Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs.

Biologic Therapy

This is the newest treatment to be approved to treat arthritis. Currently it only treats certain forms of inflammatory arthritis such as psoriatic arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. It works by altering the functioning of the immune systems that attacks the joints. Unfortunately this treatment cannot be used by everyone as it is very expensive.

Enbrel (approved to treat RA and psoriatic arthritis), Humira (approved to treat RA), Kineret (approved to treat RA) and Remicade (approved to treat RA) have been approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

As well as medication, there are a few simple ways to deal with painful joints. Applying warm packs to the pain-affected areas can relieve pain and stiffness. An ice pack can also bring relief to inflamed joints.

Eat Healthily

The importance of eating healthy for a person suffering from arthritis cannot be underscored enough. Your body needs a variety of nutrients to stay healthy. Be sure to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and beans, dairy foods and cereals. Avoid fatty and sugary food, such as cakes and chips. This also helps you to maintain a healthy weight.

There are theories that certain foods can help arthritis. For example, there is evidence that the essential fatty acids found in fish oils and plant seed oils, such as sunflower oil and evening primrose oil, are helpful for people with rheumatoid arthritis. Mussels and garlic are also known to have a positive effect on the body.

However, you should discuss any changes in your diet with your doctor

• Do away with refined and partial foods such as white flour and white sugar.
• Eat a diet composed mainly of mainly fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, lean meat and fish.
• Take dairy out of your diet and see if that helps. If not, try eliminating red meat.
• Avoid the foods from the nightshade family: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and potatoes.
• Eat foods like brown rice, wheat and rye.
• Be sure to take a good calcium/magnesium supplement.
• Get plenty of sunshine. Exposure to the sun produces vitamin D in the skin, which is essential for proper bone formation.

Exercise

Make sure exercise is part of your daily life. Many arthritis sufferers report a tremendous relief be adding an exercise program to their daily schedule. Swimming is a great exercise for those with arthritis.

It is important to take a proactive approach to managing arthritis. You control the disease, do not let it control you.