Arthritis Treatment

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Several resent studies show that overweight male and female adults suffering from osteoarthritis can significantly reduce the amount of pain and disability they experience as a result of their osteoarthritis (the most common type of arthritis) by losing a mere 5% of their body weight.

“It is more or less proven now that the most effective thing, if you have osteoarthritis of the knee, is weight loss,” says Henning Bliddal (a co-author of the study), of HS Frederiksberg Hospital in Copenhagen. Join Pain is highly associated with your weight. Increased weight means more stress on your joints which makes it prone to joint related problems. To give an indication , while walking you are exerting a minimum of three times your body weight on the while you are walking.

“As such, weight reduction therapy in overweight osteoarthritic patients is a very appealing goal, both with regards to disease-specific pain and disability reduction as well as for overall health benefits such as cardiovascular risk reduction,” adds Robin Christensen (also a study co-author), of HS Frederiksberg Hospital.

The conducted study consisted of an extensive search within varying databases in the efforts to identify studies wherein patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee who had also experienced weight loss of 5% (or more) of their body weight.

Out of the twenty-three studies meeting research criteria, all of the participants noted decreased pain and lower levels of disability after their weight loss. The total number of patients who participated in this collection of studies exceeded five hundred.

The relationship between participating individuals weight loss and the reduction in arthritis pain and disability proved to be impressive and the resulting report indicated the findings as convincing.

Computer modeling indicated that an overall weight loss of a mere 5.02%, within a specific period of time, would dramatically lessen the severity physical disabilities and pain experienced by overweight adults suffering from osteoarthritis. In a 200-pound person, that weight loss adds up to just ten pounds!

If an individual loses 10% of their body weight they will experience moderate -to-large improvement in self-reported physical disability,” Christensen stated.

Medical professionals recommend that overweight arthritis sufferers lose at least 10% of their body weight within an 8-week (or two month) time frame. In a 200-pound adult, losing 10% (or 20 pounds) of excess body weight can prove challenging, but worth the effort in the long run.

The best possible way to accomplish this weight loss is to increase levels of activity and begin a regimen of healthy eating. Exercise alone will not provide optimal results if youre still overeating and consuming the wrong types of food. It is recommended that you first begin to improve your diet and then add exercise to your routine.

Doctors agree that your knees will last longer if you follow a healthy eating plan in conjunction with low impact, moderately strenuous exercise. Your exercise routine should be adjusted to your fitness level, and as you become more physically fit you can increase the level of your activity.

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One in three adults will suffer from some kind of arthritis as they get older. The term “Arthritis”

covers more than a hundred different types of the disease, all causing pain, stiffness, and inflammation in varying degrees.

The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease, and rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease.

Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent, caused by wear and tear on the joints and affecting mostly older people. Osteoarthritis affects the knees, hips, hands, and spine of sufferers, and results from the degeneration of joint cartilage. This form of arthritis can be the result of strains and injuries caused by repetitive movement, and can be suffered by sportsmen and women.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. Sufferers can be any age. Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause inflammation of the tissue around the joints, and can affect other organs in the body.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease but patients may have long periods of remission without symptoms.

So, how is arthritis diagnosed? Let us concentrate on osteoarthritis.

The diagnosis of arthritis is a complex matter, as so many factors have to be taken into account.

The age and sex of the patient, the joints affected, the speed of onset, and whether there are any related symptoms.

X-rays of the affected joints, and blood tests will be necessary to correctly diagnose the type of arthritis, and to accurately determine the extent of any damage to the joints.

As with all medical conditions, there are new methods of diagnosis and treatment being made available for arthritis all the time, so patients should be made aware of these by their medical practitioner.

Once a patient has been diagnosed, a treatment decision will be made depending on the precise type of arthritis, and there are many options. Most patients will be offered drug therapy to reduce inflammation and manage pain, and it may take a time to find the correct combination of medication for each individual.

A number of patients suffering from arthritis will also benefit from physiotherapy and gentle physical exercise under medical supervision.

Alternative Remedies

Alternative treatment options and dietary supplements have become popular for arthritis and osteoarthritis in particular.

The problem is, there are as many alternative treatments around as there are stars in the sky!

What works

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Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting about 40 million Americans. It is also the most common cause of disability.

While more than half of patients older than 65 years of age have osteoarthritis changes in the their knees on x-ray, osteoarthritis is not considered a “normal” part of aging.

Certain activities and occupations increase the likelihood of osteoarthritis. For instance baseball players have an increased incidence of osteoarthritis in the elbows and shoulder. Football players have an increased incidence of osteoarthritis in the hips and knees. And ditch diggers have an increased incidence of osteoarthritis in their wrists.

Obesity is a risk factor for osteoarthritis developing in the knees.

Osteoarthritis is a disease that arises from biochemical changes in cartilage which include a decrease in glycosoaminoglycans, an important constituent of collage, an increase in water content, and an increase in the content of destructive enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases.

These changes lead to structural weakening of cartilage. Small fissures develop, then larger cracks and irregularities also occur. Ulceration of cartilage and further deterioration occurs. The end result is a premature wearing away of cartilage with exposure of underlying bone. Along with this wearing away of cartilage is an increase in inflammation of the lining of the joint, the synovium.

The joints that are affected most in osteoarthritis are weight-bearing areas such as the neck, low back, hips, and knees.

Stiffness and pain are the moist common symptoms.

On physical exam, there are signs that point towards the diagnosis including bony swelling, and distribution of joint problems.

Laboratory testing is usually normal. X-rays may show changes.

Treatment for osteoarthritis is aimed at five primary goals. They are relief of pain, maintenance of function, prevention of disability, control of co-morbid conditions, and avoidance of medication side effects.

Non-drug therapies include patient education, physical therapy, thermal modalities, weight loss if indicated, and exercise.

Drug therapies include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, injections of glucocorticoids or viscosupplements (lubricants), and disease-modifying drugs.

Alternative therapies such as acupuncture, balneotherapy (spas), glucosamine/chondroitin, massage, chiropractic, etc. all have their advocates.

One area that has received much attention is the use of mechanical shifting devices that can unload specific joints. For instance osteoarthritis of the knee, a common problem, has received much scrutiny lately.

A recent study showed that the use of shoes that mimic barefoot walking may help because there is more pressure placed on the middle of the knee joint when people wear shoes as opposed to when they walk barefoot.

Also, the use of a simple device like a cane also reduced the load on the knees.
(Kemp G, et al Arthritis Care and Research 2008; 59: 609-614).

Other studies have found that lateral wedge insoles worn inside shoes can also reduce the load on the medial side of the joint.

Until the day comes when new cartilage can be grown… and that day may be closer than we think, particularly with the emphasis on stem cell research, the above modalities may have to do.

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