RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS SYMPTOMS

Arthritis knee pain relief

Arthritis is a group of painful and degenerative conditions marked by inflammation in the joints that causes stiffness and pain. Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, gets worse with age and is caused by wear and tear over the years. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by the immune system attacking the joints as if they were foreign tissues. Because of this, rheumatoid arthritis is classified as an autoimmune disease.

Health experts traditionally treat arthritis with anti-inflammatory relievers and painkillers. However, some options cause side effects, and a natural approach to pain relief is becoming more popular.

Types Of Arthritis

Knee Osteoarthritis

This common form of arthritis usually occurs in one or both knee joints. It is marked by the degeneration of articular cartilage that covers and protects the tibia (shin bone), femur (thigh bone), and patella (knee cap) at the knee joint. Cartilage does not have blood flow or nerve endings, so it is possible to have damaged articular cartilage and experience no pain.

Post-Traumatic Knee Arthritis

This type of arthritis develops after a trauma or injury (post-traumatic or traumatic arthritis) to the knee, such as a bone fracture, meniscus tear, or ligament injury. As a result of the injury, the cartilage cells gradually degenerate. The articular cartilage may detach and decompose into fragments that disrupt normal knee movement and cause pain.

This type of arthritis may not develop or become symptomatic until years after the injury. It typically develops over a long period of time and includes symptoms similar to knee osteoarthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

An immune system disease that initially presents itself in people ages 20-50 years, rheumatoid arthritis can cause knee pain. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused when the white blood cells – which normally protect the body from infection, bacteria, and viruses – start destroying the synovial lining of the joint. The synovial lining encapsulates the knee joint and produces lubricating synovial fluid that aids knee function. When the synovial lining is injured it swells, causing warmth and redness, tenderness, and pain in the knee joint. In one clinical study, a person likened the warmth to “sitting too close to the fire.”

People who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis in the knee usually experience it symmetrically (if one knee is affected so is the other) and also have symptoms in their hands and wrists. Episodes of rheumatoid arthritis may come and go and can be accompanied by fever and fatigue and a general run-down feeling.

Causes

There is no single cause of all types of arthritis; the cause or causes in any given case vary according to the type or form of arthritis. Potential causes for arthritis may include:

Potential causes for arthritis may include:

• Injury – leading to degenerative arthritis
• Abnormal metabolism – leading to gout and pseudogout
• Inheritance – such as in osteoarthritis
• Infections – such as in the arthritis of Lyme disease
• Immune system dysfunction – such as in RA and SLE.

Most types of arthritis are caused by a combination of many factors working together, although some arthritis conditions have no obvious cause and appear to be unpredictable in their emergence.

Natural Remedies

Remember to consult your health consultant before trying these natural remedies.

Weight Reduction

The best remedy maintaining a healthy weight, and losing weight if necessary is not the easiest.
Still, every pound you pare off means 4 pounds less pressure on your knees, says Laura Robbins, senior vice president of education and academic affairs at the Hospital for Special operation in New York City.

Some people will see their symptoms disappear if they lose 10 to 20 pounds, says Roy Altman, MD, a rheumatologist and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Exercise

Physical activity is essential for people with osteoarthritis, whether it means walking around your apartment if you’re a fragile older person or swimming laps if you’re in better shape.
People used to think that exercise made arthritis worse, but the opposite is true—unless you’re pounding the pavement. (Runners with knee osteoarthritis should cut down on mileage, try to cross-train, and run on softer surfaces like tracks and dirt paths.)

Exercise programs should include both aerobic exercise—like walking, swimming, or biking—and strengthening exercises, such as isometric and isotonic exercises, Dr. Altman says.

Acupuncture

Many people find that acupuncture helps relieve pain and disability due to arthritis; several studies have found benefit from the procedure.

“Several trials show acupuncture to be helpful for many people with osteoarthritis. “It’s not helpful in everybody.”

Glucosamine

There is some evidence that suggests that glucosamine alleviates arthritis pain, but the type of glucosamine matters.

“There continues to be a lot of controversy about it. There’s a fair amount of data that glucosamine sulfate is beneficial, but glucosamine hydrochloride is not,” Dr. Altman says. “Almost all of the products that are sold here in the United States are glucosamine hydrochloride. There are no trials demonstrating that glucosamine hydrochloride benefits people with osteoarthritis.”

In the studies that did find benefit for glucosamine sulfate, Dr. Altman says, patients took 1,500 milligrams once a day, which resulted in better absorption in the body than splitting the dose.

Chondroitin

Early research found that this supplement was promising when combined with glucosamine. However, more recent studies indicate it’s not effective.

Although some studies suggest that chondroitin sulfate slows arthritis progression, it hasn’t been shown to help symptoms, says Dr. Altman. Studies that found the supplement helpful used 800 milligrams or 1,200 milligrams daily.

“They’re really pretty safe. “The one thing about them is there’s no major side effects. They’re fairly well tolerated.”

Other supplements

Other supplements have shown promise, but the evidence just isn’t that strong, says Dr. Altman.
Industry-funded studies have found benefits for avocado soybean unsaponifiables (ASU), which are made from avocado and soybean oils, in patients with hip and knee arthritis. But such studies aren’t as reliable as those funded by groups that don’t stand to gain financially.

There’s some evidence that rose hips and highly concentrated ginger could be helpful.
Although fish oil has anti-inflammatory properties, more research is needed.