Rheumatoid Arthritis – Symptom relief and resources

According to a new Belgian study, glucosamine and chondroitin help lower the pain as well as improving the functions of the knees in Osteoarthritis (OA) and are very safe. John Klippel, M.D. who is the medical director of the Arthritis Foundation, says glucosamine is so great because it lowers cartilage loss and slows the progression of OA. In one study, glucosamine showed to reduce arthritis knee pain and disability 20% to 25% in patients taking 1,500 milligrams of glucosamine on a daily bases for 3 years. Although, glucosamine and chondroitin are typically used together, Klippel says that there is no proof that they work better together than alone.

New finding have linked arthritis to not only poor diet or obesity, but instead to the general state of the immune system. A protein in the immune system that causes malfunctions in patients who have arthritis or other inflammatory diseases have been found by researchers. It is believed by doctors that they may clog this protein to limit the need for steroids.

Compare to previous generations, it has been observed by the researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center that there are more cases of arthritis involved with obese baby boomers. As the population ages so does the number of people with arthritis.

Lately a lot of people are seeking natural remedies to treat diseases such as arthritis instead of taking prescription medication. Most of the alternatives available can help relief arthritis pain.

Glucosamine and Chondroitin are two of the most popular natural relief for arthritis. These supplements are found in the body naturally and help promoting joint health and improvement. Glucosamine also helps in delaying the progression of the disease and has also been shown to relieve symptoms even after weeks after ending the treatment. Chondroitin acts like a liquid magnet because it attracts water into the cartilage matrix and thus stimulating the production of cartilage. Some studies have shown positive results from the long term use of chondroitin by lowering pain and increasing range of motion.

Rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic and inflammatory autoimmune disorder which causes are unknown. Nearly sixty percent of rheumatoid arthritis patients cannot work after 10 years because of the disorder.

Rheumatoid arthritis name originated from the Greeks. The Greek name for Rheumatoid is actually Rheumatos which means flowing. The suffix –oid stands for resembling. At first rheumatos was associated with rheumatic fever, an illness described as a throat infection that includes joint pain. Therefore, when you add the prefix and suffix you get the definition of a condition involving inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis got its name because it resembles rheumatic fever. The first description of rheumatoid arthritis is seen in a painting nearly more than a century before Landre-Beauvais described it in detailed in 1800.

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA), affecting 50,000 children in the USA, is a condition that causes joint inflammation and stiffness for longer than 6 weeks in children age 16 or younger. The first signs to look out for are joint pain, swelling, and reddened or warm joints.

Rheumatoid Arthritis can be described as a chronic and inflammatory autoimmune disorder which causes the immune system to ultimately attack the body’s joints. This causes symptoms such as joint stiffness, particularly on the hands or feet, some cases both. Other symptoms include arthritis and swelling of the soft tissues, symmetric arthritis, and radiological changes indicated by joint erosion.